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Our Children
Our Children

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Our Children is here in full — 333 sentences across 67 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Our Children
Context Illustration Reading 1/66 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.
See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.
New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.
But Fanny did not stop like Red Riding Hood to pick hazel nuts.
She went straight on her way, and did not see any wolf.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Our Children

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Our Children is here in full — 333 sentences across 67 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/66 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.
Line 2
See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.
Line 3
New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.
Line 4
But Fanny did not stop like Red Riding Hood to pick hazel nuts.
/bʌt ˈfæni dɪd nɑːt stɑːp laɪk red ˈraɪdɪŋ hʊd tuː pɪk ˈheɪzəl nʌts/
Line 5
She went straight on her way, and did not see any wolf.
/ʃiː went streɪt ɑːn hɜːr weɪ ənd dɪd nɑːt siː ˈeni wʊlf/

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

archive noun US /ˈɑːr.kaɪv/

A collection of historical documents or records providing information about a place, institution, or group of people.

From this reading “Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.”

available adjective US /əˈveɪləbəl/

obtainable or accessible and ready for use or service

From this reading “Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.”

hazel adjective US /ˈheɪzəl/

of a light brown or yellowish brown color

From this reading “But Fanny did not stop like Red Riding Hood to pick hazel nuts.”

http noun US /ˌeɪtʃtiːtiːˈpiː/

a protocol (utilizing TCP) to transfer hypertext requests and information between servers and browsers

From this reading “See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.”

Illustrated verb US /ˈɪləstreɪtəd/

past form of “illustrate” — clarify by giving an example of

From this reading “See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.”

Internet noun US /ˈɪntərnet/

a computer network consisting of a worldwide network of computer networks that use the TCP/IP network protocols to facilitate data transmission and exchange

From this reading “Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.”

Libraries noun US /ˈlaɪbreriːz/

plural of “library” — a room where books are kept

From this reading “Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.”

nuts adjective US /nʌts/

informal or slang terms for mentally irregular

From this reading “But Fanny did not stop like Red Riding Hood to pick hazel nuts.”

All words in this reading · 74

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

00

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.

AmericannounUS /əˈmerəkən/

a native or inhabitant of the United States

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading She went straight on her way, and did not see any wolf.

ArchivenounUS /ˈɑːr.kaɪv/

A collection of historical documents or records providing information about a place, institution, or group of people.

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

availableadjectiveUS /əˈveɪləbəl/

obtainable or accessible and ready for use or service

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

Boutet

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But Fanny did not stop like Red Riding Hood to pick hazel nuts.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.

colornounUS /ˈkʌlər/

a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.

CompanynounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

CountrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.

denounUS /diː/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.

detailsnounUS /dɪˈteɪlz/

true confidential information

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading But Fanny did not stop like Red Riding Hood to pick hazel nuts.

Duffield

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

FannynounUS /ˈfæni/

the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

fran

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.

grandmothernounUS /ˈɡrændmʌðər/

the mother of your father or mother

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

hazeladjectiveUS /ˈheɪzəl/

of a light brown or yellowish brown color

From this reading But Fanny did not stop like Red Riding Hood to pick hazel nuts.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

HoodnounUS /hʊd/

an aggressive and violent young criminal

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

httpnounUS /ˌeɪtʃtiːtiːˈpiː/

a protocol (utilizing TCP) to transfer hypertext requests and information between servers and browsers

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.

IllustratedverbUS /ˈɪləstreɪtəd/

past form of “illustrate” — clarify by giving an example of

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.

ImagesnounUS /ˈɪmədʒəz/

plural of “image” — an iconic mental representation

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.

inknounUS /ɪŋk/

a liquid used for printing or writing or drawing

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.

InternetnounUS /ˈɪntərnet/

a computer network consisting of a worldwide network of computer networks that use the TCP/IP network protocols to facilitate data transmission and exchange

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

LibrariesnounUS /ˈlaɪbreriːz/

plural of “library” — a room where books are kept

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

livesnounUS /lɪvz/

plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

Monvel

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading But Fanny did not stop like Red Riding Hood to pick hazel nuts.

nutsadjectiveUS /nʌts/

informal or slang terms for mentally irregular

From this reading But Fanny did not stop like Red Riding Hood to pick hazel nuts.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading She went straight on her way, and did not see any wolf.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

org

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.

originaladjectiveUS /ərˈɪdʒənəl/

preceding all others in time or being as first made or performed

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

ourchildrenscene

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.

pagesnounUS /ˈpeɪdʒəz/

plural of “page” — one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

pennounUS /pen/

a writing implement with a point from which ink flows

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.

pickverbUS /pɪk/

select carefully from a group

From this reading But Fanny did not stop like Red Riding Hood to pick hazel nuts.

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

RednounUS /red/

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

RidingnounUS /ˈraɪdɪŋ/

the sport of sitting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

ScenesnounUS /siːnz/

plural of “scene” — the place where some action occurs

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.

SeeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She went straight on her way, and did not see any wolf.

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

stopverbUS /stɑːp/

come to a halt, stop moving

From this reading But Fanny did not stop like Red Riding Hood to pick hazel nuts.

straightadjectiveUS /streɪt/

successive (without a break)

From this reading She went straight on her way, and did not see any wolf.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

TownnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.

villagenounUS /ˈvɪlədʒ/

a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

visitverbUS /ˈvɪzɪt/

go to see a place, as for entertainment

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading She went straight on her way, and did not see any wolf.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading She went straight on her way, and did not see any wolf.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

wolfnounUS /wʊlf/

any of various predatory carnivorous canine mammals of North America and Eurasia that usually hunt in packs

From this reading She went straight on her way, and did not see any wolf.

wwwnoun

computer network consisting of a collection of internet sites that offer text and graphics and sound and animation resources through the hypertext transfer protocol

From this reading See http://www.archive.org/details/ourchildrenscene00fran Scenes from the Country and the Town Illustrated in color and in pen and ink by Boutet de Monvel.

YorknounUS /jɔːrk/

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading New York Duffield & Company Fanny started off early one morning, like little Red Riding Hood, to visit her grandmother, who lives quite at the other end of the village.

Chapter 1 of Our Children by Anatole France holds 333 sentences, grouped into 67 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 1 of Our Children contain?

Chapter 1 holds 333 sentences of Our Children, unabridged, divided into 67 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Our Children by Anatole France exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 333 sentences, grouped into 67 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 1 of Our Children?

Work through the 67 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 67 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading Our Children

Common questions about reading Our Children by Anatole France on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Our Children?

Yes. All 333 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28695 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Our Children is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #28695, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Our Children take to read?

About 27 minutes of reading across 67 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Our Children section by section

How to work through Our Children section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of Our Children to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Our Children

Words and structures a reader meets early in Our Children, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Images
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Our Children; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Original
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Our Children; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pages
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Our Children; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Available
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Our Children; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.