Chapter 2 of Our Little German Cousin is here in full — 101 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Our Little German Cousin is here in full — 101 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
CHRISTMAS "DON'T look! There, now it's done!" cried Bertha. It was two nights before Christmas. Bertha was in the big living-room with her mother and older sister. Each sat as close as possible to the candle-light, and was busily working on something in her lap.
Chapter 2 of Our Little German Cousin is here in full — 101 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/20 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
in a busy manner
From this reading “Each sat as close as possible to the candle-light, and was busily working on something in her lap.”
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading “CHRISTMAS "DON'T look!”
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading “Each sat as close as possible to the candle-light, and was busily working on something in her lap.”
Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.
From this reading “It was two nights before Christmas.”
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading “Bertha was in the big living-room with her mother and older sister.”
capable of happening or existing
From this reading “Each sat as close as possible to the candle-light, and was busily working on something in her lap.”
a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading “Bertha was in the big living-room with her mother and older sister.”
actively engaged in paid work
From this reading “Each sat as close as possible to the candle-light, and was busily working on something in her lap.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “It was two nights before Christmas.”
In this reading “Bertha was in the big living-room with her mother and older sister.”
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.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Bertha was in the big living-room with her mother and older sister.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Each sat as close as possible to the candle-light, and was busily working on something in her lap.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading It was two nights before Christmas.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There, now it's done!" cried Bertha.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Bertha was in the big living-room with her mother and older sister.
in a busy manner
From this reading Each sat as close as possible to the candle-light, and was busily working on something in her lap.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Each sat as close as possible to the candle-light, and was busily working on something in her lap.
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading CHRISTMAS "DON'T look!
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading Each sat as close as possible to the candle-light, and was busily working on something in her lap.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading There, now it's done!" cried Bertha.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CHRISTMAS "DON'T look!
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading There, now it's done!" cried Bertha.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading Each sat as close as possible to the candle-light, and was busily working on something in her lap.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Bertha was in the big living-room with her mother and older sister.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Bertha was in the big living-room with her mother and older sister.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was two nights before Christmas.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There, now it's done!" cried Bertha.
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading Each sat as close as possible to the candle-light, and was busily working on something in her lap.
a room in a private house or establishment where people can sit and talk and relax
From this reading Bertha was in the big living-room with her mother and older sister.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading CHRISTMAS "DON'T look!
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Bertha was in the big living-room with her mother and older sister.
Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.
From this reading It was two nights before Christmas.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading There, now it's done!" cried Bertha.
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading Bertha was in the big living-room with her mother and older sister.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Each sat as close as possible to the candle-light, and was busily working on something in her lap.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading Each sat as close as possible to the candle-light, and was busily working on something in her lap.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Each sat as close as possible to the candle-light, and was busily working on something in her lap.
a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading Bertha was in the big living-room with her mother and older sister.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Each sat as close as possible to the candle-light, and was busily working on something in her lap.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Bertha was in the big living-room with her mother and older sister.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There, now it's done!" cried Bertha.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Each sat as close as possible to the candle-light, and was busily working on something in her lap.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading It was two nights before Christmas.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was two nights before Christmas.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Bertha was in the big living-room with her mother and older sister.
actively engaged in paid work
From this reading Each sat as close as possible to the candle-light, and was busily working on something in her lap.
Chapter 2 of Our Little German Cousin by Mary Hazelton Blanchard Wade holds 101 sentences, grouped into 21 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.
Chapter 2 holds 101 sentences of Our Little German Cousin, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Our Little German Cousin by Mary Hazelton Blanchard Wade exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 101 sentences, grouped into 21 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.
Work through the 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 21 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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.
Common questions about reading Our Little German Cousin by Mary Hazelton Blanchard Wade on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1317 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43832 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #43832, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 109 minutes of reading across 264 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Our Little German Cousin section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of Our Little German Cousin to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Our Little German Cousin, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
