Chapter 1 of Plish and Plum is here in full — 19 sentences across 4 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Plish and Plum is here in full — 19 sentences across 4 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my! But although the pipe-bowl glows Red and hot beneath his nose; Yet his heart is icy-cold; How can earth such wretches hold! "Of what earthly use to me Can such brutes," he mutters, "be? Do they earn their vittles? No!
Chapter 1 of Plish and Plum is here in full — 19 sentences across 4 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/3 · 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.
(New Testament) one of the three sages from the east who came bearing gifts for the infant Jesus
From this reading “With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!”
earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages
From this reading “Do they earn their vittles?”
of or belonging to or characteristic of this earth as distinguished from heaven
From this reading “"Of what earthly use to me Can such brutes," he mutters, "be?”
plural of “glow” — an alert and refreshed state
From this reading “But although the pipe-bowl glows Red and hot beneath his nose; Yet his heart is icy-cold; How can earth such wretches hold!”
plural of “hip” — either side of the body below the waist and above the thigh
From this reading “With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!”
plural of “jog” — a sharp change in direction
From this reading “With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!”
plural of “mutter” — a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech
From this reading “"Of what earthly use to me Can such brutes," he mutters, "be?”
marked by skill in deception
From this reading “With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!”
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 “With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!”
In this reading “"Of what earthly use to me Can such brutes," he mutters, "be?”
In this reading “But although the pipe-bowl glows Red and hot beneath his nose; Yet his heart is icy-cold; How can earth such wretches hold!”
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!
in spite of the fact that
From this reading But although the pipe-bowl glows Red and hot beneath his nose; Yet his heart is icy-cold; How can earth such wretches hold!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But although the pipe-bowl glows Red and hot beneath his nose; Yet his heart is icy-cold; How can earth such wretches hold!
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Of what earthly use to me Can such brutes," he mutters, "be?
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading But although the pipe-bowl glows Red and hot beneath his nose; Yet his heart is icy-cold; How can earth such wretches hold!
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Of what earthly use to me Can such brutes," he mutters, "be?
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But although the pipe-bowl glows Red and hot beneath his nose; Yet his heart is icy-cold; How can earth such wretches hold!
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!
(New Testament) one of the three sages from the east who came bearing gifts for the infant Jesus
From this reading With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Do they earn their vittles?
plural of “dog” — a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!
earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages
From this reading Do they earn their vittles?
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading But although the pipe-bowl glows Red and hot beneath his nose; Yet his heart is icy-cold; How can earth such wretches hold!
of or belonging to or characteristic of this earth as distinguished from heaven
From this reading "Of what earthly use to me Can such brutes," he mutters, "be?
plural of “glow” — an alert and refreshed state
From this reading But although the pipe-bowl glows Red and hot beneath his nose; Yet his heart is icy-cold; How can earth such wretches hold!
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Of what earthly use to me Can such brutes," he mutters, "be?
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading But although the pipe-bowl glows Red and hot beneath his nose; Yet his heart is icy-cold; How can earth such wretches hold!
plural of “hip” — either side of the body below the waist and above the thigh
From this reading With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading But although the pipe-bowl glows Red and hot beneath his nose; Yet his heart is icy-cold; How can earth such wretches hold!
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading But although the pipe-bowl glows Red and hot beneath his nose; Yet his heart is icy-cold; How can earth such wretches hold!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But although the pipe-bowl glows Red and hot beneath his nose; Yet his heart is icy-cold; How can earth such wretches hold!
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But although the pipe-bowl glows Red and hot beneath his nose; Yet his heart is icy-cold; How can earth such wretches hold!
plural of “jog” — a sharp change in direction
From this reading With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Of what earthly use to me Can such brutes," he mutters, "be?
plural of “mutter” — a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech
From this reading "Of what earthly use to me Can such brutes," he mutters, "be?
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!
not any; not one
From this reading No!
the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
From this reading But although the pipe-bowl glows Red and hot beneath his nose; Yet his heart is icy-cold; How can earth such wretches hold!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Of what earthly use to me Can such brutes," he mutters, "be?
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!
a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco
From this reading With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But although the pipe-bowl glows Red and hot beneath his nose; Yet his heart is icy-cold; How can earth such wretches hold!
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading But although the pipe-bowl glows Red and hot beneath his nose; Yet his heart is icy-cold; How can earth such wretches hold!
marked by skill in deception
From this reading With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading But although the pipe-bowl glows Red and hot beneath his nose; Yet his heart is icy-cold; How can earth such wretches hold!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But although the pipe-bowl glows Red and hot beneath his nose; Yet his heart is icy-cold; How can earth such wretches hold!
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Do they earn their vittles?
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Do they earn their vittles?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Of what earthly use to me Can such brutes," he mutters, "be?
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!
a formal word for “on”
From this reading With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!
the act of using
From this reading "Of what earthly use to me Can such brutes," he mutters, "be?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Do they earn their vittles?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Of what earthly use to me Can such brutes," he mutters, "be?
in the company of; together with
From this reading With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But although the pipe-bowl glows Red and hot beneath his nose; Yet his heart is icy-cold; How can earth such wretches hold!
but in spite of that
From this reading But although the pipe-bowl glows Red and hot beneath his nose; Yet his heart is icy-cold; How can earth such wretches hold!
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading With a pipe between his lips, Two young dogs upon his hips, Jogs along old Caspar Sly; How that man can smoke,--oh, my!
Chapter 1 of Plish and Plum by Wilhelm Busch holds 19 sentences, grouped into 4 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 1 holds 19 sentences of Plish and Plum, unabridged, divided into 4 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Plish and Plum by Wilhelm Busch exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 19 sentences, grouped into 4 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 4 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 4 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 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.
Common questions about reading Plish and Plum by Wilhelm Busch on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 153 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37188 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #37188, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 12 minutes of reading across 31 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Plish and Plum section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of Plish and Plum 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 Plish and Plum, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
