Chapter 1 of Poems Every Child Should Know is here in full — 399 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Poems Every Child Should Know is here in full — 399 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_She_ was Queen of Sabaea-- And _he_ was Asia’s Lord-- But they both of ’em talked to butterflies When they took their walks abroad. RUDYARD KIPLING. (In “The Just So Stories.”) PLAYING ROBINSON CRUSOE. Pussy can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To ’muse herself, not me.
Chapter 1 of Poems Every Child Should Know is here in full — 399 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 27/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 131–135
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.
possessive form of “asia” — the largest continent with 60% of the earth's population; it is joined to Europe on the west to form Eurasia; it is the site of some of the world's earliest civilizations
plural of “butterfly” — diurnal insect typically having a slender body with knobbed antennae and broad colorful wings
From this reading “_She_ was Queen of Sabaea-- And _he_ was Asia’s Lord-- But they both of ’em talked to butterflies When they took their walks abroad.”
outer bark of the cork oak; used for stoppers for bottles etc.
From this reading “Pussy can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To ’muse herself, not me.”
English author of novels and poetry who was born in India (1865-1936)
From this reading “RUDYARD KIPLING.”
in ancient Greek mythology any of 9 daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne; protector of an art or science
From this reading “Pussy can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To ’muse herself, not me.”
obscene terms for female genitals
From this reading “Pussy can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To ’muse herself, not me.”
English chemist noted for his studies of molecular structures in plants (1886-1975)
From this reading “PLAYING ROBINSON CRUSOE.”
a lightweight cord
From this reading “Pussy can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To ’muse herself, not me.”
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 Pussy can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To ’muse herself, not me.
to or in a foreign country
From this reading _She_ was Queen of Sabaea-- And _he_ was Asia’s Lord-- But they both of ’em talked to butterflies When they took their walks abroad.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _She_ was Queen of Sabaea-- And _he_ was Asia’s Lord-- But they both of ’em talked to butterflies When they took their walks abroad.
possessive form of “asia” — the largest continent with 60% of the earth's population; it is joined to Europe on the west to form Eurasia; it is the site of some of the world's earliest civilizations
From this reading _She_ was Queen of Sabaea-- And _he_ was Asia’s Lord-- But they both of ’em talked to butterflies When they took their walks abroad.
the two together, not just one
From this reading _She_ was Queen of Sabaea-- And _he_ was Asia’s Lord-- But they both of ’em talked to butterflies When they took their walks abroad.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading _She_ was Queen of Sabaea-- And _he_ was Asia’s Lord-- But they both of ’em talked to butterflies When they took their walks abroad.
plural of “butterfly” — diurnal insect typically having a slender body with knobbed antennae and broad colorful wings
From this reading _She_ was Queen of Sabaea-- And _he_ was Asia’s Lord-- But they both of ’em talked to butterflies When they took their walks abroad.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Pussy can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To ’muse herself, not me.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading Pussy can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To ’muse herself, not me.
go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading Pussy can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To ’muse herself, not me.
outer bark of the cork oak; used for stoppers for bottles etc.
From this reading Pussy can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To ’muse herself, not me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading PLAYING ROBINSON CRUSOE.
a quad with a square body
From this reading _She_ was Queen of Sabaea-- And _he_ was Asia’s Lord-- But they both of ’em talked to butterflies When they took their walks abroad.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Pussy can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To ’muse herself, not me.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading _She_ was Queen of Sabaea-- And _he_ was Asia’s Lord-- But they both of ’em talked to butterflies When they took their walks abroad.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Pussy can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To ’muse herself, not me.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading (In “The Just So Stories.”)
and nothing more
From this reading (In “The Just So Stories.”)
English author of novels and poetry who was born in India (1865-1936)
From this reading RUDYARD KIPLING.
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading _She_ was Queen of Sabaea-- And _he_ was Asia’s Lord-- But they both of ’em talked to butterflies When they took their walks abroad.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Pussy can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To ’muse herself, not me.
in ancient Greek mythology any of 9 daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne; protector of an art or science
From this reading Pussy can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To ’muse herself, not me.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Pussy can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To ’muse herself, not me.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _She_ was Queen of Sabaea-- And _he_ was Asia’s Lord-- But they both of ’em talked to butterflies When they took their walks abroad.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Pussy can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To ’muse herself, not me.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Pussy can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To ’muse herself, not me.
participate in games or sport
From this reading Pussy can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To ’muse herself, not me.
the act of playing a musical instrument
From this reading PLAYING ROBINSON CRUSOE.
obscene terms for female genitals
From this reading Pussy can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To ’muse herself, not me.
the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs
From this reading _She_ was Queen of Sabaea-- And _he_ was Asia’s Lord-- But they both of ’em talked to butterflies When they took their walks abroad.
English chemist noted for his studies of molecular structures in plants (1886-1975)
From this reading PLAYING ROBINSON CRUSOE.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading RUDYARD KIPLING.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _She_ was Queen of Sabaea-- And _he_ was Asia’s Lord-- But they both of ’em talked to butterflies When they took their walks abroad.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading _She_ was Queen of Sabaea-- And _he_ was Asia’s Lord-- But they both of ’em talked to butterflies When they took their walks abroad.
ludicrous, foolish
From this reading Pussy can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To ’muse herself, not me.
deliver by singing
From this reading Pussy can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To ’muse herself, not me.
be seated
From this reading Pussy can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To ’muse herself, not me.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading (In “The Just So Stories.”)
plural of “story” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading (In “The Just So Stories.”)
a lightweight cord
From this reading Pussy can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To ’muse herself, not me.
past form of “talk” — exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading _She_ was Queen of Sabaea-- And _he_ was Asia’s Lord-- But they both of ’em talked to butterflies When they took their walks abroad.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading (In “The Just So Stories.”)
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading _She_ was Queen of Sabaea-- And _he_ was Asia’s Lord-- But they both of ’em talked to butterflies When they took their walks abroad.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading _She_ was Queen of Sabaea-- And _he_ was Asia’s Lord-- But they both of ’em talked to butterflies When they took their walks abroad.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _She_ was Queen of Sabaea-- And _he_ was Asia’s Lord-- But they both of ’em talked to butterflies When they took their walks abroad.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading _She_ was Queen of Sabaea-- And _he_ was Asia’s Lord-- But they both of ’em talked to butterflies When they took their walks abroad.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading Pussy can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To ’muse herself, not me.
plural of “walk” — the act of traveling by foot
From this reading _She_ was Queen of Sabaea-- And _he_ was Asia’s Lord-- But they both of ’em talked to butterflies When they took their walks abroad.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _She_ was Queen of Sabaea-- And _he_ was Asia’s Lord-- But they both of ’em talked to butterflies When they took their walks abroad.
at the time that
From this reading _She_ was Queen of Sabaea-- And _he_ was Asia’s Lord-- But they both of ’em talked to butterflies When they took their walks abroad.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Pussy can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To ’muse herself, not me.
Chapter 1 of Poems Every Child Should Know by Mary E. (Mary Elizabeth) [Editor] Burt holds 399 sentences, grouped into 80 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 399 sentences of Poems Every Child Should Know, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Poems Every Child Should Know by Mary E. (Mary Elizabeth) [Editor] Burt exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 399 sentences, grouped into 80 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 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 80 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.
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