Chapter 16 of Poppy Ott and the stuttering parrot is here in full — 200 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of Poppy Ott and the stuttering parrot is here in full — 200 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE EMPTY GRAVE My chums got me out of bed the following morning. “We can’t find Cap’n Tinkertop,” says Scoop, excited. “His store’s closed, too.” I told the others where the old man was. “Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.
Chapter 16 of Poppy Ott and the stuttering parrot is here in full — 200 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/40 · 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.
a narrow street with walls on both sides
From this reading ““Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.”
plural of “chum” — a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
From this reading “THE EMPTY GRAVE My chums got me out of bed the following morning.”
(of persons) excessively affected by emotion
From this reading ““We can’t find Cap’n Tinkertop,” says Scoop, excited.”
a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading ““Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.”
necessary for relief or supply
From this reading ““Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.”
the quantity a scoop will hold
From this reading ““We can’t find Cap’n Tinkertop,” says Scoop, excited.”
hurting
From this reading ““Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.”
possessive form of “store” — a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
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 “THE EMPTY GRAVE My chums got me out of bed the following morning.”
In this reading ““Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.”
a man who is very old
In this reading “I told the others where the old man was.”
In this reading ““Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.”
vigilant
In this reading ““Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.”
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 “Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.
a narrow street with walls on both sides
From this reading “Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading THE EMPTY GRAVE My chums got me out of bed the following morning.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading “Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading “Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “We can’t find Cap’n Tinkertop,” says Scoop, excited.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “We can’t find Cap’n Tinkertop,” says Scoop, excited.
plural of “chum” — a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
From this reading THE EMPTY GRAVE My chums got me out of bed the following morning.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading “His store’s closed, too.”
make void or empty of contents
From this reading THE EMPTY GRAVE My chums got me out of bed the following morning.
(of persons) excessively affected by emotion
From this reading “We can’t find Cap’n Tinkertop,” says Scoop, excited.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading “Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading “We can’t find Cap’n Tinkertop,” says Scoop, excited.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading THE EMPTY GRAVE My chums got me out of bed the following morning.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading THE EMPTY GRAVE My chums got me out of bed the following morning.
death of a person
From this reading THE EMPTY GRAVE My chums got me out of bed the following morning.
a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading “Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading “Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “His store’s closed, too.”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I told the others where the old man was.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.
immediately past
From this reading “Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading I told the others where the old man was.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading THE EMPTY GRAVE My chums got me out of bed the following morning.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading THE EMPTY GRAVE My chums got me out of bed the following morning.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading THE EMPTY GRAVE My chums got me out of bed the following morning.
necessary for relief or supply
From this reading “Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading “Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE EMPTY GRAVE My chums got me out of bed the following morning.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading I told the others where the old man was.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I told the others where the old man was.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading THE EMPTY GRAVE My chums got me out of bed the following morning.
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading “We can’t find Cap’n Tinkertop,” says Scoop, excited.
the quantity a scoop will hold
From this reading “We can’t find Cap’n Tinkertop,” says Scoop, excited.
hurting
From this reading “Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.
possessive form of “store” — a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
From this reading “His store’s closed, too.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE EMPTY GRAVE My chums got me out of bed the following morning.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading “Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “We can’t find Cap’n Tinkertop,” says Scoop, excited.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading I told the others where the old man was.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading “His store’s closed, too.”
in the direction of
From this reading “Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I told the others where the old man was.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “We can’t find Cap’n Tinkertop,” says Scoop, excited.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.
at the time that
From this reading “Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.
in or at the place that
From this reading I told the others where the old man was.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading “Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Why weren’t you on guard in the alley last night?” says I, feeling a little bit sore toward them for not being on hand when I needed them.
Chapter 16 of Poppy Ott and the stuttering parrot by Leo Edwards holds 200 sentences, grouped into 40 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 16 holds 200 sentences of Poppy Ott and the stuttering parrot, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of Poppy Ott and the stuttering parrot by Leo Edwards exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 200 sentences, grouped into 40 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 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 40 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 16 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 Poppy Ott and the stuttering parrot by Leo Edwards on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4131 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #75550 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #75550, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 344 minutes of reading across 827 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Poppy Ott and the stuttering parrot section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of Poppy Ott and the stuttering parrot 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 Poppy Ott and the stuttering parrot, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
