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Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat
Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat

Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat is here in full — 136 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat
Context Illustration Reading 1/27 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, how long'll you be gone?”
It may be four yearth and it may be eleven--” Oh, come, now, not all that time!
It isn't done.”
You d-don't underthtand--I'm going to find my plathe in the world--I don't belong here.”
All right.
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.

Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat

Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat is here in full — 136 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?”
Line 2
It may be four yearth and it may be eleven--” “Oh, come, now, not all that time!
Line 3
It isn't done.”
Line 4
You d-don't underthtand--I'm going to find my plathe in the world--I don't belong here.”
Line 5
All right.
/ɔːl raɪt/

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.

belong verb US /bɪˈlɔːŋ/

be owned by; be in the possession of

From this reading ““I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?””

Butterfly verb US /ˈbʌtərflaɪ/

flutter like a butterfly

From this reading ““I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?””

cheerfully adverb US /ˈtʃɪrfəli/

in a cheerful manner

From this reading ““I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?””

eleven adjective US /ɪˈlevən/

being one more than ten

From this reading ““It may be four yearth and it may be eleven--” “Oh, come, now, not all that time!”

four noun US /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading ““It may be four yearth and it may be eleven--” “Oh, come, now, not all that time!”

Petticoat noun US /ˈpetikoʊt/

undergarment worn under a skirt

From this reading ““I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?””

sobbed verb US /sɑːbd/

inflected form of “sob” — weep convulsively

From this reading ““I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?””

Warble verb US /ˈwɔːrbəl/

sing or play with trills, alternating with the half note above or below

From this reading ““I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?””

All words in this reading · 47

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.

AlladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading “I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?”

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?”

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

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

From this reading “I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?”

b-belong

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

From this reading “I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?”

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading “I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?”

belongverbUS /bɪˈlɔːŋ/

be owned by; be in the possession of

From this reading “I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?”

ButterflyverbUS /ˈbʌtərflaɪ/

flutter like a butterfly

From this reading “I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?”

cheerfullyadverbUS /ˈtʃɪrfəli/

in a cheerful manner

From this reading “I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?”

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading “It may be four yearth and it may be eleven--” “Oh, come, now, not all that time!

d-don't

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

From this reading “I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?”

don't

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

From this reading “I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?”

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading It isn't done.”

elevenadjectiveUS /ɪˈlevən/

being one more than ten

From this reading “It may be four yearth and it may be eleven--” “Oh, come, now, not all that time!

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading “You d-don't underthtand--I'm going to find my plathe in the world--I don't belong here.”

fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading “It may be four yearth and it may be eleven--” “Oh, come, now, not all that time!

g-going

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

From this reading “I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?”

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading “You d-don't underthtand--I'm going to find my plathe in the world--I don't belong here.”

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading “I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?”

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading “You d-don't underthtand--I'm going to find my plathe in the world--I don't belong here.”

how

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

From this reading “I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?”

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading “I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?”

I'm

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

From this reading “You d-don't underthtand--I'm going to find my plathe in the world--I don't belong here.”

I-m

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

From this reading “I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?”

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “You d-don't underthtand--I'm going to find my plathe in the world--I don't belong here.”

isn't

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

From this reading It isn't done.”

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “It may be four yearth and it may be eleven--” “Oh, come, now, not all that time!

long'll

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

From this reading “I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?”

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading “It may be four yearth and it may be eleven--” “Oh, come, now, not all that time!

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading “You d-don't underthtand--I'm going to find my plathe in the world--I don't belong here.”

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading “It may be four yearth and it may be eleven--” “Oh, come, now, not all that time!

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading “It may be four yearth and it may be eleven--” “Oh, come, now, not all that time!

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading “It may be four yearth and it may be eleven--” “Oh, come, now, not all that time!

PetticoatnounUS /ˈpetikoʊt/

undergarment worn under a skirt

From this reading “I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?”

plathe

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

From this reading “You d-don't underthtand--I'm going to find my plathe in the world--I don't belong here.”

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading “I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?”

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?”

sobbedverbUS /sɑːbd/

inflected form of “sob” — weep convulsively

From this reading “I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?”

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading “It may be four yearth and it may be eleven--” “Oh, come, now, not all that time!

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “You d-don't underthtand--I'm going to find my plathe in the world--I don't belong here.”

Thenter

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

From this reading “I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?”

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading “It may be four yearth and it may be eleven--” “Oh, come, now, not all that time!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?”

underthtand

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

From this reading “You d-don't underthtand--I'm going to find my plathe in the world--I don't belong here.”

WarbleverbUS /ˈwɔːrbəl/

sing or play with trills, alternating with the half note above or below

From this reading “I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?”

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading “You d-don't underthtand--I'm going to find my plathe in the world--I don't belong here.”

yearth

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

From this reading “It may be four yearth and it may be eleven--” “Oh, come, now, not all that time!

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “I d-don't belong to Butterfly Thenter,” Warble sobbed, “I don't b-belong--and I-m g-going away--” “All right,” Petticoat said, cheerfully, “how long'll you be gone?”

Chapter 13 of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat by Carolyn Wells holds 136 sentences, grouped into 28 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 13 of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat contain?

Chapter 13 holds 136 sentences of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 13 of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat by Carolyn Wells exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 136 sentences, grouped into 28 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 13 of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat?

Work through the 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 28 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 13 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 13 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 Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat

Common questions about reading Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat by Carolyn Wells on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat?

Yes. All 1812 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8386 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #8386, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat take to read?

About 151 minutes of reading across 363 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat section by section

How to work through Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 13 chapters of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat 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 Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat

Words and structures a reader meets early in Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Pittsburgh
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Block
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Where
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Three
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.