Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Queechy
Queechy

Chapter XIX · Chapter 19

Chapter 19 of Queechy is here in full — 518 sentences across 104 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Queechy
Context Illustration Reading 1/103 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
I dinna ken what I should want If I could get but a man.
Scotch Ballad.
Capt. Rossitur did no work at the saw-mill.
But Fleda's words had not fallen to the ground.
He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.
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.

Queechy

Chapter XIX · Chapter 19

Chapter 19 of Queechy is here in full — 518 sentences across 104 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/103 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
I dinna ken what I should want If I could get but a man.
Line 2
Scotch Ballad.
/skɑːtʃ ˈbæləd/
Line 3
Capt. Rossitur did no work at the saw-mill.
Line 4
But Fleda's words had not fallen to the ground.
Line 5
He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

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.

Ballad noun US /ˈbæləd/

a narrative song with a recurrent refrain

From this reading “Scotch Ballad.”

bellows noun US /ˈbeloʊz/

(used in the plural) a mechanical device that blows a strong current of air; used to make a fire burn more fiercely or to sound a musical instrument

From this reading “He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.”

furnish verb US /ˈfɜːrnɪʃ/

give something useful or necessary to

From this reading “He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.”

ken noun US /ken/

range of what one can know or understand

From this reading “I dinna ken what I should want If I could get but a man.”

mended verb US /ˈmendɪd/

past form of “mend” — restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken

From this reading “He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.”

Scotch noun US /skɑːtʃ/

a slight surface cut (especially a notch that is made to keep a tally)

From this reading “Scotch Ballad.”

shew verb US /ʃuː/

establish the validity of something, as by an example, explanation or experiment

From this reading “He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.”

staid adjective US /steɪd/

characterized by dignity and propriety

From this reading “He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.”

All words in this reading · 64

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading I dinna ken what I should want If I could get but a man.

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 He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Capt. Rossitur did no work at the saw-mill.

BalladnounUS /ˈbæləd/

a narrative song with a recurrent refrain

From this reading Scotch Ballad.

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

bellowsnounUS /ˈbeloʊz/

(used in the plural) a mechanical device that blows a strong current of air; used to make a fire burn more fiercely or to sound a musical instrument

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading I dinna ken what I should want If I could get but a man.

Capt

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

From this reading Capt. Rossitur did no work at the saw-mill.

carenounUS /ker/

the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading I dinna ken what I should want If I could get but a man.

countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Capt. Rossitur did no work at the saw-mill.

dinna

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

From this reading I dinna ken what I should want If I could get but a man.

fallenadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlən/

having dropped by the force of gravity

From this reading But Fleda's words had not fallen to the ground.

fellow-creatures

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

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

Fleda's

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

From this reading But Fleda's words had not fallen to the ground.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

furnishverbUS /ˈfɜːrnɪʃ/

give something useful or necessary to

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

gamenounUS /ɡeɪm/

a contest with rules to determine a winner

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading I dinna ken what I should want If I could get but a man.

gettingnounUS /ˈɡetɪŋ/

the act of acquiring something

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

groundnounUS /ɡraʊnd/

the solid part of the earth's surface

From this reading But Fleda's words had not fallen to the ground.

gunnounUS /ɡʌn/

a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading But Fleda's words had not fallen to the ground.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I dinna ken what I should want If I could get but a man.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading I dinna ken what I should want If I could get but a man.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

kennounUS /ken/

range of what one can know or understand

From this reading I dinna ken what I should want If I could get but a man.

kindsnounUS /kaɪndz/

plural of “kind” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading I dinna ken what I should want If I could get but a man.

mendedverbUS /ˈmendɪd/

past form of “mend” — restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Capt. Rossitur did no work at the saw-mill.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading But Fleda's words had not fallen to the ground.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

plentifullyadverb

in a bountiful manner

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

Rossitur

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

From this reading Capt. Rossitur did no work at the saw-mill.

saw-mill

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

From this reading Capt. Rossitur did no work at the saw-mill.

ScotchnounUS /skɑːtʃ/

a slight surface cut (especially a notch that is made to keep a tally)

From this reading Scotch Ballad.

seasonnounUS /ˈsiːzən/

a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

shewverbUS /ʃuː/

establish the validity of something, as by an example, explanation or experiment

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading I dinna ken what I should want If I could get but a man.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

staidadjectiveUS /steɪd/

characterized by dignity and propriety

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

stepnounUS /step/

any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

suppliedverbUS /səˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “supply” — give something useful or necessary to

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Capt. Rossitur did no work at the saw-mill.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading But Fleda's words had not fallen to the ground.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading I dinna ken what I should want If I could get but a man.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading I dinna ken what I should want If I could get but a man.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He began to shew care for his fellow-creatures in getting the bellows mended; his next step was to look to his gun; and from that time so long as he staid the table was plentifully supplied with all kinds of game the season and the country could furnish.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading But Fleda's words had not fallen to the ground.

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading Capt. Rossitur did no work at the saw-mill.

Chapter 19 of Queechy by Susan Warner holds 518 sentences, grouped into 104 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 19 of Queechy contain?

Chapter 19 holds 518 sentences of Queechy, unabridged, divided into 104 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 19 of Queechy by Susan Warner exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 518 sentences, grouped into 104 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 19 of Queechy?

Work through the 104 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 104 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 19 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 19 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 Queechy

Common questions about reading Queechy by Susan Warner on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Queechy?

Yes. All 14399 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8874 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Queechy is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #8874, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Queechy take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2880 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Queechy section by section

How to work through Queechy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Queechy 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 Queechy

Words and structures a reader meets early in Queechy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Single
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Queechy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cloud
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Queechy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sunny
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Queechy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Heaven
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Queechy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.