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

Chapter XXXIII · Chapter 33

Chapter 33 of Queechy is here in full — 508 sentences across 102 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Queechy
Context Illustration Reading 1/101 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The beat-laid schemes o' mice and men Gang aft agley.
Burns.
After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.
Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.
"When do you want to go, coz?"
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 XXXIII · Chapter 33

Chapter 33 of Queechy is here in full — 508 sentences across 102 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/101 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The beat-laid schemes o' mice and men Gang aft agley.
Line 2
Burns.
/bɜːrnz/
Line 3
After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.
Line 4
Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.
Line 5
"When do you want to go, coz?"

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.

aft adverb US /æft/

at or near or toward the stern of a ship or tail of an airplane

From this reading “The beat-laid schemes o' mice and men Gang aft agley.”

Constance noun US /ˈkɑːnstəns/

a lake in southeastern Germany on the northern side of the Swiss Alps; forms part of the Rhine River

From this reading “After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.”

furlough verb US /ˈfɜːrloʊ/

dismiss, usually for economic reasons

From this reading “Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.”

Hamilton noun US /ˈhæməltən/

Irish mathematician (1806-1865)

From this reading “After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.”

mice noun US /maɪs/

plural of “mouse” — any of numerous small rodents typically resembling diminutive rats having pointed snouts and small ears on elongated bodies with slender usually hairless tails

From this reading “The beat-laid schemes o' mice and men Gang aft agley.”

schemes noun US /skiːmz/

plural of “scheme” — an elaborate and systematic plan of action

From this reading “The beat-laid schemes o' mice and men Gang aft agley.”

spending noun US /ˈspendɪŋ/

the act of spending or disbursing money

From this reading “Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.”

verified adjective US /ˈverəfaɪd/

proved to be true

From this reading “After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.”

All words in this reading · 76

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 After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

aftadverbUS /æft/

at or near or toward the stern of a ship or tail of an airplane

From this reading The beat-laid schemes o' mice and men Gang aft agley.

AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

agley

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

From this reading The beat-laid schemes o' mice and men Gang aft agley.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The beat-laid schemes o' mice and men Gang aft agley.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

beat-laid

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

From this reading The beat-laid schemes o' mice and men Gang aft agley.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

BurnsnounUS /bɜːrnz/

United States comedian and film actor (1896-1996)

From this reading Burns.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

Charlton

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

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

ConstancenounUS /ˈkɑːnstəns/

a lake in southeastern Germany on the northern side of the Swiss Alps; forms part of the Rhine River

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

coz

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

From this reading "When do you want to go, coz?"

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

declaredadjectiveUS /dɪˈklerd/

made known or openly avowed

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "When do you want to go, coz?"

fastadverbUS /fæst/

quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

Fleda

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

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

FortnounUS /fɔːrt/

a fortified military post where troops are stationed

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

furloughverbUS /ˈfɜːrloʊ/

dismiss, usually for economic reasons

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

GangnounUS /ɡæŋ/

an association of criminals

From this reading The beat-laid schemes o' mice and men Gang aft agley.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

HamiltonnounUS /ˈhæməltən/

Irish mathematician (1806-1865)

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading The beat-laid schemes o' mice and men Gang aft agley.

micenounUS /maɪs/

plural of “mouse” — any of numerous small rodents typically resembling diminutive rats having pointed snouts and small ears on elongated bodies with slender usually hairless tails

From this reading The beat-laid schemes o' mice and men Gang aft agley.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

onounUS /oʊ/

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading The beat-laid schemes o' mice and men Gang aft agley.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

postverbUS /poʊst/

affix in a public place or for public notice

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

schemesnounUS /skiːmz/

plural of “scheme” — an elaborate and systematic plan of action

From this reading The beat-laid schemes o' mice and men Gang aft agley.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

spendingnounUS /ˈspendɪŋ/

the act of spending or disbursing money

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The beat-laid schemes o' mice and men Gang aft agley.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

thirdnounUS /θɜːrd/

one of three equal parts of a divisible whole

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

to-morrow

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

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

verifiedadjectiveUS /ˈverəfaɪd/

proved to be true

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading "When do you want to go, coz?"

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading After a few days Charlton verified what Constance had said about his not being very _fast_ at Fort Hamilton, by coming again to see them one morning.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "When do you want to go, coz?"

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Fleda asked him if he could not get another furlough to go with her home, but he declared he was just spending one which was near out; and he could not hope for a third in some time; he must be back at his post by the day after to-morrow.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "When do you want to go, coz?"

Chapter 33 of Queechy by Susan Warner holds 508 sentences, grouped into 102 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 33 of Queechy contain?

Chapter 33 holds 508 sentences of Queechy, unabridged, divided into 102 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 33 of Queechy by Susan Warner exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 508 sentences, grouped into 102 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 33 of Queechy?

Work through the 102 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 102 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 33 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 33 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.