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Queechy, Volume II
Queechy, Volume II

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Queechy, Volume II is here in full — 237 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Queechy, Volume II
Context Illustration Reading 1/47 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."
TWELFTH NIGHT.
"Well, what did you come home for?" was Barby's salutation; "here's company been waiting for you till they're tired, and I am sure I be."
"Company!" said Fleda.
"Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."
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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, Volume II

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Queechy, Volume II is here in full — 237 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/47 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."
Line 2
TWELFTH NIGHT.
/twelfθ naɪt/
Line 3
"Well, what did you come home for?" was Barby's salutation; "here's company been waiting for you till they're tired, and I am sure I be."
Line 4
"Company!" said Fleda.
Line 5
"Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."

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.

changeable adjective US /ˈtʃeɪndʒəbəl/

capable of or tending to change in form or quality or nature

From this reading “"Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."”

charity noun US /ˈtʃerɪti/

a foundation created to promote the public good (not for assistance to any particular individuals)

From this reading “"Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."”

opal noun US /ˈoʊpəl/

a translucent mineral consisting of hydrated silica of variable color; some varieties are used as gemstones

From this reading “"Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."”

protect verb US /prəˈtekt/

shield from danger, injury, destruction, or damage

From this reading “"Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."”

taffeta noun US /ˈtæfətə/

a crisp smooth lustrous fabric

From this reading “"Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."”

tailor verb US /ˈteɪlər/

adjust to a specific need or market

From this reading “"Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."”

twelfth adjective US /twelfθ/

coming next after the eleventh and just before the thirteenth in position

From this reading “TWELFTH NIGHT.”

ungrateful adjective US /ənˈɡreɪtfəl/

not feeling or showing gratitude

From this reading “"Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."”

All words in this reading · 68

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 "Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading "Well, what did you come home for?" was Barby's salutation; "here's company been waiting for you till they're tired, and I am sure I be."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."

Barby

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

From this reading "Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."

Barby's

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

From this reading "Well, what did you come home for?" was Barby's salutation; "here's company been waiting for you till they're tired, and I am sure I be."

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading "Well, what did you come home for?" was Barby's salutation; "here's company been waiting for you till they're tired, and I am sure I be."

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading "Well, what did you come home for?" was Barby's salutation; "here's company been waiting for you till they're tired, and I am sure I be."

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading "Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."

changeableadjectiveUS /ˈtʃeɪndʒəbəl/

capable of or tending to change in form or quality or nature

From this reading "Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."

charitynounUS /ˈtʃerɪti/

a foundation created to promote the public good (not for assistance to any particular individuals)

From this reading "Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading "Well, what did you come home for?" was Barby's salutation; "here's company been waiting for you till they're tired, and I am sure I be."

companynounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading "Well, what did you come home for?" was Barby's salutation; "here's company been waiting for you till they're tired, and I am sure I be."

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading "Well, what did you come home for?" was Barby's salutation; "here's company been waiting for you till they're tired, and I am sure I be."

don't

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

From this reading "Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."

doubletnoun

a man's close-fitting jacket; worn during the Renaissance

From this reading "Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."

eatverbUS /iːt/

take in solid food

From this reading "Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."

Fleda

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

From this reading "Company!" said Fleda.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading "Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."

godnounUS /ɡɑːd/

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading "Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."

here's

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

From this reading "Well, what did you come home for?" was Barby's salutation; "here's company been waiting for you till they're tired, and I am sure I be."

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading "Well, what did you come home for?" was Barby's salutation; "here's company been waiting for you till they're tired, and I am sure I be."

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading "Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."

hurrynounUS /ˈhɜːri/

a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry

From this reading "Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "Well, what did you come home for?" was Barby's salutation; "here's company been waiting for you till they're tired, and I am sure I be."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."

it's

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

From this reading "Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading "Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading "Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading "Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."

melancholynounUS /ˈmelənkɑːli/

a feeling of thoughtful sadness

From this reading "Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading "Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."

NIGHTnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading TWELFTH NIGHT.

NowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading "Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."

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 "Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."

opalnounUS /ˈoʊpəl/

a translucent mineral consisting of hydrated silica of variable color; some varieties are used as gemstones

From this reading "Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading "Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."

protectverbUS /prəˈtekt/

shield from danger, injury, destruction, or damage

From this reading "Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Company!" said Fleda.

salutationnoun

an act of honor or courteous recognition

From this reading "Well, what did you come home for?" was Barby's salutation; "here's company been waiting for you till they're tired, and I am sure I be."

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading "Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading "Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."

she's

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

From this reading "Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading "Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."

somethin

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

From this reading "Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."

sureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading "Well, what did you come home for?" was Barby's salutation; "here's company been waiting for you till they're tired, and I am sure I be."

taffetanounUS /ˈtæfətə/

a crisp smooth lustrous fabric

From this reading "Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."

tailorverbUS /ˈteɪlər/

adjust to a specific need or market

From this reading "Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."

theepronounUS /ðiː/

an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person

From this reading "Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."

they're

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

From this reading "Well, what did you come home for?" was Barby's salutation; "here's company been waiting for you till they're tired, and I am sure I be."

thydeterminerUS /ðaɪ/

an old word for “your”, speaking to one person

From this reading "Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."

tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading "Well, what did you come home for?" was Barby's salutation; "here's company been waiting for you till they're tired, and I am sure I be."

tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/

depleted of strength or energy

From this reading "Well, what did you come home for?" was Barby's salutation; "here's company been waiting for you till they're tired, and I am sure I be."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."

TWELFTHadjectiveUS /twelfθ/

coming next after the eleventh and just before the thirteenth in position

From this reading TWELFTH NIGHT.

ungratefuladjectiveUS /ənˈɡreɪtfəl/

not feeling or showing gratitude

From this reading "Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading "Now the melancholy god protect thee: and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal."

waitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading "Well, what did you come home for?" was Barby's salutation; "here's company been waiting for you till they're tired, and I am sure I be."

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "Well, what did you come home for?" was Barby's salutation; "here's company been waiting for you till they're tired, and I am sure I be."

WelladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading "Well, what did you come home for?" was Barby's salutation; "here's company been waiting for you till they're tired, and I am sure I be."

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "Well, what did you come home for?" was Barby's salutation; "here's company been waiting for you till they're tired, and I am sure I be."

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading "Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."

wonderfuladjectiveUS /ˈwʌndərfəl/

extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers

From this reading "Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."

YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading "Yes, and it's ungrateful in you to say so," said Barby; "for she's been in a wonderful hurry to see you, or to get somethin' to eat — I don't know which; a little o' both, I hope in charity."

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Well, what did you come home for?" was Barby's salutation; "here's company been waiting for you till they're tired, and I am sure I be."

Chapter 1 of Queechy, Volume II by Susan Warner holds 237 sentences, grouped into 48 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 1 of Queechy, Volume II contain?

Chapter 1 holds 237 sentences of Queechy, Volume II, unabridged, divided into 48 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Queechy, Volume II by Susan Warner exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 237 sentences, grouped into 48 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 1 of Queechy, Volume II?

Work through the 48 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 48 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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, Volume II

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

Is this the complete text of Queechy, Volume II?

Yes. All 7361 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18691 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Queechy, Volume II is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #18691, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Queechy, Volume II take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1473 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Queechy, Volume II section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 24 chapters of Queechy, Volume II 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, Volume II

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

Melancholy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Queechy, Volume II; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Protect
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Queechy, Volume II; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tailor
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Queechy, Volume II; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Doublet
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Queechy, Volume II; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.