Chapter 2 of Rhymes of the Rookies is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Rhymes of the Rookies is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two! Wan-two! Yer belly belongs on yer back, ye Jew! Wan-two! Time!
Chapter 2 of Rhymes of the Rookies is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
the region of the body of a vertebrate between the thorax and the pelvis
From this reading “Yer belly belongs on yer back, ye Jew!”
third-person singular of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of
From this reading “Yer belly belongs on yer back, ye Jew!”
plural of “boulder” — a large smooth mass of rock detached from its place of origin
From this reading “Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!”
a noncommissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or Marines
From this reading “Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!”
a person belonging to the worldwide group claiming descent from Jacob (or converted to it) and connected by cultural or religious ties
From this reading “Yer belly belongs on yer back, ye Jew!”
cause to go crazy; cause to lose one's mind
From this reading “Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!”
any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading “Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!”
put, fix, force, or implant
From this reading “Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Yer belly belongs on yer back, ye Jew!
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
the region of the body of a vertebrate between the thorax and the pelvis
From this reading Yer belly belongs on yer back, ye Jew!
third-person singular of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of
From this reading Yer belly belongs on yer back, ye Jew!
plural of “boulder” — a large smooth mass of rock detached from its place of origin
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
a noncommissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or Marines
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
a person belonging to the worldwide group claiming descent from Jacob (or converted to it) and connected by cultural or religious ties
From this reading Yer belly belongs on yer back, ye Jew!
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
cause to go crazy; cause to lose one's mind
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
not any; not one
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Yer belly belongs on yer back, ye Jew!
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
put, fix, force, or implant
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Time!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
plural of “want” — a state of extreme poverty
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
an old word for “you”, speaking to more than one person
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ses Corporal Madden to Private McFadden: Yer figger wants padd'n-- Sure man, ye've no shape; Behind ye yer shoulders Stick out like two boulders; Yer shins are as thin As a pair of penholders; Wan-two!
Chapter 2 of Rhymes of the Rookies by W. E. Christian holds 425 sentences, grouped into 85 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 2 holds 425 sentences of Rhymes of the Rookies, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Rhymes of the Rookies by W. E. Christian exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 425 sentences, grouped into 85 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading Rhymes of the Rookies by W. E. Christian on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 866 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13886 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #13886, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 72 minutes of reading across 174 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Rhymes of the Rookies section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 2 chapters of Rhymes of the Rookies to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Rhymes of the Rookies, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
