Chapter 8 of Ruth Fielding and the Gypsies is here in full — 151 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Ruth Fielding and the Gypsies is here in full — 151 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
WHAT WAS IT ALL ABOUT? The two men were mumbling together--Ruth could not catch the words at first. When she did, they meant nothing to her, and she was puzzled. But suddenly one said in clear, if peculiar, English: "The old hag bags the best of the loot--always, my Carlo."
Chapter 8 of Ruth Fielding and the Gypsies is here in full — 151 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/30 · 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.
plural of “bag” — a flexible container with a single opening
From this reading “"The old hag bags the best of the loot--always, my Carlo."”
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading “The two men were mumbling together--Ruth could not catch the words at first.”
an ugly evil-looking old woman
From this reading “"The old hag bags the best of the loot--always, my Carlo."”
goods or money obtained illegally
From this reading “"The old hag bags the best of the loot--always, my Carlo."”
indistinct enunciation
From this reading “The two men were mumbling together--Ruth could not catch the words at first.”
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading “But suddenly one said in clear, if peculiar, English:”
filled with bewilderment
From this reading “When she did, they meant nothing to her, and she was puzzled.”
United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)
From this reading “The two men were mumbling together--Ruth could not catch the words at first.”
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading WHAT WAS IT ALL ABOUT?
(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 WHAT WAS IT ALL ABOUT?
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading "The old hag bags the best of the loot--always, my Carlo."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When she did, they meant nothing to her, and she was puzzled.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The two men were mumbling together--Ruth could not catch the words at first.
plural of “bag” — a flexible container with a single opening
From this reading "The old hag bags the best of the loot--always, my Carlo."
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading "The old hag bags the best of the loot--always, my Carlo."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But suddenly one said in clear, if peculiar, English:
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "The old hag bags the best of the loot--always, my Carlo."
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading The two men were mumbling together--Ruth could not catch the words at first.
rid of obstructions
From this reading But suddenly one said in clear, if peculiar, English:
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The two men were mumbling together--Ruth could not catch the words at first.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading When she did, they meant nothing to her, and she was puzzled.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading But suddenly one said in clear, if peculiar, English:
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The two men were mumbling together--Ruth could not catch the words at first.
an ugly evil-looking old woman
From this reading "The old hag bags the best of the loot--always, my Carlo."
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading When she did, they meant nothing to her, and she was puzzled.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading But suddenly one said in clear, if peculiar, English:
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But suddenly one said in clear, if peculiar, English:
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading WHAT WAS IT ALL ABOUT?
goods or money obtained illegally
From this reading "The old hag bags the best of the loot--always, my Carlo."
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading When she did, they meant nothing to her, and she was puzzled.
the force of workers available
From this reading The two men were mumbling together--Ruth could not catch the words at first.
indistinct enunciation
From this reading The two men were mumbling together--Ruth could not catch the words at first.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "The old hag bags the best of the loot--always, my Carlo."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The two men were mumbling together--Ruth could not catch the words at first.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading When she did, they meant nothing to her, and she was puzzled.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "The old hag bags the best of the loot--always, my Carlo."
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading "The old hag bags the best of the loot--always, my Carlo."
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading But suddenly one said in clear, if peculiar, English:
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading But suddenly one said in clear, if peculiar, English:
filled with bewilderment
From this reading When she did, they meant nothing to her, and she was puzzled.
United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)
From this reading The two men were mumbling together--Ruth could not catch the words at first.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading But suddenly one said in clear, if peculiar, English:
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When she did, they meant nothing to her, and she was puzzled.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading But suddenly one said in clear, if peculiar, English:
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The two men were mumbling together--Ruth could not catch the words at first.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When she did, they meant nothing to her, and she was puzzled.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When she did, they meant nothing to her, and she was puzzled.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading The two men were mumbling together--Ruth could not catch the words at first.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The two men were mumbling together--Ruth could not catch the words at first.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading WHAT WAS IT ALL ABOUT?
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The two men were mumbling together--Ruth could not catch the words at first.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading WHAT WAS IT ALL ABOUT?
at the time that
From this reading When she did, they meant nothing to her, and she was puzzled.
the words that are spoken
From this reading The two men were mumbling together--Ruth could not catch the words at first.
Chapter 8 of Ruth Fielding and the Gypsies by Alice B. Emerson holds 151 sentences, grouped into 31 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 8 holds 151 sentences of Ruth Fielding and the Gypsies, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Ruth Fielding and the Gypsies by Alice B. Emerson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 151 sentences, grouped into 31 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 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 31 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 8 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 Ruth Fielding and the Gypsies by Alice B. Emerson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3253 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22743 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #22743, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 271 minutes of reading across 651 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Ruth Fielding and the Gypsies section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of Ruth Fielding and the Gypsies 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 Ruth Fielding and the Gypsies, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
