Chapter 2 of Seven O'Clock Stories is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Seven O'Clock Stories is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
For his body was only two sticks of wood nailed together like a cross. He was dressed in Father Green's old blue trousers and the Toyman's old black coat. His arms were outstretched. But he had lost his hat. His wooden head stuck out.
Chapter 2 of Seven O'Clock Stories is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 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.
an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
From this reading “He was dressed in Father Green's old blue trousers and the Toyman's old black coat.”
possessive form of “green” — green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading “He was dressed in Father Green's old blue trousers and the Toyman's old black coat.”
past form of “nail” — attach something somewhere by means of nails
From this reading “For his body was only two sticks of wood nailed together like a cross.”
fully extended especially in length
From this reading “His arms were outstretched.”
plural of “stick” — an implement consisting of a length of wood
From this reading “For his body was only two sticks of wood nailed together like a cross.”
caught or fixed
From this reading “His wooden head stuck out.”
(usually in the plural) a garment extending from the waist to the knee or ankle, covering each leg separately
From this reading “He was dressed in Father Green's old blue trousers and the Toyman's old black coat.”
made or consisting of (entirely or in part) or employing wood
From this reading “His wooden head stuck out.”
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 For his body was only two sticks of wood nailed together like a cross.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He was dressed in Father Green's old blue trousers and the Toyman's old black coat.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading His arms were outstretched.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading He was dressed in Father Green's old blue trousers and the Toyman's old black coat.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading He was dressed in Father Green's old blue trousers and the Toyman's old black coat.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading For his body was only two sticks of wood nailed together like a cross.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But he had lost his hat.
an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
From this reading He was dressed in Father Green's old blue trousers and the Toyman's old black coat.
travel across or pass over
From this reading For his body was only two sticks of wood nailed together like a cross.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading He was dressed in Father Green's old blue trousers and the Toyman's old black coat.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading He was dressed in Father Green's old blue trousers and the Toyman's old black coat.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For his body was only two sticks of wood nailed together like a cross.
possessive form of “green” — green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading He was dressed in Father Green's old blue trousers and the Toyman's old black coat.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But he had lost his hat.
headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim
From this reading But he had lost his hat.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was dressed in Father Green's old blue trousers and the Toyman's old black coat.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading His wooden head stuck out.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading For his body was only two sticks of wood nailed together like a cross.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He was dressed in Father Green's old blue trousers and the Toyman's old black coat.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading For his body was only two sticks of wood nailed together like a cross.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading But he had lost his hat.
past form of “nail” — attach something somewhere by means of nails
From this reading For his body was only two sticks of wood nailed together like a cross.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading For his body was only two sticks of wood nailed together like a cross.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading He was dressed in Father Green's old blue trousers and the Toyman's old black coat.
and nothing more
From this reading For his body was only two sticks of wood nailed together like a cross.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading His wooden head stuck out.
fully extended especially in length
From this reading His arms were outstretched.
plural of “stick” — an implement consisting of a length of wood
From this reading For his body was only two sticks of wood nailed together like a cross.
caught or fixed
From this reading His wooden head stuck out.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He was dressed in Father Green's old blue trousers and the Toyman's old black coat.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading For his body was only two sticks of wood nailed together like a cross.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was dressed in Father Green's old blue trousers and the Toyman's old black coat.
(usually in the plural) a garment extending from the waist to the knee or ankle, covering each leg separately
From this reading He was dressed in Father Green's old blue trousers and the Toyman's old black coat.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading For his body was only two sticks of wood nailed together like a cross.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For his body was only two sticks of wood nailed together like a cross.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading His arms were outstretched.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading For his body was only two sticks of wood nailed together like a cross.
made or consisting of (entirely or in part) or employing wood
From this reading His wooden head stuck out.
Chapter 2 of Seven O'Clock Stories by Robert Gordon Anderson holds 427 sentences, grouped into 86 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 427 sentences of Seven O'Clock Stories, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Seven O'Clock Stories by Robert Gordon Anderson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 427 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 Seven O'Clock Stories by Robert Gordon Anderson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2543 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7802 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #7802, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 211 minutes of reading across 509 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Seven O'Clock Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of Seven O'Clock Stories 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 Seven O'Clock Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
