Shaggycoat: The Biography of a Beaver

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of Shaggycoat: The Biography of a Beaver is here in full — 62 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Clarence Hawkes • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Shaggycoat: The Biography of a Beaver

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

He was three years old and his weight was already about thirty-five pounds.

When he was fully grown, he would weigh fifty-five or possibly sixty pounds.

His length was about forty inches, and he would add five or six more to it before he got his full size.

His head and body would then be two feet and three quarters or three feet of his length, and the other foot would be the queerest kind of a paddle shaped tail you ever saw.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Shaggycoat: The Biography of a Beaver Clarence Hawkes

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of Shaggycoat: The Biography of a Beaver is here in full — 62 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

LIFE IN THE WATER WORLD We have followed the fortunes of Shaggycoat so long that the reader will be interested to know just how he looked, as he swam away into his water world on this warm spring morning. He was three years old and his weight was already about thirty-five pounds. When he was fully grown, he would weigh fifty-five or possibly sixty pounds. His length was about forty inches, and he would add five or six more to it before he got his full size. His head and body would then be two feet and three quarters or three feet of his length, and the other foot would be the queerest kind of a paddle shaped tail you ever saw.

Shaggycoat: The Biography of a Beaver

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of Shaggycoat: The Biography of a Beaver is here in full — 62 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/12 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Line 2

He was three years old and his weight was already about thirty-five pounds.

/hiː wɑːz θriː jɪrz oʊld ənd hɪz weɪt wɑːz ɔːlˈredi əˈbaʊt ˈθɜːrdifaɪv paʊndz/

Line 3

When he was fully grown, he would weigh fifty-five or possibly sixty pounds.

Line 4

His length was about forty inches, and he would add five or six more to it before he got his full size.

/hɪz leŋkθ wɑːz əˈbaʊt ˈfɔːrti ˈɪntʃəz ənd hiː wʊd æd faɪv ɔːr sɪks mɔːr tuː ɪt bɪˈfɔːr hiː ɡɑːt hɪz fʊl saɪz/

Line 5

His head and body would then be two feet and three quarters or three feet of his length, and the other foot would be the queerest kind of a paddle shaped tail you ever saw.

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.

fortunes noun US /ˈfɔːrtʃənz/

plural of “fortune” — an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

From this reading “LIFE IN THE WATER WORLD We have followed the fortunes of Shaggycoat so long that the reader will be interested to know just how he looked, as he swam away into his water world on this warm spring morning.”

inches noun US /ˈɪntʃəz/

plural of “inch” — a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot

From this reading “His length was about forty inches, and he would add five or six more to it before he got his full size.”

paddle verb US /ˈpædəl/

propel with a paddle

From this reading “His head and body would then be two feet and three quarters or three feet of his length, and the other foot would be the queerest kind of a paddle shaped tail you ever saw.”

shaped adjective US /ʃeɪpt/

shaped to fit by or as if by altering the contours of a pliable mass (as by work or effort)

From this reading “His head and body would then be two feet and three quarters or three feet of his length, and the other foot would be the queerest kind of a paddle shaped tail you ever saw.”

sixty adjective US /ˈsɪksti/

being ten more than fifty

From this reading “When he was fully grown, he would weigh fifty-five or possibly sixty pounds.”

swam verb US /swæm/

inflected form of “swim” — travel through water

thirty-five adjective US /ˈθɜːrdifaɪv/

being five more than thirty

From this reading “He was three years old and his weight was already about thirty-five pounds.”

weigh verb US /weɪ/

have a certain weight

From this reading “When he was fully grown, he would weigh fifty-five or possibly sixty pounds.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

three years noun + noun

In this reading “He was three years old and his weight was already about thirty-five pounds.”

three quarters noun + noun

In this reading “His head and body would then be two feet and three quarters or three feet of his length, and the other foot would be the queerest kind of a paddle shaped tail you ever saw.”

three feet noun + noun counted as “three foot”

In this reading “His head and body would then be two feet and three quarters or three feet of his length, and the other foot would be the queerest kind of a paddle shaped tail you ever saw.”

swam away verb + particle counted as “swim away”

In this reading “LIFE IN THE WATER WORLD We have followed the fortunes of Shaggycoat so long that the reader will be interested to know just how he looked, as he swam away into his water world on this warm spring morning.”

two feet noun + noun counted as “two foot”

In this reading “His head and body would then be two feet and three quarters or three feet of his length, and the other foot would be the queerest kind of a paddle shaped tail you ever saw.”

All words in this reading · 82

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 His head and body would then be two feet and three quarters or three feet of his length, and the other foot would be the queerest kind of a paddle shaped tail you ever saw.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading He was three years old and his weight was already about thirty-five pounds.

addverbUS /æd/

make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of

From this reading His length was about forty inches, and he would add five or six more to it before he got his full size.

alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading He was three years old and his weight was already about thirty-five pounds.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He was three years old and his weight was already about thirty-five pounds.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading LIFE IN THE WATER WORLD We have followed the fortunes of Shaggycoat so long that the reader will be interested to know just how he looked, as he swam away into his water world on this warm spring morning.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading His length was about forty inches, and he would add five or six more to it before he got his full size.

bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading His head and body would then be two feet and three quarters or three feet of his length, and the other foot would be the queerest kind of a paddle shaped tail you ever saw.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading His head and body would then be two feet and three quarters or three feet of his length, and the other foot would be the queerest kind of a paddle shaped tail you ever saw.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading His head and body would then be two feet and three quarters or three feet of his length, and the other foot would be the queerest kind of a paddle shaped tail you ever saw.

fifty-fiveadjective

being five more than fifty

From this reading When he was fully grown, he would weigh fifty-five or possibly sixty pounds.

fivenounUS /faɪv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading His length was about forty inches, and he would add five or six more to it before he got his full size.

followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

footnounUS /fʊt/

the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading His head and body would then be two feet and three quarters or three feet of his length, and the other foot would be the queerest kind of a paddle shaped tail you ever saw.

fortunesnounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃənz/

plural of “fortune” — an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

fortyadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrti/

being ten more than thirty

From this reading His length was about forty inches, and he would add five or six more to it before he got his full size.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading His length was about forty inches, and he would add five or six more to it before he got his full size.

fullyadverbUS /ˈfʊli/

to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)

From this reading When he was fully grown, he would weigh fifty-five or possibly sixty pounds.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading His length was about forty inches, and he would add five or six more to it before he got his full size.

grownadjectiveUS /ɡroʊn/

(of animals) fully developed

From this reading When he was fully grown, he would weigh fifty-five or possibly sixty pounds.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

headnounUS /hed/

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 head and body would then be two feet and three quarters or three feet of his length, and the other foot would be the queerest kind of a paddle shaped tail you ever saw.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

how

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

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

inchesnounUS /ˈɪntʃəz/

plural of “inch” — a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot

From this reading His length was about forty inches, and he would add five or six more to it before he got his full size.

interestedadjectiveUS /ˈɪntrəstɪd/

having or showing interest; especially curiosity or fascination or concern

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading His length was about forty inches, and he would add five or six more to it before he got his full size.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

kindadjectiveUS /kaɪnd/

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading His head and body would then be two feet and three quarters or three feet of his length, and the other foot would be the queerest kind of a paddle shaped tail you ever saw.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

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

lengthnounUS /leŋkθ/

the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place

From this reading His length was about forty inches, and he would add five or six more to it before he got his full size.

LIFEnounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading His length was about forty inches, and he would add five or six more to it before he got his full size.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading He was three years old and his weight was already about thirty-five pounds.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading When he was fully grown, he would weigh fifty-five or possibly sixty pounds.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading His head and body would then be two feet and three quarters or three feet of his length, and the other foot would be the queerest kind of a paddle shaped tail you ever saw.

paddleverbUS /ˈpædəl/

propel with a paddle

From this reading His head and body would then be two feet and three quarters or three feet of his length, and the other foot would be the queerest kind of a paddle shaped tail you ever saw.

possiblyadverbUS /ˈpɑːsəbli/

by chance

From this reading When he was fully grown, he would weigh fifty-five or possibly sixty pounds.

poundsnounUS /paʊndz/

plural of “pound” — 16 ounces avoirdupois

From this reading He was three years old and his weight was already about thirty-five pounds.

quartersnounUS /ˈkwɔːrtərz/

housing available for people to live in

From this reading His head and body would then be two feet and three quarters or three feet of his length, and the other foot would be the queerest kind of a paddle shaped tail you ever saw.

queerest

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

From this reading His head and body would then be two feet and three quarters or three feet of his length, and the other foot would be the queerest kind of a paddle shaped tail you ever saw.

readernounUS /ˈriːdər/

a person who enjoys reading

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading His head and body would then be two feet and three quarters or three feet of his length, and the other foot would be the queerest kind of a paddle shaped tail you ever saw.

Shaggycoat

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

shapedadjectiveUS /ʃeɪpt/

shaped to fit by or as if by altering the contours of a pliable mass (as by work or effort)

From this reading His head and body would then be two feet and three quarters or three feet of his length, and the other foot would be the queerest kind of a paddle shaped tail you ever saw.

sixnounUS /sɪks/

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

From this reading His length was about forty inches, and he would add five or six more to it before he got his full size.

sixtyadjectiveUS /ˈsɪksti/

being ten more than fifty

From this reading When he was fully grown, he would weigh fifty-five or possibly sixty pounds.

sizenounUS /saɪz/

the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)

From this reading His length was about forty inches, and he would add five or six more to it before he got his full size.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

springnounUS /sprɪŋ/

the season of growth

swamverbUS /swæm/

inflected form of “swim” — travel through water

tailnounUS /teɪl/

the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body

From this reading His head and body would then be two feet and three quarters or three feet of his length, and the other foot would be the queerest kind of a paddle shaped tail you ever saw.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading His head and body would then be two feet and three quarters or three feet of his length, and the other foot would be the queerest kind of a paddle shaped tail you ever saw.

thirty-fiveadjectiveUS /ˈθɜːrdifaɪv/

being five more than thirty

From this reading He was three years old and his weight was already about thirty-five pounds.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading He was three years old and his weight was already about thirty-five pounds.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading His head and body would then be two feet and three quarters or three feet of his length, and the other foot would be the queerest kind of a paddle shaped tail you ever saw.

warmadjectiveUS /wɔːrm/

having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He was three years old and his weight was already about thirty-five pounds.

WATERnounUS /ˈwɔːtər/

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

weighverbUS /weɪ/

have a certain weight

From this reading When he was fully grown, he would weigh fifty-five or possibly sixty pounds.

weightnounUS /weɪt/

the vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity

From this reading He was three years old and his weight was already about thirty-five pounds.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When he was fully grown, he would weigh fifty-five or possibly sixty pounds.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

WORLDnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading When he was fully grown, he would weigh fifty-five or possibly sixty pounds.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading He was three years old and his weight was already about thirty-five pounds.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading His head and body would then be two feet and three quarters or three feet of his length, and the other foot would be the queerest kind of a paddle shaped tail you ever saw.

Chapter 8 of Shaggycoat: The Biography of a Beaver by Clarence Hawkes holds 62 sentences, grouped into 13 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 8 of Shaggycoat: The Biography of a Beaver contain?

Chapter 8 holds 62 sentences of Shaggycoat: The Biography of a Beaver, unabridged, divided into 13 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of Shaggycoat: The Biography of a Beaver by Clarence Hawkes exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 62 sentences, grouped into 13 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 8 of Shaggycoat: The Biography of a Beaver?

Work through the 13 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 13 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 8 be read aloud to me?

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.

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Common questions about reading Shaggycoat: The Biography of a Beaver by Clarence Hawkes on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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Yes. All 1406 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39646 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #39646, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Shaggycoat: The Biography of a Beaver take to read?

About 117 minutes of reading across 282 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Shaggycoat: The Biography of a Beaver

Words and structures a reader meets early in Shaggycoat: The Biography of a Beaver, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Biography: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Shaggycoat: The Biography of a Beaver; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Beaver: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Shaggycoat: The Biography of a Beaver; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Clarence: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Shaggycoat: The Biography of a Beaver; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Chapter VIII

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