Chapter 4 of Shorty McCabe is here in full — 451 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Shorty McCabe is here in full — 451 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Does the Boss let it go at that? Say, I was just thick enough to guess that he would. I was still havin' that dream, a few days later, when the Boss says to me: "Shorty, you remember that old castle of ours?" "You don't think I've been struck with softenin' of the brain, do you?" says I.
Chapter 4 of Shorty McCabe is here in full — 451 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/90 · 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.
a person who exercises control over workers
From this reading “Does the Boss let it go at that?”
that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading “"You don't think I've been struck with softenin' of the brain, do you?" says I.”
a large and stately mansion
From this reading “"Shorty, you remember that old castle of ours?"”
A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.
From this reading “I was still havin' that dream, a few days later, when the Boss says to me:”
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading “Say, I was just thick enough to guess that he would.”
the one or ones belonging to us
From this reading “"Shorty, you remember that old castle of ours?"”
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading “"You don't think I've been struck with softenin' of the brain, do you?" says I.”
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading “Say, I was just thick enough to guess that he would.”
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 I was still havin' that dream, a few days later, when the Boss says to me:
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Does the Boss let it go at that?
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "You don't think I've been struck with softenin' of the brain, do you?" says I.
a person who exercises control over workers
From this reading Does the Boss let it go at that?
that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading "You don't think I've been struck with softenin' of the brain, do you?" says I.
a large and stately mansion
From this reading "Shorty, you remember that old castle of ours?"
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading I was still havin' that dream, a few days later, when the Boss says to me:
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "You don't think I've been struck with softenin' of the brain, do you?" says I.
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Does the Boss let it go at that?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You don't think I've been struck with softenin' of the brain, do you?" says I.
A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.
From this reading I was still havin' that dream, a few days later, when the Boss says to me:
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading Say, I was just thick enough to guess that he would.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading I was still havin' that dream, a few days later, when the Boss says to me:
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Does the Boss let it go at that?
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading Say, I was just thick enough to guess that he would.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was still havin' that dream, a few days later, when the Boss says to me:
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Say, I was just thick enough to guess that he would.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Say, I was just thick enough to guess that he would.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You don't think I've been struck with softenin' of the brain, do you?" says I.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Does the Boss let it go at that?
and nothing more
From this reading Say, I was just thick enough to guess that he would.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading I was still havin' that dream, a few days later, when the Boss says to me:
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading Does the Boss let it go at that?
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I was still havin' that dream, a few days later, when the Boss says to me:
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Shorty, you remember that old castle of ours?"
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading "Shorty, you remember that old castle of ours?"
the one or ones belonging to us
From this reading "Shorty, you remember that old castle of ours?"
To recall to mind.
From this reading "Shorty, you remember that old castle of ours?"
express in words
From this reading Say, I was just thick enough to guess that he would.
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading I was still havin' that dream, a few days later, when the Boss says to me:
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Shorty, you remember that old castle of ours?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You don't think I've been struck with softenin' of the brain, do you?" says I.
not in physical motion
From this reading I was still havin' that dream, a few days later, when the Boss says to me:
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading "You don't think I've been struck with softenin' of the brain, do you?" says I.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Does the Boss let it go at that?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Does the Boss let it go at that?
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading Say, I was just thick enough to guess that he would.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "You don't think I've been struck with softenin' of the brain, do you?" says I.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Say, I was just thick enough to guess that he would.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Say, I was just thick enough to guess that he would.
at the time that
From this reading I was still havin' that dream, a few days later, when the Boss says to me:
in the company of; together with
From this reading "You don't think I've been struck with softenin' of the brain, do you?" says I.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Say, I was just thick enough to guess that he would.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Shorty, you remember that old castle of ours?"
Chapter 4 of Shorty McCabe by Sewell Ford holds 451 sentences, grouped into 91 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 4 holds 451 sentences of Shorty McCabe, unabridged, divided into 91 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Shorty McCabe by Sewell Ford exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 451 sentences, grouped into 91 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 91 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 91 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 4 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 Shorty McCabe by Sewell Ford on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4792 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22249 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #22249, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 399 minutes of reading across 959 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Shorty McCabe section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of Shorty McCabe 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 Shorty McCabe, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
