Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Sky Island
Sky Island

Chapter XXVIII · Chapter 28

Chapter 28 of Sky Island is here in full — 47 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Sky Island
Context Illustration Reading 1/9 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.
Then, when everybody was ready, they entered the Fog and Rosalie the Witch made a signal to call the Frog King and his subjects to aid them as they had done before.
Pretty soon the great frogs appeared, a long line of them facing Trot and her Pink Army and sitting upon their haunches close together.
"Turn around so we can get upon your backs," said Rosalie.
"Not yet," answered the Frog King in a gruff, deep voice.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Sky Island

Chapter XXVIII · Chapter 28

Chapter 28 of Sky Island is here in full — 47 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/9 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.
Line 2
Then, when everybody was ready, they entered the Fog and Rosalie the Witch made a signal to call the Frog King and his subjects to aid them as they had done before.
Line 3
Pretty soon the great frogs appeared, a long line of them facing Trot and her Pink Army and sitting upon their haunches close together.
Line 4
"Turn around so we can get upon your backs," said Rosalie.
Line 5
"Not yet," answered the Frog King in a gruff, deep voice.
/nɑːt jet ˈænsərd ðə frɑːɡ kɪŋ ɪn ə ɡrʌf diːp vɔɪs/

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.

backs noun US /bæks/

plural of “back” — the posterior part of a human (or animal) body from the neck to the end of the spine

From this reading “"Turn around so we can get upon your backs," said Rosalie.”

Frog noun US /frɑːɡ/

any of various tailless stout-bodied amphibians with long hind limbs for leaping; semiaquatic and terrestrial species

From this reading “Then, when everybody was ready, they entered the Fog and Rosalie the Witch made a signal to call the Frog King and his subjects to aid them as they had done before.”

frogs noun US /frɑːɡz/

plural of “frog” — any of various tailless stout-bodied amphibians with long hind limbs for leaping; semiaquatic and terrestrial species

From this reading “Pretty soon the great frogs appeared, a long line of them facing Trot and her Pink Army and sitting upon their haunches close together.”

gruff adjective US /ɡrʌf/

brusque and surly and forbidding

From this reading “"Not yet," answered the Frog King in a gruff, deep voice.”

raincoats noun US /ˈreɪnkoʊts/

plural of “raincoat” — a water-resistant coat

From this reading “When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.”

Trot verb US /trɑːt/

run at a moderately swift pace

From this reading “When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.”

umbrella noun US /əmˈbrelə/

a lightweight handheld collapsible canopy

From this reading “When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.”

Witch noun US /wɪtʃ/

a female sorcerer or magician

From this reading “Then, when everybody was ready, they entered the Fog and Rosalie the Witch made a signal to call the Frog King and his subjects to aid them as they had done before.”

All words in this reading · 78

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 Then, when everybody was ready, they entered the Fog and Rosalie the Witch made a signal to call the Frog King and his subjects to aid them as they had done before.

aidnounUS /eɪd/

a person or thing that is a resource that helps make something easier or possible to do

From this reading Then, when everybody was ready, they entered the Fog and Rosalie the Witch made a signal to call the Frog King and his subjects to aid them as they had done before.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading "Not yet," answered the Frog King in a gruff, deep voice.

appearedverbUS /əˈpɪrd/

past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Pretty soon the great frogs appeared, a long line of them facing Trot and her Pink Army and sitting upon their haunches close together.

ArmynounUS /ˈɑːrmi/

a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state

From this reading Pretty soon the great frogs appeared, a long line of them facing Trot and her Pink Army and sitting upon their haunches close together.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading "Turn around so we can get upon your backs," said Rosalie.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Then, when everybody was ready, they entered the Fog and Rosalie the Witch made a signal to call the Frog King and his subjects to aid them as they had done before.

backsnounUS /bæks/

plural of “back” — the posterior part of a human (or animal) body from the neck to the end of the spine

From this reading "Turn around so we can get upon your backs," said Rosalie.

BanknounUS /bæŋk/

sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)

From this reading When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Then, when everybody was ready, they entered the Fog and Rosalie the Witch made a signal to call the Frog King and his subjects to aid them as they had done before.

Button-Bright

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

From this reading When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Then, when everybody was ready, they entered the Fog and Rosalie the Witch made a signal to call the Frog King and his subjects to aid them as they had done before.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading "Turn around so we can get upon your backs," said Rosalie.

closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading Pretty soon the great frogs appeared, a long line of them facing Trot and her Pink Army and sitting upon their haunches close together.

deepadjectiveUS /diːp/

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading "Not yet," answered the Frog King in a gruff, deep voice.

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading Then, when everybody was ready, they entered the Fog and Rosalie the Witch made a signal to call the Frog King and his subjects to aid them as they had done before.

edgenounUS /edʒ/

the boundary of a surface

From this reading When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading Then, when everybody was ready, they entered the Fog and Rosalie the Witch made a signal to call the Frog King and his subjects to aid them as they had done before.

everybodypronounUS /ˈevribɑːdi/

every person

From this reading Then, when everybody was ready, they entered the Fog and Rosalie the Witch made a signal to call the Frog King and his subjects to aid them as they had done before.

facingnounUS /ˈfeɪsɪŋ/

a lining applied to the edge of a garment for ornamentation or strengthening

From this reading Pretty soon the great frogs appeared, a long line of them facing Trot and her Pink Army and sitting upon their haunches close together.

FognounUS /fɑːɡ/

droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground

From this reading When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

FrognounUS /frɑːɡ/

any of various tailless stout-bodied amphibians with long hind limbs for leaping; semiaquatic and terrestrial species

From this reading Then, when everybody was ready, they entered the Fog and Rosalie the Witch made a signal to call the Frog King and his subjects to aid them as they had done before.

frogsnounUS /frɑːɡz/

plural of “frog” — any of various tailless stout-bodied amphibians with long hind limbs for leaping; semiaquatic and terrestrial species

From this reading Pretty soon the great frogs appeared, a long line of them facing Trot and her Pink Army and sitting upon their haunches close together.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading "Turn around so we can get upon your backs," said Rosalie.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading Pretty soon the great frogs appeared, a long line of them facing Trot and her Pink Army and sitting upon their haunches close together.

gruffadjectiveUS /ɡrʌf/

brusque and surly and forbidding

From this reading "Not yet," answered the Frog King in a gruff, deep voice.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Then, when everybody was ready, they entered the Fog and Rosalie the Witch made a signal to call the Frog King and his subjects to aid them as they had done before.

haltedverbUS /ˈhɔːltəd/

past form of “halt” — cause to stop

From this reading When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

haunches

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

From this reading Pretty soon the great frogs appeared, a long line of them facing Trot and her Pink Army and sitting upon their haunches close together.

heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Pretty soon the great frogs appeared, a long line of them facing Trot and her Pink Army and sitting upon their haunches close together.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "Not yet," answered the Frog King in a gruff, deep voice.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

KingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading Then, when everybody was ready, they entered the Fog and Rosalie the Witch made a signal to call the Frog King and his subjects to aid them as they had done before.

linenounUS /laɪn/

a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading Pretty soon the great frogs appeared, a long line of them facing Trot and her Pink Army and sitting upon their haunches close together.

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

From this reading Pretty soon the great frogs appeared, a long line of them facing Trot and her Pink Army and sitting upon their haunches close together.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Then, when everybody was ready, they entered the Fog and Rosalie the Witch made a signal to call the Frog King and his subjects to aid them as they had done before.

NotadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "Not yet," answered the Frog King in a gruff, deep voice.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

PinknounUS /pɪŋk/

a light shade of red

From this reading Pretty soon the great frogs appeared, a long line of them facing Trot and her Pink Army and sitting upon their haunches close together.

Pinkies

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

From this reading When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

PrettyadjectiveUS /ˈprɪti/

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading Pretty soon the great frogs appeared, a long line of them facing Trot and her Pink Army and sitting upon their haunches close together.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

raincoatsnounUS /ˈreɪnkoʊts/

plural of “raincoat” — a water-resistant coat

From this reading When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

reachedverbUS /riːtʃt/

past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

readyadjectiveUS /ˈredi/

completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress

From this reading Then, when everybody was ready, they entered the Fog and Rosalie the Witch made a signal to call the Frog King and his subjects to aid them as they had done before.

Rosalie

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

From this reading Then, when everybody was ready, they entered the Fog and Rosalie the Witch made a signal to call the Frog King and his subjects to aid them as they had done before.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Turn around so we can get upon your backs," said Rosalie.

signalnounUS /ˈsɪɡnəl/

any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message

From this reading Then, when everybody was ready, they entered the Fog and Rosalie the Witch made a signal to call the Frog King and his subjects to aid them as they had done before.

sittingnounUS /ˈsɪtɪŋ/

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading Pretty soon the great frogs appeared, a long line of them facing Trot and her Pink Army and sitting upon their haunches close together.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading "Turn around so we can get upon your backs," said Rosalie.

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading Pretty soon the great frogs appeared, a long line of them facing Trot and her Pink Army and sitting upon their haunches close together.

subjectsnounUS /ˈsʌbdʒɪkts/

plural of “subject” — the subject matter of a conversation or discussion

From this reading Then, when everybody was ready, they entered the Fog and Rosalie the Witch made a signal to call the Frog King and his subjects to aid them as they had done before.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Then, when everybody was ready, they entered the Fog and Rosalie the Witch made a signal to call the Frog King and his subjects to aid them as they had done before.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then, when everybody was ready, they entered the Fog and Rosalie the Witch made a signal to call the Frog King and his subjects to aid them as they had done before.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading Pretty soon the great frogs appeared, a long line of them facing Trot and her Pink Army and sitting upon their haunches close together.

TrotverbUS /trɑːt/

run at a moderately swift pace

From this reading When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

TurnverbUS /tɜːrn/

change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense

From this reading "Turn around so we can get upon your backs," said Rosalie.

umbrellanounUS /əmˈbrelə/

a lightweight handheld collapsible canopy

From this reading When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Pretty soon the great frogs appeared, a long line of them facing Trot and her Pink Army and sitting upon their haunches close together.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading "Not yet," answered the Frog King in a gruff, deep voice.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Then, when everybody was ready, they entered the Fog and Rosalie the Witch made a signal to call the Frog King and his subjects to aid them as they had done before.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "Turn around so we can get upon your backs," said Rosalie.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When they reached the edge of the Fog Bank, the Pinkies all halted to put on their raincoats, and Button-Bright put up his umbrella and held it over himself and Trot.

WitchnounUS /wɪtʃ/

a female sorcerer or magician

From this reading Then, when everybody was ready, they entered the Fog and Rosalie the Witch made a signal to call the Frog King and his subjects to aid them as they had done before.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading "Not yet," answered the Frog King in a gruff, deep voice.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Turn around so we can get upon your backs," said Rosalie.

Chapter 28 of Sky Island by L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum holds 47 sentences, grouped into 10 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 28 of Sky Island contain?

Chapter 28 holds 47 sentences of Sky Island, unabridged, divided into 10 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 28 of Sky Island by L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 47 sentences, grouped into 10 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 28 of Sky Island?

Work through the 10 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 10 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 28 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 28 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.

Questions about reading Sky Island

Common questions about reading Sky Island by L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Sky Island?

Yes. All 3181 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4356 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Sky Island is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4356, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Sky Island take to read?

About 265 minutes of reading across 637 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Sky Island section by section

How to work through Sky Island section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 30 chapters of Sky Island to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Sky Island

Words and structures a reader meets early in Sky Island, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Hello
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sky Island; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Answered
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sky Island; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Looking
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sky Island; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Surprised
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sky Island; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.