Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Soap-bubble stories
Soap-bubble stories

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Soap-bubble stories is here in full — 41 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Fanny Barry • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Soap-bubble stories
Context Illustration Reading 1/8 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Page 125 on the top of a dias _changed to_ on the top of a dais Page 131 tobogganned down a steep _changed to_ tobogganed down a steep Soap-Bubble Stories.
FOR CHILDREN.
AUTHOR OF "THE FOX FAMILY," "THE OBSTINATE ELM LEAF," "THE BEARS OF WUNDERMERK," ETC.
JAMES POTT & CO., 14 & 16, ASTOR PLACE.
VERA, ELSIE, OSKAR, OLGA, ERIK, NEVA, JESSIE, LEO, DOROTHY, CLAUDE, AND HERBERT.
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.

Soap-bubble stories

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Soap-bubble stories is here in full — 41 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/8 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Page 125 on the top of a dias _changed to_ on the top of a dais Page 131 tobogganned down a steep _changed to_ tobogganed down a steep Soap-Bubble Stories.
Line 2
FOR CHILDREN.
/fɔːr ˈtʃɪldrən/
Line 3
AUTHOR OF "THE FOX FAMILY," "THE OBSTINATE ELM LEAF," "THE BEARS OF WUNDERMERK," ETC.
Line 4
JAMES POTT & CO., 14 & 16, ASTOR PLACE.
Line 5
VERA, ELSIE, OSKAR, OLGA, ERIK, NEVA, JESSIE, LEO, DOROTHY, CLAUDE, AND HERBERT.

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.

astor noun US /ˈæstər/

British politician (born in the United States) who was the first woman to sit in the British House of Commons (1879-1964)

From this reading “JAMES POTT & CO., 14 & 16, ASTOR PLACE.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dais noun US /deɪz/

a platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it

From this reading “Page 125 on the top of a dias _changed to_ on the top of a dais Page 131 tobogganned down a steep _changed to_ tobogganed down a steep Soap-Bubble Stories.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dias noun US /ˈdaɪəz/

Portuguese explorer who in 1488 was the first European to get round the Cape of Good Hope (thus establishing a sea route from the Atlantic to Asia) (1450-1500)

From this reading “Page 125 on the top of a dias _changed to_ on the top of a dais Page 131 tobogganned down a steep _changed to_ tobogganed down a steep Soap-Bubble Stories.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
elm noun US /elm/

any of various trees of the genus Ulmus: important timber or shade trees

From this reading “AUTHOR OF "THE FOX FAMILY," "THE OBSTINATE ELM LEAF," "THE BEARS OF WUNDERMERK," ETC.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
leaf noun US /liːf/

the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants

From this reading “AUTHOR OF "THE FOX FAMILY," "THE OBSTINATE ELM LEAF," "THE BEARS OF WUNDERMERK," ETC.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
leo noun US /ˈliːoʊ/

(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Leo

From this reading “VERA, ELSIE, OSKAR, OLGA, ERIK, NEVA, JESSIE, LEO, DOROTHY, CLAUDE, AND HERBERT.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
neva noun US /ˈneɪvə/

a river in northwestern Russia flowing generally west into the Gulf of Finland

From this reading “VERA, ELSIE, OSKAR, OLGA, ERIK, NEVA, JESSIE, LEO, DOROTHY, CLAUDE, AND HERBERT.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
obstinate adjective US /ˈɑːbstənət/

tenaciously unwilling or marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield

From this reading “AUTHOR OF "THE FOX FAMILY," "THE OBSTINATE ELM LEAF," "THE BEARS OF WUNDERMERK," ETC.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 48

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.

125

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

From this reading Page 125 on the top of a dias _changed to_ on the top of a dais Page 131 tobogganned down a steep _changed to_ tobogganed down a steep Soap-Bubble Stories.

Pending verification
131

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

From this reading Page 125 on the top of a dias _changed to_ on the top of a dais Page 131 tobogganned down a steep _changed to_ tobogganed down a steep Soap-Bubble Stories.

Pending verification
14

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

From this reading JAMES POTT & CO., 14 & 16, ASTOR PLACE.

Pending verification
16

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

From this reading JAMES POTT & CO., 14 & 16, ASTOR PLACE.

Pending verification
adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Page 125 on the top of a dias _changed to_ on the top of a dais Page 131 tobogganned down a steep _changed to_ tobogganed down a steep Soap-Bubble Stories.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading VERA, ELSIE, OSKAR, OLGA, ERIK, NEVA, JESSIE, LEO, DOROTHY, CLAUDE, AND HERBERT.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ASTORnounUS /ˈæstər/

British politician (born in the United States) who was the first woman to sit in the British House of Commons (1879-1964)

From this reading JAMES POTT & CO., 14 & 16, ASTOR PLACE.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
AUTHORnounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE FOX FAMILY," "THE OBSTINATE ELM LEAF," "THE BEARS OF WUNDERMERK," ETC.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BEARSnounUS /berz/

plural of “bear” — massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws

From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE FOX FAMILY," "THE OBSTINATE ELM LEAF," "THE BEARS OF WUNDERMERK," ETC.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
changedadjectiveUS /tʃeɪndʒd/

made or become different in nature or form

From this reading Page 125 on the top of a dias _changed to_ on the top of a dais Page 131 tobogganned down a steep _changed to_ tobogganed down a steep Soap-Bubble Stories.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CHILDRENnounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading FOR CHILDREN.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CLAUDE

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

From this reading VERA, ELSIE, OSKAR, OLGA, ERIK, NEVA, JESSIE, LEO, DOROTHY, CLAUDE, AND HERBERT.

Pending verification
COnounUS /koʊ/

an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon

From this reading JAMES POTT & CO., 14 & 16, ASTOR PLACE.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
daisnounUS /deɪz/

a platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it

From this reading Page 125 on the top of a dias _changed to_ on the top of a dais Page 131 tobogganned down a steep _changed to_ tobogganed down a steep Soap-Bubble Stories.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
diasnounUS /ˈdaɪəz/

Portuguese explorer who in 1488 was the first European to get round the Cape of Good Hope (thus establishing a sea route from the Atlantic to Asia) (1450-1500)

From this reading Page 125 on the top of a dias _changed to_ on the top of a dais Page 131 tobogganned down a steep _changed to_ tobogganed down a steep Soap-Bubble Stories.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DOROTHY

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

From this reading VERA, ELSIE, OSKAR, OLGA, ERIK, NEVA, JESSIE, LEO, DOROTHY, CLAUDE, AND HERBERT.

Pending verification
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Page 125 on the top of a dias _changed to_ on the top of a dais Page 131 tobogganned down a steep _changed to_ tobogganed down a steep Soap-Bubble Stories.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ELMnounUS /elm/

any of various trees of the genus Ulmus: important timber or shade trees

From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE FOX FAMILY," "THE OBSTINATE ELM LEAF," "THE BEARS OF WUNDERMERK," ETC.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ELSIE

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

From this reading VERA, ELSIE, OSKAR, OLGA, ERIK, NEVA, JESSIE, LEO, DOROTHY, CLAUDE, AND HERBERT.

Pending verification
ERIK

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

From this reading VERA, ELSIE, OSKAR, OLGA, ERIK, NEVA, JESSIE, LEO, DOROTHY, CLAUDE, AND HERBERT.

Pending verification
ETC

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE FOX FAMILY," "THE OBSTINATE ELM LEAF," "THE BEARS OF WUNDERMERK," ETC.

Pending verification
FAMILYnounUS /ˈfæməli/

a social unit living together

From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE FOX FAMILY," "THE OBSTINATE ELM LEAF," "THE BEARS OF WUNDERMERK," ETC.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FORprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading FOR CHILDREN.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
FOXnounUS /fɑːks/

alert carnivorous mammal with pointed muzzle and ears and a bushy tail; most are predators that do not hunt in packs

From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE FOX FAMILY," "THE OBSTINATE ELM LEAF," "THE BEARS OF WUNDERMERK," ETC.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HERBERTnounUS /ˈhɜːrbərt/

United States musician and composer and conductor noted for his comic operas (1859-1924)

From this reading VERA, ELSIE, OSKAR, OLGA, ERIK, NEVA, JESSIE, LEO, DOROTHY, CLAUDE, AND HERBERT.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
JAMESnounUS /dʒeɪmz/

a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)

From this reading JAMES POTT & CO., 14 & 16, ASTOR PLACE.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
JESSIE

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

From this reading VERA, ELSIE, OSKAR, OLGA, ERIK, NEVA, JESSIE, LEO, DOROTHY, CLAUDE, AND HERBERT.

Pending verification
LEAFnounUS /liːf/

the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants

From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE FOX FAMILY," "THE OBSTINATE ELM LEAF," "THE BEARS OF WUNDERMERK," ETC.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LEOnounUS /ˈliːoʊ/

(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Leo

From this reading VERA, ELSIE, OSKAR, OLGA, ERIK, NEVA, JESSIE, LEO, DOROTHY, CLAUDE, AND HERBERT.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NEVAnounUS /ˈneɪvə/

a river in northwestern Russia flowing generally west into the Gulf of Finland

From this reading VERA, ELSIE, OSKAR, OLGA, ERIK, NEVA, JESSIE, LEO, DOROTHY, CLAUDE, AND HERBERT.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OBSTINATEadjectiveUS /ˈɑːbstənət/

tenaciously unwilling or marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield

From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE FOX FAMILY," "THE OBSTINATE ELM LEAF," "THE BEARS OF WUNDERMERK," ETC.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Page 125 on the top of a dias _changed to_ on the top of a dais Page 131 tobogganned down a steep _changed to_ tobogganed down a steep Soap-Bubble Stories.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OLGA

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

From this reading VERA, ELSIE, OSKAR, OLGA, ERIK, NEVA, JESSIE, LEO, DOROTHY, CLAUDE, AND HERBERT.

Pending verification
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Page 125 on the top of a dias _changed to_ on the top of a dais Page 131 tobogganned down a steep _changed to_ tobogganed down a steep Soap-Bubble Stories.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OSKAR

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

From this reading VERA, ELSIE, OSKAR, OLGA, ERIK, NEVA, JESSIE, LEO, DOROTHY, CLAUDE, AND HERBERT.

Pending verification
PagenounUS /peɪdʒ/

one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains

From this reading Page 125 on the top of a dias _changed to_ on the top of a dais Page 131 tobogganned down a steep _changed to_ tobogganed down a steep Soap-Bubble Stories.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PLACEnounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading JAMES POTT & CO., 14 & 16, ASTOR PLACE.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
POTT

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

From this reading JAMES POTT & CO., 14 & 16, ASTOR PLACE.

Pending verification
Soap-Bubble

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

From this reading Page 125 on the top of a dias _changed to_ on the top of a dais Page 131 tobogganned down a steep _changed to_ tobogganed down a steep Soap-Bubble Stories.

Pending verification
steepadjectiveUS /stiːp/

having a sharp inclination

From this reading Page 125 on the top of a dias _changed to_ on the top of a dais Page 131 tobogganned down a steep _changed to_ tobogganed down a steep Soap-Bubble Stories.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
StoriesnounUS /ˈstɔːriz/

plural of “story” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading Page 125 on the top of a dias _changed to_ on the top of a dais Page 131 tobogganned down a steep _changed to_ tobogganed down a steep Soap-Bubble Stories.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Page 125 on the top of a dias _changed to_ on the top of a dais Page 131 tobogganned down a steep _changed to_ tobogganed down a steep Soap-Bubble Stories.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Page 125 on the top of a dias _changed to_ on the top of a dais Page 131 tobogganned down a steep _changed to_ tobogganed down a steep Soap-Bubble Stories.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tobogganed

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

From this reading Page 125 on the top of a dias _changed to_ on the top of a dais Page 131 tobogganned down a steep _changed to_ tobogganed down a steep Soap-Bubble Stories.

Pending verification
tobogganned

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

From this reading Page 125 on the top of a dias _changed to_ on the top of a dais Page 131 tobogganned down a steep _changed to_ tobogganed down a steep Soap-Bubble Stories.

Pending verification
topnounUS /tɑːp/

the upper part of anything

From this reading Page 125 on the top of a dias _changed to_ on the top of a dais Page 131 tobogganned down a steep _changed to_ tobogganed down a steep Soap-Bubble Stories.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
VERA

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

From this reading VERA, ELSIE, OSKAR, OLGA, ERIK, NEVA, JESSIE, LEO, DOROTHY, CLAUDE, AND HERBERT.

Pending verification
WUNDERMERK

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE FOX FAMILY," "THE OBSTINATE ELM LEAF," "THE BEARS OF WUNDERMERK," ETC.

Pending verification

Chapter 1 of Soap-bubble stories by Fanny Barry holds 41 sentences, grouped into 9 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 1 of Soap-bubble stories contain?

Chapter 1 holds 41 sentences of Soap-bubble stories, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Soap-bubble stories by Fanny Barry exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 41 sentences, grouped into 9 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 1 of Soap-bubble stories?

Work through the 9 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 9 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Soap-bubble stories

Common questions about reading Soap-bubble stories by Fanny Barry on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Soap-bubble stories?

Yes. All 2474 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28263 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Soap-bubble stories is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #28263, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Soap-bubble stories take to read?

About 206 minutes of reading across 495 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Soap-bubble stories section by section

How to work through Soap-bubble stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Soap-bubble stories 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 Soap-bubble stories

Words and structures a reader meets early in Soap-bubble stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Changed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Soap-bubble stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tobogganned
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Soap-bubble stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Steep
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Soap-bubble stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tobogganed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Soap-bubble stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.