Spanish John

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Spanish John is here in full — 488 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By William McLennan • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

At length, one cold day in winter, as I was hurrying across the Corso, hugging my soprano close about me, on my way to the Santi Apostoli, I caught sight of Colonel MacDonnell and eagerly accosted him.

"Well met, my little church mouse!" he said, passing his arm around my shoulder in such a manner as took the sting out of his jest.

"Where are you scurrying to on such a cold day as this?"

"To the Santi Apostoli, sir," I answered.

"To the Church, or the Palace?"

Narrator

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.

Chapter II Reading 1/97

Spanish John

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Spanish John is here in full — 488 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/97 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Line 2

"Well met, my little church mouse!" he said, passing his arm around my shoulder in such a manner as took the sting out of his jest.

/wel met maɪ ˈlɪtəl tʃɜːrtʃ maʊs hiː sed ˈpæsɪŋ hɪz ɑːrm ərˈaʊnd maɪ ˈʃoʊldər ɪn sʌtʃ ə ˈmænər æz tʊk ðə stɪŋ aʊt ʌv hɪz dʒest/

Line 3

"Where are you scurrying to on such a cold day as this?"

/wer ɑːr juː ˈskɜːriɪŋ tuː ɑːn sʌtʃ ə koʊld deɪ æz ðɪs/

Line 4

"To the Santi Apostoli, sir," I answered.

Line 5

"To the Church, or the Palace?"

/tuː ðə tʃɜːrtʃ ɔːr ðə ˈpæləs/

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.

accosted verb US /əˈkɑːstɪd/

past form of “accost” — speak to someone

From this reading “At length, one cold day in winter, as I was hurrying across the Corso, hugging my soprano close about me, on my way to the Santi Apostoli, I caught sight of Colonel MacDonnell and eagerly accosted him.”

hugging noun US /ˈhʌɡɪŋ/

affectionate play (or foreplay without contact with the genital organs)

hurrying adjective US /ˈhɜːriɪŋ/

moving with great haste

jest noun US /dʒest/

a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter

From this reading “"Well met, my little church mouse!" he said, passing his arm around my shoulder in such a manner as took the sting out of his jest.”

mouse noun US /maʊs/

any of numerous small rodents typically resembling diminutive rats having pointed snouts and small ears on elongated bodies with slender usually hairless tails

From this reading “"Well met, my little church mouse!" he said, passing his arm around my shoulder in such a manner as took the sting out of his jest.”

scurrying adjective US /ˈskɜːriɪŋ/

moving with great haste

From this reading “"Where are you scurrying to on such a cold day as this?"”

soprano noun US /səˈprɑːnoʊ/

a female singer

sting verb US /stɪŋ/

cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort

From this reading “"Well met, my little church mouse!" he said, passing his arm around my shoulder in such a manner as took the sting out of his jest.”

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.

caught sight verb + noun counted as “catch sight”

see something for a brief time

In this reading “At length, one cold day in winter, as I was hurrying across the Corso, hugging my soprano close about me, on my way to the Santi Apostoli, I caught sight of Colonel MacDonnell and eagerly accosted him.”

At length preposition + noun

in a lengthy or prolix manner

church mouse noun + noun

a fictional mouse created by Lewis Carroll

In this reading “"Well met, my little church mouse!" he said, passing his arm around my shoulder in such a manner as took the sting out of his jest.”

All words in this reading · 62

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 "Well met, my little church mouse!" he said, passing his arm around my shoulder in such a manner as took the sting out of his jest.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading At length, one cold day in winter, as I was hurrying across the Corso, hugging my soprano close about me, on my way to the Santi Apostoli, I caught sight of Colonel MacDonnell and eagerly accosted him.

accostedverbUS /əˈkɑːstɪd/

past form of “accost” — speak to someone

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading "To the Santi Apostoli, sir," I answered.

Apostoli

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

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading "Where are you scurrying to on such a cold day as this?"

armnounUS /ɑːrm/

a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb

From this reading "Well met, my little church mouse!" he said, passing his arm around my shoulder in such a manner as took the sting out of his jest.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading "Well met, my little church mouse!" he said, passing his arm around my shoulder in such a manner as took the sting out of his jest.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

caughtverbUS /kɑːt/

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

churchnounUS /tʃɜːrtʃ/

one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship

From this reading "Well met, my little church mouse!" he said, passing his arm around my shoulder in such a manner as took the sting out of his jest.

closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/

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

coldadjectiveUS /koʊld/

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

ColonelnounUS /ˈkɜːrnəl/

a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general

Corso

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

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

eagerlyadverbUS /ˈiːɡərli/

with eagerness; in an eager manner

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "Well met, my little church mouse!" he said, passing his arm around my shoulder in such a manner as took the sting out of his jest.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading "Well met, my little church mouse!" he said, passing his arm around my shoulder in such a manner as took the sting out of his jest.

huggingnounUS /ˈhʌɡɪŋ/

affectionate play (or foreplay without contact with the genital organs)

hurryingadjectiveUS /ˈhɜːriɪŋ/

moving with great haste

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

jestnounUS /dʒest/

a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter

From this reading "Well met, my little church mouse!" he said, passing his arm around my shoulder in such a manner as took the sting out of his jest.

lengthnounUS /leŋkθ/

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

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading "Well met, my little church mouse!" he said, passing his arm around my shoulder in such a manner as took the sting out of his jest.

MacDonnell

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

mannernounUS /ˈmænər/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading "Well met, my little church mouse!" he said, passing his arm around my shoulder in such a manner as took the sting out of his jest.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

metverbUS /met/

inflected form of “meet” — come together

From this reading "Well met, my little church mouse!" he said, passing his arm around my shoulder in such a manner as took the sting out of his jest.

mousenounUS /maʊs/

any of numerous small rodents typically resembling diminutive rats having pointed snouts and small ears on elongated bodies with slender usually hairless tails

From this reading "Well met, my little church mouse!" he said, passing his arm around my shoulder in such a manner as took the sting out of his jest.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading "To the Church, or the Palace?"

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "Well met, my little church mouse!" he said, passing his arm around my shoulder in such a manner as took the sting out of his jest.

PalacenounUS /ˈpæləs/

a large and stately mansion

From this reading "To the Church, or the Palace?"

passingnounUS /ˈpæsɪŋ/

(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate

From this reading "Well met, my little church mouse!" he said, passing his arm around my shoulder in such a manner as took the sting out of his jest.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Well met, my little church mouse!" he said, passing his arm around my shoulder in such a manner as took the sting out of his jest.

Santi

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

scurryingadjectiveUS /ˈskɜːriɪŋ/

moving with great haste

From this reading "Where are you scurrying to on such a cold day as this?"

shoulderverbUS /ˈʃoʊldər/

lift onto one's shoulders

From this reading "Well met, my little church mouse!" he said, passing his arm around my shoulder in such a manner as took the sting out of his jest.

sightnounUS /saɪt/

an instance of visual perception

sirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading "To the Santi Apostoli, sir," I answered.

sopranonounUS /səˈprɑːnoʊ/

a female singer

stingverbUS /stɪŋ/

cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort

From this reading "Well met, my little church mouse!" he said, passing his arm around my shoulder in such a manner as took the sting out of his jest.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading "Well met, my little church mouse!" he said, passing his arm around my shoulder in such a manner as took the sting out of his jest.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading "Where are you scurrying to on such a cold day as this?"

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading "Well met, my little church mouse!" he said, passing his arm around my shoulder in such a manner as took the sting out of his jest.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

WelladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading "Well met, my little church mouse!" he said, passing his arm around my shoulder in such a manner as took the sting out of his jest.

WhereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading "Where are you scurrying to on such a cold day as this?"

winternounUS /ˈwɪntər/

the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Where are you scurrying to on such a cold day as this?"

Chapter 2 of Spanish John by William McLennan holds 488 sentences, grouped into 98 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 2 of Spanish John contain?

Chapter 2 holds 488 sentences of Spanish John, unabridged, divided into 98 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Spanish John by William McLennan exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 488 sentences, grouped into 98 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 2 of Spanish John?

Work through the 98 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 98 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 2 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Spanish John

Common questions about reading Spanish John by William McLennan on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Spanish John?

Yes. All 1931 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #61224 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Spanish John is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #61224, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Spanish John take to read?

About 160 minutes of reading across 387 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Chapter II

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