Chapter 2 of Stories of Comedy is here in full — 428 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Stories of Comedy is here in full — 428 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Another hail. "Spake loudher you'd betther," said Barny, jeeringly, still holding on his course. A gun was fired ahead of him. "By my sowl you spoke loudher that time, sure enough," said Barny. "Take care, Barny," cried Jemmy and Peter together.
Chapter 2 of Stories of Comedy is here in full — 428 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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.
at or in the front
From this reading “A gun was fired ahead of him.”
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading “"Take care, Barny," cried Jemmy and Peter together.”
having lost your job
From this reading “A gun was fired ahead of him.”
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading “A gun was fired ahead of him.”
praise vociferously
From this reading “Another hail.”
the act of retaining something
From this reading “"Spake loudher you'd betther," said Barny, jeeringly, still holding on his course.”
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading “"Take care, Barny," cried Jemmy and Peter together.”
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading “"By my sowl you spoke loudher that time, sure enough," said Barny.”
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 A gun was fired ahead of him.
at or in the front
From this reading A gun was fired ahead of him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Take care, Barny," cried Jemmy and Peter together.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading Another hail.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Spake loudher you'd betther," said Barny, jeeringly, still holding on his course.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Spake loudher you'd betther," said Barny, jeeringly, still holding on his course.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "By my sowl you spoke loudher that time, sure enough," said Barny.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading "Take care, Barny," cried Jemmy and Peter together.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading "Spake loudher you'd betther," said Barny, jeeringly, still holding on his course.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "Take care, Barny," cried Jemmy and Peter together.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading "By my sowl you spoke loudher that time, sure enough," said Barny.
having lost your job
From this reading A gun was fired ahead of him.
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading A gun was fired ahead of him.
praise vociferously
From this reading Another hail.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A gun was fired ahead of him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Spake loudher you'd betther," said Barny, jeeringly, still holding on his course.
the act of retaining something
From this reading "Spake loudher you'd betther," said Barny, jeeringly, still holding on his course.
in a disrespectful jeering manner
From this reading "Spake loudher you'd betther," said Barny, jeeringly, still holding on his course.
a short crowbar
From this reading "Take care, Barny," cried Jemmy and Peter together.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Spake loudher you'd betther," said Barny, jeeringly, still holding on his course.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "By my sowl you spoke loudher that time, sure enough," said Barny.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A gun was fired ahead of him.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Spake loudher you'd betther," said Barny, jeeringly, still holding on his course.
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading "Take care, Barny," cried Jemmy and Peter together.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Spake loudher you'd betther," said Barny, jeeringly, still holding on his course.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "By my sowl you spoke loudher that time, sure enough," said Barny.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Spake loudher you'd betther," said Barny, jeeringly, still holding on his course.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading "By my sowl you spoke loudher that time, sure enough," said Barny.
not in physical motion
From this reading "Spake loudher you'd betther," said Barny, jeeringly, still holding on his course.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading "By my sowl you spoke loudher that time, sure enough," said Barny.
carry out
From this reading "Take care, Barny," cried Jemmy and Peter together.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "By my sowl you spoke loudher that time, sure enough," said Barny.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading "By my sowl you spoke loudher that time, sure enough," said Barny.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading "Take care, Barny," cried Jemmy and Peter together.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A gun was fired ahead of him.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "By my sowl you spoke loudher that time, sure enough," said Barny.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Spake loudher you'd betther," said Barny, jeeringly, still holding on his course.
Chapter 2 of Stories of Comedy by Rossiter [Editor] Johnson holds 428 sentences, grouped into 86 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 2 holds 428 sentences of Stories of Comedy, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Stories of Comedy by Rossiter [Editor] Johnson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 428 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 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.
Common questions about reading Stories of Comedy by Rossiter [Editor] Johnson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2531 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20229 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #20229, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 210 minutes of reading across 507 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Stories of Comedy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of Stories of Comedy 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 Stories of Comedy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
