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Tad Coon's Tricks
Tad Coon's Tricks

Chapter XII · Doctor Muskrat Tells Why Skunks Are So

Chapter XII of Tad Coon's Tricks, “Doctor Muskrat Tells Why Skunks Are So,” is here in full — 96 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By John Breck • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Tad Coon's Tricks
Context Illustration Reading 1/19 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.
“Wasn’t it?”
“Was it?” asked Stripes Skunk.
Doctor Muskrat didn’t answer right away.
He sat there sleeking his whiskers with a clammy wet paw to hide a smile, and his little eyes were twinkling.
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.

Tad Coon's Tricks

Chapter XII · Doctor Muskrat Tells Why Skunks Are So

Chapter XII of Tad Coon's Tricks, “Doctor Muskrat Tells Why Skunks Are So,” is here in full — 96 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/19 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.
Line 2
“Wasn’t it?”
Line 3
“Was it?” asked Stripes Skunk.
/wɑːz ɪt æskt straɪps skʌŋk/
Line 4
Doctor Muskrat didn’t answer right away.
Line 5
He sat there sleeking his whiskers with a clammy wet paw to hide a smile, and his little eyes were twinkling.

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.

clammy adjective US /ˈklæmi/

unpleasantly cool and humid

From this reading “He sat there sleeking his whiskers with a clammy wet paw to hide a smile, and his little eyes were twinkling.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
impressively adverb US /ˌɪmˈpresɪvli/

in an impressive manner

From this reading ““Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Muskrat noun US /ˈmʌskræt/

the brown fur of a muskrat

From this reading ““Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Nibble verb US /ˈnɪbəl/

bite off very small pieces

From this reading ““Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
paw verb US /pɔː/

scrape with the paws

From this reading “He sat there sleeking his whiskers with a clammy wet paw to hide a smile, and his little eyes were twinkling.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
skunk noun US /skʌŋk/

a person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible

From this reading ““Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Stripes noun US /straɪps/

V-shaped sleeve badge indicating military rank and service

From this reading ““Was it?” asked Stripes Skunk.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whiskers noun US /ˈwɪskərz/

the hair growing on the lower part of a man's face

From this reading “He sat there sleeking his whiskers with a clammy wet paw to hide a smile, and his little eyes were twinkling.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

really wanted adverb + adjective

In this reading ““Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.”

1,214 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 50

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 He sat there sleeking his whiskers with a clammy wet paw to hide a smile, and his little eyes were twinkling.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He sat there sleeking his whiskers with a clammy wet paw to hide a smile, and his little eyes were twinkling.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
answerverbUS /ˈænsər/

react verbally

From this reading Doctor Muskrat didn’t answer right away.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading “Was it?” asked Stripes Skunk.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Doctor Muskrat didn’t answer right away.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading “Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading “Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BeginningnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading “Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
clammyadjectiveUS /ˈklæmi/

unpleasantly cool and humid

From this reading He sat there sleeking his whiskers with a clammy wet paw to hide a smile, and his little eyes were twinkling.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
didn't

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

From this reading Doctor Muskrat didn’t answer right away.

Pending verification
DoctornounUS /ˈdɑːktər/

a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading “Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
exclaimedverbUS /ɪkˈskleɪmd/

past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

From this reading “Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading He sat there sleeking his whiskers with a clammy wet paw to hide a smile, and his little eyes were twinkling.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
First-Off

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

From this reading “Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.

Pending verification
goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading “Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He sat there sleeking his whiskers with a clammy wet paw to hide a smile, and his little eyes were twinkling.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hideverbUS /haɪd/

prevent from being seen or discovered

From this reading He sat there sleeking his whiskers with a clammy wet paw to hide a smile, and his little eyes were twinkling.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He sat there sleeking his whiskers with a clammy wet paw to hide a smile, and his little eyes were twinkling.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
impressivelyadverbUS /ˌɪmˈpresɪvli/

in an impressive manner

From this reading “Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “Wasn’t it?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading He sat there sleeking his whiskers with a clammy wet paw to hide a smile, and his little eyes were twinkling.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MuskratnounUS /ˈmʌskræt/

the brown fur of a muskrat

From this reading “Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NibbleverbUS /ˈnɪbəl/

bite off very small pieces

From this reading “Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
pawverbUS /pɔː/

scrape with the paws

From this reading He sat there sleeking his whiskers with a clammy wet paw to hide a smile, and his little eyes were twinkling.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RabbitnounUS /ˈræbət/

any of various burrowing animals of the family Leporidae having long ears and short tails; some domesticated and raised for pets or food

From this reading “Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading “Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading Doctor Muskrat didn’t answer right away.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading He sat there sleeking his whiskers with a clammy wet paw to hide a smile, and his little eyes were twinkling.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
skunknounUS /skʌŋk/

a person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible

From this reading “Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sleeking

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

From this reading He sat there sleeking his whiskers with a clammy wet paw to hide a smile, and his little eyes were twinkling.

Pending verification
smileverbUS /smaɪl/

change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure

From this reading He sat there sleeking his whiskers with a clammy wet paw to hide a smile, and his little eyes were twinkling.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
StripesnounUS /straɪps/

V-shaped sleeve badge indicating military rank and service

From this reading “Was it?” asked Stripes Skunk.

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 “Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading “Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Things-from-under-the-Earth

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

From this reading “Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.

Pending verification
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
twinklingnounUS /ˈtwɪŋkəlɪŋ/

a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)

From this reading He sat there sleeking his whiskers with a clammy wet paw to hide a smile, and his little eyes were twinkling.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wantedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːntɪd/

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading “Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading “Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Wasn't

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

From this reading “Wasn’t it?”

Pending verification
WaynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading “Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading He sat there sleeking his whiskers with a clammy wet paw to hide a smile, and his little eyes were twinkling.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wetadjectiveUS /wet/

covered or soaked with a liquid such as water

From this reading He sat there sleeking his whiskers with a clammy wet paw to hide a smile, and his little eyes were twinkling.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whiskersnounUS /ˈwɪskərz/

the hair growing on the lower part of a man's face

From this reading He sat there sleeking his whiskers with a clammy wet paw to hide a smile, and his little eyes were twinkling.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading “Way back in the First-Off Beginning,” said Doctor Muskrat impressively, “there was one of the Things-from-under-the-Earth who really wanted to be good----” “The skunk!” exclaimed Nibble Rabbit.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He sat there sleeking his whiskers with a clammy wet paw to hide a smile, and his little eyes were twinkling.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 12 of Tad Coon's Tricks by John Breck holds 96 sentences, grouped into 20 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 12 of Tad Coon's Tricks contain?

Chapter 12 holds 96 sentences of Tad Coon's Tricks, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of Tad Coon's Tricks by John Breck exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 96 sentences, grouped into 20 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 12 of Tad Coon's Tricks?

Work through the 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 20 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 Tad Coon's Tricks

Common questions about reading Tad Coon's Tricks by John Breck on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Tad Coon's Tricks?

Yes. All 1286 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #64216 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Tad Coon's Tricks is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #64216, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Tad Coon's Tricks take to read?

About 107 minutes of reading across 258 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Tad Coon's Tricks section by section

How to work through Tad Coon's Tricks section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 13 chapters of Tad Coon's Tricks 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 Tad Coon's Tricks

Words and structures a reader meets early in Tad Coon's Tricks, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Thought
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tad Coon's Tricks; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Every
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tad Coon's Tricks; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Woods
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tad Coon's Tricks; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fields
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tad Coon's Tricks; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.