The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Mark Twain • Curated US English Learning Edition

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It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

If a boat was to come along we was going to take to the canoe and break for the Illinois shore; and it was well a boat didn’t come, for we hadn’t ever thought to put the gun in the canoe, or a fishing-line, or anything to eat.

We was in ruther too much of a sweat to think of so many things.

It warn’t good judgment to put _everything_ on the raft.

If the men went to the island I just expect they found the camp-fire I built, and watched it all night for Jim to come.

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Chapter XII Reading 1/29

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain

Chapter XII

Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow. If a boat was to come along we was going to take to the canoe and break for the Illinois shore; and it was well a boat didn’t come, for we hadn’t ever thought to put the gun in the canoe, or a fishing-line, or anything to eat. We was in ruther too much of a sweat to think of so many things. It warn’t good judgment to put _everything_ on the raft. If the men went to the island I just expect they found the camp-fire I built, and watched it all night for Jim to come.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/29 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

/ɪt mʌst ə bɪn kloʊs ɑːn tuː wʌn əˈklɑːk wen wiː ɡɑːt bɪˈloʊ ðə ˈaɪlənd æt læst ənd ðə ræft dɪd siːm tuː ɡoʊ ˈmaɪti sloʊ/

Line 2

Line 3

We was in ruther too much of a sweat to think of so many things.

Line 4

It warn’t good judgment to put _everything_ on the raft.

Line 5

If the men went to the island I just expect they found the camp-fire I built, and watched it all night for Jim to come.

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.

built adjective US /bɪlt/

(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness

From this reading “If the men went to the island I just expect they found the camp-fire I built, and watched it all night for Jim to come.”

canoe noun US /kəˈnuː/

small and light boat; pointed at both ends; propelled with a paddle

From this reading “If a boat was to come along we was going to take to the canoe and break for the Illinois shore; and it was well a boat didn’t come, for we hadn’t ever thought to put the gun in the canoe, or a fishing-line, or anything to eat.”

gun noun US /ɡʌn/

a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)

Illinois noun US /ˌɪləˈnɔɪ/

a midwestern state in north-central United States

judgment noun US /ˈdʒʌdʒmənt/

an opinion formed by judging something

From this reading “It warn’t good judgment to put _everything_ on the raft.”

raft noun US /ræft/

a flat float (usually made of logs or planks) that can be used for transport or as a platform for swimmers

From this reading “It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.”

slow adjective US /sloʊ/

not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time

From this reading “It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.”

sweat noun US /swet/

salty fluid secreted by sweat glands

From this reading “We was in ruther too much of a sweat to think of so many things.”

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.

many things adjective + noun

In this reading “We was in ruther too much of a sweat to think of so many things.”

come along verb + particle

come into being or existence, or appear on the scene

In this reading “If a boat was to come along we was going to take to the canoe and break for the Illinois shore; and it was well a boat didn’t come, for we hadn’t ever thought to put the gun in the canoe, or a fishing-line, or anything to eat.”

on the raft preposition + article + noun counted as “on … raft”

In this reading “It warn’t good judgment to put _everything_ on the raft.”

good judgment adjective + noun

In this reading “It warn’t good judgment to put _everything_ on the raft.”

all night adjective + noun

In this reading “If the men went to the island I just expect they found the camp-fire I built, and watched it all night for Jim to come.”

think of verb + particle

keep in mind for attention or consideration

In this reading “We was in ruther too much of a sweat to think of so many things.”

in the canoe preposition + article + noun counted as “in … canoe”

All words in this reading · 74

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 It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

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 If the men went to the island I just expect they found the camp-fire I built, and watched it all night for Jim to come.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading If a boat was to come along we was going to take to the canoe and break for the Illinois shore; and it was well a boat didn’t come, for we hadn’t ever thought to put the gun in the canoe, or a fishing-line, or anything to eat.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

boatnounUS /boʊt/

a small vessel for travel on water

breakverbUS /breɪk/

terminate

builtadjectiveUS /bɪlt/

(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness

From this reading If the men went to the island I just expect they found the camp-fire I built, and watched it all night for Jim to come.

camp-fire

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

From this reading If the men went to the island I just expect they found the camp-fire I built, and watched it all night for Jim to come.

canoenounUS /kəˈnuː/

small and light boat; pointed at both ends; propelled with a paddle

closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/

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

From this reading It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

didn't

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

eatverbUS /iːt/

take in solid food

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading It warn’t good judgment to put _everything_ on the raft.

expectverbUS /ɪkˈspekt/

regard something as probable or likely

From this reading If the men went to the island I just expect they found the camp-fire I built, and watched it all night for Jim to come.

fishing-line

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

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading If the men went to the island I just expect they found the camp-fire I built, and watched it all night for Jim to come.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading It warn’t good judgment to put _everything_ on the raft.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

gunnounUS /ɡʌn/

a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)

hadn't

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

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading If the men went to the island I just expect they found the camp-fire I built, and watched it all night for Jim to come.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

IllinoisnounUS /ˌɪləˈnɔɪ/

a midwestern state in north-central United States

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

islandnounUS /ˈaɪlənd/

a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water

From this reading It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

Jim

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

From this reading If the men went to the island I just expect they found the camp-fire I built, and watched it all night for Jim to come.

judgmentnounUS /ˈdʒʌdʒmənt/

an opinion formed by judging something

From this reading It warn’t good judgment to put _everything_ on the raft.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading If the men went to the island I just expect they found the camp-fire I built, and watched it all night for Jim to come.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading We was in ruther too much of a sweat to think of so many things.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading If the men went to the island I just expect they found the camp-fire I built, and watched it all night for Jim to come.

mightyadjectiveUS /ˈmaɪti/

having or showing great strength or force or intensity

From this reading It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading We was in ruther too much of a sweat to think of so many things.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading If the men went to the island I just expect they found the camp-fire I built, and watched it all night for Jim to come.

o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading We was in ruther too much of a sweat to think of so many things.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

raftnounUS /ræft/

a flat float (usually made of logs or planks) that can be used for transport or as a platform for swimmers

From this reading It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

ruther

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

From this reading We was in ruther too much of a sweat to think of so many things.

seemverbUS /siːm/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

shorenounUS /ʃɔːr/

the land along the edge of a body of water

slowadjectiveUS /sloʊ/

not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time

From this reading It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading We was in ruther too much of a sweat to think of so many things.

sweatnounUS /swet/

salty fluid secreted by sweat glands

From this reading We was in ruther too much of a sweat to think of so many things.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading If the men went to the island I just expect they found the camp-fire I built, and watched it all night for Jim to come.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading We was in ruther too much of a sweat to think of so many things.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading We was in ruther too much of a sweat to think of so many things.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading We was in ruther too much of a sweat to think of so many things.

warn't

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

From this reading It warn’t good judgment to put _everything_ on the raft.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

watchedverbUS /wɑːtʃt/

past form of “watch” — look attentively

From this reading If the men went to the island I just expect they found the camp-fire I built, and watched it all night for Jim to come.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

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”)

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading If the men went to the island I just expect they found the camp-fire I built, and watched it all night for Jim to come.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading It must ’a’ been close on to one o’clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow.

Chapter 12 of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain holds 149 sentences, grouped into 30 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 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn contain?

Chapter 12 holds 149 sentences of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 149 sentences, grouped into 30 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 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?

Work through the 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 30 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.

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Common questions about reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?

Yes. All 5842 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32325 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #32325, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn take to read?

About 486 minutes of reading across 1169 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

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Chapter XII · Chapter 12

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