The Arkansaw Bear

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Arkansaw Bear is here in full — 143 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Albert Bigelow Paine • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Arkansaw Bear

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

NEW YORK: R. H. RUSSELL LONDON: KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUeBNER & CO.

"Oh, 'twas down in the woods of the Arkansaw, And the night was cloudy and the wind was raw, And he didn't have a bed and he didn't have a bite, And if he hadn't fiddled he'd a travelled all night."

BOSEPHUS paused in his mad flight to listen.

Surely this was someone playing the violin, and the tune was familiar.

He listened more intently.

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 I Reading 1/28

The Arkansaw Bear

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Arkansaw Bear is here in full — 143 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/28 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

NEW YORK: R. H. RUSSELL LONDON: KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUeBNER & CO.

Line 2

"Oh, 'twas down in the woods of the Arkansaw, And the night was cloudy and the wind was raw, And he didn't have a bed and he didn't have a bite, And if he hadn't fiddled he'd a travelled all night."

Line 3

BOSEPHUS paused in his mad flight to listen.

Line 4

Surely this was someone playing the violin, and the tune was familiar.

/ˈʃʊrli ðɪs wɑːz ˈsʌmwʌn ˈpleɪɪŋ ðə vaɪəˈlɪn ənd ðə tuːn wɑːz fəˈmɪljər/

Line 5

He listened more intently.

/hiː ˈlɪsənd mɔːr ˌɪnˈtentli/

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.

cloudy adjective US /ˈklaʊdi/

lacking definite form or limits

From this reading “"Oh, 'twas down in the woods of the Arkansaw, And the night was cloudy and the wind was raw, And he didn't have a bed and he didn't have a bite, And if he hadn't fiddled he'd a travelled all night."”

fiddled verb US /ˈfɪdəld/

past form of “fiddle” — avoid (one's assigned duties)

intently adverb US /ˌɪnˈtentli/

with strained or eager attention

From this reading “He listened more intently.”

raw adjective US /rɑː/

(used especially of commodities) being unprocessed or manufactured using only simple or minimal processes

russell noun US /ˈrʌsəl/

United States religious leader who founded the sect that is now called Jehovah's Witnesses (1852-1916)

From this reading “NEW YORK: R. H. RUSSELL LONDON: KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUeBNER & CO.”

trench noun US /trentʃ/

a ditch dug as a fortification having a parapet of the excavated earth

From this reading “NEW YORK: R. H. RUSSELL LONDON: KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUeBNER & CO.”

tune noun US /tuːn/

a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence

From this reading “Surely this was someone playing the violin, and the tune was familiar.”

violin noun US /vaɪəˈlɪn/

bowed stringed instrument that is the highest member of the violin family; this instrument has four strings and a hollow body and an unfretted fingerboard and is played with a bow

From this reading “Surely this was someone playing the violin, and the tune was familiar.”

All words in this reading · 54

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 "Oh, 'twas down in the woods of the Arkansaw, And the night was cloudy and the wind was raw, And he didn't have a bed and he didn't have a bite, And if he hadn't fiddled he'd a travelled all night."

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

Arkansaw

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

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

biteverbUS /baɪt/

to grip, cut off, or tear with or as if with the teeth or jaws

BOSEPHUS

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

From this reading BOSEPHUS paused in his mad flight to listen.

cloudyadjectiveUS /ˈklaʊdi/

lacking definite form or limits

COnounUS /koʊ/

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

From this reading NEW YORK: R. H. RUSSELL LONDON: KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUeBNER & CO.

didn't

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

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

familiaradjectiveUS /fəˈmɪljər/

well known or easily recognized

From this reading Surely this was someone playing the violin, and the tune was familiar.

fiddledverbUS /ˈfɪdəld/

past form of “fiddle” — avoid (one's assigned duties)

flightnounUS /flaɪt/

a formation of aircraft in flight

From this reading BOSEPHUS paused in his mad flight to listen.

HnounUS /eɪtʃ/

a nonmetallic univalent element that is normally a colorless and odorless highly flammable diatomic gas; the simplest and lightest and most abundant element in the universe

From this reading NEW YORK: R. H. RUSSELL LONDON: KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUeBNER & CO.

hadn't

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

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

he'd

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

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading BOSEPHUS paused in his mad flight to listen.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

intentlyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈtentli/

with strained or eager attention

From this reading He listened more intently.

KEGAN

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

From this reading NEW YORK: R. H. RUSSELL LONDON: KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUeBNER & CO.

listenverbUS /ˈlɪsən/

hear with intention

From this reading BOSEPHUS paused in his mad flight to listen.

listenedverbUS /ˈlɪsənd/

past form of “listen” — hear with intention

From this reading He listened more intently.

LONDONnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading NEW YORK: R. H. RUSSELL LONDON: KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUeBNER & CO.

madadjectiveUS /mæd/

roused to anger

From this reading BOSEPHUS paused in his mad flight to listen.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading He listened more intently.

NEWadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading NEW YORK: R. H. RUSSELL LONDON: KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUeBNER & CO.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

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

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

PAULnounUS /pɔːl/

United States feminist (1885-1977)

From this reading NEW YORK: R. H. RUSSELL LONDON: KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUeBNER & CO.

pausedverbUS /pɔːzd/

past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing

From this reading BOSEPHUS paused in his mad flight to listen.

playingnounUS /ˈpleɪɪŋ/

the act of playing a musical instrument

From this reading Surely this was someone playing the violin, and the tune was familiar.

RnounUS /ɑːr/

a unit of radiation exposure; the dose of ionizing radiation that will produce 1 electrostatic unit of electricity in 1 cc of dry air

From this reading NEW YORK: R. H. RUSSELL LONDON: KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUeBNER & CO.

rawadjectiveUS /rɑː/

(used especially of commodities) being unprocessed or manufactured using only simple or minimal processes

RUSSELLnounUS /ˈrʌsəl/

United States religious leader who founded the sect that is now called Jehovah's Witnesses (1852-1916)

From this reading NEW YORK: R. H. RUSSELL LONDON: KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUeBNER & CO.

someonepronounUS /ˈsʌmwʌn/

a person, without saying who

From this reading Surely this was someone playing the violin, and the tune was familiar.

SurelyadverbUS /ˈʃʊrli/

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading Surely this was someone playing the violin, and the tune was familiar.

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 Surely this was someone playing the violin, and the tune was familiar.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading BOSEPHUS paused in his mad flight to listen.

travelledadjectiveUS /ˈtrævəld/

familiar with many parts of the world

TRENCHnounUS /trentʃ/

a ditch dug as a fortification having a parapet of the excavated earth

From this reading NEW YORK: R. H. RUSSELL LONDON: KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUeBNER & CO.

TRUeBNER

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

From this reading NEW YORK: R. H. RUSSELL LONDON: KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUeBNER & CO.

tunenounUS /tuːn/

a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence

From this reading Surely this was someone playing the violin, and the tune was familiar.

twas

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

violinnounUS /vaɪəˈlɪn/

bowed stringed instrument that is the highest member of the violin family; this instrument has four strings and a hollow body and an unfretted fingerboard and is played with a bow

From this reading Surely this was someone playing the violin, and the tune was familiar.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

windnounUS /waɪnd/

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

woodsnounUS /wʊdz/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

YORKnounUS /jɔːrk/

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading NEW YORK: R. H. RUSSELL LONDON: KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUeBNER & CO.

Chapter 1 of The Arkansaw Bear by Albert Bigelow Paine holds 143 sentences, grouped into 29 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 The Arkansaw Bear contain?

Chapter 1 holds 143 sentences of The Arkansaw Bear, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Arkansaw Bear by Albert Bigelow Paine exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 143 sentences, grouped into 29 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 The Arkansaw Bear?

Work through the 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 29 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 The Arkansaw Bear

Common questions about reading The Arkansaw Bear by Albert Bigelow Paine on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Arkansaw Bear?

Yes. All 1422 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28302 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Arkansaw Bear is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #28302, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Arkansaw Bear take to read?

About 118 minutes of reading across 285 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Arkansaw Bear section by section

How to work through The Arkansaw Bear section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

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Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Arkansaw Bear

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Arkansaw Bear, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Russell: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Arkansaw Bear; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
London: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Arkansaw Bear; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Kegan: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Arkansaw Bear; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Trench: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Arkansaw Bear; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter I · Chapter 1

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Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

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Vocabulary met early in The Arkansaw Bear