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The barbarous babes
The barbarous babes

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The barbarous babes is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The barbarous babes
Context Illustration Reading 1/88 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Mother got up though, and put Teddy into the big chair by the fire, kissing him all the while.
He had still got the fork in his toes.
“Look, look, Teddy eat breakfast with his feet!” he called out, pointing to them.
He didn’t seem able to think of anything else.
Mother went out into the hall with the rest of us clinging to her, and down the garden path to the fly.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The barbarous babes

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The barbarous babes is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/88 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Mother got up though, and put Teddy into the big chair by the fire, kissing him all the while.
/ˈmʌðər ɡɑːt ʌp ðoʊ ənd pʊt ˈtedi ˈɪntuː ðə bɪɡ tʃer baɪ ðə ˈfaɪər ˈkɪsɪŋ hɪm ɔːl ðə waɪl/
Line 2
He had still got the fork in his toes.
/hiː hæd stɪl ɡɑːt ðə fɔːrk ɪn hɪz toʊz/
Line 3
“Look, look, Teddy eat breakfast with his feet!” he called out, pointing to them.
/lʊk lʊk ˈtedi iːt ˈbrekfəst wɪð hɪz fiːt hiː kɔːld aʊt ˈpɔɪntɪŋ tuː ðem/
Line 4
He didn’t seem able to think of anything else.
Line 5
Mother went out into the hall with the rest of us clinging to her, and down the garden path to the fly.
/ˈmʌðər went aʊt ˈɪntuː ðə hɔːl wɪð ðə rest ʌv ʌs ˈklɪŋɪŋ tuː hɜːr ənd daʊn ðə ˈɡɑːrdən pæθ tuː ðə flaɪ/

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.

breakfast verb US /ˈbrekfəst/

eat an early morning meal

From this reading ““Look, look, Teddy eat breakfast with his feet!” he called out, pointing to them.”

clinging verb US /ˈklɪŋɪŋ/

-ing form of “cling” — come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation

From this reading “Mother went out into the hall with the rest of us clinging to her, and down the garden path to the fly.”

fly verb US /flaɪ/

travel through the air; be airborne

From this reading “Mother went out into the hall with the rest of us clinging to her, and down the garden path to the fly.”

fork noun US /fɔːrk/

cutlery used for serving and eating food

From this reading “He had still got the fork in his toes.”

kissing noun US /ˈkɪsɪŋ/

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

From this reading “Mother got up though, and put Teddy into the big chair by the fire, kissing him all the while.”

pointing verb US /ˈpɔɪntɪŋ/

-ing form of “point” — indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively

From this reading ““Look, look, Teddy eat breakfast with his feet!” he called out, pointing to them.”

Teddy noun US /ˈtedi/

plaything consisting of a child's toy bear (usually plush and stuffed with soft materials)

From this reading “Mother got up though, and put Teddy into the big chair by the fire, kissing him all the while.”

toes noun US /toʊz/

plural of “toe” — one of the digits of the foot

From this reading “He had still got the fork in his toes.”

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.

garden path noun + noun

In this reading “Mother went out into the hall with the rest of us clinging to her, and down the garden path to the fly.”

into the hall preposition + article + noun counted as “into … hall”

In this reading “Mother went out into the hall with the rest of us clinging to her, and down the garden path to the fly.”

big chair adjective + noun

In this reading “Mother got up though, and put Teddy into the big chair by the fire, kissing him all the while.”

went out verb + adjective counted as “go out”

move out of or depart from

In this reading “Mother went out into the hall with the rest of us clinging to her, and down the garden path to the fly.”

got up verb + adjective counted as “get up”

rise to one's feet

In this reading “Mother got up though, and put Teddy into the big chair by the fire, kissing him all the while.”

called out verb + adjective counted as “call out”

utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

In this reading ““Look, look, Teddy eat breakfast with his feet!” he called out, pointing to them.”

rest of verb + particle

In this reading “Mother went out into the hall with the rest of us clinging to her, and down the garden path to the fly.”

think of verb + particle

keep in mind for attention or consideration

In this reading “He didn’t seem able to think of anything else.”

All words in this reading · 51

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.

ableadjectiveUS /ˈeɪbəl/

(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something

From this reading He didn’t seem able to think of anything else.

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 Mother got up though, and put Teddy into the big chair by the fire, kissing him all the while.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Mother got up though, and put Teddy into the big chair by the fire, kissing him all the while.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading He didn’t seem able to think of anything else.

bigadjectiveUS /bɪɡ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Mother got up though, and put Teddy into the big chair by the fire, kissing him all the while.

breakfastverbUS /ˈbrekfəst/

eat an early morning meal

From this reading “Look, look, Teddy eat breakfast with his feet!” he called out, pointing to them.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Mother got up though, and put Teddy into the big chair by the fire, kissing him all the while.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading “Look, look, Teddy eat breakfast with his feet!” he called out, pointing to them.

chairnounUS /tʃer/

a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading Mother got up though, and put Teddy into the big chair by the fire, kissing him all the while.

clingingverbUS /ˈklɪŋɪŋ/

-ing form of “cling” — come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation

From this reading Mother went out into the hall with the rest of us clinging to her, and down the garden path to the fly.

didn't

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

From this reading He didn’t seem able to think of anything else.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Mother went out into the hall with the rest of us clinging to her, and down the garden path to the fly.

eatverbUS /iːt/

take in solid food

From this reading “Look, look, Teddy eat breakfast with his feet!” he called out, pointing to them.

else

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

From this reading He didn’t seem able to think of anything else.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading “Look, look, Teddy eat breakfast with his feet!” he called out, pointing to them.

fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading Mother got up though, and put Teddy into the big chair by the fire, kissing him all the while.

flyverbUS /flaɪ/

travel through the air; be airborne

From this reading Mother went out into the hall with the rest of us clinging to her, and down the garden path to the fly.

forknounUS /fɔːrk/

cutlery used for serving and eating food

From this reading He had still got the fork in his toes.

gardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading Mother went out into the hall with the rest of us clinging to her, and down the garden path to the fly.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

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

From this reading Mother got up though, and put Teddy into the big chair by the fire, kissing him all the while.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading He had still got the fork in his toes.

hallnounUS /hɔːl/

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading Mother went out into the hall with the rest of us clinging to her, and down the garden path to the fly.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He had still got the fork in his toes.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Mother went out into the hall with the rest of us clinging to her, and down the garden path to the fly.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Mother got up though, and put Teddy into the big chair by the fire, kissing him all the while.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He had still got the fork in his toes.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He had still got the fork in his toes.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Mother got up though, and put Teddy into the big chair by the fire, kissing him all the while.

kissingnounUS /ˈkɪsɪŋ/

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

From this reading Mother got up though, and put Teddy into the big chair by the fire, kissing him all the while.

LookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading “Look, look, Teddy eat breakfast with his feet!” he called out, pointing to them.

MothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading Mother got up though, and put Teddy into the big chair by the fire, kissing him all the while.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He didn’t seem able to think of anything else.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading “Look, look, Teddy eat breakfast with his feet!” he called out, pointing to them.

pathnounUS /pæθ/

a course of conduct

From this reading Mother went out into the hall with the rest of us clinging to her, and down the garden path to the fly.

pointingverbUS /ˈpɔɪntɪŋ/

-ing form of “point” — indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively

From this reading “Look, look, Teddy eat breakfast with his feet!” he called out, pointing to them.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Mother got up though, and put Teddy into the big chair by the fire, kissing him all the while.

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading Mother went out into the hall with the rest of us clinging to her, and down the garden path to the fly.

seemverbUS /siːm/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading He didn’t seem able to think of anything else.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading He had still got the fork in his toes.

TeddynounUS /ˈtedi/

plaything consisting of a child's toy bear (usually plush and stuffed with soft materials)

From this reading Mother got up though, and put Teddy into the big chair by the fire, kissing him all the while.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Mother got up though, and put Teddy into the big chair by the fire, kissing him all the while.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading “Look, look, Teddy eat breakfast with his feet!” he called out, pointing to them.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading He didn’t seem able to think of anything else.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Mother got up though, and put Teddy into the big chair by the fire, kissing him all the while.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “Look, look, Teddy eat breakfast with his feet!” he called out, pointing to them.

toesnounUS /toʊz/

plural of “toe” — one of the digits of the foot

From this reading He had still got the fork in his toes.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Mother got up though, and put Teddy into the big chair by the fire, kissing him all the while.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Mother went out into the hall with the rest of us clinging to her, and down the garden path to the fly.

wentverbUS /went/

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

From this reading Mother went out into the hall with the rest of us clinging to her, and down the garden path to the fly.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading Mother got up though, and put Teddy into the big chair by the fire, kissing him all the while.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading “Look, look, Teddy eat breakfast with his feet!” he called out, pointing to them.

Chapter 2 of The barbarous babes by Edith Ayrton Zangwill holds 440 sentences, grouped into 88 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 The barbarous babes contain?

Chapter 2 holds 440 sentences of The barbarous babes, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The barbarous babes by Edith Ayrton Zangwill exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 440 sentences, grouped into 88 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 The barbarous babes?

Work through the 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 88 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 The barbarous babes

Common questions about reading The barbarous babes by Edith Ayrton Zangwill on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The barbarous babes?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The barbarous babes is used?

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

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About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The barbarous babes

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

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of The barbarous babes, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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