The Bird in the Box

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of The Bird in the Box is here in full — 137 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Mary M. (Mary Martha) Mears • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Bird in the Box

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

But Rachel, leading a large white cow by a rope, had elected to go round by "the barn."

"Come along, Betty," she cried, as she turned into the main road dragging the surprised animal after her.

A dense fog obscured every landmark.

Looking backward, she could just discern the placid light of the cow's eyes below the sickle of its horns; looking downward, she could make out her own feet and the stalks of grass and flowers beside the road.

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 VI Reading 1/27

The Bird in the Box Mary M. (Mary Martha) Mears

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of The Bird in the Box is here in full — 137 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay. But Rachel, leading a large white cow by a rope, had elected to go round by "the barn." "Come along, Betty," she cried, as she turned into the main road dragging the surprised animal after her. A dense fog obscured every landmark. Looking backward, she could just discern the placid light of the cow's eyes below the sickle of its horns; looking downward, she could make out her own feet and the stalks of grass and flowers beside the road.

The Bird in the Box

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of The Bird in the Box is here in full — 137 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

Line 2

But Rachel, leading a large white cow by a rope, had elected to go round by "the barn."

/bʌt ˈreɪtʃəl ˈliːdɪŋ ə lɑːrdʒ waɪt kaʊ baɪ ə roʊp hæd ɪˈlektəd tuː ɡoʊ raʊnd baɪ ðə bɑːrn/

Line 3

"Come along, Betty," she cried, as she turned into the main road dragging the surprised animal after her.

Line 4

A dense fog obscured every landmark.

/ə dens fɑːɡ əbsˈkjʊrd ˈevəri ˈlændmɑːrk/

Line 5

/ˈlʊkɪŋ ˈbækwərd ʃiː kʊd dʒʌst dɪˈsɜːrn ðə ˈplæsəd laɪt ʌv ðə kaʊz aɪz bɪˈloʊ ðə ˈsɪkəl ʌv ɪts hɔːrnz ˈlʊkɪŋ ˈdaʊnwərd ʃiː kʊd meɪk aʊt hɜːr oʊn fiːt ənd ðə stɔːks ʌv ɡræs ənd ˈflaʊərz bɪˈsaɪd ðə roʊd/

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.

admirer noun US /ædˈmaɪrər/

a person who backs a politician or a team etc.

From this reading “THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.”

cow's noun US /kaʊz/

possessive form of “cow” — female of domestic cattle: "“moo-cow” is a child's term"

From this reading “Looking backward, she could just discern the placid light of the cow's eyes below the sickle of its horns; looking downward, she could make out her own feet and the stalks of grass and flowers beside the road.”

discern verb US /dɪˈsɜːrn/

detect with the senses

gains noun US /ɡeɪnz/

plural of “gain” — a quantity that is added

From this reading “THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.”

landmark noun US /ˈlændmɑːrk/

the position of a prominent or well-known object in a particular landscape

From this reading “A dense fog obscured every landmark.”

obscured verb US /əbsˈkjʊrd/

past form of “obscure” — make less visible or unclear

From this reading “A dense fog obscured every landmark.”

sickle noun US /ˈsɪkəl/

an edge tool for cutting grass or crops; has a curved blade and a short handle

stalks noun US /stɔːks/

plural of “stalk” — material consisting of seed coverings and small pieces of stem or leaves that have been separated from the seeds

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.

dense fog adjective + noun

In this reading “A dense fog obscured every landmark.”

short distance adjective + noun

In this reading “THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.”

main road adjective + noun

a major road for any form of motor transport

In this reading “"Come along, Betty," she cried, as she turned into the main road dragging the surprised animal after her.”

comparatively short adverb + adjective

In this reading “THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.”

Come along verb + particle

come into being or existence, or appear on the scene

In this reading “"Come along, Betty," she cried, as she turned into the main road dragging the surprised animal after her.”

beside the road preposition + article + noun counted as “beside … road”

In this reading “Looking backward, she could just discern the placid light of the cow's eyes below the sickle of its horns; looking downward, she could make out her own feet and the stalks of grass and flowers beside the road.”

white cow noun + noun

In this reading “But Rachel, leading a large white cow by a rope, had elected to go round by "the barn."”

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

In this reading “THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.”

All words in this reading · 80

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 THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

ADMIRERnounUS /ædˈmaɪrər/

a person who backs a politician or a team etc.

From this reading THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading "Come along, Betty," she cried, as she turned into the main road dragging the surprised animal after her.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading "Come along, Betty," she cried, as she turned into the main road dragging the surprised animal after her.

ANdeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Looking backward, she could just discern the placid light of the cow's eyes below the sickle of its horns; looking downward, she could make out her own feet and the stalks of grass and flowers beside the road.

animalnounUS /ˈænəməl/

a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading "Come along, Betty," she cried, as she turned into the main road dragging the surprised animal after her.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading "Come along, Betty," she cried, as she turned into the main road dragging the surprised animal after her.

backwardadverbUS /ˈbækwərd/

at or to or toward the back or rear

barnnounUS /bɑːrn/

an outlying farm building for storing grain or animal feed and housing farm animals

From this reading But Rachel, leading a large white cow by a rope, had elected to go round by "the barn."

baynounUS /beɪ/

an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf

From this reading THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/

next to; at the side of

Betty

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

From this reading "Come along, Betty," she cried, as she turned into the main road dragging the surprised animal after her.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But Rachel, leading a large white cow by a rope, had elected to go round by "the barn."

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading But Rachel, leading a large white cow by a rope, had elected to go round by "the barn."

ComeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading "Come along, Betty," she cried, as she turned into the main road dragging the surprised animal after her.

comparativelyadverbUS /kəmˈperətɪvli/

in a relative manner; by comparison to something else

From this reading THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

cownounUS /kaʊ/

female of domestic cattle: "“moo-cow” is a child's term"

From this reading But Rachel, leading a large white cow by a rope, had elected to go round by "the barn."

cow'snounUS /kaʊz/

possessive form of “cow” — female of domestic cattle: "“moo-cow” is a child's term"

cowsnounUS /kaʊz/

domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age

From this reading THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

criedverbUS /kraɪd/

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading "Come along, Betty," she cried, as she turned into the main road dragging the surprised animal after her.

DavidnounUS /ˈdeɪvɪd/

patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)

From this reading THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

denseadjectiveUS /dens/

permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter

From this reading A dense fog obscured every landmark.

directionnounUS /dərˈekʃən/

a line leading to a place or point

From this reading THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

discernverbUS /dɪˈsɜːrn/

detect with the senses

distancenounUS /ˈdɪstəns/

the property created by the space between two objects or points

From this reading THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

downwardadjectiveUS /ˈdaʊnwərd/

extending or moving from a higher to a lower place

draggingadjectiveUS /ˈdræɡɪŋ/

marked by a painfully slow and effortful manner

From this reading "Come along, Betty," she cried, as she turned into the main road dragging the surprised animal after her.

electedadjectiveUS /ɪˈlektəd/

subject to popular election

From this reading But Rachel, leading a large white cow by a rope, had elected to go round by "the barn."

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading A dense fog obscured every landmark.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

feetnounUS /fiːt/

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

fieldnounUS /fiːld/

a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed

From this reading THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

FIGURE-HEAD

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

From this reading THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

flowersnounUS /ˈflaʊərz/

plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms

fognounUS /fɑːɡ/

droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground

From this reading A dense fog obscured every landmark.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

GAINSnounUS /ɡeɪnz/

plural of “gain” — a quantity that is added

From this reading THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

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

From this reading But Rachel, leading a large white cow by a rope, had elected to go round by "the barn."

grassverbUS /ɡræs/

shoot down, of birds

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading But Rachel, leading a large white cow by a rope, had elected to go round by "the barn."

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading "Come along, Betty," she cried, as she turned into the main road dragging the surprised animal after her.

hornsnounUS /hɔːrnz/

plural of “horn” — a noisemaker (as at parties or games) that makes a loud noise when you blow through it

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading "Come along, Betty," she cried, as she turned into the main road dragging the surprised animal after her.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

landmarknounUS /ˈlændmɑːrk/

the position of a prominent or well-known object in a particular landscape

From this reading A dense fog obscured every landmark.

largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

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

From this reading But Rachel, leading a large white cow by a rope, had elected to go round by "the barn."

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

leadingadjectiveUS /ˈliːdɪŋ/

indicating the most important performer or role

From this reading But Rachel, leading a large white cow by a rope, had elected to go round by "the barn."

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

LookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

mainadjectiveUS /meɪn/

most important element

From this reading "Come along, Betty," she cried, as she turned into the main road dragging the surprised animal after her.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

obscuredverbUS /əbsˈkjʊrd/

past form of “obscure” — make less visible or unclear

From this reading A dense fog obscured every landmark.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

pasturenounUS /ˈpæstʃər/

a field covered with grass or herbage and suitable for grazing by livestock

From this reading THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

placidadjectiveUS /ˈplæsəd/

(of a body of water) free from disturbance by heavy waves

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

RachelnounUS /ˈreɪtʃəl/

(Old Testament) the second wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin

From this reading But Rachel, leading a large white cow by a rope, had elected to go round by "the barn."

roadnounUS /roʊd/

an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation

From this reading "Come along, Betty," she cried, as she turned into the main road dragging the surprised animal after her.

ropenounUS /roʊp/

a strong line

From this reading But Rachel, leading a large white cow by a rope, had elected to go round by "the barn."

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading But Rachel, leading a large white cow by a rope, had elected to go round by "the barn."

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "Come along, Betty," she cried, as she turned into the main road dragging the surprised animal after her.

shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

sicklenounUS /ˈsɪkəl/

an edge tool for cutting grass or crops; has a curved blade and a short handle

stalksnounUS /stɔːks/

plural of “stalk” — material consisting of seed coverings and small pieces of stem or leaves that have been separated from the seeds

surprisedadjectiveUS /sərˈpraɪzd/

taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment

From this reading "Come along, Betty," she cried, as she turned into the main road dragging the surprised animal after her.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading "Come along, Betty," she cried, as she turned into the main road dragging the surprised animal after her.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading THE FIGURE-HEAD GAINS AN ADMIRER The field where old David put the cows to pasture lay a comparatively short distance from the house, in the direction of the bay.

whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading But Rachel, leading a large white cow by a rope, had elected to go round by "the barn."

Chapter 6 of The Bird in the Box by Mary M. (Mary Martha) Mears holds 137 sentences, grouped into 28 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 6 of The Bird in the Box contain?

Chapter 6 holds 137 sentences of The Bird in the Box, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 6 of The Bird in the Box by Mary M. (Mary Martha) Mears exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 137 sentences, grouped into 28 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 6 of The Bird in the Box?

Work through the 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 28 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 6 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 6 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 Bird in the Box

Common questions about reading The Bird in the Box by Mary M. (Mary Martha) Mears on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Bird in the Box?

Yes. All 5304 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55816 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Bird in the Box is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #55816, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Bird in the Box take to read?

About 442 minutes of reading across 1061 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Bird in the Box section by section

How to work through The Bird in the Box section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 35 chapters of The Bird in the Box to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Bird in the Box

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Bird in the Box, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Bird in the Box; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Breath: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Bird in the Box; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Runners: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Bird in the Box; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Birth: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Bird in the Box; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter VI

What does chapter 6 of The Bird in the Box contain?

How do I study chapter 6 of The Bird in the Box?

Can chapter 6 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading The Bird in the Box

How to read The Bird in the Box section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in The Bird in the Box