Chapter 4 of The Brownies and Other Tales is here in full — 459 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Brownies and Other Tales is here in full — 459 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"'That you are not, Miss,' snapped the Dowager; 'I was in the family for fifty years.' "'In the family. Yes, ma'am; but you were never her doll in particular. I was her very own, and she kept me longer than any other plaything. My judgment must be first.'
Chapter 4 of The Brownies and Other Tales is here in full — 459 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/91 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
a small replica of a person; used as a toy
From this reading “Yes, ma'am; but you were never her doll in particular.”
a widow holding property received from her deceased husband
From this reading “"'That you are not, Miss,' snapped the Dowager; 'I was in the family for fifty years.'”
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
From this reading “"'That you are not, Miss,' snapped the Dowager; 'I was in the family for fifty years.'”
an opinion formed by judging something
From this reading “My judgment must be first.'”
a woman of refinement
From this reading “Yes, ma'am; but you were never her doll in particular.”
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading “Yes, ma'am; but you were never her doll in particular.”
an artifact designed to be played with
From this reading “I was her very own, and she kept me longer than any other plaything.”
inflected form of “snap” — utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading “"'That you are not, Miss,' snapped the Dowager; 'I was in the family for fifty years.'”
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.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I was her very own, and she kept me longer than any other plaything.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading I was her very own, and she kept me longer than any other plaything.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "'That you are not, Miss,' snapped the Dowager; 'I was in the family for fifty years.'
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading My judgment must be first.'
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Yes, ma'am; but you were never her doll in particular.
a small replica of a person; used as a toy
From this reading Yes, ma'am; but you were never her doll in particular.
a widow holding property received from her deceased husband
From this reading "'That you are not, Miss,' snapped the Dowager; 'I was in the family for fifty years.'
a social unit living together
From this reading "'That you are not, Miss,' snapped the Dowager; 'I was in the family for fifty years.'
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
From this reading "'That you are not, Miss,' snapped the Dowager; 'I was in the family for fifty years.'
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading My judgment must be first.'
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "'That you are not, Miss,' snapped the Dowager; 'I was in the family for fifty years.'
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Yes, ma'am; but you were never her doll in particular.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "'That you are not, Miss,' snapped the Dowager; 'I was in the family for fifty years.'
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "'That you are not, Miss,' snapped the Dowager; 'I was in the family for fifty years.'
an opinion formed by judging something
From this reading My judgment must be first.'
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading I was her very own, and she kept me longer than any other plaything.
for more time
From this reading I was her very own, and she kept me longer than any other plaything.
a woman of refinement
From this reading Yes, ma'am; but you were never her doll in particular.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I was her very own, and she kept me longer than any other plaything.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading "'That you are not, Miss,' snapped the Dowager; 'I was in the family for fifty years.'
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading My judgment must be first.'
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading My judgment must be first.'
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Yes, ma'am; but you were never her doll in particular.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "'That you are not, Miss,' snapped the Dowager; 'I was in the family for fifty years.'
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading I was her very own, and she kept me longer than any other plaything.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading I was her very own, and she kept me longer than any other plaything.
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading Yes, ma'am; but you were never her doll in particular.
an artifact designed to be played with
From this reading I was her very own, and she kept me longer than any other plaything.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I was her very own, and she kept me longer than any other plaything.
inflected form of “snap” — utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading "'That you are not, Miss,' snapped the Dowager; 'I was in the family for fifty years.'
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading I was her very own, and she kept me longer than any other plaything.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "'That you are not, Miss,' snapped the Dowager; 'I was in the family for fifty years.'
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "'That you are not, Miss,' snapped the Dowager; 'I was in the family for fifty years.'
precisely as stated
From this reading I was her very own, and she kept me longer than any other plaything.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "'That you are not, Miss,' snapped the Dowager; 'I was in the family for fifty years.'
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Yes, ma'am; but you were never her doll in particular.
a late time of life
From this reading "'That you are not, Miss,' snapped the Dowager; 'I was in the family for fifty years.'
an affirmative
From this reading Yes, ma'am; but you were never her doll in particular.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "'That you are not, Miss,' snapped the Dowager; 'I was in the family for fifty years.'
Chapter 4 of The Brownies and Other Tales by Juliana Horatia Ewing holds 459 sentences, grouped into 92 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.
Chapter 4 holds 459 sentences of The Brownies and Other Tales, unabridged, divided into 92 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Brownies and Other Tales by Juliana Horatia Ewing exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 459 sentences, grouped into 92 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.
Work through the 92 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 92 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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.
Common questions about reading The Brownies and Other Tales by Juliana Horatia Ewing on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2721 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #16052 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #16052, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 226 minutes of reading across 545 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Brownies and Other Tales section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of The Brownies and Other Tales to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Brownies and Other Tales, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
