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The Burgess Animal Book for Children
The Burgess Animal Book for Children

Chapter XXVII · Chapter 27

Chapter 27 of The Burgess Animal Book for Children is here in full — 81 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Context Illustration Reading 1/16 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.
No one answered.
Well, well, well!” exclaimed Old Mother Nature, I am surprised.
I am very much surprised.
I supposed that all of you knew that Old Man Coyote is a member of the Wolf branch of the family.”
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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 Burgess Animal Book for Children

Chapter XXVII · Chapter 27

Chapter 27 of The Burgess Animal Book for Children is here in full — 81 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/16 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.
Line 2
No one answered.
/noʊ wʌn ˈænsərd/
Line 3
Well, well, well!” exclaimed Old Mother Nature, “I am surprised.
/wel wel wel ɪkˈskleɪmd oʊld ˈmʌðər ˈneɪtʃər aɪ æm sərˈpraɪzd/
Line 4
I am very much surprised.
/aɪ æm ˈveri mʌtʃ sərˈpraɪzd/
Line 5
I supposed that all of you knew that Old Man Coyote is a member of the Wolf branch of the family.”
/aɪ səˈpoʊzd ðæt ɔːl ʌv juː nuː ðæt oʊld mæn kaɪˈoʊti ɪz ə ˈmembər ʌv ðə wʊlf bræntʃ ʌv ðə ˈfæməli/

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.

belongs verb US /bɪˈlɔːŋz/

third-person singular of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of

From this reading ““Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.”

branch noun US /bræntʃ/

a division of some larger or more complex organization

From this reading ““Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.”

circle noun US /ˈsɜːrkəl/

ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point

From this reading ““Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.”

Coyote noun US /kaɪˈoʊti/

small wolf native to western North America

From this reading ““Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.”

folks noun US /foʊks/

your parents

From this reading ““Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.”

gathered adjective US /ˈɡæðərd/

brought together in one place

From this reading ““Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.”

member noun US /ˈmembər/

one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)

From this reading “I supposed that all of you knew that Old Man Coyote is a member of the Wolf branch of the family.””

Wolf noun US /wʊlf/

any of various predatory carnivorous canine mammals of North America and Eurasia that usually hunt in packs

From this reading “I supposed that all of you knew that Old Man Coyote is a member of the Wolf branch of the family.””

All words in this reading · 45

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 I supposed that all of you knew that Old Man Coyote is a member of the Wolf branch of the family.”

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 “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading “Well, well, well!” exclaimed Old Mother Nature, “I am surprised.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading No one answered.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

belongsverbUS /bɪˈlɔːŋz/

third-person singular of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

branchnounUS /bræntʃ/

a division of some larger or more complex organization

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

circlenounUS /ˈsɜːrkəl/

ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

CoyotenounUS /kaɪˈoʊti/

small wolf native to western North America

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

DognounUS /dɔːɡ/

a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

exclaimedverbUS /ɪkˈskleɪmd/

past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

From this reading “Well, well, well!” exclaimed Old Mother Nature, “I am surprised.

expectantlyadverb

in an expectant manner

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

familynounUS /ˈfæməli/

a social unit living together

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

folksnounUS /foʊks/

your parents

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

gatheredadjectiveUS /ˈɡæðərd/

brought together in one place

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “Well, well, well!” exclaimed Old Mother Nature, “I am surprised.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading I supposed that all of you knew that Old Man Coyote is a member of the Wolf branch of the family.”

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading I supposed that all of you knew that Old Man Coyote is a member of the Wolf branch of the family.”

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

MannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

membernounUS /ˈmembər/

one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)

From this reading I supposed that all of you knew that Old Man Coyote is a member of the Wolf branch of the family.”

MothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

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

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading I am very much surprised.

NaturenounUS /ˈneɪtʃər/

the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading No one answered.

OfprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

OldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

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

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading No one answered.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

supposedadjectiveUS /səˈpoʊzd/

required or under orders

From this reading I supposed that all of you knew that Old Man Coyote is a member of the Wolf branch of the family.”

surprisedadjectiveUS /sərˈpraɪzd/

taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment

From this reading “Well, well, well!” exclaimed Old Mother Nature, “I am surprised.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I supposed that all of you knew that Old Man Coyote is a member of the Wolf branch of the family.”

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading I am very much surprised.

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”)

From this reading “Well, well, well!” exclaimed Old Mother Nature, “I am surprised.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

WolfnounUS /wʊlf/

any of various predatory carnivorous canine mammals of North America and Eurasia that usually hunt in packs

From this reading I supposed that all of you knew that Old Man Coyote is a member of the Wolf branch of the family.”

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Of course, you all know to what branch of the Dog family Old Man Coyote belongs,” said Old Mother Nature, and looked expectantly at the circle of little folks gathered around her.

Chapter 27 of The Burgess Animal Book for Children by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess holds 81 sentences, grouped into 17 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 27 of The Burgess Animal Book for Children contain?

Chapter 27 holds 81 sentences of The Burgess Animal Book for Children, unabridged, divided into 17 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 27 of The Burgess Animal Book for Children by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 81 sentences, grouped into 17 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 27 of The Burgess Animal Book for Children?

Work through the 17 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 17 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 27 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 27 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 Burgess Animal Book for Children

Common questions about reading The Burgess Animal Book for Children by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Burgess Animal Book for Children?

Yes. All 5021 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2441 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Burgess Animal Book for Children is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2441, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Burgess Animal Book for Children take to read?

About 418 minutes of reading across 1005 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Burgess Animal Book for Children section by section

How to work through The Burgess Animal Book for Children section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Burgess Animal Book for Children to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in The Burgess Animal Book for Children

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Burgess Animal Book for Children, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

You're
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Burgess Animal Book for Children; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Alive
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Burgess Animal Book for Children; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Peter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Burgess Animal Book for Children; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Rabbit
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Burgess Animal Book for Children; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.