The Cat

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of The Cat is here in full — 256 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Violet Hunt • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

A WEDDING IN THE HOUSE It was the beginning of the end.

Mr. Fox's sister sent word she wanted to buy a cat, either me or Fred.

Auntie May told us when she came upstairs that evening after Mr. Fox had gone.

(He had stayed two whole hours.) She said:

'I think I shall sell Fred, because only last night he emptied my wastepaper basket, mixed my unanswered letters with the thrown-away ones, and added a paper of tin tacks and a box of boracic-acid powder to the mess.

Narrator

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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.

Chapter XVIII Reading 1/51

The Cat

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of The Cat is here in full — 256 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/51 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

A WEDDING IN THE HOUSE It was the beginning of the end.

/ə ˈwedɪŋ ɪn ðə haʊs ɪt wɑːz ðə bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ ʌv ðə end/

Line 2

Mr. Fox's sister sent word she wanted to buy a cat, either me or Fred.

Line 3

Auntie May told us when she came upstairs that evening after Mr. Fox had gone.

/ˈænti meɪ toʊld ʌs wen ʃiː keɪm əpˈsterz ðæt ˈiːvnɪŋ ˈæftər ˈmɪstər fɑːks hæd ɡɔːn/

Line 4

(He had stayed two whole hours.) She said:

/hiː hæd steɪd tuː hoʊl ˈaʊərz ʃiː sed/

Line 5

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.

Auntie noun US /ˈænti/

the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle

From this reading “Auntie May told us when she came upstairs that evening after Mr. Fox had gone.”

emptied verb US /ˈemptid/

inflected form of “empty” — make void or empty of contents

From this reading “'I think I shall sell Fred, because only last night he emptied my wastepaper basket, mixed my unanswered letters with the thrown-away ones, and added a paper of tin tacks and a box of boracic-acid powder to the mess.”

Fox's noun US /ˈfɑːksəz/

possessive form of “fox” — alert carnivorous mammal with pointed muzzle and ears and a bushy tail; most are predators that do not hunt in packs

From this reading “Mr. Fox's sister sent word she wanted to buy a cat, either me or Fred.”

mess noun US /mes/

a state of confusion and disorderliness

powder noun US /ˈpaʊdər/

a solid substance in the form of tiny loose particles; a solid that has been pulverized

tacks noun US /tæks/

plural of “tack” — the heading or position of a vessel relative to the trim of its sails

tin noun US /tɪn/

a silvery malleable metallic element that resists corrosion; used in many alloys and to coat other metals to prevent corrosion; obtained chiefly from cassiterite where it occurs as tin oxide

unanswered adjective US /ˌʌˈnænsərd/

not returned in kind

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.

last night adjective + noun

In this reading “'I think I shall sell Fred, because only last night he emptied my wastepaper basket, mixed my unanswered letters with the thrown-away ones, and added a paper of tin tacks and a box of boracic-acid powder to the mess.”

sent word noun + noun

In this reading “Mr. Fox's sister sent word she wanted to buy a cat, either me or Fred.”

came upstairs verb + particle counted as “come upstairs”

In this reading “Auntie May told us when she came upstairs that evening after Mr. Fox had gone.”

IN THE HOUSE preposition + article + noun counted as “in … house”

In this reading “A WEDDING IN THE HOUSE It was the beginning of the end.”

All words in this reading · 70

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 A WEDDING IN THE HOUSE It was the beginning of the end.

addedverbUS /ˈædəd/

past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of

From this reading 'I think I shall sell Fred, because only last night he emptied my wastepaper basket, mixed my unanswered letters with the thrown-away ones, and added a paper of tin tacks and a box of boracic-acid powder to the mess.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Auntie May told us when she came upstairs that evening after Mr. Fox had gone.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

AuntienounUS /ˈænti/

the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle

From this reading Auntie May told us when she came upstairs that evening after Mr. Fox had gone.

basketnounUS /ˈbæskət/

a container that is usually woven and has handles

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

beginningnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading A WEDDING IN THE HOUSE It was the beginning of the end.

boracic-acid

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

boxnounUS /bɑːks/

a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid

buyverbUS /baɪ/

obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction

From this reading Mr. Fox's sister sent word she wanted to buy a cat, either me or Fred.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Auntie May told us when she came upstairs that evening after Mr. Fox had gone.

catnounUS /kæt/

feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar: domestic cats; wildcats

From this reading Mr. Fox's sister sent word she wanted to buy a cat, either me or Fred.

eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/

one or the other of two

From this reading Mr. Fox's sister sent word she wanted to buy a cat, either me or Fred.

emptiedverbUS /ˈemptid/

inflected form of “empty” — make void or empty of contents

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading A WEDDING IN THE HOUSE It was the beginning of the end.

eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading Auntie May told us when she came upstairs that evening after Mr. Fox had gone.

FoxnounUS /fɑːks/

alert carnivorous mammal with pointed muzzle and ears and a bushy tail; most are predators that do not hunt in packs

From this reading Auntie May told us when she came upstairs that evening after Mr. Fox had gone.

Fox'snounUS /ˈfɑːksəz/

possessive form of “fox” — alert carnivorous mammal with pointed muzzle and ears and a bushy tail; most are predators that do not hunt in packs

From this reading Mr. Fox's sister sent word she wanted to buy a cat, either me or Fred.

Fred

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

From this reading Mr. Fox's sister sent word she wanted to buy a cat, either me or Fred.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading Auntie May told us when she came upstairs that evening after Mr. Fox had gone.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Auntie May told us when she came upstairs that evening after Mr. Fox had gone.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading (He had stayed two whole hours.) She said:

hoursnounUS /ˈaʊərz/

a period of time assigned for work

From this reading (He had stayed two whole hours.) She said:

HOUSEnounUS /haʊs/

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

From this reading A WEDDING IN THE HOUSE It was the beginning of the end.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A WEDDING IN THE HOUSE It was the beginning of the end.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading A WEDDING IN THE HOUSE It was the beginning of the end.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

lettersnounUS /ˈletərz/

the literary culture

Maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading Auntie May told us when she came upstairs that evening after Mr. Fox had gone.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Mr. Fox's sister sent word she wanted to buy a cat, either me or Fred.

messnounUS /mes/

a state of confusion and disorderliness

mixedadjectiveUS /mɪkst/

consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Mr. Fox's sister sent word she wanted to buy a cat, either me or Fred.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

nightnounUS /naɪt/

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

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A WEDDING IN THE HOUSE It was the beginning of the end.

onesnounUS /wʌnz/

plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Mr. Fox's sister sent word she wanted to buy a cat, either me or Fred.

papernounUS /ˈpeɪpər/

a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

powdernounUS /ˈpaʊdər/

a solid substance in the form of tiny loose particles; a solid that has been pulverized

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading (He had stayed two whole hours.) She said:

sellverbUS /sel/

exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent

sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading Mr. Fox's sister sent word she wanted to buy a cat, either me or Fred.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Mr. Fox's sister sent word she wanted to buy a cat, either me or Fred.

sisternounUS /ˈsɪstər/

a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading Mr. Fox's sister sent word she wanted to buy a cat, either me or Fred.

stayedverbUS /steɪd/

past form of “stay” — stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading (He had stayed two whole hours.) She said:

tacksnounUS /tæks/

plural of “tack” — the heading or position of a vessel relative to the trim of its sails

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Auntie May told us when she came upstairs that evening after Mr. Fox had gone.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A WEDDING IN THE HOUSE It was the beginning of the end.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

thrown-awayadjective

thrown away

tinnounUS /tɪn/

a silvery malleable metallic element that resists corrosion; used in many alloys and to coat other metals to prevent corrosion; obtained chiefly from cassiterite where it occurs as tin oxide

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Mr. Fox's sister sent word she wanted to buy a cat, either me or Fred.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading Auntie May told us when she came upstairs that evening after Mr. Fox had gone.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading (He had stayed two whole hours.) She said:

unansweredadjectiveUS /ˌʌˈnænsərd/

not returned in kind

upstairsadverbUS /əpˈsterz/

on a floor above

From this reading Auntie May told us when she came upstairs that evening after Mr. Fox had gone.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

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

From this reading Auntie May told us when she came upstairs that evening after Mr. Fox had gone.

wantedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːntɪd/

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading Mr. Fox's sister sent word she wanted to buy a cat, either me or Fred.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading A WEDDING IN THE HOUSE It was the beginning of the end.

wastepaper

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

WEDDINGnounUS /ˈwedɪŋ/

the social event at which the ceremony of marriage is performed

From this reading A WEDDING IN THE HOUSE It was the beginning of the end.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Auntie May told us when she came upstairs that evening after Mr. Fox had gone.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading (He had stayed two whole hours.) She said:

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading Mr. Fox's sister sent word she wanted to buy a cat, either me or Fred.

Chapter 18 of The Cat by Violet Hunt holds 256 sentences, grouped into 52 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 18 of The Cat contain?

Chapter 18 holds 256 sentences of The Cat, unabridged, divided into 52 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of The Cat by Violet Hunt exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 256 sentences, grouped into 52 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 18 of The Cat?

Work through the 52 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 52 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 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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.

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Chapter XVIII

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