Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Circus Boys in Dixie Land
The Circus Boys in Dixie Land

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of The Circus Boys in Dixie Land is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Circus Boys in Dixie Land
Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
MONKEYS IN THE AIR As the result of that victory, the Sparling shows did a great business in Corinto.
The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.
Phil found his money that day when he removed his ring shirt.
The string that had fastened his money bag about his neck had parted, letting the bag drop.
This money he handed to Mr. Sparling as rightfully belonging to him.
0:00 / 0:00
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.

The Circus Boys in Dixie Land

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of The Circus Boys in Dixie Land is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
MONKEYS IN THE AIR As the result of that victory, the Sparling shows did a great business in Corinto.
Line 2
The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.
Line 3
Phil found his money that day when he removed his ring shirt.
Line 4
The string that had fastened his money bag about his neck had parted, letting the bag drop.
/ðə strɪŋ ðæt hæd ˈfæsənd hɪz ˈmʌni bæɡ əˈbaʊt hɪz nek hæd ˈpɑːrtɪd ˈletɪŋ ðə bæɡ drɑːp/
Line 5
This money he handed to Mr. Sparling as rightfully belonging to him.
/ðɪs ˈmʌni hiː ˈhændəd tuː ˈmɪstər ˈspɑːrlɪŋ æz ˈraɪtfəli bɪˈlɔːŋɪŋ tuː hɪm/

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.

heaped verb US /hiːpt/

past form of “heap” — bestow in large quantities

From this reading “The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.”

indignities noun US /ˌɪnˈdɪɡnətiz/

plural of “indignity” — an affront to one's dignity or self-esteem

From this reading “The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.”

monkeys noun US /ˈmʌŋkiz/

plural of “monkey” — any of various long-tailed primates (excluding the prosimians)

From this reading “MONKEYS IN THE AIR As the result of that victory, the Sparling shows did a great business in Corinto.”

punished adjective US /ˈpʌnɪʃt/

subjected to a penalty (as pain or shame or restraint or loss) for an offense or fault or in order to coerce some behavior (as a confession or obedience)

From this reading “The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.”

restrain verb US /riˈstreɪn/

to close within bounds, or otherwise limit or deprive of free movement

From this reading “The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.”

rightfully adverb US /ˈraɪtfəli/

by right

From this reading “This money he handed to Mr. Sparling as rightfully belonging to him.”

Sparling noun US /ˈspɑːrlɪŋ/

common smelt of Europe

From this reading “MONKEYS IN THE AIR As the result of that victory, the Sparling shows did a great business in Corinto.”

Sully verb US /ˈsʌli/

place under suspicion or cast doubt upon

From this reading “The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.”

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 MONKEYS IN THE AIR As the result of that victory, the Sparling shows did a great business in Corinto.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading The string that had fastened his money bag about his neck had parted, letting the bag drop.

AIRnounUS /er/

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading MONKEYS IN THE AIR As the result of that victory, the Sparling shows did a great business in Corinto.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading MONKEYS IN THE AIR As the result of that victory, the Sparling shows did a great business in Corinto.

bagnounUS /bæɡ/

a flexible container with a single opening

From this reading The string that had fastened his money bag about his neck had parted, letting the bag drop.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

belongingnounUS /bɪˈlɔːŋɪŋ/

happiness felt in a secure relationship

From this reading This money he handed to Mr. Sparling as rightfully belonging to him.

broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading MONKEYS IN THE AIR As the result of that victory, the Sparling shows did a great business in Corinto.

consideringverbUS /kənˈsɪdərɪŋ/

-ing form of “consider” — deem to be

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

Corinto

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

From this reading MONKEYS IN THE AIR As the result of that victory, the Sparling shows did a great business in Corinto.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Phil found his money that day when he removed his ring shirt.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading MONKEYS IN THE AIR As the result of that victory, the Sparling shows did a great business in Corinto.

dropverbUS /drɑːp/

let fall to the ground

From this reading The string that had fastened his money bag about his neck had parted, letting the bag drop.

effortnounUS /ˈefərt/

earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

fastenedadjectiveUS /ˈfæsənd/

firmly closed or secured

From this reading The string that had fastened his money bag about his neck had parted, letting the bag drop.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

Forrest

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

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading Phil found his money that day when he removed his ring shirt.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

furtheradverbUS /ˈfɜːrðər/

to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading MONKEYS IN THE AIR As the result of that victory, the Sparling shows did a great business in Corinto.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

handedadjectiveUS /ˈhændəd/

having or involving the use of hands

From this reading This money he handed to Mr. Sparling as rightfully belonging to him.

hardlyadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdli/

only a very short time before

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

heapedverbUS /hiːpt/

past form of “heap” — bestow in large quantities

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading MONKEYS IN THE AIR As the result of that victory, the Sparling shows did a great business in Corinto.

indignitiesnounUS /ˌɪnˈdɪɡnətiz/

plural of “indignity” — an affront to one's dignity or self-esteem

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

justicenounUS /ˈdʒʌstəs/

the quality of being just or fair

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

lettingnounUS /ˈletɪŋ/

property that is leased or rented out or let

From this reading The string that had fastened his money bag about his neck had parted, letting the bag drop.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

makingnounUS /ˈmeɪkɪŋ/

the act that results in something coming to be

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

moneynounUS /ˈmʌni/

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading Phil found his money that day when he removed his ring shirt.

MONKEYSnounUS /ˈmʌŋkiz/

plural of “monkey” — any of various long-tailed primates (excluding the prosimians)

From this reading MONKEYS IN THE AIR As the result of that victory, the Sparling shows did a great business in Corinto.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading This money he handed to Mr. Sparling as rightfully belonging to him.

necknounUS /nek/

the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body

From this reading The string that had fastened his money bag about his neck had parted, letting the bag drop.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading MONKEYS IN THE AIR As the result of that victory, the Sparling shows did a great business in Corinto.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

ownernounUS /ˈoʊnər/

(law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

partedadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːrtɪd/

having a margin incised almost to the base so as to create distinct divisions or lobes

From this reading The string that had fastened his money bag about his neck had parted, letting the bag drop.

Phil

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

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

punishedadjectiveUS /ˈpʌnɪʃt/

subjected to a penalty (as pain or shame or restraint or loss) for an offense or fault or in order to coerce some behavior (as a confession or obedience)

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

removedadjectiveUS /riˈmuːvd/

separated in relationship by a given degree of descent

From this reading Phil found his money that day when he removed his ring shirt.

restrainverbUS /riˈstreɪn/

to close within bounds, or otherwise limit or deprive of free movement

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

resultnounUS /rɪˈzʌlt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading MONKEYS IN THE AIR As the result of that victory, the Sparling shows did a great business in Corinto.

rightfullyadverbUS /ˈraɪtfəli/

by right

From this reading This money he handed to Mr. Sparling as rightfully belonging to him.

ringverbUS /rɪŋ/

sound loudly and sonorously

From this reading Phil found his money that day when he removed his ring shirt.

rivalverbUS /ˈraɪvəl/

be equal to in quality or ability

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

severelyadverbUS /səˈvɪrli/

to a severe or serious degree

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

shirtnounUS /ʃɜːrt/

a garment worn on the upper half of the body

From this reading Phil found his money that day when he removed his ring shirt.

showsnounUS /ʃoʊz/

plural of “show” — the act of publicly exhibiting or entertaining

From this reading MONKEYS IN THE AIR As the result of that victory, the Sparling shows did a great business in Corinto.

SparlingnounUS /ˈspɑːrlɪŋ/

common smelt of Europe

From this reading MONKEYS IN THE AIR As the result of that victory, the Sparling shows did a great business in Corinto.

stringnounUS /strɪŋ/

a lightweight cord

From this reading The string that had fastened his money bag about his neck had parted, letting the bag drop.

sufferverbUS /ˈsʌfər/

undergo or be subjected to

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

SullyverbUS /ˈsʌli/

place under suspicion or cast doubt upon

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading MONKEYS IN THE AIR As the result of that victory, the Sparling shows did a great business in Corinto.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading MONKEYS IN THE AIR As the result of that victory, the Sparling shows did a great business in Corinto.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This money he handed to Mr. Sparling as rightfully belonging to him.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

victorynounUS /ˈvɪktəri/

a successful ending of a struggle or contest

From this reading MONKEYS IN THE AIR As the result of that victory, the Sparling shows did a great business in Corinto.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Phil found his money that day when he removed his ring shirt.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading The owner, considering that his rival had been severely enough punished, made no further effort to have him brought to justice, though Phil could hardly restrain him from making Sully suffer for the indignities he had heaped on young Forrest.

Chapter 17 of The Circus Boys in Dixie Land by Edgar B. P. Darlington holds 132 sentences, grouped into 27 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 17 of The Circus Boys in Dixie Land contain?

Chapter 17 holds 132 sentences of The Circus Boys in Dixie Land, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of The Circus Boys in Dixie Land by Edgar B. P. Darlington exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 132 sentences, grouped into 27 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 17 of The Circus Boys in Dixie Land?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 Circus Boys in Dixie Land

Common questions about reading The Circus Boys in Dixie Land by Edgar B. P. Darlington on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Circus Boys in Dixie Land?

Yes. All 3735 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2476 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Circus Boys in Dixie Land is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2476, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Circus Boys in Dixie Land take to read?

About 311 minutes of reading across 747 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Circus Boys in Dixie Land section by section

How to work through The Circus Boys in Dixie Land section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Circus Boys in Dixie Land 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 Circus Boys in Dixie Land

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Circus Boys in Dixie Land, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Reckon
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Circus Boys in Dixie Land; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fellows
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Circus Boys in Dixie Land; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tomorrow
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Circus Boys in Dixie Land; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Night
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Circus Boys in Dixie Land; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.