Chapter 2 of The Circus Boys on the Plains is here in full — 12 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Circus Boys on the Plains is here in full — 12 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Blue jeans replace pink tights. When it rained paste. "I didn't know you had your nose stuck in the paste pot when I turned on the steam." Teddy sets himself the task of reforming a "crazy man." The trouble maker is named "Spotted Horse."
Chapter 2 of The Circus Boys on the Plains is here in full — 12 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/2 · 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.
(used in the plural) close-fitting trousers of heavy denim for manual work or casual wear
From this reading “Blue jeans replace pink tights.”
a person who makes things
From this reading “The trouble maker is named "Spotted Horse."”
any mixture of a soft and malleable consistency
From this reading “When it rained paste.”
past form of “rain” — precipitate as rain
From this reading “When it rained paste.”
-ing form of “reform” — make changes for improvement in order to remove abuse and injustices
From this reading “Teddy sets himself the task of reforming a "crazy man."”
substitute a person or thing for (another that is broken or inefficient or lost or no longer working or yielding what is expected)
From this reading “Blue jeans replace pink tights.”
having spots or patches (small areas of contrasting color or texture)
From this reading “The trouble maker is named "Spotted Horse."”
skintight knit hose covering the body from the waist to the feet worn by acrobats and dancers and as stockings by women and girls
From this reading “Blue jeans replace pink tights.”
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Teddy sets himself the task of reforming a "crazy man."
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading Blue jeans replace pink tights.
affected with madness or insanity
From this reading Teddy sets himself the task of reforming a "crazy man."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I didn't know you had your nose stuck in the paste pot when I turned on the steam."
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "I didn't know you had your nose stuck in the paste pot when I turned on the steam."
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Teddy sets himself the task of reforming a "crazy man."
solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading The trouble maker is named "Spotted Horse."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I didn't know you had your nose stuck in the paste pot when I turned on the steam."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "I didn't know you had your nose stuck in the paste pot when I turned on the steam."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The trouble maker is named "Spotted Horse."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading When it rained paste.
(used in the plural) close-fitting trousers of heavy denim for manual work or casual wear
From this reading Blue jeans replace pink tights.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "I didn't know you had your nose stuck in the paste pot when I turned on the steam."
a person who makes things
From this reading The trouble maker is named "Spotted Horse."
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Teddy sets himself the task of reforming a "crazy man."
past form of “name” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading The trouble maker is named "Spotted Horse."
the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
From this reading "I didn't know you had your nose stuck in the paste pot when I turned on the steam."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Teddy sets himself the task of reforming a "crazy man."
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "I didn't know you had your nose stuck in the paste pot when I turned on the steam."
any mixture of a soft and malleable consistency
From this reading When it rained paste.
a light shade of red
From this reading Blue jeans replace pink tights.
metal or earthenware cooking vessel that is usually round and deep; often has a handle and lid
From this reading "I didn't know you had your nose stuck in the paste pot when I turned on the steam."
past form of “rain” — precipitate as rain
From this reading When it rained paste.
-ing form of “reform” — make changes for improvement in order to remove abuse and injustices
From this reading Teddy sets himself the task of reforming a "crazy man."
substitute a person or thing for (another that is broken or inefficient or lost or no longer working or yielding what is expected)
From this reading Blue jeans replace pink tights.
plural of “set” — a group of things of the same kind that belong together and are so used
From this reading Teddy sets himself the task of reforming a "crazy man."
having spots or patches (small areas of contrasting color or texture)
From this reading The trouble maker is named "Spotted Horse."
travel by means of steam power
From this reading "I didn't know you had your nose stuck in the paste pot when I turned on the steam."
caught or fixed
From this reading "I didn't know you had your nose stuck in the paste pot when I turned on the steam."
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading Teddy sets himself the task of reforming a "crazy man."
plaything consisting of a child's toy bear (usually plush and stuffed with soft materials)
From this reading Teddy sets himself the task of reforming a "crazy man."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "I didn't know you had your nose stuck in the paste pot when I turned on the steam."
skintight knit hose covering the body from the waist to the feet worn by acrobats and dancers and as stockings by women and girls
From this reading Blue jeans replace pink tights.
a source of difficulty
From this reading The trouble maker is named "Spotted Horse."
moved around an axis or center
From this reading "I didn't know you had your nose stuck in the paste pot when I turned on the steam."
at the time that
From this reading When it rained paste.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I didn't know you had your nose stuck in the paste pot when I turned on the steam."
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I didn't know you had your nose stuck in the paste pot when I turned on the steam."
Chapter 2 of The Circus Boys on the Plains by Edgar B. P. Darlington holds 12 sentences, grouped into 3 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.
Chapter 2 holds 12 sentences of The Circus Boys on the Plains, unabridged, divided into 3 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Circus Boys on the Plains by Edgar B. P. Darlington exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 12 sentences, grouped into 3 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 3 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 3 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 2 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 Circus Boys on the Plains by Edgar B. P. Darlington on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4173 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2478 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2478, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 347 minutes of reading across 835 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Circus Boys on the Plains section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 22 chapters of The Circus Boys on the Plains 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 Circus Boys on the Plains, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
