Chapter 3 of The Clock Strikes Thirteen is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Clock Strikes Thirteen is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Let's wait here," Penny proposed, halting. "I have a hunch Mrs. Davis is hiding from us." "What's to be gained by waiting?" grumbled Louise. Nevertheless, she crouched beside her chum, watching the house. Ten minutes elapsed.
Chapter 3 of The Clock Strikes Thirteen is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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 close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
From this reading “Nevertheless, she crouched beside her chum, watching the house.”
past form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading “Nevertheless, she crouched beside her chum, watching the house.”
English navigator who explored the Arctic while searching for the Northwest Passage (1550-1605)
From this reading “"I have a hunch Mrs. Davis is hiding from us."”
(of time) having passed or slipped by
From this reading “Ten minutes elapsed.”
past form of “grumble” — show one's unhappiness or critical attitude
From this reading “"What's to be gained by waiting?" grumbled Louise.”
disabled in the feet or legs
From this reading “"Let's wait here," Penny proposed, halting.”
the activity of keeping something secret
From this reading “"I have a hunch Mrs. Davis is hiding from us."”
an impression that something might be the case
From this reading “"I have a hunch Mrs. Davis is hiding from us."”
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.
In this reading “Ten minutes elapsed.”
In this reading “Nevertheless, she crouched beside her chum, watching the house.”
In this reading “"What's to be gained by waiting?" grumbled Louise.”
In this reading “"Let's wait here," Penny proposed, halting.”
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 "I have a hunch Mrs. Davis is hiding from us."
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "What's to be gained by waiting?" grumbled Louise.
next to; at the side of
From this reading Nevertheless, she crouched beside her chum, watching the house.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "What's to be gained by waiting?" grumbled Louise.
a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
From this reading Nevertheless, she crouched beside her chum, watching the house.
past form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading Nevertheless, she crouched beside her chum, watching the house.
English navigator who explored the Arctic while searching for the Northwest Passage (1550-1605)
From this reading "I have a hunch Mrs. Davis is hiding from us."
(of time) having passed or slipped by
From this reading Ten minutes elapsed.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "I have a hunch Mrs. Davis is hiding from us."
past form of “gain” — obtain
From this reading "What's to be gained by waiting?" grumbled Louise.
past form of “grumble” — show one's unhappiness or critical attitude
From this reading "What's to be gained by waiting?" grumbled Louise.
disabled in the feet or legs
From this reading "Let's wait here," Penny proposed, halting.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "I have a hunch Mrs. Davis is hiding from us."
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Nevertheless, she crouched beside her chum, watching the house.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "Let's wait here," Penny proposed, halting.
the activity of keeping something secret
From this reading "I have a hunch Mrs. Davis is hiding from us."
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Nevertheless, she crouched beside her chum, watching the house.
an impression that something might be the case
From this reading "I have a hunch Mrs. Davis is hiding from us."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I have a hunch Mrs. Davis is hiding from us."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I have a hunch Mrs. Davis is hiding from us."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Let's wait here," Penny proposed, halting.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What's to be gained by waiting?" grumbled Louise.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading Ten minutes elapsed.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading "I have a hunch Mrs. Davis is hiding from us."
in spite of what has just been said
From this reading Nevertheless, she crouched beside her chum, watching the house.
a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound
From this reading "Let's wait here," Penny proposed, halting.
past form of “propose” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading "Let's wait here," Penny proposed, halting.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Nevertheless, she crouched beside her chum, watching the house.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading Ten minutes elapsed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Nevertheless, she crouched beside her chum, watching the house.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "What's to be gained by waiting?" grumbled Louise.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I have a hunch Mrs. Davis is hiding from us."
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading "Let's wait here," Penny proposed, halting.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading "What's to be gained by waiting?" grumbled Louise.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading Nevertheless, she crouched beside her chum, watching the house.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What's to be gained by waiting?" grumbled Louise.
Chapter 3 of The Clock Strikes Thirteen by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt holds 427 sentences, grouped into 86 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 3 holds 427 sentences of The Clock Strikes Thirteen, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Clock Strikes Thirteen by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 427 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 3 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 Clock Strikes Thirteen by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3792 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34403 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #34403, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 316 minutes of reading across 759 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Clock Strikes Thirteen section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of The Clock Strikes Thirteen 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 Clock Strikes Thirteen, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
