Chapter 20 of The Copy-Cat, and Other Stories is here in full — 208 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of The Copy-Cat, and Other Stories is here in full — 208 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
David nodded. It was tragically true, that guess. “Well, our umbrella got turned last week,” said the farmer. “I'll give you a job to start on. You can stay here as long as you want if you're careful about your matches.”
Chapter 20 of The Copy-Cat, and Other Stories is here in full — 208 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/41 · 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.
exercising caution or showing care or attention
From this reading “You can stay here as long as you want if you're careful about your matches.””
patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)
From this reading “David nodded.”
a person who operates a farm
From this reading ““Well, our umbrella got turned last week,” said the farmer.”
the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
From this reading ““I'll give you a job to start on.”
plural of “match” — lighter consisting of a thin piece of wood or cardboard tipped with combustible chemical; ignites with friction
From this reading “You can stay here as long as you want if you're careful about your matches.””
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading “David nodded.”
in a tragic manner; with tragic consequences
From this reading “It was tragically true, that guess.”
a lightweight handheld collapsible canopy
From this reading ““Well, our umbrella got turned last week,” said the farmer.”
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'll give you a job to start on.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading You can stay here as long as you want if you're careful about your matches.”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading You can stay here as long as you want if you're careful about your matches.”
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading You can stay here as long as you want if you're careful about your matches.”
exercising caution or showing care or attention
From this reading You can stay here as long as you want if you're careful about your matches.”
patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)
From this reading David nodded.
a person who operates a farm
From this reading “Well, our umbrella got turned last week,” said the farmer.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading “I'll give you a job to start on.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “Well, our umbrella got turned last week,” said the farmer.
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading It was tragically true, that guess.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading You can stay here as long as you want if you're careful about your matches.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I'll give you a job to start on.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading You can stay here as long as you want if you're careful about your matches.”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was tragically true, that guess.
the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
From this reading “I'll give you a job to start on.
immediately past
From this reading “Well, our umbrella got turned last week,” said the farmer.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading You can stay here as long as you want if you're careful about your matches.”
plural of “match” — lighter consisting of a thin piece of wood or cardboard tipped with combustible chemical; ignites with friction
From this reading You can stay here as long as you want if you're careful about your matches.”
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading David nodded.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “I'll give you a job to start on.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading “Well, our umbrella got turned last week,” said the farmer.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Well, our umbrella got turned last week,” said the farmer.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “I'll give you a job to start on.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading You can stay here as long as you want if you're careful about your matches.”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was tragically true, that guess.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Well, our umbrella got turned last week,” said the farmer.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I'll give you a job to start on.
in a tragic manner; with tragic consequences
From this reading It was tragically true, that guess.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading It was tragically true, that guess.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading “Well, our umbrella got turned last week,” said the farmer.
a lightweight handheld collapsible canopy
From this reading “Well, our umbrella got turned last week,” said the farmer.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading You can stay here as long as you want if you're careful about your matches.”
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was tragically true, that guess.
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading “Well, our umbrella got turned last week,” said the farmer.
(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, our umbrella got turned last week,” said the farmer.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I'll give you a job to start on.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You can stay here as long as you want if you're careful about your matches.”
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You can stay here as long as you want if you're careful about your matches.”
Chapter 20 of The Copy-Cat, and Other Stories by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman holds 208 sentences, grouped into 42 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 20 holds 208 sentences of The Copy-Cat, and Other Stories, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of The Copy-Cat, and Other Stories by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 208 sentences, grouped into 42 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 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 42 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 20 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 Copy-Cat, and Other Stories by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5664 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1716 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1716, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 472 minutes of reading across 1133 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Copy-Cat, and Other Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 27 chapters of The Copy-Cat, and Other Stories 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 Copy-Cat, and Other Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
