Chapter 21 of The Copy-Cat, and Other Stories is here in full — 212 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXI
Chapter 21 of The Copy-Cat, and Other Stories is here in full — 212 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“I would never be under the thumb of any man,” Abby said. “Have you ever seen Christopher in one of his spells?” Myrtle would ask. Then Mrs. Cyrus Dodd and Abby would look at each other. “It is all your fault, mother,” Abby would say.
Chapter 21 of The Copy-Cat, and Other Stories is here in full — 212 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/42 · 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.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “Myrtle would ask.”
Christian martyr and patron saint of travellers (3rd century)
From this reading ““Have you ever seen Christopher in one of his spells?””
Persian prince who was defeated in battle by his brother Artaxerxes II (424-401 BC)
From this reading “Then Mrs. Cyrus Dodd and Abby would look at each other.”
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading ““It is all your fault, mother,” Abby would say.”
widely cultivated as a groundcover for its dark green shiny leaves and usually blue-violet flowers
From this reading “Myrtle would ask.”
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading ““Have you ever seen Christopher in one of his spells?””
plural of “spell” — a psychological state induced by (or as if induced by) a magical incantation
From this reading ““Have you ever seen Christopher in one of his spells?””
the thick short innermost digit of the forelimb
From this reading ““I would never be under the thumb of any man,” Abby said.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I would never be under the thumb of any man,” Abby said.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading “It is all your fault, mother,” Abby would say.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then Mrs. Cyrus Dodd and Abby would look at each other.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading “I would never be under the thumb of any man,” Abby said.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Myrtle would ask.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Then Mrs. Cyrus Dodd and Abby would look at each other.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “I would never be under the thumb of any man,” Abby said.
Christian martyr and patron saint of travellers (3rd century)
From this reading “Have you ever seen Christopher in one of his spells?”
Persian prince who was defeated in battle by his brother Artaxerxes II (424-401 BC)
From this reading Then Mrs. Cyrus Dodd and Abby would look at each other.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Mrs. Cyrus Dodd and Abby would look at each other.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading Then Mrs. Cyrus Dodd and Abby would look at each other.
at any time
From this reading “Have you ever seen Christopher in one of his spells?”
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading “It is all your fault, mother,” Abby would say.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “Have you ever seen Christopher in one of his spells?”
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “Have you ever seen Christopher in one of his spells?”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I would never be under the thumb of any man,” Abby said.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Have you ever seen Christopher in one of his spells?”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “It is all your fault, mother,” Abby would say.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “It is all your fault, mother,” Abby would say.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Then Mrs. Cyrus Dodd and Abby would look at each other.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading “I would never be under the thumb of any man,” Abby said.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading “It is all your fault, mother,” Abby would say.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Then Mrs. Cyrus Dodd and Abby would look at each other.
widely cultivated as a groundcover for its dark green shiny leaves and usually blue-violet flowers
From this reading Myrtle would ask.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading “I would never be under the thumb of any man,” Abby said.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “I would never be under the thumb of any man,” Abby said.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “Have you ever seen Christopher in one of his spells?”
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Then Mrs. Cyrus Dodd and Abby would look at each other.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I would never be under the thumb of any man,” Abby said.
express in words
From this reading “It is all your fault, mother,” Abby would say.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “Have you ever seen Christopher in one of his spells?”
plural of “spell” — a psychological state induced by (or as if induced by) a magical incantation
From this reading “Have you ever seen Christopher in one of his spells?”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “I would never be under the thumb of any man,” Abby said.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then Mrs. Cyrus Dodd and Abby would look at each other.
the thick short innermost digit of the forelimb
From this reading “I would never be under the thumb of any man,” Abby said.
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading “I would never be under the thumb of any man,” Abby said.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “I would never be under the thumb of any man,” Abby said.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Have you ever seen Christopher in one of his spells?”
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “It is all your fault, mother,” Abby would say.
Chapter 21 of The Copy-Cat, and Other Stories by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman holds 212 sentences, grouped into 43 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 21 holds 212 sentences of The Copy-Cat, and Other Stories, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 21 of The Copy-Cat, and Other Stories by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 212 sentences, grouped into 43 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 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 43 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 21 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, a public-domain edition. 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.
