Chapter 27 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 XXVII
Chapter 27 of The Copy-Cat, and Other Stories is here in full — 208 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“I couldn't let you go by, when it came to it, and Tom--” “What, dear?” “I did an awful mean thing: something I never was guilty of before. I--listened.” “Well, I don't see what harm it did. You didn't hear much to your or your sisters' disadvantage, that I can remember.
Chapter 27 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.
exceptionally bad or displeasing
From this reading ““I did an awful mean thing: something I never was guilty of before.”
the quality of having an inferior or less favorable position
From this reading “You didn't hear much to your or your sisters' disadvantage, that I can remember.”
responsible for or chargeable with a reprehensible act
From this reading ““I did an awful mean thing: something I never was guilty of before.”
any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.
From this reading ““Well, I don't see what harm it did.”
past form of “listen” — hear with intention
From this reading “I--listened.””
To recall to mind.
From this reading “You didn't hear much to your or your sisters' disadvantage, that I can remember.”
plural of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading “You didn't hear much to your or your sisters' disadvantage, that I can remember.”
male cat
From this reading ““I couldn't let you go by, when it came to it, and Tom--” “What, dear?””
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.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “I did an awful mean thing: something I never was guilty of before.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “I couldn't let you go by, when it came to it, and Tom--” “What, dear?”
exceptionally bad or displeasing
From this reading “I did an awful mean thing: something I never was guilty of before.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading “I did an awful mean thing: something I never was guilty of before.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading “I couldn't let you go by, when it came to it, and Tom--” “What, dear?”
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “I couldn't let you go by, when it came to it, and Tom--” “What, dear?”
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading You didn't hear much to your or your sisters' disadvantage, that I can remember.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I couldn't let you go by, when it came to it, and Tom--” “What, dear?”
dearly loved
From this reading “I couldn't let you go by, when it came to it, and Tom--” “What, dear?”
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading “I did an awful mean thing: something I never was guilty of before.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You didn't hear much to your or your sisters' disadvantage, that I can remember.
the quality of having an inferior or less favorable position
From this reading You didn't hear much to your or your sisters' disadvantage, that I can remember.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Well, I don't see what harm it did.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “I couldn't let you go by, when it came to it, and Tom--” “What, dear?”
responsible for or chargeable with a reprehensible act
From this reading “I did an awful mean thing: something I never was guilty of before.
any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.
From this reading “Well, I don't see what harm it did.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading You didn't hear much to your or your sisters' disadvantage, that I can remember.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I couldn't let you go by, when it came to it, and Tom--” “What, dear?”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “I couldn't let you go by, when it came to it, and Tom--” “What, dear?”
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading “I couldn't let you go by, when it came to it, and Tom--” “What, dear?”
past form of “listen” — hear with intention
From this reading I--listened.”
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading “I did an awful mean thing: something I never was guilty of before.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading You didn't hear much to your or your sisters' disadvantage, that I can remember.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading “I did an awful mean thing: something I never was guilty of before.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “I did an awful mean thing: something I never was guilty of before.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading You didn't hear much to your or your sisters' disadvantage, that I can remember.
To recall to mind.
From this reading You didn't hear much to your or your sisters' disadvantage, that I can remember.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “Well, I don't see what harm it did.
plural of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading You didn't hear much to your or your sisters' disadvantage, that I can remember.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading “I did an awful mean thing: something I never was guilty of before.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading You didn't hear much to your or your sisters' disadvantage, that I can remember.
a special situation
From this reading “I did an awful mean thing: something I never was guilty of before.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I couldn't let you go by, when it came to it, and Tom--” “What, dear?”
male cat
From this reading “I couldn't let you go by, when it came to it, and Tom--” “What, dear?”
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “I did an awful mean thing: something I never was guilty of before.
(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, I don't see what harm it did.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “I couldn't let you go by, when it came to it, and Tom--” “What, dear?”
at the time that
From this reading “I couldn't let you go by, when it came to it, and Tom--” “What, dear?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I couldn't let you go by, when it came to it, and Tom--” “What, dear?”
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You didn't hear much to your or your sisters' disadvantage, that I can remember.
Chapter 27 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 27 holds 208 sentences of The Copy-Cat, and Other Stories, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 27 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 27 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.
