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The country Christmas
The country Christmas

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of The country Christmas is here in full — 81 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The country Christmas
Context Illustration Reading 1/16 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
PIGS IN THE ATTIC Stubbins Mulvaney was naturally honest.
Mr. Welcome Hodgkins was kind.
So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.
"Thay!" he burst out, "I geth I thole five pigth.
That boy thed pigth wath wild, tho I took thome home.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The country Christmas

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of The country Christmas is here in full — 81 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/16 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
PIGS IN THE ATTIC Stubbins Mulvaney was naturally honest.
Line 2
Mr. Welcome Hodgkins was kind.
/ˈmɪstər ˈwelkəm ˈhɑːdʒkɪnz wɑːz kaɪnd/
Line 3
So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.
/soʊ ɪt keɪm əˈbaʊt ðæt wen ðə mæn tɔːkt ˈplezəntli tuː ðə ˈmʌdi bɔɪ əˈbaʊt ðə raɪts ʌv ˈfɑːrmərz ənd ðə ˈoʊnərʃɪp ʌv pɪɡz ɪn pərˈtɪkjələr ðə tʃaɪld ɡruː red ɪn ðə feɪs ənd lʊkt ənˈkʌmfərtəbəl/
Line 4
"Thay!" he burst out, "I geth I thole five pigth.
Line 5
That boy thed pigth wath wild, tho I took thome home.

Learner Dictionary

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.

attic noun US /ˈætɪk/

floor consisting of open space at the top of a house just below roof; often used for storage

From this reading “PIGS IN THE ATTIC Stubbins Mulvaney was naturally honest.”

farmers noun US /ˈfɑːrmərz/

plural of “farmer” — a person who operates a farm

From this reading “So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.”

Hodgkins noun US /ˈhɑːdʒkɪnz/

plural of “hodgkin” — English physician who first described Hodgkin's disease (1798-1866)

From this reading “Mr. Welcome Hodgkins was kind.”

muddy adjective US /ˈmʌdi/

(of soil) soft and watery

From this reading “So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.”

ownership noun US /ˈoʊnərʃɪp/

the relation of an owner to the thing possessed; possession with the right to transfer possession to others

From this reading “So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.”

pigs noun US /pɪɡz/

plural of “pig” — domestic swine

From this reading “PIGS IN THE ATTIC Stubbins Mulvaney was naturally honest.”

tho noun US /ðoʊ/

a branch of the Tai languages

From this reading “That boy thed pigth wath wild, tho I took thome home.”

thole noun US /θoʊl/

a holder attached to the gunwale of a boat that holds the oar in place and acts as a fulcrum for rowing

From this reading “"Thay!" he burst out, "I geth I thole five pigth.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

burst out verb + adjective

give sudden release to an expression

In this reading “"Thay!" he burst out, "I geth I thole five pigth.”

grew red verb + noun counted as “grow red”

In this reading “So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.”

IN THE ATTIC preposition + article + noun counted as “in … attic”

In this reading “PIGS IN THE ATTIC Stubbins Mulvaney was naturally honest.”

All words in this reading · 53

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.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.

ATTICnounUS /ˈætɪk/

floor consisting of open space at the top of a house just below roof; often used for storage

From this reading PIGS IN THE ATTIC Stubbins Mulvaney was naturally honest.

boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.

burstverbUS /bɜːrst/

come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure

From this reading "Thay!" he burst out, "I geth I thole five pigth.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.

childnounUS /tʃaɪld/

a young person of either sex

From this reading So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.

farmersnounUS /ˈfɑːrmərz/

plural of “farmer” — a person who operates a farm

From this reading So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.

fivenounUS /faɪv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading "Thay!" he burst out, "I geth I thole five pigth.

geth

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Thay!" he burst out, "I geth I thole five pigth.

grewverbUS /ɡruː/

inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "Thay!" he burst out, "I geth I thole five pigth.

HodgkinsnounUS /ˈhɑːdʒkɪnz/

plural of “hodgkin” — English physician who first described Hodgkin's disease (1798-1866)

From this reading Mr. Welcome Hodgkins was kind.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading That boy thed pigth wath wild, tho I took thome home.

honestadjectiveUS /ˈɑːnəst/

not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent

From this reading PIGS IN THE ATTIC Stubbins Mulvaney was naturally honest.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "Thay!" he burst out, "I geth I thole five pigth.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading PIGS IN THE ATTIC Stubbins Mulvaney was naturally honest.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.

kindadjectiveUS /kaɪnd/

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading Mr. Welcome Hodgkins was kind.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Mr. Welcome Hodgkins was kind.

muddyadjectiveUS /ˈmʌdi/

(of soil) soft and watery

From this reading So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.

Mulvaney

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading PIGS IN THE ATTIC Stubbins Mulvaney was naturally honest.

naturallyadverbUS /ˈnætʃərəli/

as might be expected

From this reading PIGS IN THE ATTIC Stubbins Mulvaney was naturally honest.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "Thay!" he burst out, "I geth I thole five pigth.

ownershipnounUS /ˈoʊnərʃɪp/

the relation of an owner to the thing possessed; possession with the right to transfer possession to others

From this reading So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.

particularadjectiveUS /pərˈtɪkjələr/

unique or specific to a person or thing or category

From this reading So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.

PIGSnounUS /pɪɡz/

plural of “pig” — domestic swine

From this reading PIGS IN THE ATTIC Stubbins Mulvaney was naturally honest.

pigth

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Thay!" he burst out, "I geth I thole five pigth.

pleasantlyadverbUS /ˈplezəntli/

in a cheerful manner

From this reading So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.

rednounUS /red/

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.

rightsnounUS /raɪts/

plural of “right” — an abstract idea of that which is due to a person or governmental body by law or tradition or nature

From this reading So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.

Stubbins

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading PIGS IN THE ATTIC Stubbins Mulvaney was naturally honest.

talkedverbUS /tɔːkt/

past form of “talk” — exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.

Thay

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Thay!" he burst out, "I geth I thole five pigth.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading PIGS IN THE ATTIC Stubbins Mulvaney was naturally honest.

thed

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading That boy thed pigth wath wild, tho I took thome home.

thonounUS /ðoʊ/

a branch of the Tai languages

From this reading That boy thed pigth wath wild, tho I took thome home.

tholenounUS /θoʊl/

a holder attached to the gunwale of a boat that holds the oar in place and acts as a fulcrum for rowing

From this reading "Thay!" he burst out, "I geth I thole five pigth.

thome

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading That boy thed pigth wath wild, tho I took thome home.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading That boy thed pigth wath wild, tho I took thome home.

uncomfortableadjectiveUS /ənˈkʌmfərtəbəl/

conducive to or feeling mental discomfort

From this reading So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading PIGS IN THE ATTIC Stubbins Mulvaney was naturally honest.

wath

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading That boy thed pigth wath wild, tho I took thome home.

WelcomeverbUS /ˈwelkəm/

accept gladly

From this reading Mr. Welcome Hodgkins was kind.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading So it came about that when the man talked pleasantly to the muddy boy about the rights of farmers and the ownership of pigs in particular, the child grew red in the face and looked uncomfortable.

wildadjectiveUS /waɪld/

marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

From this reading That boy thed pigth wath wild, tho I took thome home.

Chapter 8 of The country Christmas by Frances Margaret Fox holds 81 sentences, grouped into 17 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.

What does chapter 8 of The country Christmas contain?

Chapter 8 holds 81 sentences of The country Christmas, unabridged, divided into 17 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of The country Christmas by Frances Margaret Fox exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 81 sentences, grouped into 17 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.

How do I study chapter 8 of The country Christmas?

Work through the 17 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 17 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.

Can chapter 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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.

Questions about reading The country Christmas

Common questions about reading The country Christmas by Frances Margaret Fox on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The country Christmas?

Yes. All 1303 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #69068 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The country Christmas is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #69068, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The country Christmas take to read?

About 108 minutes of reading across 261 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The country Christmas section by section

How to work through The country Christmas section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 15 chapters of The country Christmas to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The country Christmas

Words and structures a reader meets early in The country Christmas, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Farmer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The country Christmas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Brown
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The country Christmas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Birds
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The country Christmas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Little
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The country Christmas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.