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The Cricket
The Cricket

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Cricket is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Cricket
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"What do you mean by acting like this when I give you a birthday party?"
(_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.
I'd like to capture ye, to sing on my hearth!"
240 "I won't have it!
I won't have it!
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 Cricket

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Cricket is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"What do you mean by acting like this when I give you a birthday party?"
/wʌt duː juː miːn baɪ ˈæktɪŋ laɪk ðɪs wen aɪ ɡɪv juː ə ˈbɜːrθdeɪ ˈpɑːrti/
Line 2
(_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.
Line 3
I'd like to capture ye, to sing on my hearth!"
Line 4
240 "I won't have it!
Line 5
I won't have it!

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.

Althea noun US /ælˈθiːə/

any of various plants of the genus Althaea; similar to but having smaller flowers than genus Alcea

From this reading “(_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.”

birthday noun US /ˈbɜːrθdeɪ/

an anniversary of the day on which a person was born (or the celebration of it)

From this reading “"What do you mean by acting like this when I give you a birthday party?"”

capture verb US /ˈkæptʃər/

succeed in representing or expressing something intangible

From this reading “I'd like to capture ye, to sing on my hearth!"”

Cartel noun US /kɑːrˈtel/

a consortium of independent organizations formed to limit competition by controlling the production and distribution of a product or service

From this reading “(_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.”

cricket noun US /ˈkrɪkət/

leaping insect; male makes chirping noises by rubbing the forewings together

From this reading “(_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.”

hearth noun US /hɑːrθ/

an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built

From this reading “I'd like to capture ye, to sing on my hearth!"”

pacing noun US /ˈpeɪsɪŋ/

(music) the speed at which a composition is to be played

From this reading “(_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.”

witch noun US /wɪtʃ/

a female sorcerer or magician

From this reading “(_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.”

All words in this reading · 56

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.

162

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

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

182

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

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

240

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

From this reading 240 "I won't have it!

6

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

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading "What do you mean by acting like this when I give you a birthday party?"

actingnounUS /ˈæktɪŋ/

the performance of a part or role in a drama

From this reading "What do you mean by acting like this when I give you a birthday party?"

AltheanounUS /ælˈθiːə/

any of various plants of the genus Althaea; similar to but having smaller flowers than genus Alcea

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

birthdaynounUS /ˈbɜːrθdeɪ/

an anniversary of the day on which a person was born (or the celebration of it)

From this reading "What do you mean by acting like this when I give you a birthday party?"

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading "What do you mean by acting like this when I give you a birthday party?"

captureverbUS /ˈkæptʃər/

succeed in representing or expressing something intangible

From this reading I'd like to capture ye, to sing on my hearth!"

CartelnounUS /kɑːrˈtel/

a consortium of independent organizations formed to limit competition by controlling the production and distribution of a product or service

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

comfortableadjectiveUS /ˈkʌmfərtəbəl/

providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (“comfy” is informal)

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

cricketnounUS /ˈkrɪkət/

leaping insect; male makes chirping noises by rubbing the forewings together

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

decknounUS /dek/

any of various platforms built into a vessel

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "What do you mean by acting like this when I give you a birthday party?"

FACINGnounUS /ˈfeɪsɪŋ/

a lining applied to the edge of a garment for ornamentation or strengthening

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

Frontispiecenoun

an ornamental facade

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading "What do you mean by acting like this when I give you a birthday party?"

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading 240 "I won't have it!

hearthnounUS /hɑːrθ/

an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built

From this reading I'd like to capture ye, to sing on my hearth!"

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "What do you mean by acting like this when I give you a birthday party?"

I'd

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

From this reading I'd like to capture ye, to sing on my hearth!"

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading 240 "I won't have it!

JerrynounUS /ˈdʒeri/

offensive term for a person of German descent

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading "What do you mean by acting like this when I give you a birthday party?"

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

meanverbUS /miːn/

mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading "What do you mean by acting like this when I give you a birthday party?"

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading I'd like to capture ye, to sing on my hearth!"

pacingnounUS /ˈpeɪsɪŋ/

(music) the speed at which a composition is to be played

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

pagenounUS /peɪdʒ/

one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

partynounUS /ˈpɑːrti/

an organization to gain political power

From this reading "What do you mean by acting like this when I give you a birthday party?"

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

SeeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

singverbUS /sɪŋ/

deliver by singing

From this reading I'd like to capture ye, to sing on my hearth!"

summernounUS /ˈsʌmər/

the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading "What do you mean by acting like this when I give you a birthday party?"

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

watchedverbUS /wɑːtʃt/

past form of “watch” — look attentively

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "What do you mean by acting like this when I give you a birthday party?"

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "What do you mean by acting like this when I give you a birthday party?"

witchnounUS /wɪtʃ/

a female sorcerer or magician

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

won't

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

From this reading 240 "I won't have it!

yepronounUS /jiː/

an old word for “you”, speaking to more than one person

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

Ye're

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

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "What do you mean by acting like this when I give you a birthday party?"

You've

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

From this reading (_See page 6_) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE She watched Jerry and Althea pacing the deck together 162 "You've made my summer for me, little witch," Cartel said 182 "Ye're a comfortable cricket, when ye want to be.

Chapter 1 of The Cricket by Marjorie Benton Cooke holds 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 1 of The Cricket contain?

Chapter 1 holds 411 sentences of The Cricket, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Cricket by Marjorie Benton Cooke exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 1 of The Cricket?

Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 83 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Cricket

Common questions about reading The Cricket by Marjorie Benton Cooke on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Cricket?

Yes. All 5757 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25081 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Cricket is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #25081, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Cricket take to read?

About 479 minutes of reading across 1152 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Cricket section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 14 chapters of The Cricket 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 Cricket

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

Acting
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Cricket; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Birthday
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Cricket; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Party
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Cricket; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Frontispiece
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Cricket; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.