Chapter I
Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of The Drummer Boy is here in full — 437 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Coupon Bonds. Cudjo's Cave. Drummer Boy, The. Martin Merryvale, His X Mark. Lucy Arlyn.
The Drummer Boy
Chapter I · Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of The Drummer Boy is here in full — 437 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
Coupon
Bonds.
Cudjo's
Cave.
Drummer
Boy,
The.
Martin
Merryvale,
His
X
Mark.
Lucy
Arlyn.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
The Drummer Boy
Chapter I · Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of The Drummer Boy is here in full — 437 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/87 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
Coupon
Bonds.
/ˈkuːpɔːn bɑːndz/
Line 2
Cudjo's
Cave.
Line 3
Drummer
Boy,
The.
/ˈdrʌmər bɔɪ ðə/
Line 4
Martin
Merryvale,
His
X
Mark.
Line 5
Lucy
Arlyn.
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.
Bonds
noun
US /bɑːndz/
plural of “bond” — an electrical force linking atoms
From this reading “Coupon Bonds.”
a youthful male person
From this reading “Drummer Boy, The.”
a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea
From this reading “Cudjo's Cave.”
Coupon
noun
US /ˈkuːpɔːn/
a negotiable certificate that can be detached and redeemed as needed
From this reading “Coupon Bonds.”
Drummer
noun
US /ˈdrʌmər/
someone who plays a drum
From this reading “Drummer Boy, The.”
incomplete skeleton of female found in eastern Ethiopia in 1974
From this reading “Lucy Arlyn.”
attach a tag or label to
From this reading “Martin Merryvale, His X Mark.”
French bishop who is a patron saint of France (died in 397)
From this reading “Martin Merryvale, His X Mark.”
All words in this reading · 14
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.
Arlyn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lucy Arlyn.
BondsnounUS /bɑːndz/
plural of “bond” — an electrical force linking atoms
From this reading Coupon Bonds.
a youthful male person
From this reading Drummer Boy, The.
a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea
From this reading Cudjo's Cave.
CouponnounUS /ˈkuːpɔːn/
a negotiable certificate that can be detached and redeemed as needed
From this reading Coupon Bonds.
Cudjo's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Cudjo's Cave.
DrummernounUS /ˈdrʌmər/
someone who plays a drum
From this reading Drummer Boy, The.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Martin Merryvale, His X Mark.
incomplete skeleton of female found in eastern Ethiopia in 1974
From this reading Lucy Arlyn.
attach a tag or label to
From this reading Martin Merryvale, His X Mark.
French bishop who is a patron saint of France (died in 397)
From this reading Martin Merryvale, His X Mark.
Merryvale
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Martin Merryvale, His X Mark.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Drummer Boy, The.
XnounUS /eks/
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading Martin Merryvale, His X Mark.
Chapter 1 of The Drummer Boy by J. T. (John Townsend) Trowbridge holds 437 sentences, grouped into 88 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 Drummer Boy contain?
Chapter 1 holds 437 sentences of The Drummer Boy, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Drummer Boy by J. T. (John Townsend) Trowbridge exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 437 sentences, grouped into 88 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 Drummer Boy?
Work through the 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 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 Drummer Boy
Common questions about reading The Drummer Boy by J. T. (John Townsend) Trowbridge on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of The Drummer Boy?
Yes. All 4288 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #19999 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of The Drummer Boy is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #19999, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does The Drummer Boy take to read?
About 357 minutes of reading across 858 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read The Drummer Boy section by section
How to work through The Drummer Boy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 10 chapters of The Drummer Boy to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in The Drummer Boy
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Drummer Boy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Coupon
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Drummer Boy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Bonds
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Drummer Boy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Cudjo's
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Drummer Boy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Drummer
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Drummer Boy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.