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The Dutch Twins
The Dutch Twins

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Dutch Twins is here in full — 511 sentences across 103 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Dutch Twins
Context Illustration Reading 10/102 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The Twins opened their eyes and sat up.
"O Kit and Kat," said Vrouw Vedder, "the sun is up, the birds are all awake and singing, and Grandfather is going fishing to-day.
If you will hurry, you may go with him!
He is coming at six o'clock; so pop out of bed and get dressed.
I will put some lunch for you in the yellow basket, and you may dig worms for bait in the garden.
0:00 / 0:00
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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 Dutch Twins

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Dutch Twins is here in full — 511 sentences across 103 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 10/102 · 5 reading units · Lines 46–50

Line 1
The Twins opened their eyes and sat up.
/ðə twɪnz ˈoʊpənd ðer aɪz ənd sæt ʌp/
Line 2
"O Kit and Kat," said Vrouw Vedder, "the sun is up, the birds are all awake and singing, and Grandfather is going fishing to-day.
Line 3
If you will hurry, you may go with him!
/ɪf juː wɪl ˈhɜːri juː meɪ ɡoʊ wɪð hɪm/
Line 4
He is coming at six o'clock; so pop out of bed and get dressed.
/hiː ɪz ˈkʌmɪŋ æt sɪks əˈklɑːk soʊ pɑːp aʊt ʌv bed ənd ɡet drest/
Line 5
I will put some lunch for you in the yellow basket, and you may dig worms for bait in the garden.
/aɪ wɪl pʊt sʌm lʌntʃ fɔːr juː ɪn ðə ˈjeloʊ ˈbæskət ənd juː meɪ dɪɡ wɜːrmz fɔːr beɪt ɪn ðə ˈɡɑːrdən/

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.

bait verb US /beɪt/

harass with persistent criticism or carping

From this reading “I will put some lunch for you in the yellow basket, and you may dig worms for bait in the garden.”

dig verb US /dɪɡ/

turn up, loosen, or remove earth

From this reading “I will put some lunch for you in the yellow basket, and you may dig worms for bait in the garden.”

fishing noun US /ˈfɪʃɪŋ/

the act of someone who fishes as a diversion

From this reading “"O Kit and Kat," said Vrouw Vedder, "the sun is up, the birds are all awake and singing, and Grandfather is going fishing to-day.”

Kat noun US /kæt/

the leaves of the shrub Catha edulis which are chewed like tobacco or used to make tea; has the effect of a euphoric stimulant

From this reading “"O Kit and Kat," said Vrouw Vedder, "the sun is up, the birds are all awake and singing, and Grandfather is going fishing to-day.”

Kit noun US /kɪt/

a case for containing a set of articles

From this reading “"O Kit and Kat," said Vrouw Vedder, "the sun is up, the birds are all awake and singing, and Grandfather is going fishing to-day.”

pop verb US /pɑːp/

bulge outward

From this reading “He is coming at six o'clock; so pop out of bed and get dressed.”

Twins noun US /twɪnz/

(mineralogy) two interwoven crystals that are mirror images on each other

From this reading “The Twins opened their eyes and sat up.”

worms noun US /wɜːrmz/

plural of “worm” — any of numerous relatively small elongated soft-bodied animals especially of the phyla Annelida and Chaetognatha and Nematoda and Nemertea and Platyhelminthes; also many insect larvae

From this reading “I will put some lunch for you in the yellow basket, and you may dig worms for bait in the garden.”

All words in this reading · 57

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.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 "O Kit and Kat," said Vrouw Vedder, "the sun is up, the birds are all awake and singing, and Grandfather is going fishing to-day.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The Twins opened their eyes and sat up.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading "O Kit and Kat," said Vrouw Vedder, "the sun is up, the birds are all awake and singing, and Grandfather is going fishing to-day.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He is coming at six o'clock; so pop out of bed and get dressed.

awakeadjectiveUS /əˈweɪk/

not in a state of sleep; completely conscious

From this reading "O Kit and Kat," said Vrouw Vedder, "the sun is up, the birds are all awake and singing, and Grandfather is going fishing to-day.

baitverbUS /beɪt/

harass with persistent criticism or carping

From this reading I will put some lunch for you in the yellow basket, and you may dig worms for bait in the garden.

basketnounUS /ˈbæskət/

a container that is usually woven and has handles

From this reading I will put some lunch for you in the yellow basket, and you may dig worms for bait in the garden.

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading He is coming at six o'clock; so pop out of bed and get dressed.

birdsnounUS /bɜːrdz/

plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading "O Kit and Kat," said Vrouw Vedder, "the sun is up, the birds are all awake and singing, and Grandfather is going fishing to-day.

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading He is coming at six o'clock; so pop out of bed and get dressed.

digverbUS /dɪɡ/

turn up, loosen, or remove earth

From this reading I will put some lunch for you in the yellow basket, and you may dig worms for bait in the garden.

dressedadjectiveUS /drest/

dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination

From this reading He is coming at six o'clock; so pop out of bed and get dressed.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading The Twins opened their eyes and sat up.

fishingnounUS /ˈfɪʃɪŋ/

the act of someone who fishes as a diversion

From this reading "O Kit and Kat," said Vrouw Vedder, "the sun is up, the birds are all awake and singing, and Grandfather is going fishing to-day.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I will put some lunch for you in the yellow basket, and you may dig worms for bait in the garden.

gardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading I will put some lunch for you in the yellow basket, and you may dig worms for bait in the garden.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading He is coming at six o'clock; so pop out of bed and get dressed.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading If you will hurry, you may go with him!

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading "O Kit and Kat," said Vrouw Vedder, "the sun is up, the birds are all awake and singing, and Grandfather is going fishing to-day.

GrandfathernounUS /ˈɡrændfɑːðər/

the father of your father or mother

From this reading "O Kit and Kat," said Vrouw Vedder, "the sun is up, the birds are all awake and singing, and Grandfather is going fishing to-day.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He is coming at six o'clock; so pop out of bed and get dressed.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading If you will hurry, you may go with him!

hurrynounUS /ˈhɜːri/

a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry

From this reading If you will hurry, you may go with him!

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I will put some lunch for you in the yellow basket, and you may dig worms for bait in the garden.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If you will hurry, you may go with him!

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading I will put some lunch for you in the yellow basket, and you may dig worms for bait in the garden.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "O Kit and Kat," said Vrouw Vedder, "the sun is up, the birds are all awake and singing, and Grandfather is going fishing to-day.

KatnounUS /kæt/

the leaves of the shrub Catha edulis which are chewed like tobacco or used to make tea; has the effect of a euphoric stimulant

From this reading "O Kit and Kat," said Vrouw Vedder, "the sun is up, the birds are all awake and singing, and Grandfather is going fishing to-day.

KitnounUS /kɪt/

a case for containing a set of articles

From this reading "O Kit and Kat," said Vrouw Vedder, "the sun is up, the birds are all awake and singing, and Grandfather is going fishing to-day.

lunchverbUS /lʌntʃ/

take the midday meal

From this reading I will put some lunch for you in the yellow basket, and you may dig worms for bait in the garden.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading If you will hurry, you may go with him!

OnounUS /oʊ/

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading "O Kit and Kat," said Vrouw Vedder, "the sun is up, the birds are all awake and singing, and Grandfather is going fishing to-day.

o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading He is coming at six o'clock; so pop out of bed and get dressed.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He is coming at six o'clock; so pop out of bed and get dressed.

openedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊpənd/

used of mouth or eyes

From this reading The Twins opened their eyes and sat up.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading He is coming at six o'clock; so pop out of bed and get dressed.

popverbUS /pɑːp/

bulge outward

From this reading He is coming at six o'clock; so pop out of bed and get dressed.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading I will put some lunch for you in the yellow basket, and you may dig worms for bait in the garden.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "O Kit and Kat," said Vrouw Vedder, "the sun is up, the birds are all awake and singing, and Grandfather is going fishing to-day.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading The Twins opened their eyes and sat up.

singingnounUS /ˈsɪŋɪŋ/

the act of singing vocal music

From this reading "O Kit and Kat," said Vrouw Vedder, "the sun is up, the birds are all awake and singing, and Grandfather is going fishing to-day.

sixnounUS /sɪks/

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

From this reading He is coming at six o'clock; so pop out of bed and get dressed.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading He is coming at six o'clock; so pop out of bed and get dressed.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading I will put some lunch for you in the yellow basket, and you may dig worms for bait in the garden.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading "O Kit and Kat," said Vrouw Vedder, "the sun is up, the birds are all awake and singing, and Grandfather is going fishing to-day.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The Twins opened their eyes and sat up.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The Twins opened their eyes and sat up.

to-day

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

From this reading "O Kit and Kat," said Vrouw Vedder, "the sun is up, the birds are all awake and singing, and Grandfather is going fishing to-day.

TwinsnounUS /twɪnz/

(mineralogy) two interwoven crystals that are mirror images on each other

From this reading The Twins opened their eyes and sat up.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading The Twins opened their eyes and sat up.

Vedder

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

From this reading "O Kit and Kat," said Vrouw Vedder, "the sun is up, the birds are all awake and singing, and Grandfather is going fishing to-day.

Vrouw

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

From this reading "O Kit and Kat," said Vrouw Vedder, "the sun is up, the birds are all awake and singing, and Grandfather is going fishing to-day.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading If you will hurry, you may go with him!

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading If you will hurry, you may go with him!

wormsnounUS /wɜːrmz/

plural of “worm” — any of numerous relatively small elongated soft-bodied animals especially of the phyla Annelida and Chaetognatha and Nematoda and Nemertea and Platyhelminthes; also many insect larvae

From this reading I will put some lunch for you in the yellow basket, and you may dig worms for bait in the garden.

yellowadjectiveUS /ˈjeloʊ/

of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk

From this reading I will put some lunch for you in the yellow basket, and you may dig worms for bait in the garden.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading If you will hurry, you may go with him!

Chapter 1 of The Dutch Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins holds 511 sentences, grouped into 103 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 Dutch Twins contain?

Chapter 1 holds 511 sentences of The Dutch Twins, unabridged, divided into 103 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Dutch Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 511 sentences, grouped into 103 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 Dutch Twins?

Work through the 103 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 103 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 Dutch Twins

Common questions about reading The Dutch Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Dutch Twins?

Yes. All 1516 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4012 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Dutch Twins is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4012, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Dutch Twins take to read?

About 126 minutes of reading across 304 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Dutch Twins section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 3 chapters of The Dutch Twins 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 Dutch Twins

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

Belongs
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Dutch Twins; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lawrence
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Dutch Twins; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Other
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Dutch Twins; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Children
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Dutch Twins; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.