Chapter 1 of The Dutch Twins is here in full — 511 sentences across 103 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Dutch Twins is here in full — 511 sentences across 103 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Mother said we might ask!" Father Vedder blew two puffs from his pipe without answering. "We'll help you load the boat," said Kit. "Yes," said Kat, "I can carry a cabbage." "I can carry two," said Kit.
Chapter 1 of The Dutch Twins is here in full — 511 sentences across 103 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 39/102 · 5 reading units · Lines 191–195
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.
replying
From this reading “Father Vedder blew two puffs from his pipe without answering.”
inflected form of “blow” — exhale hard
From this reading “Father Vedder blew two puffs from his pipe without answering.”
any of various types of cabbage
From this reading “"Yes," said Kat, "I can carry a cabbage."”
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 “"Yes," said Kat, "I can carry a cabbage."”
a case for containing a set of articles
From this reading “"We'll help you load the boat," said Kit.”
weight to be borne or conveyed
From this reading “"We'll help you load the boat," said Kit.”
a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco
From this reading “Father Vedder blew two puffs from his pipe without answering.”
plural of “puff” — a short light gust of air
From this reading “Father Vedder blew two puffs from his pipe without answering.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Yes," said Kat, "I can carry a cabbage."
replying
From this reading Father Vedder blew two puffs from his pipe without answering.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Mother said we might ask!"
inflected form of “blow” — exhale hard
From this reading Father Vedder blew two puffs from his pipe without answering.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading "We'll help you load the boat," said Kit.
any of various types of cabbage
From this reading "Yes," said Kat, "I can carry a cabbage."
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "Yes," said Kat, "I can carry a cabbage."
move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading "Yes," said Kat, "I can carry a cabbage."
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading Father Vedder blew two puffs from his pipe without answering.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Father Vedder blew two puffs from his pipe without answering.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading "We'll help you load the boat," said Kit.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Father Vedder blew two puffs from his pipe without answering.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Yes," said Kat, "I can carry a cabbage."
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 "Yes," said Kat, "I can carry a cabbage."
a case for containing a set of articles
From this reading "We'll help you load the boat," said Kit.
weight to be borne or conveyed
From this reading "We'll help you load the boat," said Kit.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Mother said we might ask!"
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Mother said we might ask!"
a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco
From this reading Father Vedder blew two puffs from his pipe without answering.
plural of “puff” — a short light gust of air
From this reading Father Vedder blew two puffs from his pipe without answering.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Mother said we might ask!"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "We'll help you load the boat," said Kit.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Father Vedder blew two puffs from his pipe without answering.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Father Vedder blew two puffs from his pipe without answering.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Mother said we might ask!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "We'll help you load the boat," said Kit.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Father Vedder blew two puffs from his pipe without answering.
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes," said Kat, "I can carry a cabbage."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "We'll help you load the boat," said Kit.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Common questions about reading The Dutch Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1516 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4012 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4012, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 126 minutes of reading across 304 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Dutch Twins section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of The Dutch Twins 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 Dutch Twins, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
