Chapter 6 of The Ear in the Wall is here in full — 434 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VI
Chapter 6 of The Ear in the Wall is here in full — 434 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"What was the difficulty?" I asked. "Why, I thought I'd take a chance--and it took. Now figure it out for yourself. Carton says it's dough day, so to speak, up there.
Chapter 6 of The Ear in the Wall is here in full — 434 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/86 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
the quantity contained in a carton
From this reading “Carton says it's dough day, so to speak, up there.”
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading “"Why, I thought I'd take a chance--and it took.”
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading “"What was the difficulty?"”
a flour mixture stiff enough to knead or roll
From this reading “Carton says it's dough day, so to speak, up there.”
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading “Now figure it out for yourself.”
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading “Carton says it's dough day, so to speak, up there.”
express in speech
From this reading “Carton says it's dough day, so to speak, up there.”
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading “Now figure it out for yourself.”
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 "Why, I thought I'd take a chance--and it took.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Why, I thought I'd take a chance--and it took.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading I asked.
the quantity contained in a carton
From this reading Carton says it's dough day, so to speak, up there.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading "Why, I thought I'd take a chance--and it took.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Carton says it's dough day, so to speak, up there.
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading "What was the difficulty?"
a flour mixture stiff enough to knead or roll
From this reading Carton says it's dough day, so to speak, up there.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading Now figure it out for yourself.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Now figure it out for yourself.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I asked.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why, I thought I'd take a chance--and it took.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Why, I thought I'd take a chance--and it took.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Carton says it's dough day, so to speak, up there.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now figure it out for yourself.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Now figure it out for yourself.
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading Carton says it's dough day, so to speak, up there.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Carton says it's dough day, so to speak, up there.
express in speech
From this reading Carton says it's dough day, so to speak, up there.
carry out
From this reading "Why, I thought I'd take a chance--and it took.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "What was the difficulty?"
in or at that place or location
From this reading Carton says it's dough day, so to speak, up there.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading "Why, I thought I'd take a chance--and it took.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Carton says it's dough day, so to speak, up there.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading "Why, I thought I'd take a chance--and it took.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Carton says it's dough day, so to speak, up there.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "What was the difficulty?"
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What was the difficulty?"
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why, I thought I'd take a chance--and it took.
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading Now figure it out for yourself.
Chapter 6 of The Ear in the Wall by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve holds 434 sentences, grouped into 87 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 6 holds 434 sentences of The Ear in the Wall, unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 6 of The Ear in the Wall by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 434 sentences, grouped into 87 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 87 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 87 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 6 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 Ear in the Wall by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4987 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5150 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #5150, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 415 minutes of reading across 998 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Ear in the Wall section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of The Ear in the Wall 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 Ear in the Wall, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
