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The Eternal Boy
The Eternal Boy

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Eternal Boy is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Owen Johnson • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Eternal Boy
Context Illustration Reading 1/81 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"So Green is dreaming again!
Dear, dear!
Dreaming again!" said the deliberate voice.
"Dreaming of chocolate éclairs and the jigger-shop, eh, Green?"
FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.
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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 Eternal Boy

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Eternal Boy is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/81 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"So Green is dreaming again!
/soʊ ɡriːn ɪz ˈdriːmɪŋ əˈɡen/
Line 2
Dear, dear!
/dɪr dɪr/
Line 3
Dreaming again!" said the deliberate voice.
/ˈdriːmɪŋ əˈɡen sed ðə dɪˈlɪbərət vɔɪs/
Line 4
"Dreaming of chocolate éclairs and the jigger-shop, eh, Green?"
Line 5
FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

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.

Bonaparte noun US /ˈboʊnəpɑːrt/

French general who became emperor of the French (1769-1821)

From this reading “FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
chocolate noun US /ˈtʃɔːklət/

a beverage made from cocoa powder and milk and sugar; usually drunk hot

From this reading “"Dreaming of chocolate éclairs and the jigger-shop, eh, Green?"”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
colossal adjective US /kəˈlɑːsəl/

so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe

From this reading “FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
evolving verb US /ɪˈvɑːlvɪŋ/

-ing form of “evolve” — work out

From this reading “FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hickey noun US /ˈhɪki/

a small inflamed elevation of the skin; a pustule or papule; common symptom in acne

From this reading “FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
persecution noun US /ˌpɜːrsəˈkjuːʃən/

the act of persecuting (especially on the basis of race or religion)

From this reading “FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
resolves noun US /riˈzɑːlvz/

plural of “resolve” — the trait of being resolute

From this reading “FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Tabby noun US /ˈtæbi/

a cat with a grey or tawny coat mottled with black

From this reading “FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

encounter with verb + particle

In this reading “FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.”

3,854 times in 426,212 chapters

All words in this reading · 45

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
absorbedadjectiveUS /əbˈzɔːrbd/

giving or marked by complete attention to

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading "So Green is dreaming again!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

Velmora curated lexicon
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "Dreaming of chocolate éclairs and the jigger-shop, eh, Green?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BonapartenounUS /ˈboʊnəpɑːrt/

French general who became emperor of the French (1769-1821)

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
chocolatenounUS /ˈtʃɔːklət/

a beverage made from cocoa powder and milk and sugar; usually drunk hot

From this reading "Dreaming of chocolate éclairs and the jigger-shop, eh, Green?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
colossaladjectiveUS /kəˈlɑːsəl/

so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading Dear, dear!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
deliberateadjectiveUS /dɪˈlɪbərət/

carefully thought out in advance

From this reading Dreaming again!" said the deliberate voice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
disillusionising

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

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

Pending verification
dreamingnounUS /ˈdriːmɪŋ/

imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake

From this reading "So Green is dreaming again!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eh

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

From this reading "Dreaming of chocolate éclairs and the jigger-shop, eh, Green?"

Pending verification
encounterverbUS /ɪnˈkaʊntər/

come together

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EveradverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
evolvingverbUS /ɪˈvɑːlvɪŋ/

-ing form of “evolve” — work out

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FURTHERadverbUS /ˈfɜːrðər/

to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GreennounUS /ɡriːn/

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading "So Green is dreaming again!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HICKEYnounUS /ˈhɪki/

a small inflamed elevation of the skin; a pustule or papule; common symptom in acne

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
immenseadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈmens/

unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "So Green is dreaming again!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
jigger-shop

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

From this reading "Dreaming of chocolate éclairs and the jigger-shop, eh, Green?"

Pending verification
likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
moodilyadverb

in a moody manner

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
obscureverbUS /əbsˈkjʊr/

make less visible or unclear

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Dreaming of chocolate éclairs and the jigger-shop, eh, Green?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PERSECUTIONnounUS /ˌpɜːrsəˈkjuːʃən/

the act of persecuting (especially on the basis of race or religion)

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rebellionnounUS /rɪˈbeljən/

refusal to accept some authority or code or convention

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
resolvesnounUS /riˈzɑːlvz/

plural of “resolve” — the trait of being resolute

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading Dreaming again!" said the deliberate voice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
schemenounUS /skiːm/

an elaborate and systematic plan of action

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading "So Green is dreaming again!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TabbynounUS /ˈtæbi/

a cat with a grey or tawny coat mottled with black

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Dreaming again!" said the deliberate voice.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Toulonnoun

a port city and naval base in southeastern France on the Mediterranean coast

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
trenchesnounUS /ˈtrentʃɪz/

plural of “trench” — a ditch dug as a fortification having a parapet of the excavated earth

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading Dreaming again!" said the deliberate voice.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
walkedverbUS /wɔːkt/

past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading FURTHER PERSECUTION OF HICKEY Ever since the disillusionising encounter with Tabby, Hickey, like the obscure Bonaparte before the trenches of Toulon, walked moodily alone, absorbed in his own resolves, evolving his immense scheme of a colossal rebellion.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
éclairs

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

From this reading "Dreaming of chocolate éclairs and the jigger-shop, eh, Green?"

Pending verification

Chapter 4 of The Eternal Boy by Owen Johnson holds 406 sentences, grouped into 82 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 4 of The Eternal Boy contain?

Chapter 4 holds 406 sentences of The Eternal Boy, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Eternal Boy by Owen Johnson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 406 sentences, grouped into 82 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 4 of The Eternal Boy?

Work through the 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 82 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Eternal Boy

Common questions about reading The Eternal Boy by Owen Johnson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Eternal Boy?

Yes. All 4065 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #46892 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Eternal Boy is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #46892, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Eternal Boy take to read?

About 338 minutes of reading across 813 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Eternal Boy section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Eternal Boy

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

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Eternal Boy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fargus
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Eternal Boy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nothing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Eternal Boy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Suveneer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Eternal Boy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.