Chapter 7 of The Graymouse Family is here in full — 100 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of The Graymouse Family is here in full — 100 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
SILVER EARS' ADVENTURE It was a rainy day. Big drops splashed against the window-panes and drummed upon the attic roof. Silver Ears was restless. She had helped Mammy sweep the floor, had wiped the dishes, and rocked Baby Squealer to sleep. She did not wish to sew any more patchwork squares.
Chapter 7 of The Graymouse Family is here in full — 100 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/20 · 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.
floor consisting of open space at the top of a house just below roof; often used for storage
From this reading “Big drops splashed against the window-panes and drummed upon the attic roof.”
inflected form of “drum” — make a rhythmic sound
From this reading “Big drops splashed against the window-panes and drummed upon the attic roof.”
a theory or argument made up of miscellaneous or incongruous ideas
From this reading “She did not wish to sew any more patchwork squares.”
(of weather) wet by periods of rain
From this reading “SILVER EARS' ADVENTURE It was a rainy day.”
past form of “rock” — move back and forth or sideways
From this reading “She had helped Mammy sweep the floor, had wiped the dishes, and rocked Baby Squealer to sleep.”
fasten by sewing; do needlework
From this reading “She did not wish to sew any more patchwork squares.”
(of a fluid) having been propelled about in flying drops or masses
From this reading “Big drops splashed against the window-panes and drummed upon the attic roof.”
plural of “square” — (geometry) a plane rectangle with four equal sides and four right angles; a four-sided regular polygon
From this reading “She did not wish to sew any more patchwork squares.”
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 SILVER EARS' ADVENTURE It was a rainy day.
take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome
From this reading SILVER EARS' ADVENTURE It was a rainy day.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Big drops splashed against the window-panes and drummed upon the attic roof.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Big drops splashed against the window-panes and drummed upon the attic roof.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading She did not wish to sew any more patchwork squares.
floor consisting of open space at the top of a house just below roof; often used for storage
From this reading Big drops splashed against the window-panes and drummed upon the attic roof.
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading She had helped Mammy sweep the floor, had wiped the dishes, and rocked Baby Squealer to sleep.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Big drops splashed against the window-panes and drummed upon the attic roof.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading SILVER EARS' ADVENTURE It was a rainy day.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading She did not wish to sew any more patchwork squares.
plural of “dish” — a piece of dishware normally used as a container for holding or serving food
From this reading She had helped Mammy sweep the floor, had wiped the dishes, and rocked Baby Squealer to sleep.
plural of “drop” — a shape that is spherical and small
From this reading Big drops splashed against the window-panes and drummed upon the attic roof.
inflected form of “drum” — make a rhythmic sound
From this reading Big drops splashed against the window-panes and drummed upon the attic roof.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading SILVER EARS' ADVENTURE It was a rainy day.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading She had helped Mammy sweep the floor, had wiped the dishes, and rocked Baby Squealer to sleep.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She had helped Mammy sweep the floor, had wiped the dishes, and rocked Baby Squealer to sleep.
past form of “help” — give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading She had helped Mammy sweep the floor, had wiped the dishes, and rocked Baby Squealer to sleep.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading SILVER EARS' ADVENTURE It was a rainy day.
an offensive term for a Black nursemaid in the southern U.S.
From this reading She had helped Mammy sweep the floor, had wiped the dishes, and rocked Baby Squealer to sleep.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading She did not wish to sew any more patchwork squares.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She did not wish to sew any more patchwork squares.
a theory or argument made up of miscellaneous or incongruous ideas
From this reading She did not wish to sew any more patchwork squares.
(of weather) wet by periods of rain
From this reading SILVER EARS' ADVENTURE It was a rainy day.
worried and uneasy
From this reading Silver Ears was restless.
past form of “rock” — move back and forth or sideways
From this reading She had helped Mammy sweep the floor, had wiped the dishes, and rocked Baby Squealer to sleep.
a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
From this reading Big drops splashed against the window-panes and drummed upon the attic roof.
fasten by sewing; do needlework
From this reading She did not wish to sew any more patchwork squares.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had helped Mammy sweep the floor, had wiped the dishes, and rocked Baby Squealer to sleep.
a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography
From this reading SILVER EARS' ADVENTURE It was a rainy day.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading She had helped Mammy sweep the floor, had wiped the dishes, and rocked Baby Squealer to sleep.
(of a fluid) having been propelled about in flying drops or masses
From this reading Big drops splashed against the window-panes and drummed upon the attic roof.
plural of “square” — (geometry) a plane rectangle with four equal sides and four right angles; a four-sided regular polygon
From this reading She did not wish to sew any more patchwork squares.
one who reveals confidential information in return for money
From this reading She had helped Mammy sweep the floor, had wiped the dishes, and rocked Baby Squealer to sleep.
sweep across or over
From this reading She had helped Mammy sweep the floor, had wiped the dishes, and rocked Baby Squealer to sleep.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Big drops splashed against the window-panes and drummed upon the attic roof.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She had helped Mammy sweep the floor, had wiped the dishes, and rocked Baby Squealer to sleep.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Big drops splashed against the window-panes and drummed upon the attic roof.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading SILVER EARS' ADVENTURE It was a rainy day.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Big drops splashed against the window-panes and drummed upon the attic roof.
past form of “wipe” — rub with a circular motion
From this reading She had helped Mammy sweep the floor, had wiped the dishes, and rocked Baby Squealer to sleep.
hope for; have a wish
From this reading She did not wish to sew any more patchwork squares.
Chapter 7 of The Graymouse Family by Nellie M. (Nellie Mabel) Leonard holds 100 sentences, grouped into 20 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 7 holds 100 sentences of The Graymouse Family, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of The Graymouse Family by Nellie M. (Nellie Mabel) Leonard exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 100 sentences, grouped into 20 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 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 20 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 7 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 Graymouse Family by Nellie M. (Nellie Mabel) Leonard on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 963 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7767 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #7767, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 80 minutes of reading across 193 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Graymouse Family section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of The Graymouse Family 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 Graymouse Family, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
