Chapter 2 of The Hand of the Mighty, and Other Stories is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Hand of the Mighty, and Other Stories is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Did that simple cuss give you a dollar, too?” I says. “Simple? Why, George, his option is almost as good as a deed. It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.
Chapter 2 of The Hand of the Mighty, and Other Stories is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/79 · 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.
a unit of area (4840 square yards) used in English-speaking countries
From this reading “It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.”
third-person singular of “choose” — pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
From this reading “It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.”
enter into a contractual arrangement
From this reading “It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.”
a persistently annoying person
From this reading ““Did that simple cuss give you a dollar, too?””
the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents
From this reading ““Did that simple cuss give you a dollar, too?””
restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken
From this reading “It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.”
the right to buy or sell property at an agreed price; the right is purchased and if it is not exercised by a stated date the money is forfeited
From this reading “Why, George, his option is almost as good as a deed.”
a particular instance of selling
From this reading “It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.”
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.
available for purchase
In this reading “It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.”
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 “Did that simple cuss give you a dollar, too?”
higher than, or over, something
From this reading It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.
a unit of area (4840 square yards) used in English-speaking countries
From this reading It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Why, George, his option is almost as good as a deed.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Why, George, his option is almost as good as a deed.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.
third-person singular of “choose” — pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
From this reading It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.
enter into a contractual arrangement
From this reading It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.
a persistently annoying person
From this reading “Did that simple cuss give you a dollar, too?”
a legal document signed and sealed and delivered to effect a transfer of property and to show the legal right to possess it
From this reading Why, George, his option is almost as good as a deed.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading “Did that simple cuss give you a dollar, too?”
the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents
From this reading “Did that simple cuss give you a dollar, too?”
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.
restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken
From this reading It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.
Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)
From this reading Why, George, his option is almost as good as a deed.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading “Did that simple cuss give you a dollar, too?”
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Why, George, his option is almost as good as a deed.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Why, George, his option is almost as good as a deed.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I says.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Why, George, his option is almost as good as a deed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.
the right to buy or sell property at an agreed price; the right is purchased and if it is not exercised by a stated date the money is forfeited
From this reading Why, George, his option is almost as good as a deed.
the property of having material worth (often indicated by the amount of money something would bring if sold)
From this reading It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.
a particular instance of selling
From this reading It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading I says.
having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved
From this reading “Did that simple cuss give you a dollar, too?”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Did that simple cuss give you a dollar, too?”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading “Did that simple cuss give you a dollar, too?”
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading It's a contract for sale, him to fix the price at any figure he chooses to name above two an acre.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why, George, his option is almost as good as a deed.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Did that simple cuss give you a dollar, too?”
Chapter 2 of The Hand of the Mighty, and Other Stories by Vaughan Kester holds 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 2 holds 398 sentences of The Hand of the Mighty, and Other Stories, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Hand of the Mighty, and Other Stories by Vaughan Kester exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 80 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 2 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 Hand of the Mighty, and Other Stories by Vaughan Kester on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6531 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52563 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #52563, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 544 minutes of reading across 1307 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Hand of the Mighty, and Other Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 16 chapters of The Hand of the Mighty, and Other Stories 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 Hand of the Mighty, and Other Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
