Chapter 2 of The Happy Family is here in full — 437 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Happy Family is here in full — 437 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day. How about it, Slim?" "Run 'em down yourself," Slim retorted. "By golly, I ain't no lop-ear bird dog." "The law's out fer chickens," Happy Jack remarked dolefully.
Chapter 2 of The Happy Family is here in full — 437 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/87 · 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.
plural of “chicken” — the flesh of a chicken used for food
From this reading “"The law's out fer chickens," Happy Jack remarked dolefully.”
flesh of any of various grouse of the family Tetraonidae; usually roasted; flesh too dry to broil
From this reading “"If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.”
possessive form of “law” — the collection of rules imposed by authority
From this reading “"The law's out fer chickens," Happy Jack remarked dolefully.”
an incidental benefit awarded for certain types of employment (especially if it is regarded as a right)
From this reading “"If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.”
a light shade of red
From this reading “"If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.”
in such a manner as to make something clearly evident
From this reading “"If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.”
past form of “retort” — answer back
From this reading “"Run 'em down yourself," Slim retorted.”
being of delicate or slender build
From this reading “"If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.”
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 "If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading How about it, Slim?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "By golly, I ain't no lop-ear bird dog."
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading "If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.
warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading "By golly, I ain't no lop-ear bird dog."
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "By golly, I ain't no lop-ear bird dog."
plural of “chicken” — the flesh of a chicken used for food
From this reading "The law's out fer chickens," Happy Jack remarked dolefully.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading "If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.
a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading "By golly, I ain't no lop-ear bird dog."
with sadness; in a sorrowful manner
From this reading "The law's out fer chickens," Happy Jack remarked dolefully.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading "If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.
a quad with a square body
From this reading "Run 'em down yourself," Slim retorted.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "The law's out fer chickens," Happy Jack remarked dolefully.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "By golly, I ain't no lop-ear bird dog."
flesh of any of various grouse of the family Tetraonidae; usually roasted; flesh too dry to broil
From this reading "If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading "The law's out fer chickens," Happy Jack remarked dolefully.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How about it, Slim?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "By golly, I ain't no lop-ear bird dog."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading How about it, Slim?"
a small worthless amount
From this reading "The law's out fer chickens," Happy Jack remarked dolefully.
possessive form of “law” — the collection of rules imposed by authority
From this reading "The law's out fer chickens," Happy Jack remarked dolefully.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "By golly, I ain't no lop-ear bird dog."
not any; not one
From this reading "By golly, I ain't no lop-ear bird dog."
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading "If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "The law's out fer chickens," Happy Jack remarked dolefully.
an incidental benefit awarded for certain types of employment (especially if it is regarded as a right)
From this reading "If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.
a light shade of red
From this reading "If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.
in such a manner as to make something clearly evident
From this reading "If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.
past form of “remark” — make mention of
From this reading "The law's out fer chickens," Happy Jack remarked dolefully.
past form of “retort” — answer back
From this reading "Run 'em down yourself," Slim retorted.
precisely, exactly
From this reading "If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading "If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.
being of delicate or slender build
From this reading "If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading "If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "If Slim would perk up and go run down a grouse or two," Pink observed pointedly, "we'd be all right for the day.
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading "Run 'em down yourself," Slim retorted.
Chapter 2 of The Happy Family by B. M. Bower holds 437 sentences, grouped into 88 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 437 sentences of The Happy Family, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Happy Family by B. M. Bower exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 437 sentences, grouped into 88 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 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 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 Happy Family by B. M. Bower on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3519 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13670 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #13670, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 293 minutes of reading across 704 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Happy Family section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 8 chapters of The Happy 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 Happy Family, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
