Chapter 12 of The House of Toys is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of The House of Toys is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
WHICH HOUSE? The doctor did not share David's opinion. He shook his head gravely, looked important and said, "It's lucky I got here so soon." Then he brightened a little. "But it's a lovely clean cut and we'll do what we can."
Chapter 12 of The House of Toys is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/39 · 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.
past form of “brighten” — make more cheerful through the use of color
From this reading “Then he brightened a little.”
free from dirt or impurities; or having clean habits
From this reading “"But it's a lovely clean cut and we'll do what we can."”
possessive form of “david” — patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)
From this reading “The doctor did not share David's opinion.”
in a grave and sober manner
From this reading “He shook his head gravely, looked important and said, "It's lucky I got here so soon."”
of great significance or value
From this reading “He shook his head gravely, looked important and said, "It's lucky I got here so soon."”
appealing to the emotions as well as the eye
From this reading “"But it's a lovely clean cut and we'll do what we can."”
occurring by chance
From this reading “He shook his head gravely, looked important and said, "It's lucky I got here so soon."”
have in common
From this reading “The doctor did not share David's opinion.”
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 Then he brightened a little.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He shook his head gravely, looked important and said, "It's lucky I got here so soon."
past form of “brighten” — make more cheerful through the use of color
From this reading Then he brightened a little.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But it's a lovely clean cut and we'll do what we can."
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "But it's a lovely clean cut and we'll do what we can."
free from dirt or impurities; or having clean habits
From this reading "But it's a lovely clean cut and we'll do what we can."
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading "But it's a lovely clean cut and we'll do what we can."
possessive form of “david” — patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)
From this reading The doctor did not share David's opinion.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading The doctor did not share David's opinion.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "But it's a lovely clean cut and we'll do what we can."
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading The doctor did not share David's opinion.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading He shook his head gravely, looked important and said, "It's lucky I got here so soon."
in a grave and sober manner
From this reading He shook his head gravely, looked important and said, "It's lucky I got here so soon."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He shook his head gravely, looked important and said, "It's lucky I got here so soon."
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading He shook his head gravely, looked important and said, "It's lucky I got here so soon."
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading He shook his head gravely, looked important and said, "It's lucky I got here so soon."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He shook his head gravely, looked important and said, "It's lucky I got here so soon."
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading WHICH HOUSE?
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading He shook his head gravely, looked important and said, "It's lucky I got here so soon."
of great significance or value
From this reading He shook his head gravely, looked important and said, "It's lucky I got here so soon."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He shook his head gravely, looked important and said, "It's lucky I got here so soon."
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Then he brightened a little.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He shook his head gravely, looked important and said, "It's lucky I got here so soon."
appealing to the emotions as well as the eye
From this reading "But it's a lovely clean cut and we'll do what we can."
occurring by chance
From this reading He shook his head gravely, looked important and said, "It's lucky I got here so soon."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The doctor did not share David's opinion.
a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty
From this reading The doctor did not share David's opinion.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading He shook his head gravely, looked important and said, "It's lucky I got here so soon."
have in common
From this reading The doctor did not share David's opinion.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading He shook his head gravely, looked important and said, "It's lucky I got here so soon."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He shook his head gravely, looked important and said, "It's lucky I got here so soon."
in the near future
From this reading He shook his head gravely, looked important and said, "It's lucky I got here so soon."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The doctor did not share David's opinion.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then he brightened a little.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "But it's a lovely clean cut and we'll do what we can."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But it's a lovely clean cut and we'll do what we can."
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "But it's a lovely clean cut and we'll do what we can."
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading WHICH HOUSE?
Chapter 12 of The House of Toys by Henry Russell Miller holds 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 12 holds 199 sentences of The House of Toys, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of The House of Toys by Henry Russell Miller exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 40 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 12 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.
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Words and structures a reader meets early in The House of Toys, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
