Chapter 2 of The Little Man is here in full — 294 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Little Man is here in full — 294 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AMERICAN. You seem kind of skeery about that. You've had experience, maybe. I'm an optimist--I think we're bound to make the devil hum in the near future. I opine we shall occasion a good deal of trouble to that old party.
Chapter 2 of The Little Man is here in full — 294 sentences across 59 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/58 · 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 native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading “AMERICAN.”
confined by bonds
From this reading “I'm an optimist--I think we're bound to make the devil hum in the near future.”
(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading “I'm an optimist--I think we're bound to make the devil hum in the near future.”
undergo or live through a difficult experience
From this reading “You've had experience, maybe.”
sing with closed lips
From this reading “I'm an optimist--I think we're bound to make the devil hum in the near future.”
by chance
From this reading “You've had experience, maybe.”
express one's opinion openly and without fear or hesitation
From this reading “I opine we shall occasion a good deal of trouble to that old party.”
a person disposed to take a favorable view of things
From this reading “I'm an optimist--I think we're bound to make the devil hum in the near future.”
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 I opine we shall occasion a good deal of trouble to that old party.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading You seem kind of skeery about that.
a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading AMERICAN.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading I'm an optimist--I think we're bound to make the devil hum in the near future.
confined by bonds
From this reading I'm an optimist--I think we're bound to make the devil hum in the near future.
act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
From this reading I opine we shall occasion a good deal of trouble to that old party.
(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading I'm an optimist--I think we're bound to make the devil hum in the near future.
undergo or live through a difficult experience
From this reading You've had experience, maybe.
yet to be or coming
From this reading I'm an optimist--I think we're bound to make the devil hum in the near future.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading I opine we shall occasion a good deal of trouble to that old party.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading You've had experience, maybe.
sing with closed lips
From this reading I'm an optimist--I think we're bound to make the devil hum in the near future.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I'm an optimist--I think we're bound to make the devil hum in the near future.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'm an optimist--I think we're bound to make the devil hum in the near future.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I'm an optimist--I think we're bound to make the devil hum in the near future.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading You seem kind of skeery about that.
engage in
From this reading I'm an optimist--I think we're bound to make the devil hum in the near future.
by chance
From this reading You've had experience, maybe.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading I'm an optimist--I think we're bound to make the devil hum in the near future.
an event that occurs at a critical time
From this reading I opine we shall occasion a good deal of trouble to that old party.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading You seem kind of skeery about that.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading I opine we shall occasion a good deal of trouble to that old party.
express one's opinion openly and without fear or hesitation
From this reading I opine we shall occasion a good deal of trouble to that old party.
a person disposed to take a favorable view of things
From this reading I'm an optimist--I think we're bound to make the devil hum in the near future.
an organization to gain political power
From this reading I opine we shall occasion a good deal of trouble to that old party.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading You seem kind of skeery about that.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading I opine we shall occasion a good deal of trouble to that old party.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You seem kind of skeery about that.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading You seem kind of skeery about that.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I'm an optimist--I think we're bound to make the devil hum in the near future.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading I'm an optimist--I think we're bound to make the devil hum in the near future.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I'm an optimist--I think we're bound to make the devil hum in the near future.
a source of difficulty
From this reading I opine we shall occasion a good deal of trouble to that old party.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading I opine we shall occasion a good deal of trouble to that old party.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'm an optimist--I think we're bound to make the devil hum in the near future.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You seem kind of skeery about that.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You've had experience, maybe.
Chapter 2 of The Little Man by John Galsworthy holds 294 sentences, grouped into 59 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 294 sentences of The Little Man, unabridged, divided into 59 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Little Man by John Galsworthy exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 294 sentences, grouped into 59 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 59 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 59 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 Little Man by John Galsworthy on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 882 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2919 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2919, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 73 minutes of reading across 177 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Little Man section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of The Little Man 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 Little Man, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
