Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Little Skipper: A Son of a Sailor
The Little Skipper: A Son of a Sailor

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Little Skipper: A Son of a Sailor is here in full — 35 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Little Skipper: A Son of a Sailor
Context Illustration Reading 1/7 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.
"But she isn't very angry with me," he thought the next moment, for she kissed him eagerly.
"It's only because she's sorry.
I'm never going to make her unhappy again, though," he thought, as he went on to shake hands with his father.
"Morning, Bob," said the Captain, pressing his boy's hand hard, and then turning to Dot, whom he jumped up so as to kiss her lovingly.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Little Skipper: A Son of a Sailor

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Little Skipper: A Son of a Sailor is here in full — 35 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/7 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.
/ðə nekst ˈmɔːrnɪŋ æt ˈbrekfəst ðə ˈskɪpər ˈnoʊtəst ðæt hɪz ˈmʌðər lʊkt æz ɪf ʃiː hæd bɪn ˈkraɪɪŋ əˈɡen ənd ðə saɪt keɪm laɪk ə tʃɪl ˈoʊvər ðə bɔɪ/
Line 2
"But she isn't very angry with me," he thought the next moment, for she kissed him eagerly.
Line 3
"It's only because she's sorry.
Line 4
I'm never going to make her unhappy again, though," he thought, as he went on to shake hands with his father.
Line 5
"Morning, Bob," said the Captain, pressing his boy's hand hard, and then turning to Dot, whom he jumped up so as to kiss her lovingly.
/ˈmɔːrnɪŋ bɑːb sed ðə ˈkæptən ˈpresɪŋ hɪz bɔɪz hænd hɑːrd ənd ðen ˈtɜːrnɪŋ tuː dɑːt huːm hiː dʒʌmpt ʌp soʊ æz tuː kɪs hɜːr ˈlʌvɪŋli/

Learner Dictionary

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.

Bob verb US /bɑːb/

move up and down repeatedly

From this reading “"Morning, Bob," said the Captain, pressing his boy's hand hard, and then turning to Dot, whom he jumped up so as to kiss her lovingly.”

boy's noun US /bɔɪz/

possessive form of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading “"Morning, Bob," said the Captain, pressing his boy's hand hard, and then turning to Dot, whom he jumped up so as to kiss her lovingly.”

chill noun US /tʃɪl/

coldness due to a cold environment

From this reading “The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.”

Dot noun US /dɑːt/

a very small circular shape

From this reading “"Morning, Bob," said the Captain, pressing his boy's hand hard, and then turning to Dot, whom he jumped up so as to kiss her lovingly.”

jumped verb US /dʒʌmpt/

past form of “jump” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading “"Morning, Bob," said the Captain, pressing his boy's hand hard, and then turning to Dot, whom he jumped up so as to kiss her lovingly.”

lovingly adverb US /ˈlʌvɪŋli/

with fondness; with love

From this reading “"Morning, Bob," said the Captain, pressing his boy's hand hard, and then turning to Dot, whom he jumped up so as to kiss her lovingly.”

pressing noun US /ˈpresɪŋ/

the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure

From this reading “"Morning, Bob," said the Captain, pressing his boy's hand hard, and then turning to Dot, whom he jumped up so as to kiss her lovingly.”

Skipper noun US /ˈskɪpər/

a student who fails to attend classes

From this reading “The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.”

All words in this reading · 73

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

angryadjectiveUS /ˈæŋɡri/

feeling or showing anger

From this reading "But she isn't very angry with me," he thought the next moment, for she kissed him eagerly.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading "It's only because she's sorry.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

BobverbUS /bɑːb/

move up and down repeatedly

From this reading "Morning, Bob," said the Captain, pressing his boy's hand hard, and then turning to Dot, whom he jumped up so as to kiss her lovingly.

boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

boy'snounUS /bɔɪz/

possessive form of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading "Morning, Bob," said the Captain, pressing his boy's hand hard, and then turning to Dot, whom he jumped up so as to kiss her lovingly.

breakfastverbUS /ˈbrekfəst/

eat an early morning meal

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "But she isn't very angry with me," he thought the next moment, for she kissed him eagerly.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

CaptainnounUS /ˈkæptən/

an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

From this reading "Morning, Bob," said the Captain, pressing his boy's hand hard, and then turning to Dot, whom he jumped up so as to kiss her lovingly.

chillnounUS /tʃɪl/

coldness due to a cold environment

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

cryingadjectiveUS /ˈkraɪɪŋ/

demanding attention

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

DotnounUS /dɑːt/

a very small circular shape

From this reading "Morning, Bob," said the Captain, pressing his boy's hand hard, and then turning to Dot, whom he jumped up so as to kiss her lovingly.

eagerlyadverbUS /ˈiːɡərli/

with eagerness; in an eager manner

From this reading "But she isn't very angry with me," he thought the next moment, for she kissed him eagerly.

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading I'm never going to make her unhappy again, though," he thought, as he went on to shake hands with his father.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "But she isn't very angry with me," he thought the next moment, for she kissed him eagerly.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading I'm never going to make her unhappy again, though," he thought, as he went on to shake hands with his father.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading "Morning, Bob," said the Captain, pressing his boy's hand hard, and then turning to Dot, whom he jumped up so as to kiss her lovingly.

handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading I'm never going to make her unhappy again, though," he thought, as he went on to shake hands with his father.

hardadjectiveUS /hɑːrd/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading "Morning, Bob," said the Captain, pressing his boy's hand hard, and then turning to Dot, whom he jumped up so as to kiss her lovingly.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "But she isn't very angry with me," he thought the next moment, for she kissed him eagerly.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading I'm never going to make her unhappy again, though," he thought, as he went on to shake hands with his father.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "But she isn't very angry with me," he thought the next moment, for she kissed him eagerly.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

I'm

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I'm never going to make her unhappy again, though," he thought, as he went on to shake hands with his father.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

isn't

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "But she isn't very angry with me," he thought the next moment, for she kissed him eagerly.

It's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "It's only because she's sorry.

jumpedverbUS /dʒʌmpt/

past form of “jump” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading "Morning, Bob," said the Captain, pressing his boy's hand hard, and then turning to Dot, whom he jumped up so as to kiss her lovingly.

kissnounUS /kɪs/

the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof)

From this reading "Morning, Bob," said the Captain, pressing his boy's hand hard, and then turning to Dot, whom he jumped up so as to kiss her lovingly.

kissedverbUS /kɪst/

past form of “kiss” — touch with the lips or press the lips (against someone's mouth or other body part) as an expression of love, greeting, etc.

From this reading "But she isn't very angry with me," he thought the next moment, for she kissed him eagerly.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

lovinglyadverbUS /ˈlʌvɪŋli/

with fondness; with love

From this reading "Morning, Bob," said the Captain, pressing his boy's hand hard, and then turning to Dot, whom he jumped up so as to kiss her lovingly.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading I'm never going to make her unhappy again, though," he thought, as he went on to shake hands with his father.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "But she isn't very angry with me," he thought the next moment, for she kissed him eagerly.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading "But she isn't very angry with me," he thought the next moment, for she kissed him eagerly.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading I'm never going to make her unhappy again, though," he thought, as he went on to shake hands with his father.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

noticedadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊtəst/

being perceived or observed

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading I'm never going to make her unhappy again, though," he thought, as he went on to shake hands with his father.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading "It's only because she's sorry.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

pressingnounUS /ˈpresɪŋ/

the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure

From this reading "Morning, Bob," said the Captain, pressing his boy's hand hard, and then turning to Dot, whom he jumped up so as to kiss her lovingly.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Morning, Bob," said the Captain, pressing his boy's hand hard, and then turning to Dot, whom he jumped up so as to kiss her lovingly.

shakeverbUS /ʃeɪk/

move or cause to move back and forth

From this reading I'm never going to make her unhappy again, though," he thought, as he went on to shake hands with his father.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

she's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "It's only because she's sorry.

sightnounUS /saɪt/

an instance of visual perception

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

SkippernounUS /ˈskɪpər/

a student who fails to attend classes

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading "Morning, Bob," said the Captain, pressing his boy's hand hard, and then turning to Dot, whom he jumped up so as to kiss her lovingly.

sorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/

feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone

From this reading "It's only because she's sorry.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading The next morning at breakfast the Skipper noticed that his mother looked as if she had been crying again, and the sight came like a chill over the boy.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading "Morning, Bob," said the Captain, pressing his boy's hand hard, and then turning to Dot, whom he jumped up so as to kiss her lovingly.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading I'm never going to make her unhappy again, though," he thought, as he went on to shake hands with his father.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading "But she isn't very angry with me," he thought the next moment, for she kissed him eagerly.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading I'm never going to make her unhappy again, though," he thought, as he went on to shake hands with his father.

turningnounUS /ˈtɜːrnɪŋ/

the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course

From this reading "Morning, Bob," said the Captain, pressing his boy's hand hard, and then turning to Dot, whom he jumped up so as to kiss her lovingly.

unhappyadjectiveUS /ənˈhæpi/

experiencing or marked by or causing sadness or sorrow or discontent

From this reading I'm never going to make her unhappy again, though," he thought, as he went on to shake hands with his father.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading "Morning, Bob," said the Captain, pressing his boy's hand hard, and then turning to Dot, whom he jumped up so as to kiss her lovingly.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading "But she isn't very angry with me," he thought the next moment, for she kissed him eagerly.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading I'm never going to make her unhappy again, though," he thought, as he went on to shake hands with his father.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "Morning, Bob," said the Captain, pressing his boy's hand hard, and then turning to Dot, whom he jumped up so as to kiss her lovingly.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "But she isn't very angry with me," he thought the next moment, for she kissed him eagerly.

Chapter 4 of The Little Skipper: A Son of a Sailor by George Manville Fenn holds 35 sentences, grouped into 7 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.

What does chapter 4 of The Little Skipper: A Son of a Sailor contain?

Chapter 4 holds 35 sentences of The Little Skipper: A Son of a Sailor, unabridged, divided into 7 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Little Skipper: A Son of a Sailor by George Manville Fenn exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 35 sentences, grouped into 7 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.

How do I study chapter 4 of The Little Skipper: A Son of a Sailor?

Work through the 7 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 7 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.

Can chapter 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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.

Questions about reading The Little Skipper: A Son of a Sailor

Common questions about reading The Little Skipper: A Son of a Sailor by George Manville Fenn on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Little Skipper: A Son of a Sailor?

Yes. All 644 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20544 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Little Skipper: A Son of a Sailor is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #20544, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Little Skipper: A Son of a Sailor take to read?

About 53 minutes of reading across 129 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Little Skipper: A Son of a Sailor section by section

How to work through The Little Skipper: A Son of a Sailor section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 8 chapters of The Little Skipper: A Son of a Sailor to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Little Skipper: A Son of a Sailor

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Little Skipper: A Son of a Sailor, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Birds
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Little Skipper: A Son of a Sailor; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Singing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Little Skipper: A Son of a Sailor; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Spring
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Little Skipper: A Son of a Sailor; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Morning
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Little Skipper: A Son of a Sailor; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.