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The Magic Nuts
The Magic Nuts

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of The Magic Nuts is here in full — 198 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Mrs. Molesworth • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Magic Nuts
Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.
Then her face lighted up again, and she replied-- 'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'
Something like a smile broke over the gnome's countenance.
'All right,' he said, 'you don't know, and you don't pretend you do.
And _I_ don't want to know.
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 Magic Nuts

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of The Magic Nuts is here in full — 198 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.
Line 2
Then her face lighted up again, and she replied-- 'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'
Line 3
Something like a smile broke over the gnome's countenance.
Line 4
'All right,' he said, 'you don't know, and you don't pretend you do.
Line 5
And _I_ don't want to know.

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.

countenance noun US /ˈkaʊntənəns/

the appearance conveyed by a person's face

From this reading “Something like a smile broke over the gnome's countenance.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fairy noun US /ˈferi/

a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers

From this reading “GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lighted adjective US /ˈlaɪtəd/

set afire or burning

From this reading “Then her face lighted up again, and she replied-- 'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pet noun US /pet/

a domesticated animal kept for companionship or amusement

From this reading “GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pretend verb US /priˈtend/

make believe with the intent to deceive

From this reading “'All right,' he said, 'you don't know, and you don't pretend you do.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sneered verb US /snɪrd/

past form of “sneer” — express through a scornful smile

From this reading “GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sniffed verb US /snɪft/

past form of “sniff” — perceive by inhaling through the nose

From this reading “GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stared verb US /sterd/

past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes

From this reading “GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

without speaking preposition + noun

In this reading “GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.”

6,243 times in 426,211 chapters
For a moment preposition + article + noun counted as “for … moment”

temporarily

In this reading “GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.”

130,343 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 61

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 GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Then her face lighted up again, and she replied-- 'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
AlladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 'All right,' he said, 'you don't know, and you don't pretend you do.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading Then her face lighted up again, and she replied-- 'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
appearedverbUS /əˈpɪrd/

past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
brokeadjectiveUS /broʊk/

lacking funds

From this reading Something like a smile broke over the gnome's countenance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
can't

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

From this reading Then her face lighted up again, and she replied-- 'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'

Pending verification
ChildnounUS /tʃaɪld/

a young person of either sex

From this reading GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
countenancenounUS /ˈkaʊntənəns/

the appearance conveyed by a person's face

From this reading Something like a smile broke over the gnome's countenance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading 'All right,' he said, 'you don't know, and you don't pretend you do.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
don't

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

From this reading Then her face lighted up again, and she replied-- 'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'

Pending verification
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading Then her face lighted up again, and she replied-- 'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fairynounUS /ˈferi/

a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers

From this reading GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
gnome's

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

From this reading Something like a smile broke over the gnome's countenance.

Pending verification
GNOMELAND

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

From this reading GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.

Pending verification
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Then her face lighted up again, and she replied-- 'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Then her face lighted up again, and she replied-- 'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Hildegarde

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

From this reading GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.

Pending verification
IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading Then her face lighted up again, and she replied-- 'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
InprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading Then her face lighted up again, and she replied-- 'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lightedadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪtəd/

set afire or burning

From this reading Then her face lighted up again, and she replied-- 'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Something like a smile broke over the gnome's countenance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NaturenounUS /ˈneɪtʃər/

the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized

From this reading GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Then her face lighted up again, and she replied-- 'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Something like a smile broke over the gnome's countenance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
petnounUS /pet/

a domesticated animal kept for companionship or amusement

From this reading GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pretendverbUS /priˈtend/

make believe with the intent to deceive

From this reading 'All right,' he said, 'you don't know, and you don't pretend you do.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading Then her face lighted up again, and she replied-- 'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading 'All right,' he said, 'you don't know, and you don't pretend you do.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading 'All right,' he said, 'you don't know, and you don't pretend you do.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Then her face lighted up again, and she replied-- 'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
sirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading Then her face lighted up again, and she replied-- 'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
smileverbUS /smaɪl/

change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure

From this reading Something like a smile broke over the gnome's countenance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sneeredverbUS /snɪrd/

past form of “sneer” — express through a scornful smile

From this reading GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sniffedverbUS /snɪft/

past form of “sniff” — perceive by inhaling through the nose

From this reading GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SomethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Something like a smile broke over the gnome's countenance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
sorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/

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

From this reading Then her face lighted up again, and she replied-- 'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
speakingnounUS /ˈspiːkɪŋ/

the utterance of intelligible speech

From this reading GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
staredverbUS /sterd/

past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes

From this reading GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading Then her face lighted up again, and she replied-- 'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Then her face lighted up again, and she replied-- 'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then her face lighted up again, and she replied-- 'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading And _I_ don't want to know.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading Then her face lighted up again, and she replied-- 'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Then her face lighted up again, and she replied-- 'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading And _I_ don't want to know.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
watchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/

look attentively

From this reading Then her face lighted up again, and she replied-- 'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading GNOMELAND He appeared, sniffed, and sneered, In a fairy pet.--_Child Nature._ For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Then her face lighted up again, and she replied-- 'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 6 of The Magic Nuts by Mrs. Molesworth holds 198 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.

What does chapter 6 of The Magic Nuts contain?

Chapter 6 holds 198 sentences of The Magic Nuts, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 6 of The Magic Nuts by Mrs. Molesworth exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 198 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.

How do I study chapter 6 of The Magic Nuts?

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.

Can chapter 6 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 6 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 Magic Nuts

Common questions about reading The Magic Nuts by Mrs. Molesworth on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Magic Nuts?

Yes. All 2233 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39662 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Magic Nuts is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #39662, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Magic Nuts take to read?

About 186 minutes of reading across 447 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Magic Nuts section by section

How to work through The Magic Nuts section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 12 chapters of The Magic Nuts 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 Magic Nuts

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Magic Nuts, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Molesworth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Magic Nuts; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Magic Nuts; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Carrots
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Magic Nuts; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cuckoo
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Magic Nuts; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.