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The Magic of Oz
The Magic of Oz

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Magic of Oz is here in full — 186 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Magic of Oz
Context Illustration Reading 14/37 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.
As he went in Kiki stubbed his toe on one of the floor boards.
He searched everywhere but found no trace of his father's magic.
All had been destroyed.
Much disappointed, he started to go out again when he stubbed his toe on the same floor board.
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 of Oz

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Magic of Oz is here in full — 186 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 14/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 66–70

Line 1
But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.
Line 2
As he went in Kiki stubbed his toe on one of the floor boards.
Line 3
He searched everywhere but found no trace of his father's magic.
/hiː sɜːrtʃt ˈevriwer bʌt faʊnd noʊ treɪs ʌv hɪz ˈfɑːðərz ˈmædʒɪk/
Line 4
All had been destroyed.
/ɔːl hæd bɪn dɪˈstrɔɪd/
Line 5
Much disappointed, he started to go out again when he stubbed his toe on the same floor board.
/mʌtʃ ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntɪd hiː ˈstɑːrtɪd tuː ɡoʊ aʊt əˈɡen wen hiː stʌbd hɪz toʊ ɑːn ðə seɪm flɔːr bɔːrd/

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.

boards noun US /bɔːrdz/

(used in the plural) the stage of a theater

From this reading “As he went in Kiki stubbed his toe on one of the floor boards.”

forbidden adjective US /fərˈbɪd.ən/

Not allowed; banned or prohibited by rule or law.

From this reading “But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.”

practiced adjective US /ˈpræktəst/

having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude

From this reading “But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.”

searched verb US /sɜːrtʃt/

past form of “search” — try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of

From this reading “He searched everywhere but found no trace of his father's magic.”

sorcery noun US /ˈsɔːrsəri/

the belief in magical spells that harness occult forces or evil spirits to produce unnatural effects in the world

From this reading “But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.”

stubbed verb US /stʌbd/

inflected form of “stub” — pull up (weeds) by their roots

From this reading “As he went in Kiki stubbed his toe on one of the floor boards.”

toe noun US /toʊ/

one of the digits of the foot

From this reading “As he went in Kiki stubbed his toe on one of the floor boards.”

tools noun US /tuːlz/

plural of “tool” — an implement used in the practice of a vocation

From this reading “But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.”

All words in this reading · 60

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.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Much disappointed, he started to go out again when he stubbed his toe on the same floor board.

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 had been destroyed.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

Aru

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

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading As he went in Kiki stubbed his toe on one of the floor boards.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading All had been destroyed.

Bini

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

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

boardnounUS /bɔːrd/

a committee having supervisory powers

From this reading Much disappointed, he started to go out again when he stubbed his toe on the same floor board.

boardsnounUS /bɔːrdz/

(used in the plural) the stage of a theater

From this reading As he went in Kiki stubbed his toe on one of the floor boards.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

decidedadjectiveUS /ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd/

recognizable; marked

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

destroyedadjectiveUS /dɪˈstrɔɪd/

spoiled or ruined or demolished

From this reading All had been destroyed.

disappointedadjectiveUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntɪd/

disappointingly unsuccessful

From this reading Much disappointed, he started to go out again when he stubbed his toe on the same floor board.

enterverbUS /ˈentər/

to come or go into

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

everywhereadverbUS /ˈevriwer/

to or in any or all places

From this reading He searched everywhere but found no trace of his father's magic.

father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/

possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

floornounUS /flɔːr/

the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)

From this reading As he went in Kiki stubbed his toe on one of the floor boards.

forbiddenadjectiveUS /fərˈbɪd.ən/

Not allowed; banned or prohibited by rule or law.

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading He searched everywhere but found no trace of his father's magic.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading All had been destroyed.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading As he went in Kiki stubbed his toe on one of the floor boards.

Kiki

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

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

magicnounUS /ˈmædʒɪk/

any art that invokes supernatural powers

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

MuchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading Much disappointed, he started to go out again when he stubbed his toe on the same floor board.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading He searched everywhere but found no trace of his father's magic.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading As he went in Kiki stubbed his toe on one of the floor boards.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading As he went in Kiki stubbed his toe on one of the floor boards.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Much disappointed, he started to go out again when he stubbed his toe on the same floor board.

practicedadjectiveUS /ˈpræktəst/

having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

privateadjectiveUS /ˈpraɪvət/

confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading Much disappointed, he started to go out again when he stubbed his toe on the same floor board.

searchedverbUS /sɜːrtʃt/

past form of “search” — try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of

From this reading He searched everywhere but found no trace of his father's magic.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

sorcerynounUS /ˈsɔːrsəri/

the belief in magical spells that harness occult forces or evil spirits to produce unnatural effects in the world

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading Much disappointed, he started to go out again when he stubbed his toe on the same floor board.

stubbedverbUS /stʌbd/

inflected form of “stub” — pull up (weeds) by their roots

From this reading As he went in Kiki stubbed his toe on one of the floor boards.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

toenounUS /toʊ/

one of the digits of the foot

From this reading As he went in Kiki stubbed his toe on one of the floor boards.

toolsnounUS /tuːlz/

plural of “tool” — an implement used in the practice of a vocation

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

tracenounUS /treɪs/

a just detectable amount

From this reading He searched everywhere but found no trace of his father's magic.

usedadjectiveUS /juːzd/

employed in accomplishing something

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

wentverbUS /went/

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

From this reading As he went in Kiki stubbed his toe on one of the floor boards.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading But after he was left alone Kiki decided to enter his father's private room, where he was forbidden to go, and see if he could find any of the magic tools Bini Aru used to work with when he practiced sorcery.

Chapter 1 of The Magic of Oz by L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum holds 186 sentences, grouped into 38 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 1 of The Magic of Oz contain?

Chapter 1 holds 186 sentences of The Magic of Oz, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Magic of Oz by L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 186 sentences, grouped into 38 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 1 of The Magic of Oz?

Work through the 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 38 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 of Oz

Common questions about reading The Magic of Oz by L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Magic of Oz?

Yes. All 2104 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #419 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Magic of Oz is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #419, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Magic of Oz take to read?

About 175 minutes of reading across 421 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Magic of Oz section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 11 chapters of The Magic of Oz 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 of Oz

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

Faithful
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Magic of Oz; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Record
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Magic of Oz; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Remarkable
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Magic of Oz; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Adventures
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Magic of Oz; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.