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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 22/37 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
From his tree-top he could see a house near by, which looked very comfortable.
A man was milking a cow in the yard and a pleasant-faced woman came to the door and called him to supper.
That made Kiki wonder what sort of food hawks ate.
He felt hungry, but didn't know what to eat or where to get it.
Also he thought a bed would be more comfortable than a tree-top for sleeping, so he hopped to the ground and said: "I want to become Kiki Aru again--Pyrzqxgl!"
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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 22/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 106–110

Line 1
From his tree-top he could see a house near by, which looked very comfortable.
Line 2
A man was milking a cow in the yard and a pleasant-faced woman came to the door and called him to supper.
Line 3
That made Kiki wonder what sort of food hawks ate.
Line 4
He felt hungry, but didn't know what to eat or where to get it.
Line 5
Also he thought a bed would be more comfortable than a tree-top for sleeping, so he hopped to the ground and said: "I want to become Kiki Aru again--Pyrzqxgl!"

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.

ate noun US /eɪt/

goddess of criminal rashness and its punishment

From this reading “That made Kiki wonder what sort of food hawks ate.”

cow noun US /kaʊ/

female of domestic cattle: "“moo-cow” is a child's term"

From this reading “A man was milking a cow in the yard and a pleasant-faced woman came to the door and called him to supper.”

hawks noun US /hɔːks/

plural of “hawk” — diurnal bird of prey typically having short rounded wings and a long tail

From this reading “That made Kiki wonder what sort of food hawks ate.”

hopped verb US /hɑːpt/

inflected form of “hop” — jump lightly

From this reading “Also he thought a bed would be more comfortable than a tree-top for sleeping, so he hopped to the ground and said: "I want to become Kiki Aru again--Pyrzqxgl!"”

hungry adjective US /ˈhʌŋɡri/

feeling hunger; feeling a need or desire to eat food

From this reading “He felt hungry, but didn't know what to eat or where to get it.”

milking verb US /ˈmɪlkɪŋ/

-ing form of “milk” — take milk from female mammals

From this reading “A man was milking a cow in the yard and a pleasant-faced woman came to the door and called him to supper.”

sleeping noun US /ˈsliːpɪŋ/

the state of being asleep

From this reading “Also he thought a bed would be more comfortable than a tree-top for sleeping, so he hopped to the ground and said: "I want to become Kiki Aru again--Pyrzqxgl!"”

yard noun US /jɑːrd/

a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride

From this reading “A man was milking a cow in the yard and a pleasant-faced woman came to the door and called him to supper.”

All words in this reading · 69

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 From his tree-top he could see a house near by, which looked very comfortable.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Also he thought a bed would be more comfortable than a tree-top for sleeping, so he hopped to the ground and said: "I want to become Kiki Aru again--Pyrzqxgl!"

AlsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading Also he thought a bed would be more comfortable than a tree-top for sleeping, so he hopped to the ground and said: "I want to become Kiki Aru again--Pyrzqxgl!"

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A man was milking a cow in the yard and a pleasant-faced woman came to the door and called him to supper.

Aru

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

From this reading Also he thought a bed would be more comfortable than a tree-top for sleeping, so he hopped to the ground and said: "I want to become Kiki Aru again--Pyrzqxgl!"

atenounUS /eɪt/

goddess of criminal rashness and its punishment

From this reading That made Kiki wonder what sort of food hawks ate.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Also he thought a bed would be more comfortable than a tree-top for sleeping, so he hopped to the ground and said: "I want to become Kiki Aru again--Pyrzqxgl!"

becomeverbUS /bɪˈkʌm/

enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading Also he thought a bed would be more comfortable than a tree-top for sleeping, so he hopped to the ground and said: "I want to become Kiki Aru again--Pyrzqxgl!"

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading Also he thought a bed would be more comfortable than a tree-top for sleeping, so he hopped to the ground and said: "I want to become Kiki Aru again--Pyrzqxgl!"

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He felt hungry, but didn't know what to eat or where to get it.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading From his tree-top he could see a house near by, which looked very comfortable.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading A man was milking a cow in the yard and a pleasant-faced woman came to the door and called him to supper.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

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

From this reading A man was milking a cow in the yard and a pleasant-faced woman came to the door and called him to supper.

comfortableadjectiveUS /ˈkʌmfərtəbəl/

providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (“comfy” is informal)

From this reading From his tree-top he could see a house near by, which looked very comfortable.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading From his tree-top he could see a house near by, which looked very comfortable.

cownounUS /kaʊ/

female of domestic cattle: "“moo-cow” is a child's term"

From this reading A man was milking a cow in the yard and a pleasant-faced woman came to the door and called him to supper.

didn't

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

From this reading He felt hungry, but didn't know what to eat or where to get it.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading A man was milking a cow in the yard and a pleasant-faced woman came to the door and called him to supper.

eatverbUS /iːt/

take in solid food

From this reading He felt hungry, but didn't know what to eat or where to get it.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading He felt hungry, but didn't know what to eat or where to get it.

foodnounUS /fuːd/

any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue

From this reading That made Kiki wonder what sort of food hawks ate.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Also he thought a bed would be more comfortable than a tree-top for sleeping, so he hopped to the ground and said: "I want to become Kiki Aru again--Pyrzqxgl!"

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading From his tree-top he could see a house near by, which looked very comfortable.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading He felt hungry, but didn't know what to eat or where to get it.

groundnounUS /ɡraʊnd/

the solid part of the earth's surface

From this reading Also he thought a bed would be more comfortable than a tree-top for sleeping, so he hopped to the ground and said: "I want to become Kiki Aru again--Pyrzqxgl!"

hawksnounUS /hɔːks/

plural of “hawk” — diurnal bird of prey typically having short rounded wings and a long tail

From this reading That made Kiki wonder what sort of food hawks ate.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading From his tree-top he could see a house near by, which looked very comfortable.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading A man was milking a cow in the yard and a pleasant-faced woman came to the door and called him to supper.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading From his tree-top he could see a house near by, which looked very comfortable.

hoppedverbUS /hɑːpt/

inflected form of “hop” — jump lightly

From this reading Also he thought a bed would be more comfortable than a tree-top for sleeping, so he hopped to the ground and said: "I want to become Kiki Aru again--Pyrzqxgl!"

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading From his tree-top he could see a house near by, which looked very comfortable.

hungryadjectiveUS /ˈhʌŋɡri/

feeling hunger; feeling a need or desire to eat food

From this reading He felt hungry, but didn't know what to eat or where to get it.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Also he thought a bed would be more comfortable than a tree-top for sleeping, so he hopped to the ground and said: "I want to become Kiki Aru again--Pyrzqxgl!"

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A man was milking a cow in the yard and a pleasant-faced woman came to the door and called him to supper.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading He felt hungry, but didn't know what to eat or where to get it.

Kiki

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

From this reading That made Kiki wonder what sort of food hawks ate.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

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

From this reading He felt hungry, but didn't know what to eat or where to get it.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

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

From this reading From his tree-top he could see a house near by, which looked very comfortable.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading That made Kiki wonder what sort of food hawks ate.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading A man was milking a cow in the yard and a pleasant-faced woman came to the door and called him to supper.

milkingverbUS /ˈmɪlkɪŋ/

-ing form of “milk” — take milk from female mammals

From this reading A man was milking a cow in the yard and a pleasant-faced woman came to the door and called him to supper.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Also he thought a bed would be more comfortable than a tree-top for sleeping, so he hopped to the ground and said: "I want to become Kiki Aru again--Pyrzqxgl!"

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading From his tree-top he could see a house near by, which looked very comfortable.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading That made Kiki wonder what sort of food hawks ate.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading He felt hungry, but didn't know what to eat or where to get it.

pleasant-faced

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

From this reading A man was milking a cow in the yard and a pleasant-faced woman came to the door and called him to supper.

Pyrzqxgl

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

From this reading Also he thought a bed would be more comfortable than a tree-top for sleeping, so he hopped to the ground and said: "I want to become Kiki Aru again--Pyrzqxgl!"

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading Also he thought a bed would be more comfortable than a tree-top for sleeping, so he hopped to the ground and said: "I want to become Kiki Aru again--Pyrzqxgl!"

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading From his tree-top he could see a house near by, which looked very comfortable.

sleepingnounUS /ˈsliːpɪŋ/

the state of being asleep

From this reading Also he thought a bed would be more comfortable than a tree-top for sleeping, so he hopped to the ground and said: "I want to become Kiki Aru again--Pyrzqxgl!"

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Also he thought a bed would be more comfortable than a tree-top for sleeping, so he hopped to the ground and said: "I want to become Kiki Aru again--Pyrzqxgl!"

sortnounUS /sɔːrt/

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading That made Kiki wonder what sort of food hawks ate.

suppernounUS /ˈsʌpər/

a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime

From this reading A man was milking a cow in the yard and a pleasant-faced woman came to the door and called him to supper.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Also he thought a bed would be more comfortable than a tree-top for sleeping, so he hopped to the ground and said: "I want to become Kiki Aru again--Pyrzqxgl!"

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading That made Kiki wonder what sort of food hawks ate.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A man was milking a cow in the yard and a pleasant-faced woman came to the door and called him to supper.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

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

From this reading Also he thought a bed would be more comfortable than a tree-top for sleeping, so he hopped to the ground and said: "I want to become Kiki Aru again--Pyrzqxgl!"

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading A man was milking a cow in the yard and a pleasant-faced woman came to the door and called him to supper.

tree-top

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

From this reading From his tree-top he could see a house near by, which looked very comfortable.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading From his tree-top he could see a house near by, which looked very comfortable.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading Also he thought a bed would be more comfortable than a tree-top for sleeping, so he hopped to the ground and said: "I want to become Kiki Aru again--Pyrzqxgl!"

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading A man was milking a cow in the yard and a pleasant-faced woman came to the door and called him to supper.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading That made Kiki wonder what sort of food hawks ate.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading He felt hungry, but didn't know what to eat or where to get it.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading From his tree-top he could see a house near by, which looked very comfortable.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading A man was milking a cow in the yard and a pleasant-faced woman came to the door and called him to supper.

wondernounUS /ˈwʌndər/

the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising

From this reading That made Kiki wonder what sort of food hawks ate.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Also he thought a bed would be more comfortable than a tree-top for sleeping, so he hopped to the ground and said: "I want to become Kiki Aru again--Pyrzqxgl!"

yardnounUS /jɑːrd/

a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride

From this reading A man was milking a cow in the yard and a pleasant-faced woman came to the door and called him to supper.

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.