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The Mouse and The Moonbeam
The Mouse and The Moonbeam

Chapter I

Cover illustration for The Mouse and The Moonbeam
Context Illustration Reading 1/38 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Through the courtesy of Charles Scribner's Sons, we were permitted to print this small private edition.
[Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.
The clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.
The little mauve mouse was particularly merry; sometimes she danced upon two legs and sometimes upon four legs, but always very daintily and always very merrily.
"Ah, me!" sighed the old clock, "how different mice are nowadays from the mice we used to have in the good old times!
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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 Mouse and The Moonbeam

Chapter I

Reading 1/38 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Through the courtesy of Charles Scribner's Sons, we were permitted to print this small private edition.
Line 2
[Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.
Line 3
The clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.
Line 4
The little mauve mouse was particularly merry; sometimes she danced upon two legs and sometimes upon four legs, but always very daintily and always very merrily.
Line 5
"Ah, me!" sighed the old clock, "how different mice are nowadays from the mice we used to have in the good old times!

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Course noun US /course/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.”

Different noun US /ˈdifferent/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “"Ah, me!" sighed the old clock, "how different mice are nowadays from the mice we used to have in the good old times!”

Good noun US /good/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"Ah, me!" sighed the old clock, "how different mice are nowadays from the mice we used to have in the good old times!”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “[Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.”

Little noun US /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “[Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.”

Merry noun US /merry/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The little mauve mouse was particularly merry; sometimes she danced upon two legs and sometimes upon four legs, but always very daintily and always very merrily.”

Never noun US /never/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “[Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.”

Sometimes noun US /sometimes/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The little mauve mouse was particularly merry; sometimes she danced upon two legs and sometimes upon four legs, but always very daintily and always very merrily.”

Stood noun US /stood/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.”

Through noun US /ˈthrough/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “Through the courtesy of Charles Scribner's Sons, we were permitted to print this small private edition.”

Upon preposition US /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “The clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.”

Whilst conjunction US /waɪlst/

an old and formal word for “while”

From this reading “[Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.”

All words in this reading · 82

Every word is available to listen to. 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 clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.

Ah

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

From this reading "Ah, me!" sighed the old clock, "how different mice are nowadays from the mice we used to have in the good old times!

always

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

From this reading The little mauve mouse was particularly merry; sometimes she danced upon two legs and sometimes upon four legs, but always very daintily and always very merrily.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading [Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading "Ah, me!" sighed the old clock, "how different mice are nowadays from the mice we used to have in the good old times!

believed

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

From this reading [Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading [Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.

came

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

From this reading The clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.

Charles

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

From this reading Through the courtesy of Charles Scribner's Sons, we were permitted to print this small private edition.

chimney

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

From this reading The clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.

clock

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

From this reading The clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.

corner

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

From this reading The clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.

coursenounUS /course/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.

courtesy

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

From this reading Through the courtesy of Charles Scribner's Sons, we were permitted to print this small private edition.

daintily

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

From this reading The little mauve mouse was particularly merry; sometimes she danced upon two legs and sometimes upon four legs, but always very daintily and always very merrily.

danced

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

From this reading The little mauve mouse was particularly merry; sometimes she danced upon two legs and sometimes upon four legs, but always very daintily and always very merrily.

Dear-my-soul

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

From this reading [Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.

Decoration

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

From this reading [Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.

differentnounUS /ˈdifferent/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading "Ah, me!" sighed the old clock, "how different mice are nowadays from the mice we used to have in the good old times!

edition

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

From this reading Through the courtesy of Charles Scribner's Sons, we were permitted to print this small private edition.

floated

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

From this reading The clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.

floor

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

From this reading The clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.

four

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

From this reading The little mauve mouse was particularly merry; sometimes she danced upon two legs and sometimes upon four legs, but always very daintily and always very merrily.

frisked

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

From this reading The clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.

goodnounUS /good/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "Ah, me!" sighed the old clock, "how different mice are nowadays from the mice we used to have in the good old times!

happened

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

From this reading [Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading [Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.

heard

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

From this reading [Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.

hole

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

From this reading The clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.

how

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

From this reading "Ah, me!" sighed the old clock, "how different mice are nowadays from the mice we used to have in the good old times!

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading [Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.

idly

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

From this reading The clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.

legs

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

From this reading The little mauve mouse was particularly merry; sometimes she danced upon two legs and sometimes upon four legs, but always very daintily and always very merrily.

light

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

From this reading The clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.

littlenounUS /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading [Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.

mauve

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

From this reading The clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading "Ah, me!" sighed the old clock, "how different mice are nowadays from the mice we used to have in the good old times!

merrily

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

From this reading The little mauve mouse was particularly merry; sometimes she danced upon two legs and sometimes upon four legs, but always very daintily and always very merrily.

merry

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

From this reading The little mauve mouse was particularly merry; sometimes she danced upon two legs and sometimes upon four legs, but always very daintily and always very merrily.

mice

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

From this reading "Ah, me!" sighed the old clock, "how different mice are nowadays from the mice we used to have in the good old times!

moonbeam

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

From this reading The clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.

mouse

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

From this reading The clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.

nevernounUS /never/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading [Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.

nowadays

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

From this reading "Ah, me!" sighed the old clock, "how different mice are nowadays from the mice we used to have in the good old times!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Through the courtesy of Charles Scribner's Sons, we were permitted to print this small private edition.

old

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

From this reading "Ah, me!" sighed the old clock, "how different mice are nowadays from the mice we used to have in the good old times!

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.

particularly

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

From this reading The little mauve mouse was particularly merry; sometimes she danced upon two legs and sometimes upon four legs, but always very daintily and always very merrily.

permitted

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

From this reading Through the courtesy of Charles Scribner's Sons, we were permitted to print this small private edition.

print

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

From this reading Through the courtesy of Charles Scribner's Sons, we were permitted to print this small private edition.

private

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

From this reading Through the courtesy of Charles Scribner's Sons, we were permitted to print this small private edition.

saw

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

From this reading [Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.

scampered

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

From this reading The clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.

Scribner's

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

From this reading Through the courtesy of Charles Scribner's Sons, we were permitted to print this small private edition.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading The little mauve mouse was particularly merry; sometimes she danced upon two legs and sometimes upon four legs, but always very daintily and always very merrily.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading [Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.

sighed

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

From this reading "Ah, me!" sighed the old clock, "how different mice are nowadays from the mice we used to have in the good old times!

sleeping

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

From this reading [Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.

small

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

From this reading Through the courtesy of Charles Scribner's Sons, we were permitted to print this small private edition.

sometimes

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

From this reading The little mauve mouse was particularly merry; sometimes she danced upon two legs and sometimes upon four legs, but always very daintily and always very merrily.

Sons

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

From this reading Through the courtesy of Charles Scribner's Sons, we were permitted to print this small private edition.

stoodnounUS /stood/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.

strange

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

From this reading [Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading [Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Through the courtesy of Charles Scribner's Sons, we were permitted to print this small private edition.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading [Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.

things

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

From this reading [Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Through the courtesy of Charles Scribner's Sons, we were permitted to print this small private edition.

ThroughnounUS /ˈthrough/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading Through the courtesy of Charles Scribner's Sons, we were permitted to print this small private edition.

times

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

From this reading "Ah, me!" sighed the old clock, "how different mice are nowadays from the mice we used to have in the good old times!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Through the courtesy of Charles Scribner's Sons, we were permitted to print this small private edition.

two

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

From this reading The little mauve mouse was particularly merry; sometimes she danced upon two legs and sometimes upon four legs, but always very daintily and always very merrily.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading The clock stood, of course, in the corner, a moonbeam floated idly on the floor, and a little mauve mouse came from the hole in the chimney corner and frisked and scampered in the light of the moonbeam upon the floor.

used

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

From this reading "Ah, me!" sighed the old clock, "how different mice are nowadays from the mice we used to have in the good old times!

very

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

From this reading The little mauve mouse was particularly merry; sometimes she danced upon two legs and sometimes upon four legs, but always very daintily and always very merrily.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The little mauve mouse was particularly merry; sometimes she danced upon two legs and sometimes upon four legs, but always very daintily and always very merrily.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Through the courtesy of Charles Scribner's Sons, we were permitted to print this small private edition.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Through the courtesy of Charles Scribner's Sons, we were permitted to print this small private edition.

WhilstconjunctionUS /waɪlst/

an old and formal word for “while”

From this reading [Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading [Decoration] Whilst you were sleeping, little Dear-my-soul, strange things happened; but that I saw and heard them, I should never have believed them.