Chapter IV
Chapter 4
Chapter 4 of The mule-bone is here in full — 407 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
DAISY. I ain’t thinking ’bout goin’home yet. I’m goin’in the store. JIM. What you want in the store?
The mule-bone
Chapter IV · Chapter 4
Chapter 4 of The mule-bone is here in full — 407 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
DAISY.
I
ain’t
thinking
’bout
goin’home
yet.
I’m
goin’in
the
store.
JIM.
What
you
want
in
the
store?
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
The mule-bone
Chapter IV · Chapter 4
Chapter 4 of The mule-bone is here in full — 407 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
DAISY.
/ˈdeɪzi/
Line 2
I
ain’t
thinking
’bout
goin’home
yet.
Line 3
I’m
goin’in
the
store.
Line 4
JIM.
Line 5
What
you
want
in
the
store?
/wʌt juː wɑːnt ɪn ðə stɔːr/
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.
bout
noun
US /baʊt/
(sports) a division during which one team is on the offensive
From this reading “I ain’t thinking ’bout goin’home yet.”
daisy
noun
US /ˈdeɪzi/
any of numerous composite plants having flower heads with well-developed ray flowers usually arranged in a single whorl
From this reading “DAISY.”
a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
From this reading “I’m goin’in the store.”
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading “I ain’t thinking ’bout goin’home yet.”
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “What you want in the store?”
but in spite of that
From this reading “I ain’t thinking ’bout goin’home yet.”
All words in this reading · 16
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.
ain't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I ain’t thinking ’bout goin’home yet.
boutnounUS /baʊt/
(sports) a division during which one team is on the offensive
From this reading I ain’t thinking ’bout goin’home yet.
DAISYnounUS /ˈdeɪzi/
any of numerous composite plants having flower heads with well-developed ray flowers usually arranged in a single whorl
From this reading DAISY.
goin'home
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I ain’t thinking ’bout goin’home yet.
goin'in
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I’m goin’in the store.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I ain’t thinking ’bout goin’home yet.
I'm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I’m goin’in the store.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading What you want in the store?
JIM
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading JIM.
a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
From this reading I’m goin’in the store.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I’m goin’in the store.
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading I ain’t thinking ’bout goin’home yet.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading What you want in the store?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What you want in the store?
but in spite of that
From this reading I ain’t thinking ’bout goin’home yet.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading What you want in the store?
Chapter 4 of The mule-bone by Langston Hughes holds 407 sentences, grouped into 82 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
What does chapter 4 of The mule-bone contain?
Chapter 4 holds 407 sentences of The mule-bone, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The mule-bone by Langston Hughes exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 407 sentences, grouped into 82 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
How do I study chapter 4 of The mule-bone?
Work through the 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Can chapter 4 be read aloud to me?
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Questions about reading The mule-bone
Common questions about reading The mule-bone by Langston Hughes on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of The mule-bone?
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of The mule-bone is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does The mule-bone take to read?
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read The mule-bone section by section
How to work through The mule-bone section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
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Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Vocabulary met early in The mule-bone
Words and structures a reader meets early in The mule-bone, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Chapter 1
- One of the 0 chapters of The mule-bone, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
- Chapter 2
- One of the 0 chapters of The mule-bone, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
- Chapter 3
- One of the 0 chapters of The mule-bone, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.