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The mysterious tramp
The mysterious tramp

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of The mysterious tramp is here in full — 43 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Vera C. (Vera Charlesworth) Barclay • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The mysterious tramp
Context Illustration Reading 1/8 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A WOLF CUB COUNCIL A Council was in progress; and once again it was in the old pigsty.
But this time it was not a Council of War; frightfulness and rebellion were not the questions under discussion.
No, it was a Wolf Cub Council, and Danny was seated upon the Council Rock--a huge boulder the boys had managed to drag into the pigsty with the help of one of the under-gardeners.
“I have a proposal to bring forward,” said Danny.
“The Council (you’re the Council) can vote upon it when I have explained it.
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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 mysterious tramp

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of The mysterious tramp is here in full — 43 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/8 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A WOLF CUB COUNCIL A Council was in progress; and once again it was in the old pigsty.
/ə wʊlf kʌb ˈkaʊnsəl ə ˈkaʊnsəl wɑːz ɪn ˈprɑːɡres ənd wʌns əˈɡen ɪt wɑːz ɪn ðə oʊld ˈpɪɡstaɪ/
Line 2
But this time it was not a Council of War; frightfulness and rebellion were not the questions under discussion.
Line 3
No, it was a Wolf Cub Council, and Danny was seated upon the Council Rock--a huge boulder the boys had managed to drag into the pigsty with the help of one of the under-gardeners.
Line 4
“I have a proposal to bring forward,” said Danny.
Line 5
“The Council (you’re the Council) can vote upon it when I have explained it.

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.

boulder noun US /ˈboʊldər/

a large smooth mass of rock detached from its place of origin

From this reading “No, it was a Wolf Cub Council, and Danny was seated upon the Council Rock--a huge boulder the boys had managed to drag into the pigsty with the help of one of the under-gardeners.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cub noun US /kʌb/

an awkward and inexperienced youth

From this reading “A WOLF CUB COUNCIL A Council was in progress; and once again it was in the old pigsty.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
discussion noun US /dɪˈskʌʃən/

an extended communication (often interactive) dealing with some particular topic

From this reading “But this time it was not a Council of War; frightfulness and rebellion were not the questions under discussion.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
drag verb US /dræɡ/

pull, as against a resistance

From this reading “No, it was a Wolf Cub Council, and Danny was seated upon the Council Rock--a huge boulder the boys had managed to drag into the pigsty with the help of one of the under-gardeners.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pigsty noun US /ˈpɪɡstaɪ/

a pen for swine

From this reading “A WOLF CUB COUNCIL A Council was in progress; and once again it was in the old pigsty.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
proposal noun US /prəˈpoʊzəl/

something proposed (such as a plan or assumption)

From this reading ““I have a proposal to bring forward,” said Danny.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rebellion noun US /rɪˈbeljən/

refusal to accept some authority or code or convention

From this reading “But this time it was not a Council of War; frightfulness and rebellion were not the questions under discussion.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
vote noun US /voʊt/

a choice that is made by counting the number of people in favor of each alternative

From this reading ““The Council (you’re the Council) can vote upon it when I have explained it.”

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.

huge boulder adjective + noun

In this reading “No, it was a Wolf Cub Council, and Danny was seated upon the Council Rock--a huge boulder the boys had managed to drag into the pigsty with the help of one of the under-gardeners.”

381 times in 426,211 chapters
under discussion preposition + noun

In this reading “But this time it was not a Council of War; frightfulness and rebellion were not the questions under discussion.”

965 times in 426,211 chapters
bring forward verb + particle

cause to move forward

In this reading ““I have a proposal to bring forward,” said Danny.”

2,787 times in 426,211 chapters
drag into verb + particle

In this reading “No, it was a Wolf Cub Council, and Danny was seated upon the Council Rock--a huge boulder the boys had managed to drag into the pigsty with the help of one of the under-gardeners.”

1,268 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 54

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 A WOLF CUB COUNCIL A Council was in progress; and once again it was in the old pigsty.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading A WOLF CUB COUNCIL A Council was in progress; and once again it was in the old pigsty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A WOLF CUB COUNCIL A Council was in progress; and once again it was in the old pigsty.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
bouldernounUS /ˈboʊldər/

a large smooth mass of rock detached from its place of origin

From this reading No, it was a Wolf Cub Council, and Danny was seated upon the Council Rock--a huge boulder the boys had managed to drag into the pigsty with the help of one of the under-gardeners.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
boysnounUS /bɔɪz/

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading No, it was a Wolf Cub Council, and Danny was seated upon the Council Rock--a huge boulder the boys had managed to drag into the pigsty with the help of one of the under-gardeners.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bringverbUS /brɪŋ/

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading “I have a proposal to bring forward,” said Danny.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But this time it was not a Council of War; frightfulness and rebellion were not the questions under discussion.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading “The Council (you’re the Council) can vote upon it when I have explained it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
COUNCILnounUS /ˈkaʊnsəl/

a body serving in an administrative capacity

From this reading A WOLF CUB COUNCIL A Council was in progress; and once again it was in the old pigsty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CUBnounUS /kʌb/

an awkward and inexperienced youth

From this reading A WOLF CUB COUNCIL A Council was in progress; and once again it was in the old pigsty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Danny

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

From this reading No, it was a Wolf Cub Council, and Danny was seated upon the Council Rock--a huge boulder the boys had managed to drag into the pigsty with the help of one of the under-gardeners.

Pending verification
discussionnounUS /dɪˈskʌʃən/

an extended communication (often interactive) dealing with some particular topic

From this reading But this time it was not a Council of War; frightfulness and rebellion were not the questions under discussion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dragverbUS /dræɡ/

pull, as against a resistance

From this reading No, it was a Wolf Cub Council, and Danny was seated upon the Council Rock--a huge boulder the boys had managed to drag into the pigsty with the help of one of the under-gardeners.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
explainedverbUS /ɪkˈspleɪnd/

past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible

From this reading “The Council (you’re the Council) can vote upon it when I have explained it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forwardadverbUS /ˈfɔːrwərd/

at or to or toward the front

From this reading “I have a proposal to bring forward,” said Danny.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
frightfulnessnoun

the quality of being frightful

From this reading But this time it was not a Council of War; frightfulness and rebellion were not the questions under discussion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading No, it was a Wolf Cub Council, and Danny was seated upon the Council Rock--a huge boulder the boys had managed to drag into the pigsty with the help of one of the under-gardeners.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “I have a proposal to bring forward,” said Danny.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
helpverbUS /help/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading No, it was a Wolf Cub Council, and Danny was seated upon the Council Rock--a huge boulder the boys had managed to drag into the pigsty with the help of one of the under-gardeners.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hugeadjectiveUS /hjuːdʒ/

unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope

From this reading No, it was a Wolf Cub Council, and Danny was seated upon the Council Rock--a huge boulder the boys had managed to drag into the pigsty with the help of one of the under-gardeners.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “I have a proposal to bring forward,” said Danny.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A WOLF CUB COUNCIL A Council was in progress; and once again it was in the old pigsty.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading No, it was a Wolf Cub Council, and Danny was seated upon the Council Rock--a huge boulder the boys had managed to drag into the pigsty with the help of one of the under-gardeners.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading A WOLF CUB COUNCIL A Council was in progress; and once again it was in the old pigsty.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
managedverbUS /ˈmænədʒd/

past form of “manage” — be successful; achieve a goal

From this reading No, it was a Wolf Cub Council, and Danny was seated upon the Council Rock--a huge boulder the boys had managed to drag into the pigsty with the help of one of the under-gardeners.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading No, it was a Wolf Cub Council, and Danny was seated upon the Council Rock--a huge boulder the boys had managed to drag into the pigsty with the help of one of the under-gardeners.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading But this time it was not a Council of War; frightfulness and rebellion were not the questions under discussion.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading But this time it was not a Council of War; frightfulness and rebellion were not the questions under discussion.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading A WOLF CUB COUNCIL A Council was in progress; and once again it was in the old pigsty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading A WOLF CUB COUNCIL A Council was in progress; and once again it was in the old pigsty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading No, it was a Wolf Cub Council, and Danny was seated upon the Council Rock--a huge boulder the boys had managed to drag into the pigsty with the help of one of the under-gardeners.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
pigstynounUS /ˈpɪɡstaɪ/

a pen for swine

From this reading A WOLF CUB COUNCIL A Council was in progress; and once again it was in the old pigsty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
progressnounUS /ˈprɑːɡres/

gradual improvement or growth or development

From this reading A WOLF CUB COUNCIL A Council was in progress; and once again it was in the old pigsty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
proposalnounUS /prəˈpoʊzəl/

something proposed (such as a plan or assumption)

From this reading “I have a proposal to bring forward,” said Danny.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
questionsnounUS /ˈkwestʃənz/

plural of “question” — an instance of questioning

From this reading But this time it was not a Council of War; frightfulness and rebellion were not the questions under discussion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rebellionnounUS /rɪˈbeljən/

refusal to accept some authority or code or convention

From this reading But this time it was not a Council of War; frightfulness and rebellion were not the questions under discussion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RocknounUS /rɑːk/

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading No, it was a Wolf Cub Council, and Danny was seated upon the Council Rock--a huge boulder the boys had managed to drag into the pigsty with the help of one of the under-gardeners.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “I have a proposal to bring forward,” said Danny.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seatedadjectiveUS /ˈsiːtɪd/

(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks

From this reading No, it was a Wolf Cub Council, and Danny was seated upon the Council Rock--a huge boulder the boys had managed to drag into the pigsty with the help of one of the under-gardeners.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A WOLF CUB COUNCIL A Council was in progress; and once again it was in the old pigsty.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading But this time it was not a Council of War; frightfulness and rebellion were not the questions under discussion.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading But this time it was not a Council of War; frightfulness and rebellion were not the questions under discussion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading No, it was a Wolf Cub Council, and Danny was seated upon the Council Rock--a huge boulder the boys had managed to drag into the pigsty with the help of one of the under-gardeners.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading But this time it was not a Council of War; frightfulness and rebellion were not the questions under discussion.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
under-gardeners

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

From this reading No, it was a Wolf Cub Council, and Danny was seated upon the Council Rock--a huge boulder the boys had managed to drag into the pigsty with the help of one of the under-gardeners.

Pending verification
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading No, it was a Wolf Cub Council, and Danny was seated upon the Council Rock--a huge boulder the boys had managed to drag into the pigsty with the help of one of the under-gardeners.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
votenounUS /voʊt/

a choice that is made by counting the number of people in favor of each alternative

From this reading “The Council (you’re the Council) can vote upon it when I have explained it.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WarnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading But this time it was not a Council of War; frightfulness and rebellion were not the questions under discussion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading A WOLF CUB COUNCIL A Council was in progress; and once again it was in the old pigsty.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading But this time it was not a Council of War; frightfulness and rebellion were not the questions under discussion.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading “The Council (you’re the Council) can vote upon it when I have explained it.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading No, it was a Wolf Cub Council, and Danny was seated upon the Council Rock--a huge boulder the boys had managed to drag into the pigsty with the help of one of the under-gardeners.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WOLFnounUS /wʊlf/

any of various predatory carnivorous canine mammals of North America and Eurasia that usually hunt in packs

From this reading A WOLF CUB COUNCIL A Council was in progress; and once again it was in the old pigsty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
you're

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

From this reading “The Council (you’re the Council) can vote upon it when I have explained it.

Pending verification

Chapter 8 of The mysterious tramp by Vera C. (Vera Charlesworth) Barclay holds 43 sentences, grouped into 9 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 8 of The mysterious tramp contain?

Chapter 8 holds 43 sentences of The mysterious tramp, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of The mysterious tramp by Vera C. (Vera Charlesworth) Barclay exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 43 sentences, grouped into 9 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 8 of The mysterious tramp?

Work through the 9 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 9 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 mysterious tramp

Common questions about reading The mysterious tramp by Vera C. (Vera Charlesworth) Barclay on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The mysterious tramp?

Yes. All 1918 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #73787 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The mysterious tramp is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #73787, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The mysterious tramp take to read?

About 159 minutes of reading across 384 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The mysterious tramp section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 28 chapters of The mysterious tramp 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 mysterious tramp

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

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The mysterious tramp; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Danny
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The mysterious tramp; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Detective
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The mysterious tramp; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
London
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The mysterious tramp; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.