Chapter V of The Mystery of the Fires, “_Freckles' Story_,” is here in full — 206 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter V of The Mystery of the Fires, “_Freckles' Story_,” is here in full — 206 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook. "You must think school has begun!" Mary Louise looked up. "It's harder than school--but it's more fun," she replied. "I'm working on the mystery of the fires."
Chapter V of The Mystery of the Fires, “_Freckles' Story_,” is here in full — 206 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/41 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
From this reading “"What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.”
plural of “fire” — the event of something burning (often destructive)
From this reading “"I'm working on the mystery of the fires."”
activities that are enjoyable or amusing
From this reading “"It's harder than school--but it's more fun," she replied.”
comparative of “hard” — with effort or force or vigor
From this reading “"It's harder than school--but it's more fun," she replied.”
a book with blank pages for recording notes or memoranda
From this reading “"What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.”
a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance
From this reading “"What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.”
-ing form of “pore” — direct one's attention on something
From this reading “"What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.”
in a studious manner
From this reading “"What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.”
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.
In this reading “"What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.”
In this reading “"What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.”
seek information from
In this reading “Mary Louise looked up.”
appear or become visible; make a showing
In this reading “"What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.”
In this reading “"What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading "You must think school has begun!"
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "It's harder than school--but it's more fun," she replied.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
plural of “fire” — the event of something burning (often destructive)
From this reading "I'm working on the mystery of the fires."
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
activities that are enjoyable or amusing
From this reading "It's harder than school--but it's more fun," she replied.
comparative of “hard” — with effort or force or vigor
From this reading "It's harder than school--but it's more fun," she replied.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "You must think school has begun!"
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm working on the mystery of the fires."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It's harder than school--but it's more fun," she replied.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Mary Louise looked up.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mary Louise looked up.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading Mary Louise looked up.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "It's harder than school--but it's more fun," she replied.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "You must think school has begun!"
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading "I'm working on the mystery of the fires."
a book with blank pages for recording notes or memoranda
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "I'm working on the mystery of the fires."
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
above and across; more than
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
-ing form of “pore” — direct one's attention on something
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "It's harder than school--but it's more fun," she replied.
an educational institution
From this reading "You must think school has begun!"
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
in a studious manner
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "It's harder than school--but it's more fun," she replied.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "You must think school has begun!"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Mary Louise looked up.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
at the time that
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
actively engaged in paid work
From this reading "I'm working on the mystery of the fires."
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "What in the world are you doing?" asked Jane when she came out on the porch the following morning to find her chum studiously poring over a notebook.
Chapter 5 of The Mystery of the Fires by Edith Lavell holds 206 sentences, grouped into 42 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.
Chapter 5 holds 206 sentences of The Mystery of the Fires, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of The Mystery of the Fires by Edith Lavell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 206 sentences, grouped into 42 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.
Work through the 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 42 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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.
Common questions about reading The Mystery of the Fires by Edith Lavell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3903 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43583 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #43583, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 325 minutes of reading across 781 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Mystery of the Fires section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 19 chapters of The Mystery of the Fires to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Mystery of the Fires, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
