The Old Pincushion

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Old Pincushion is here in full — 179 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Mrs. Molesworth • Curated US English Learning Edition

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BY MRS.

MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.

Kathie was seated as she loved to be--on the edge of a rather high table.

Her skirts were short and her legs were long; from her present elevation she could swing the latter about delightfully.

She gave them an extra energetic fling before she replied to her brother, and then, trying her best to look concerned and distressed, and only succeeding in giving to her funny little face an expression of comical demureness, she turned to Neville,-- 'I do care.

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Chapter I Reading 1/35

The Old Pincushion Mrs. Molesworth

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Old Pincushion is here in full — 179 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

BY MRS. MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully. Kathie was seated as she loved to be--on the edge of a rather high table. Her skirts were short and her legs were long; from her present elevation she could swing the latter about delightfully. She gave them an extra energetic fling before she replied to her brother, and then, trying her best to look concerned and distressed, and only succeeding in giving to her funny little face an expression of comical demureness, she turned to Neville,-- 'I do care.

The Old Pincushion

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Old Pincushion is here in full — 179 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

BY MRS.

/baɪ ˈmɪsɪz/

Line 2

MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.

Line 3

Kathie was seated as she loved to be--on the edge of a rather high table.

Line 4

Her skirts were short and her legs were long; from her present elevation she could swing the latter about delightfully.

/hɜːr skɜːrts wɜːr ʃɔːrt ənd hɜːr leɡz wɜːr lɔːŋ frʌm hɜːr ˈprezənt ˌeləˈveɪʃən ʃiː kʊd swɪŋ ðə ˈlætər əˈbaʊt dɪˈlaɪtfəli/

Line 5

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.

carrots noun US /ˈkærəts/

plural of “carrot” — deep orange edible root of the cultivated carrot plant

From this reading “MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.”

comical adjective US /ˈkɑːmɪkəl/

arousing or provoking laughter

From this reading “She gave them an extra energetic fling before she replied to her brother, and then, trying her best to look concerned and distressed, and only succeeding in giving to her funny little face an expression of comical demureness, she turned to Neville,-- 'I do care.”

delightfully adverb US /dɪˈlaɪtfəli/

in a delightful manner

From this reading “Her skirts were short and her legs were long; from her present elevation she could swing the latter about delightfully.”

elevation noun US /ˌeləˈveɪʃən/

the event of something being raised upward

From this reading “Her skirts were short and her legs were long; from her present elevation she could swing the latter about delightfully.”

energetic adjective US /ˌenərˈdʒetɪk/

possessing or exerting or displaying energy

fling verb US /flɪŋ/

throw with force or recklessness

skirts noun US /skɜːrts/

plural of “skirt” — cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist

From this reading “Her skirts were short and her legs were long; from her present elevation she could swing the latter about delightfully.”

succeeding adjective US /səkˈsiːdɪŋ/

coming after or following

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.

IN THE GARDEN preposition + article + noun counted as “in … garden”

In this reading “MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.”

in giving preposition + noun

In this reading “She gave them an extra energetic fling before she replied to her brother, and then, trying her best to look concerned and distressed, and only succeeding in giving to her funny little face an expression of comical demureness, she turned to Neville,-- 'I do care.”

All words in this reading · 78

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 Kathie was seated as she loved to be--on the edge of a rather high table.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Her skirts were short and her legs were long; from her present elevation she could swing the latter about delightfully.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading She gave them an extra energetic fling before she replied to her brother, and then, trying her best to look concerned and distressed, and only succeeding in giving to her funny little face an expression of comical demureness, she turned to Neville,-- 'I do care.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Her skirts were short and her legs were long; from her present elevation she could swing the latter about delightfully.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Kathie was seated as she loved to be--on the edge of a rather high table.

AUTHORnounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Kathie was seated as she loved to be--on the edge of a rather high table.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

From this reading MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

bitnounUS /bɪt/

a small piece or quantity of something

From this reading MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.

brothernounUS /ˈbrʌðər/

a male with the same parents as someone else

BYprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading BY MRS.

carenounUS /ker/

the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

From this reading MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.

CARROTSnounUS /ˈkærəts/

plural of “carrot” — deep orange edible root of the cultivated carrot plant

From this reading MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.

comicaladjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmɪkəl/

arousing or provoking laughter

concernedadjectiveUS /kənˈsɜːrnd/

feeling or showing worry or solicitude

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading Her skirts were short and her legs were long; from her present elevation she could swing the latter about delightfully.

delightfullyadverbUS /dɪˈlaɪtfəli/

in a delightful manner

From this reading Her skirts were short and her legs were long; from her present elevation she could swing the latter about delightfully.

demurenessnoun

the trait of behaving with reserve and decorum

distressedadjectiveUS /dɪˈstrest/

facing or experiencing financial trouble or difficulty

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

don't

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

From this reading MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.

edgenounUS /edʒ/

the boundary of a surface

From this reading Kathie was seated as she loved to be--on the edge of a rather high table.

elevationnounUS /ˌeləˈveɪʃən/

the event of something being raised upward

From this reading Her skirts were short and her legs were long; from her present elevation she could swing the latter about delightfully.

energeticadjectiveUS /ˌenərˈdʒetɪk/

possessing or exerting or displaying energy

ETC

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

From this reading MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.

expressionnounUS /ɪkˈspreʃən/

the feelings expressed on a person's face

extraadjectiveUS /ˈekstrə/

more than is needed, desired, or required

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

flingverbUS /flɪŋ/

throw with force or recklessness

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Her skirts were short and her legs were long; from her present elevation she could swing the latter about delightfully.

funnyadjectiveUS /ˈfʌni/

arousing or provoking laughter

GARDENnounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

givingnounUS /ˈɡɪvɪŋ/

the act of giving

HerdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Her skirts were short and her legs were long; from her present elevation she could swing the latter about delightfully.

highadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading Kathie was seated as she loved to be--on the edge of a rather high table.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.

Kathie

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

From this reading MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.

latteradjectiveUS /ˈlætər/

referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)

From this reading Her skirts were short and her legs were long; from her present elevation she could swing the latter about delightfully.

legsnounUS /leɡz/

staying power

From this reading Her skirts were short and her legs were long; from her present elevation she could swing the latter about delightfully.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading Her skirts were short and her legs were long; from her present elevation she could swing the latter about delightfully.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

lovedadjectiveUS /lʌvd/

held dear

From this reading Kathie was seated as she loved to be--on the edge of a rather high table.

MOLESWORTH

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

From this reading MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.

MRSnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading BY MRS.

Neville

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

From this reading MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.

onounUS /oʊ/

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Kathie was seated as she loved to be--on the edge of a rather high table.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

PALACEnounUS /ˈpæləs/

a large and stately mansion

From this reading MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.

presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading Her skirts were short and her legs were long; from her present elevation she could swing the latter about delightfully.

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading Kathie was seated as she loved to be--on the edge of a rather high table.

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.

repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

reproachfullyadverb

in a reproving or reproachful manner

From this reading MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.

seatedadjectiveUS /ˈsiːtɪd/

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

From this reading Kathie was seated as she loved to be--on the edge of a rather high table.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Kathie was seated as she loved to be--on the edge of a rather high table.

shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading Her skirts were short and her legs were long; from her present elevation she could swing the latter about delightfully.

skirtsnounUS /skɜːrts/

plural of “skirt” — cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist

From this reading Her skirts were short and her legs were long; from her present elevation she could swing the latter about delightfully.

succeedingadjectiveUS /səkˈsiːdɪŋ/

coming after or following

swingverbUS /swɪŋ/

move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting

From this reading Her skirts were short and her legs were long; from her present elevation she could swing the latter about delightfully.

tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading Kathie was seated as she loved to be--on the edge of a rather high table.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Kathie was seated as she loved to be--on the edge of a rather high table.

tryingadjectiveUS /ˈtraɪɪŋ/

hard to endure

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Kathie was seated as she loved to be--on the edge of a rather high table.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Her skirts were short and her legs were long; from her present elevation she could swing the latter about delightfully.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading MOLESWORTH AUTHOR OF 'CARROTS,' 'THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN,' ETC. o, Kathie, I don't believe you care one bit; I really don't,' said Neville reproachfully.

Chapter 1 of The Old Pincushion by Mrs. Molesworth holds 179 sentences, grouped into 36 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 Old Pincushion contain?

Chapter 1 holds 179 sentences of The Old Pincushion, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Old Pincushion by Mrs. Molesworth exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 179 sentences, grouped into 36 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 Old Pincushion?

Work through the 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 36 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 Old Pincushion

Common questions about reading The Old Pincushion by Mrs. Molesworth on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Old Pincushion?

Yes. All 2446 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39833 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Old Pincushion is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #39833, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Old Pincushion take to read?

About 203 minutes of reading across 490 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Old Pincushion

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

Molesworth: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Old Pincushion; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Old Pincushion; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Carrots: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Old Pincushion; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Palace: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Old Pincushion; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter I

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