Chapter 9 of The Plum Tree is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of The Plum Tree is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I see Goodrich drove a hard bargain," said I. "Yet he came on his knees, if you had but realized it." Burbank's color mounted. "What do you mean, Sayler?" he inquired, the faint beginnings of the insulted god in his tone and manner. "You asked my opinion," I answered, "I'm giving it.
Chapter 9 of The Plum Tree is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after discussion) fixing obligations of each
From this reading “"I see Goodrich drove a hard bargain," said I.”
plural of “beginning” — the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading “"What do you mean, Sayler?" he inquired, the faint beginnings of the insulted god in his tone and manner.”
possessive form of “burbank” — United States horticulturist who developed many new varieties of fruits and vegetables and flowers (1849-1926)
From this reading “Burbank's color mounted.”
a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect
From this reading “Burbank's color mounted.”
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading “"What do you mean, Sayler?" he inquired, the faint beginnings of the insulted god in his tone and manner.”
past form of “insult” — treat, mention, or speak to rudely
From this reading “"What do you mean, Sayler?" he inquired, the faint beginnings of the insulted god in his tone and manner.”
assembled for use; especially by being attached to a support
From this reading “Burbank's color mounted.”
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading “"Yet he came on his knees, if you had but realized it."”
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 "I see Goodrich drove a hard bargain," said I.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "What do you mean, Sayler?" he inquired, the faint beginnings of the insulted god in his tone and manner.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading "You asked my opinion," I answered, "I'm giving it.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "You asked my opinion," I answered, "I'm giving it.
an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after discussion) fixing obligations of each
From this reading "I see Goodrich drove a hard bargain," said I.
plural of “beginning” — the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading "What do you mean, Sayler?" he inquired, the faint beginnings of the insulted god in his tone and manner.
possessive form of “burbank” — United States horticulturist who developed many new varieties of fruits and vegetables and flowers (1849-1926)
From this reading Burbank's color mounted.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Yet he came on his knees, if you had but realized it."
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "Yet he came on his knees, if you had but realized it."
a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect
From this reading Burbank's color mounted.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "What do you mean, Sayler?" he inquired, the faint beginnings of the insulted god in his tone and manner.
a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together
From this reading "I see Goodrich drove a hard bargain," said I.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading "What do you mean, Sayler?" he inquired, the faint beginnings of the insulted god in his tone and manner.
the act of giving
From this reading "You asked my opinion," I answered, "I'm giving it.
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading "What do you mean, Sayler?" he inquired, the faint beginnings of the insulted god in his tone and manner.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I see Goodrich drove a hard bargain," said I.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "Yet he came on his knees, if you had but realized it."
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading "I see Goodrich drove a hard bargain," said I.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Yet he came on his knees, if you had but realized it."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Yet he came on his knees, if you had but realized it."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I see Goodrich drove a hard bargain," said I.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You asked my opinion," I answered, "I'm giving it.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "Yet he came on his knees, if you had but realized it."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "What do you mean, Sayler?" he inquired, the faint beginnings of the insulted god in his tone and manner.
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading "What do you mean, Sayler?" he inquired, the faint beginnings of the insulted god in his tone and manner.
past form of “insult” — treat, mention, or speak to rudely
From this reading "What do you mean, Sayler?" he inquired, the faint beginnings of the insulted god in his tone and manner.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Yet he came on his knees, if you had but realized it."
plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading "Yet he came on his knees, if you had but realized it."
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading "What do you mean, Sayler?" he inquired, the faint beginnings of the insulted god in his tone and manner.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading "What do you mean, Sayler?" he inquired, the faint beginnings of the insulted god in his tone and manner.
assembled for use; especially by being attached to a support
From this reading Burbank's color mounted.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "You asked my opinion," I answered, "I'm giving it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "What do you mean, Sayler?" he inquired, the faint beginnings of the insulted god in his tone and manner.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Yet he came on his knees, if you had but realized it."
a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty
From this reading "You asked my opinion," I answered, "I'm giving it.
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading "Yet he came on his knees, if you had but realized it."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I see Goodrich drove a hard bargain," said I.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What do you mean, Sayler?" he inquired, the faint beginnings of the insulted god in his tone and manner.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "I see Goodrich drove a hard bargain," said I.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "What do you mean, Sayler?" he inquired, the faint beginnings of the insulted god in his tone and manner.
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading "What do you mean, Sayler?" he inquired, the faint beginnings of the insulted god in his tone and manner.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What do you mean, Sayler?" he inquired, the faint beginnings of the insulted god in his tone and manner.
but in spite of that
From this reading "Yet he came on his knees, if you had but realized it."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Yet he came on his knees, if you had but realized it."
Chapter 9 of The Plum Tree by David Graham Phillips holds 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 9 holds 418 sentences of The Plum Tree, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of The Plum Tree by David Graham Phillips exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 9 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 Plum Tree by David Graham Phillips on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4145 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20449 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #20449, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 345 minutes of reading across 829 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Plum Tree section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of The Plum Tree 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 Plum Tree, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
