The Praying Skipper, and Other Stories

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of The Praying Skipper, and Other Stories is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Ralph Delahaye Paine • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Praying Skipper, and Other Stories

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"I was afraid the crash was coming for some time.

Nobody can know how I hoped and worried through those weeks, when I felt that I was slipping back.

I did not write you about it, because I could not believe there was any serious danger of my being thrown out at the last moment, and I knew it would harrow you to share this worry with me.

I--I--wanted your----" The classmate behind him jumped to his feet and shouted:

"There they come!

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter III Reading 1/86

The Praying Skipper, and Other Stories

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of The Praying Skipper, and Other Stories is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/86 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

"I was afraid the crash was coming for some time.

/aɪ wɑːz əˈfreɪd ðə kræʃ wɑːz ˈkʌmɪŋ fɔːr sʌm taɪm/

Line 2

Nobody can know how I hoped and worried through those weeks, when I felt that I was slipping back.

Line 3

I did not write you about it, because I could not believe there was any serious danger of my being thrown out at the last moment, and I knew it would harrow you to share this worry with me.

/aɪ dɪd nɑːt raɪt juː əˈbaʊt ɪt bɪˈkɔːz aɪ kʊd nɑːt bɪˈliːv ðer wɑːz ˈeni ˈsɪriəs ˈdeɪndʒər ʌv maɪ ˈbiːɪŋ θroʊn aʊt æt ðə læst ˈmoʊmənt ənd aɪ nuː ɪt wʊd ˈhæroʊ juː tuː ʃer ðɪs ˈwɜːri wɪð miː/

Line 4

I--I--wanted your----" The classmate behind him jumped to his feet and shouted:

Line 5

"There they come!

/ðer ðeɪ kʌm/

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.

classmate noun US /ˈklæsmeɪt/

an acquaintance that you go to school with

From this reading “I--I--wanted your----" The classmate behind him jumped to his feet and shouted:”

crash verb US /kræʃ/

fall or come down violently

From this reading “"I was afraid the crash was coming for some time.”

harrow verb US /ˈhæroʊ/

draw a harrow over

From this reading “I did not write you about it, because I could not believe there was any serious danger of my being thrown out at the last moment, and I knew it would harrow you to share this worry with me.”

hoped verb US /hoʊpt/

past form of “hope” — expect and wish

From this reading “Nobody can know how I hoped and worried through those weeks, when I felt that I was slipping back.”

jumped verb US /dʒʌmpt/

past form of “jump” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading “I--I--wanted your----" The classmate behind him jumped to his feet and shouted:”

slipping adjective US /ˈslɪpɪŋ/

moving as on a slippery surface

From this reading “Nobody can know how I hoped and worried through those weeks, when I felt that I was slipping back.”

worried adjective US /ˈwɜːrid/

afflicted with or marked by anxious uneasiness or trouble or grief

From this reading “Nobody can know how I hoped and worried through those weeks, when I felt that I was slipping back.”

worry verb US /ˈwɜːri/

be worried, concerned, anxious, troubled, or uneasy

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.

serious danger adjective + noun

In this reading “I did not write you about it, because I could not believe there was any serious danger of my being thrown out at the last moment, and I knew it would harrow you to share this worry with me.”

some time adjective + noun

In this reading “"I was afraid the crash was coming for some time.”

last moment adjective + noun

All words in this reading · 65

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.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading I did not write you about it, because I could not believe there was any serious danger of my being thrown out at the last moment, and I knew it would harrow you to share this worry with me.

afraidadjectiveUS /əˈfreɪd/

filled with fear or apprehension

From this reading "I was afraid the crash was coming for some time.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Nobody can know how I hoped and worried through those weeks, when I felt that I was slipping back.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Nobody can know how I hoped and worried through those weeks, when I felt that I was slipping back.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading I--I--wanted your----" The classmate behind him jumped to his feet and shouted:

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading Nobody can know how I hoped and worried through those weeks, when I felt that I was slipping back.

classmatenounUS /ˈklæsmeɪt/

an acquaintance that you go to school with

From this reading I--I--wanted your----" The classmate behind him jumped to his feet and shouted:

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading "There they come!

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading "I was afraid the crash was coming for some time.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

crashverbUS /kræʃ/

fall or come down violently

From this reading "I was afraid the crash was coming for some time.

dangernounUS /ˈdeɪndʒər/

the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading I--I--wanted your----" The classmate behind him jumped to his feet and shouted:

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading Nobody can know how I hoped and worried through those weeks, when I felt that I was slipping back.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "I was afraid the crash was coming for some time.

harrowverbUS /ˈhæroʊ/

draw a harrow over

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I--I--wanted your----" The classmate behind him jumped to his feet and shouted:

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading I--I--wanted your----" The classmate behind him jumped to his feet and shouted:

hopedverbUS /hoʊpt/

past form of “hope” — expect and wish

From this reading Nobody can know how I hoped and worried through those weeks, when I felt that I was slipping back.

how

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

From this reading Nobody can know how I hoped and worried through those weeks, when I felt that I was slipping back.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I was afraid the crash was coming for some time.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

jumpedverbUS /dʒʌmpt/

past form of “jump” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading I--I--wanted your----" The classmate behind him jumped to his feet and shouted:

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading Nobody can know how I hoped and worried through those weeks, when I felt that I was slipping back.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

NobodypronounUS /ˈnoʊbɑːdiː/

no person; not anyone

From this reading Nobody can know how I hoped and worried through those weeks, when I felt that I was slipping back.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

seriousadjectiveUS /ˈsɪriəs/

concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities

shareverbUS /ʃer/

have in common

shoutedadjectiveUS /ˈʃaʊtɪd/

in a vehement outcry

From this reading I--I--wanted your----" The classmate behind him jumped to his feet and shouted:

slippingadjectiveUS /ˈslɪpɪŋ/

moving as on a slippery surface

From this reading Nobody can know how I hoped and worried through those weeks, when I felt that I was slipping back.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading "I was afraid the crash was coming for some time.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Nobody can know how I hoped and worried through those weeks, when I felt that I was slipping back.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "I was afraid the crash was coming for some time.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "There they come!

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading Nobody can know how I hoped and worried through those weeks, when I felt that I was slipping back.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Nobody can know how I hoped and worried through those weeks, when I felt that I was slipping back.

thrownadjectiveUS /θroʊn/

caused to fall to the ground

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading "I was afraid the crash was coming for some time.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

wantedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːntɪd/

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading I--I--wanted your----" The classmate behind him jumped to his feet and shouted:

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "I was afraid the crash was coming for some time.

weeksnounUS /wiːks/

plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading Nobody can know how I hoped and worried through those weeks, when I felt that I was slipping back.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Nobody can know how I hoped and worried through those weeks, when I felt that I was slipping back.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

worriedadjectiveUS /ˈwɜːrid/

afflicted with or marked by anxious uneasiness or trouble or grief

From this reading Nobody can know how I hoped and worried through those weeks, when I felt that I was slipping back.

worryverbUS /ˈwɜːri/

be worried, concerned, anxious, troubled, or uneasy

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

writeverbUS /raɪt/

produce a literary work

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I--I--wanted your----" The classmate behind him jumped to his feet and shouted:

Chapter 3 of The Praying Skipper, and Other Stories by Ralph Delahaye Paine holds 430 sentences, grouped into 86 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 3 of The Praying Skipper, and Other Stories contain?

Chapter 3 holds 430 sentences of The Praying Skipper, and Other Stories, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of The Praying Skipper, and Other Stories by Ralph Delahaye Paine exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 430 sentences, grouped into 86 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 3 of The Praying Skipper, and Other Stories?

Work through the 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 86 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Praying Skipper, and Other Stories

Common questions about reading The Praying Skipper, and Other Stories by Ralph Delahaye Paine on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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Yes. All 3012 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #58817 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #58817, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 251 minutes of reading across 603 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Chapter III

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