Chapter 1 of The Printer Boy is here in full — 24 sentences across 5 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Printer Boy is here in full — 24 sentences across 5 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
PRINTER BOY. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MADE HIS MARK. AN EXAMPLE FOR YOUTH. AUTHOR OF "THE BOBBIN BOY", "TALES FROM THE BIBLE", ETC. ENGRAVED BY BALE & HOLMAN.
Chapter 1 of The Printer Boy is here in full — 24 sentences across 5 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/4 · 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 large bundle bound for storage or transport
From this reading “ENGRAVED BY BALE & HOLMAN.”
gum resin used especially in treating skin irritation
From this reading “BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MADE HIS MARK.”
the sacred writings of the Christian religions
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "THE BOBBIN BOY", "TALES FROM THE BIBLE", ETC.”
a winder around which thread or tape or film or other flexible materials can be wound
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "THE BOBBIN BOY", "TALES FROM THE BIBLE", ETC.”
cut or impressed into a surface
From this reading “ENGRAVED BY BALE & HOLMAN.”
United States historian noted for studies of Black American history (born in 1915)
From this reading “BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MADE HIS MARK.”
someone whose occupation is printing
From this reading “PRINTER BOY.”
plural of “tale” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "THE BOBBIN BOY", "TALES FROM THE BIBLE", ETC.”
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.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN EXAMPLE FOR YOUTH.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE BOBBIN BOY", "TALES FROM THE BIBLE", ETC.
a large bundle bound for storage or transport
From this reading ENGRAVED BY BALE & HOLMAN.
gum resin used especially in treating skin irritation
From this reading BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MADE HIS MARK.
the sacred writings of the Christian religions
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE BOBBIN BOY", "TALES FROM THE BIBLE", ETC.
a winder around which thread or tape or film or other flexible materials can be wound
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE BOBBIN BOY", "TALES FROM THE BIBLE", ETC.
a youthful male person
From this reading PRINTER BOY.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading ENGRAVED BY BALE & HOLMAN.
cut or impressed into a surface
From this reading ENGRAVED BY BALE & HOLMAN.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE BOBBIN BOY", "TALES FROM THE BIBLE", ETC.
an item of information that is typical of a class or group
From this reading AN EXAMPLE FOR YOUTH.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading AN EXAMPLE FOR YOUTH.
United States historian noted for studies of Black American history (born in 1915)
From this reading BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MADE HIS MARK.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE BOBBIN BOY", "TALES FROM THE BIBLE", ETC.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MADE HIS MARK.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ENGRAVED BY BALE & HOLMAN.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MADE HIS MARK.
attach a tag or label to
From this reading BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MADE HIS MARK.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE BOBBIN BOY", "TALES FROM THE BIBLE", ETC.
someone whose occupation is printing
From this reading PRINTER BOY.
plural of “tale” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE BOBBIN BOY", "TALES FROM THE BIBLE", ETC.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE BOBBIN BOY", "TALES FROM THE BIBLE", ETC.
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading AN EXAMPLE FOR YOUTH.
Chapter 1 of The Printer Boy by William Makepeace Thayer holds 24 sentences, grouped into 5 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 1 holds 24 sentences of The Printer Boy, unabridged, divided into 5 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Printer Boy by William Makepeace Thayer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 24 sentences, grouped into 5 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 5 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 5 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Printer Boy by William Makepeace Thayer on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2992 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26295 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26295, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 249 minutes of reading across 599 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Printer Boy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Printer Boy 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 Printer Boy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
