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The Runaway Bunny
The Runaway Bunny

Chapter IV · Mother Bun’s Visitors

Chapter IV of The Runaway Bunny, “Mother Bun’s Visitors,” is here in full — 64 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Runaway Bunny
Context Illustration Reading 1/12 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Said Mother Bun, “You may think it funny, But I miss my little Runaway Bunny.”
Old Father Bun thought a long time before speaking.
Then said Father Bun, “Would it be wise, In all the papers to advertise?”
Old Father and Mother Bun talked on about the Runaway Bunny, saying:
“In every newspaper in the wood We’ll advertise.
0:00 / 0:00
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.

The Runaway Bunny

Chapter IV · Mother Bun’s Visitors

Chapter IV of The Runaway Bunny, “Mother Bun’s Visitors,” is here in full — 64 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/12 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Said Mother Bun, “You may think it funny, But I miss my little Runaway Bunny.”
/sed ˈmʌðər bʌn juː meɪ θɪŋk ɪt ˈfʌni bʌt aɪ mɪs maɪ ˈlɪtəl ˈrʌnəweɪ ˈbʌni/
Line 2
Old Father Bun thought a long time before speaking.
/oʊld ˈfɑːðər bʌn θɔːt ə lɔːŋ taɪm bɪˈfɔːr ˈspiːkɪŋ/
Line 3
Then said Father Bun, “Would it be wise, In all the papers to advertise?”
/ðen sed ˈfɑːðər bʌn wʊd ɪt biː waɪz ɪn ɔːl ðə ˈpeɪpərz tuː ˈædvərtaɪz/
Line 4
Old Father and Mother Bun talked on about the Runaway Bunny, saying:
/oʊld ˈfɑːðər ənd ˈmʌðər bʌn tɔːkt ɑːn əˈbaʊt ðə ˈrʌnəweɪ ˈbʌni ˈseɪɪŋ/
Line 5
“In every newspaper in the wood We’ll advertise.

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.

advertise verb US /ˈædvərtaɪz/

call attention to

From this reading “Then said Father Bun, “Would it be wise, In all the papers to advertise?””

Bun noun US /bʌn/

small rounded bread either plain or sweet

From this reading “Said Mother Bun, “You may think it funny, But I miss my little Runaway Bunny.””

Bunny noun US /ˈbʌni/

a young waitress in a nightclub whose costume includes the tail and ears of a rabbit

From this reading “Said Mother Bun, “You may think it funny, But I miss my little Runaway Bunny.””

funny adjective US /ˈfʌni/

arousing or provoking laughter

From this reading “Said Mother Bun, “You may think it funny, But I miss my little Runaway Bunny.””

newspaper noun US /ˈnuːzpeɪpər/

a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements

From this reading ““In every newspaper in the wood We’ll advertise.”

papers noun US /ˈpeɪpərz/

writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)

From this reading “Then said Father Bun, “Would it be wise, In all the papers to advertise?””

Runaway noun US /ˈrʌnəweɪ/

an easy victory

From this reading “Said Mother Bun, “You may think it funny, But I miss my little Runaway Bunny.””

wise adjective US /waɪz/

having or prompted by wisdom or discernment

From this reading “Then said Father Bun, “Would it be wise, In all the papers to advertise?””

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.

long time adjective + noun

a prolonged period of time

In this reading “Old Father Bun thought a long time before speaking.”

All words in this reading · 42

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 Old Father Bun thought a long time before speaking.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Old Father and Mother Bun talked on about the Runaway Bunny, saying:

advertiseverbUS /ˈædvərtaɪz/

call attention to

From this reading Then said Father Bun, “Would it be wise, In all the papers to advertise?”

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Then said Father Bun, “Would it be wise, In all the papers to advertise?”

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Old Father and Mother Bun talked on about the Runaway Bunny, saying:

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Then said Father Bun, “Would it be wise, In all the papers to advertise?”

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Old Father Bun thought a long time before speaking.

BunnounUS /bʌn/

small rounded bread either plain or sweet

From this reading Said Mother Bun, “You may think it funny, But I miss my little Runaway Bunny.”

BunnynounUS /ˈbʌni/

a young waitress in a nightclub whose costume includes the tail and ears of a rabbit

From this reading Said Mother Bun, “You may think it funny, But I miss my little Runaway Bunny.”

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Said Mother Bun, “You may think it funny, But I miss my little Runaway Bunny.”

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading “In every newspaper in the wood We’ll advertise.

FathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading Old Father Bun thought a long time before speaking.

funnyadjectiveUS /ˈfʌni/

arousing or provoking laughter

From this reading Said Mother Bun, “You may think it funny, But I miss my little Runaway Bunny.”

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Said Mother Bun, “You may think it funny, But I miss my little Runaway Bunny.”

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Then said Father Bun, “Would it be wise, In all the papers to advertise?”

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Said Mother Bun, “You may think it funny, But I miss my little Runaway Bunny.”

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading Said Mother Bun, “You may think it funny, But I miss my little Runaway Bunny.”

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 Old Father Bun thought a long time before speaking.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading Said Mother Bun, “You may think it funny, But I miss my little Runaway Bunny.”

missverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading Said Mother Bun, “You may think it funny, But I miss my little Runaway Bunny.”

MothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading Said Mother Bun, “You may think it funny, But I miss my little Runaway Bunny.”

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Said Mother Bun, “You may think it funny, But I miss my little Runaway Bunny.”

newspapernounUS /ˈnuːzpeɪpər/

a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements

From this reading “In every newspaper in the wood We’ll advertise.

OldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Old Father Bun thought a long time before speaking.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Old Father and Mother Bun talked on about the Runaway Bunny, saying:

papersnounUS /ˈpeɪpərz/

writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)

From this reading Then said Father Bun, “Would it be wise, In all the papers to advertise?”

RunawaynounUS /ˈrʌnəweɪ/

an easy victory

From this reading Said Mother Bun, “You may think it funny, But I miss my little Runaway Bunny.”

SaidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading Said Mother Bun, “You may think it funny, But I miss my little Runaway Bunny.”

sayingnounUS /ˈseɪɪŋ/

a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations

From this reading Old Father and Mother Bun talked on about the Runaway Bunny, saying:

speakingnounUS /ˈspiːkɪŋ/

the utterance of intelligible speech

From this reading Old Father Bun thought a long time before speaking.

talkedverbUS /tɔːkt/

past form of “talk” — exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading Old Father and Mother Bun talked on about the Runaway Bunny, saying:

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Then said Father Bun, “Would it be wise, In all the papers to advertise?”

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then said Father Bun, “Would it be wise, In all the papers to advertise?”

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading Said Mother Bun, “You may think it funny, But I miss my little Runaway Bunny.”

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading Old Father Bun thought a long time before speaking.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Old Father Bun thought a long time before speaking.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Then said Father Bun, “Would it be wise, In all the papers to advertise?”

We'll

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

From this reading “In every newspaper in the wood We’ll advertise.

wiseadjectiveUS /waɪz/

having or prompted by wisdom or discernment

From this reading Then said Father Bun, “Would it be wise, In all the papers to advertise?”

woodnounUS /wʊd/

the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees

From this reading “In every newspaper in the wood We’ll advertise.

Wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading Then said Father Bun, “Would it be wise, In all the papers to advertise?”

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Said Mother Bun, “You may think it funny, But I miss my little Runaway Bunny.”

Chapter 4 of The Runaway Bunny by Laura Rountree Smith holds 64 sentences, grouped into 13 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 4 of The Runaway Bunny contain?

Chapter 4 holds 64 sentences of The Runaway Bunny, unabridged, divided into 13 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Runaway Bunny by Laura Rountree Smith exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 64 sentences, grouped into 13 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 4 of The Runaway Bunny?

Work through the 13 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 13 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Runaway Bunny

Common questions about reading The Runaway Bunny by Laura Rountree Smith on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Runaway Bunny?

Yes. All 657 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #65568 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Runaway Bunny is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #65568, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Runaway Bunny take to read?

About 54 minutes of reading across 132 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Runaway Bunny section by section

How to work through The Runaway Bunny section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 10 chapters of The Runaway Bunny to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Runaway Bunny

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

Https
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Runaway Bunny; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Toyland
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Runaway Bunny; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Drills
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Runaway Bunny; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Plays
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Runaway Bunny; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.