The Russian Grandmother's Wonder Tales

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of The Russian Grandmother's Wonder Tales is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Louise Seymour Houghton • Curated US English Learning Edition

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SATURDAY AFTERNOON It was Saturday afternoon, and the little boy had been with his mother to the village vapor-bath.

After that he had been dressed in his Sunday clothes.

His white shirt, which he called his roubachka, hung outside of his best portki, or loose, colored trousers.

His legs were wound round with many bands of colored cloth, called onontchi, and on his feet he wore bachmaki, or shoes.

When he grew to be a man he would wear very high, large-topped sapoghi, with his trousers tucked into them, like his father, and then he would not need onontchi on his legs.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter III Reading 1/25

The Russian Grandmother's Wonder Tales Louise Seymour Houghton

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of The Russian Grandmother's Wonder Tales is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON It was Saturday afternoon, and the little boy had been with his mother to the village vapor-bath. After that he had been dressed in his Sunday clothes. His white shirt, which he called his roubachka, hung outside of his best portki, or loose, colored trousers. His legs were wound round with many bands of colored cloth, called onontchi, and on his feet he wore bachmaki, or shoes. When he grew to be a man he would wear very high, large-topped sapoghi, with his trousers tucked into them, like his father, and then he would not need onontchi on his legs.

The Russian Grandmother's Wonder Tales

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of The Russian Grandmother's Wonder Tales is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/25 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

SATURDAY AFTERNOON It was Saturday afternoon, and the little boy had been with his mother to the village vapor-bath.

Line 2

After that he had been dressed in his Sunday clothes.

/ˈæftər ðæt hiː hæd bɪn drest ɪn hɪz ˈsʌndeɪ kloʊðz/

Line 3

His white shirt, which he called his roubachka, hung outside of his best portki, or loose, colored trousers.

Line 4

His legs were wound round with many bands of colored cloth, called onontchi, and on his feet he wore bachmaki, or shoes.

Line 5

When he grew to be a man he would wear very high, large-topped sapoghi, with his trousers tucked into them, like his father, and then he would not need onontchi on his legs.

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.

bands noun US /bændz/

plural of “band” — an unofficial association of people or groups

From this reading “His legs were wound round with many bands of colored cloth, called onontchi, and on his feet he wore bachmaki, or shoes.”

colored adjective US /ˈkʌlərd/

having color or a certain color; sometimes used in combination

From this reading “His white shirt, which he called his roubachka, hung outside of his best portki, or loose, colored trousers.”

saturday noun US /ˈsætərdi/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading “SATURDAY AFTERNOON It was Saturday afternoon, and the little boy had been with his mother to the village vapor-bath.”

shirt noun US /ʃɜːrt/

a garment worn on the upper half of the body

From this reading “His white shirt, which he called his roubachka, hung outside of his best portki, or loose, colored trousers.”

shoes noun US /ʃuːz/

a particular situation

From this reading “His legs were wound round with many bands of colored cloth, called onontchi, and on his feet he wore bachmaki, or shoes.”

trousers noun US /ˈtraʊzərz/

(usually in the plural) a garment extending from the waist to the knee or ankle, covering each leg separately

From this reading “His white shirt, which he called his roubachka, hung outside of his best portki, or loose, colored trousers.”

tucked adjective US /tʌkt/

having tucked or being tucked

From this reading “When he grew to be a man he would wear very high, large-topped sapoghi, with his trousers tucked into them, like his father, and then he would not need onontchi on his legs.”

wound noun US /waʊnd/

an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)

From this reading “His legs were wound round with many bands of colored cloth, called onontchi, and on his feet he wore bachmaki, or shoes.”

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.

white shirt noun + noun

In this reading “His white shirt, which he called his roubachka, hung outside of his best portki, or loose, colored trousers.”

wound round noun + noun

In this reading “His legs were wound round with many bands of colored cloth, called onontchi, and on his feet he wore bachmaki, or shoes.”

little boy adjective + noun

In this reading “SATURDAY AFTERNOON It was Saturday afternoon, and the little boy had been with his mother to the village vapor-bath.”

All words in this reading · 69

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 When he grew to be a man he would wear very high, large-topped sapoghi, with his trousers tucked into them, like his father, and then he would not need onontchi on his legs.

AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading After that he had been dressed in his Sunday clothes.

AFTERNOONnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading SATURDAY AFTERNOON It was Saturday afternoon, and the little boy had been with his mother to the village vapor-bath.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading SATURDAY AFTERNOON It was Saturday afternoon, and the little boy had been with his mother to the village vapor-bath.

bachmaki

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

From this reading His legs were wound round with many bands of colored cloth, called onontchi, and on his feet he wore bachmaki, or shoes.

bandsnounUS /bændz/

plural of “band” — an unofficial association of people or groups

From this reading His legs were wound round with many bands of colored cloth, called onontchi, and on his feet he wore bachmaki, or shoes.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading When he grew to be a man he would wear very high, large-topped sapoghi, with his trousers tucked into them, like his father, and then he would not need onontchi on his legs.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading SATURDAY AFTERNOON It was Saturday afternoon, and the little boy had been with his mother to the village vapor-bath.

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading His white shirt, which he called his roubachka, hung outside of his best portki, or loose, colored trousers.

boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading SATURDAY AFTERNOON It was Saturday afternoon, and the little boy had been with his mother to the village vapor-bath.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading His white shirt, which he called his roubachka, hung outside of his best portki, or loose, colored trousers.

clothnounUS /klɔːθ/

artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers

From this reading His legs were wound round with many bands of colored cloth, called onontchi, and on his feet he wore bachmaki, or shoes.

clothesnounUS /kloʊðz/

clothing in general

From this reading After that he had been dressed in his Sunday clothes.

coloredadjectiveUS /ˈkʌlərd/

having color or a certain color; sometimes used in combination

From this reading His white shirt, which he called his roubachka, hung outside of his best portki, or loose, colored trousers.

dressedadjectiveUS /drest/

dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination

From this reading After that he had been dressed in his Sunday clothes.

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

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

From this reading When he grew to be a man he would wear very high, large-topped sapoghi, with his trousers tucked into them, like his father, and then he would not need onontchi on his legs.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

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

From this reading His legs were wound round with many bands of colored cloth, called onontchi, and on his feet he wore bachmaki, or shoes.

grewverbUS /ɡruː/

inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading When he grew to be a man he would wear very high, large-topped sapoghi, with his trousers tucked into them, like his father, and then he would not need onontchi on his legs.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading SATURDAY AFTERNOON It was Saturday afternoon, and the little boy had been with his mother to the village vapor-bath.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading After that he had been dressed in his Sunday clothes.

highadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading When he grew to be a man he would wear very high, large-topped sapoghi, with his trousers tucked into them, like his father, and then he would not need onontchi on his legs.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading SATURDAY AFTERNOON It was Saturday afternoon, and the little boy had been with his mother to the village vapor-bath.

hungverbUS /hʌŋ/

inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging

From this reading His white shirt, which he called his roubachka, hung outside of his best portki, or loose, colored trousers.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading After that he had been dressed in his Sunday clothes.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading When he grew to be a man he would wear very high, large-topped sapoghi, with his trousers tucked into them, like his father, and then he would not need onontchi on his legs.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading SATURDAY AFTERNOON It was Saturday afternoon, and the little boy had been with his mother to the village vapor-bath.

large-topped

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

From this reading When he grew to be a man he would wear very high, large-topped sapoghi, with his trousers tucked into them, like his father, and then he would not need onontchi on his legs.

legsnounUS /leɡz/

staying power

From this reading His legs were wound round with many bands of colored cloth, called onontchi, and on his feet he wore bachmaki, or shoes.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading When he grew to be a man he would wear very high, large-topped sapoghi, with his trousers tucked into them, like his father, and then he would not need onontchi on his legs.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading SATURDAY AFTERNOON It was Saturday afternoon, and the little boy had been with his mother to the village vapor-bath.

looseadjectiveUS /luːs/

not compact or dense in structure or arrangement

From this reading His white shirt, which he called his roubachka, hung outside of his best portki, or loose, colored trousers.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading When he grew to be a man he would wear very high, large-topped sapoghi, with his trousers tucked into them, like his father, and then he would not need onontchi on his legs.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading His legs were wound round with many bands of colored cloth, called onontchi, and on his feet he wore bachmaki, or shoes.

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

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

From this reading SATURDAY AFTERNOON It was Saturday afternoon, and the little boy had been with his mother to the village vapor-bath.

neednounUS /niːd/

a condition requiring relief

From this reading When he grew to be a man he would wear very high, large-topped sapoghi, with his trousers tucked into them, like his father, and then he would not need onontchi on his legs.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading When he grew to be a man he would wear very high, large-topped sapoghi, with his trousers tucked into them, like his father, and then he would not need onontchi on his legs.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading His white shirt, which he called his roubachka, hung outside of his best portki, or loose, colored trousers.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading His legs were wound round with many bands of colored cloth, called onontchi, and on his feet he wore bachmaki, or shoes.

onontchi

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

From this reading His legs were wound round with many bands of colored cloth, called onontchi, and on his feet he wore bachmaki, or shoes.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading His white shirt, which he called his roubachka, hung outside of his best portki, or loose, colored trousers.

outsideadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit

From this reading His white shirt, which he called his roubachka, hung outside of his best portki, or loose, colored trousers.

portki

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

From this reading His white shirt, which he called his roubachka, hung outside of his best portki, or loose, colored trousers.

roubachka

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

From this reading His white shirt, which he called his roubachka, hung outside of his best portki, or loose, colored trousers.

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading His legs were wound round with many bands of colored cloth, called onontchi, and on his feet he wore bachmaki, or shoes.

sapoghi

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

From this reading When he grew to be a man he would wear very high, large-topped sapoghi, with his trousers tucked into them, like his father, and then he would not need onontchi on his legs.

SATURDAYnounUS /ˈsætərdi/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading SATURDAY AFTERNOON It was Saturday afternoon, and the little boy had been with his mother to the village vapor-bath.

shirtnounUS /ʃɜːrt/

a garment worn on the upper half of the body

From this reading His white shirt, which he called his roubachka, hung outside of his best portki, or loose, colored trousers.

shoesnounUS /ʃuːz/

a particular situation

From this reading His legs were wound round with many bands of colored cloth, called onontchi, and on his feet he wore bachmaki, or shoes.

SundaynounUS /ˈsʌndeɪ/

first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians

From this reading After that he had been dressed in his Sunday clothes.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading After that he had been dressed in his Sunday clothes.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading SATURDAY AFTERNOON It was Saturday afternoon, and the little boy had been with his mother to the village vapor-bath.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading When he grew to be a man he would wear very high, large-topped sapoghi, with his trousers tucked into them, like his father, and then he would not need onontchi on his legs.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading When he grew to be a man he would wear very high, large-topped sapoghi, with his trousers tucked into them, like his father, and then he would not need onontchi on his legs.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading SATURDAY AFTERNOON It was Saturday afternoon, and the little boy had been with his mother to the village vapor-bath.

trousersnounUS /ˈtraʊzərz/

(usually in the plural) a garment extending from the waist to the knee or ankle, covering each leg separately

From this reading His white shirt, which he called his roubachka, hung outside of his best portki, or loose, colored trousers.

tuckedadjectiveUS /tʌkt/

having tucked or being tucked

From this reading When he grew to be a man he would wear very high, large-topped sapoghi, with his trousers tucked into them, like his father, and then he would not need onontchi on his legs.

vapor-bath

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

From this reading SATURDAY AFTERNOON It was Saturday afternoon, and the little boy had been with his mother to the village vapor-bath.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading When he grew to be a man he would wear very high, large-topped sapoghi, with his trousers tucked into them, like his father, and then he would not need onontchi on his legs.

villagenounUS /ˈvɪlədʒ/

a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading SATURDAY AFTERNOON It was Saturday afternoon, and the little boy had been with his mother to the village vapor-bath.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading SATURDAY AFTERNOON It was Saturday afternoon, and the little boy had been with his mother to the village vapor-bath.

wearverbUS /wer/

be dressed in

From this reading When he grew to be a man he would wear very high, large-topped sapoghi, with his trousers tucked into them, like his father, and then he would not need onontchi on his legs.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading His legs were wound round with many bands of colored cloth, called onontchi, and on his feet he wore bachmaki, or shoes.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When he grew to be a man he would wear very high, large-topped sapoghi, with his trousers tucked into them, like his father, and then he would not need onontchi on his legs.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading His white shirt, which he called his roubachka, hung outside of his best portki, or loose, colored trousers.

whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading His white shirt, which he called his roubachka, hung outside of his best portki, or loose, colored trousers.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading SATURDAY AFTERNOON It was Saturday afternoon, and the little boy had been with his mother to the village vapor-bath.

woreverbUS /wɔːr/

inflected form of “wear” — be dressed in

From this reading His legs were wound round with many bands of colored cloth, called onontchi, and on his feet he wore bachmaki, or shoes.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading When he grew to be a man he would wear very high, large-topped sapoghi, with his trousers tucked into them, like his father, and then he would not need onontchi on his legs.

woundnounUS /waʊnd/

an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)

From this reading His legs were wound round with many bands of colored cloth, called onontchi, and on his feet he wore bachmaki, or shoes.

Chapter 3 of The Russian Grandmother's Wonder Tales by Louise Seymour Houghton holds 126 sentences, grouped into 26 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 Russian Grandmother's Wonder Tales contain?

Chapter 3 holds 126 sentences of The Russian Grandmother's Wonder Tales, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of The Russian Grandmother's Wonder Tales by Louise Seymour Houghton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 126 sentences, grouped into 26 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 Russian Grandmother's Wonder Tales?

Work through the 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 26 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.

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Yes. All 2968 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #45214 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #45214, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 247 minutes of reading across 594 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Russian Grandmother's Wonder Tales

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Russian Grandmother's Wonder Tales, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Stories: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Russian Grandmother's Wonder Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Russian: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Russian Grandmother's Wonder Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Found: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Russian Grandmother's Wonder Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter III

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