Chapter 2 of The Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow is here in full — 200 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow is here in full — 200 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I was also hampered by a scarcity in runaway horses. The horse of our suburb was not that type of horse. Once and only once did an opportunity offer itself for practice. It was a good opportunity, inasmuch as he was not running away very greatly. Indeed, I doubt if he knew himself that he was running away.
Chapter 2 of The Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow is here in full — 200 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/40 · 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.
to an extraordinary extent or degree
From this reading “It was a good opportunity, inasmuch as he was not running away very greatly.”
past form of “hamper” — prevent the progress or free movement of
From this reading “I was also hampered by a scarcity in runaway horses.”
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading “Once and only once did an opportunity offer itself for practice.”
a customary way of operation or behavior
From this reading “Once and only once did an opportunity offer itself for practice.”
an easy victory
From this reading “I was also hampered by a scarcity in runaway horses.”
a small and inadequate amount
From this reading “I was also hampered by a scarcity in runaway horses.”
a residential district located on the outskirts of a city
From this reading “The horse of our suburb was not that type of horse.”
a subdivision of a particular kind of thing
From this reading “The horse of our suburb was not that type of horse.”
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 was also hampered by a scarcity in runaway horses.
in addition
From this reading I was also hampered by a scarcity in runaway horses.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Once and only once did an opportunity offer itself for practice.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Once and only once did an opportunity offer itself for practice.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It was a good opportunity, inasmuch as he was not running away very greatly.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading It was a good opportunity, inasmuch as he was not running away very greatly.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading I was also hampered by a scarcity in runaway horses.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Once and only once did an opportunity offer itself for practice.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading Indeed, I doubt if he knew himself that he was running away.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Once and only once did an opportunity offer itself for practice.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading It was a good opportunity, inasmuch as he was not running away very greatly.
to an extraordinary extent or degree
From this reading It was a good opportunity, inasmuch as he was not running away very greatly.
past form of “hamper” — prevent the progress or free movement of
From this reading I was also hampered by a scarcity in runaway horses.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was a good opportunity, inasmuch as he was not running away very greatly.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Indeed, I doubt if he knew himself that he was running away.
solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading The horse of our suburb was not that type of horse.
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading I was also hampered by a scarcity in runaway horses.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I was also hampered by a scarcity in runaway horses.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Indeed, I doubt if he knew himself that he was running away.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I was also hampered by a scarcity in runaway horses.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a good opportunity, inasmuch as he was not running away very greatly.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading Indeed, I doubt if he knew himself that he was running away.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a good opportunity, inasmuch as he was not running away very greatly.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading Once and only once did an opportunity offer itself for practice.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Indeed, I doubt if he knew himself that he was running away.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The horse of our suburb was not that type of horse.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The horse of our suburb was not that type of horse.
make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading Once and only once did an opportunity offer itself for practice.
on one occasion
From this reading Once and only once did an opportunity offer itself for practice.
and nothing more
From this reading Once and only once did an opportunity offer itself for practice.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading Once and only once did an opportunity offer itself for practice.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading The horse of our suburb was not that type of horse.
a customary way of operation or behavior
From this reading Once and only once did an opportunity offer itself for practice.
an easy victory
From this reading I was also hampered by a scarcity in runaway horses.
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading It was a good opportunity, inasmuch as he was not running away very greatly.
a small and inadequate amount
From this reading I was also hampered by a scarcity in runaway horses.
a residential district located on the outskirts of a city
From this reading The horse of our suburb was not that type of horse.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The horse of our suburb was not that type of horse.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The horse of our suburb was not that type of horse.
a subdivision of a particular kind of thing
From this reading The horse of our suburb was not that type of horse.
precisely as stated
From this reading It was a good opportunity, inasmuch as he was not running away very greatly.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was also hampered by a scarcity in runaway horses.
Chapter 2 of The Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow by Jerome K. (Jerome Klapka) Jerome holds 200 sentences, grouped into 40 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 2 holds 200 sentences of The Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow by Jerome K. (Jerome Klapka) Jerome exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 200 sentences, grouped into 40 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 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 40 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 2 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 Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow by Jerome K. (Jerome Klapka) Jerome on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4043 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1915 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1915, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 336 minutes of reading across 809 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of The Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow 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 Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
