Chapter 1 of The shoemaker is here in full — 31 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The shoemaker is here in full — 31 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=). Price 25 Cents. A STORY BASED ON HAL REID’S PLAY OF THE SAME NAME. BY OLIVE HARPER. THE SHOEMAKER.
Chapter 1 of The shoemaker is here in full — 31 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/6 · 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.
having a base
From this reading “A STORY BASED ON HAL REID’S PLAY OF THE SAME NAME.”
closed in or surrounded or included within
From this reading “Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).”
someone who plays the harp
From this reading “BY OLIVE HARPER.”
plural of “italic” — a style of handwriting with the letters slanting to the right
From this reading “Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).”
of a yellow-green color similar to that of an unripe olive
From this reading “BY OLIVE HARPER.”
possessive form of “reid” — Scottish philosopher of common sense who opposed the ideas of David Hume (1710-1796)
a person who makes or repairs shoes
From this reading “THE SHOEMAKER.”
plural of “underscore” — a line drawn underneath (especially under written matter)
From this reading “Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).”
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.
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Price 25 Cents.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A STORY BASED ON HAL REID’S PLAY OF THE SAME NAME.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).
having a base
From this reading A STORY BASED ON HAL REID’S PLAY OF THE SAME NAME.
fearless and daring
From this reading Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).
plural of “cent” — a fractional monetary unit of several countries
From this reading Price 25 Cents.
closed in or surrounded or included within
From this reading Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).
be identical or equivalent to
From this reading Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A STORY BASED ON HAL REID’S PLAY OF THE SAME NAME.
someone who plays the harp
From this reading BY OLIVE HARPER.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).
plural of “italic” — a style of handwriting with the letters slanting to the right
From this reading Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading A STORY BASED ON HAL REID’S PLAY OF THE SAME NAME.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A STORY BASED ON HAL REID’S PLAY OF THE SAME NAME.
of a yellow-green color similar to that of an unripe olive
From this reading BY OLIVE HARPER.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A STORY BASED ON HAL REID’S PLAY OF THE SAME NAME.
participate in games or sport
From this reading A STORY BASED ON HAL REID’S PLAY OF THE SAME NAME.
the property of having material worth (often indicated by the amount of money something would bring if sold)
From this reading Price 25 Cents.
possessive form of “reid” — Scottish philosopher of common sense who opposed the ideas of David Hume (1710-1796)
From this reading A STORY BASED ON HAL REID’S PLAY OF THE SAME NAME.
Identical; not different.
From this reading A STORY BASED ON HAL REID’S PLAY OF THE SAME NAME.
a person who makes or repairs shoes
From this reading THE SHOEMAKER.
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).
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 A STORY BASED ON HAL REID’S PLAY OF THE SAME NAME.
the words of something written
From this reading Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A STORY BASED ON HAL REID’S PLAY OF THE SAME NAME.
plural of “underscore” — a line drawn underneath (especially under written matter)
From this reading Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).
Chapter 1 of The shoemaker by Olive Harper holds 31 sentences, grouped into 7 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 31 sentences of The shoemaker, unabridged, divided into 7 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The shoemaker by Olive Harper exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 31 sentences, grouped into 7 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 7 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 7 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 shoemaker by Olive Harper on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2862 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #69408 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #69408, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 238 minutes of reading across 573 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The shoemaker section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of The shoemaker 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 shoemaker, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
