Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Shoemaker's Apron
The Shoemaker's Apron

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Shoemaker's Apron is here in full — 394 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Shoemaker's Apron
Context Illustration Reading 1/78 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Who's there?"
From the outside sweet voices answered:
_"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more!
We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm, Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!
So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!"_ But Smolicheck didn't think he ought to open the door because he remembered what Golden Antlers had told him.
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 Shoemaker's Apron

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Shoemaker's Apron is here in full — 394 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/78 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Who's there?"
Line 2
From the outside sweet voices answered:
/frʌm ðə ˈaʊtˈsaɪd swiːt ˈvɔɪsəz ˈænsərd/
Line 3
_"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more!
Line 4
We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm, Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!
Line 5
So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!"_ But Smolicheck didn't think he ought to open the door because he remembered what Golden Antlers had told him.

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.

Antlers noun US /ˈæntlərz/

plural of “antler” — deciduous horn of a member of the deer family

From this reading “So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!"_ But Smolicheck didn't think he ought to open the door because he remembered what Golden Antlers had told him.”

crack verb US /kræk/

become fractured; break or crack on the surface only

From this reading “_"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more!”

fingers noun US /ˈfɪŋɡərz/

plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)

From this reading “_"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more!”

Golden adjective US /ˈɡoʊldən/

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading “So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!"_ But Smolicheck didn't think he ought to open the door because he remembered what Golden Antlers had told him.”

harm noun US /hɑːrm/

any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.

From this reading “We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm, Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!”

remembered verb US /rɪˈmembərd/

past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection

From this reading “So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!"_ But Smolicheck didn't think he ought to open the door because he remembered what Golden Antlers had told him.”

voices noun US /ˈvɔɪsəz/

plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading “From the outside sweet voices answered:”

wee adjective US /wiː/

(used informally) very small

From this reading “_"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more!”

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.

open the door verb + article + noun counted as “open … door”

In this reading “_"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more!”

least bit adjective + noun

In this reading “We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm, Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!”

sweet voices adjective + noun counted as “sweet voice”

In this reading “From the outside sweet voices answered:”

crack of verb + particle

In this reading “_"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more!”

little hands adjective + noun

In this reading “We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm, Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!”

All words in this reading · 53

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 _"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more!

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading From the outside sweet voices answered:

AntlersnounUS /ˈæntlərz/

plural of “antler” — deciduous horn of a member of the deer family

From this reading So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!"_ But Smolicheck didn't think he ought to open the door because he remembered what Golden Antlers had told him.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!"_ But Smolicheck didn't think he ought to open the door because he remembered what Golden Antlers had told him.

bitnounUS /bɪt/

a small piece or quantity of something

From this reading We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm, Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!"_ But Smolicheck didn't think he ought to open the door because he remembered what Golden Antlers had told him.

coldadjectiveUS /koʊld/

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm, Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!

crackverbUS /kræk/

become fractured; break or crack on the surface only

From this reading _"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more!

didn't

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

From this reading So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!"_ But Smolicheck didn't think he ought to open the door because he remembered what Golden Antlers had told him.

doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm, Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading _"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more!

fingersnounUS /ˈfɪŋɡərz/

plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)

From this reading _"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more!

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading From the outside sweet voices answered:

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm, Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!

GoldenadjectiveUS /ˈɡoʊldən/

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!"_ But Smolicheck didn't think he ought to open the door because he remembered what Golden Antlers had told him.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!"_ But Smolicheck didn't think he ought to open the door because he remembered what Golden Antlers had told him.

handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm, Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!

harmnounUS /hɑːrm/

any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.

From this reading We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm, Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!"_ But Smolicheck didn't think he ought to open the door because he remembered what Golden Antlers had told him.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!"_ But Smolicheck didn't think he ought to open the door because he remembered what Golden Antlers had told him.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm, Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!

JustadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading _"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more!

leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm, Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm, Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading _"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more!

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading _"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more!

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading _"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading _"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more!

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading _"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more!

oughtmodal verbUS /ɔːt/

used with “to” to say what is right or advisable

From this reading So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!"_ But Smolicheck didn't think he ought to open the door because he remembered what Golden Antlers had told him.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm, Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!

outsideadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/

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

From this reading From the outside sweet voices answered:

pleaseverbUS /pliːz/

give pleasure to or be pleasing to

From this reading _"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more!

reachverbUS /riːtʃ/

reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm, Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!

rememberedverbUS /rɪˈmembərd/

past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection

From this reading So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!"_ But Smolicheck didn't think he ought to open the door because he remembered what Golden Antlers had told him.

Smolicheck

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

From this reading _"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more!

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!"_ But Smolicheck didn't think he ought to open the door because he remembered what Golden Antlers had told him.

sweetadjectiveUS /swiːt/

having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar

From this reading From the outside sweet voices answered:

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading From the outside sweet voices answered:

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm, Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading "Who's there?"

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!"_ But Smolicheck didn't think he ought to open the door because he remembered what Golden Antlers had told him.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm, Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!"_ But Smolicheck didn't think he ought to open the door because he remembered what Golden Antlers had told him.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading _"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more!

voicesnounUS /ˈvɔɪsəz/

plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading From the outside sweet voices answered:

warmadjectiveUS /wɔːrm/

having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat

From this reading We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm, Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!

We'll

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

From this reading We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm, Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!

weeadjectiveUS /wiː/

(used informally) very small

From this reading _"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more!

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!"_ But Smolicheck didn't think he ought to open the door because he remembered what Golden Antlers had told him.

Who's

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

From this reading "Who's there?"

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm, Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm, Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!

Chapter 4 of The Shoemaker's Apron by Parker Fillmore holds 394 sentences, grouped into 79 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 Shoemaker's Apron contain?

Chapter 4 holds 394 sentences of The Shoemaker's Apron, unabridged, divided into 79 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Shoemaker's Apron by Parker Fillmore exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 394 sentences, grouped into 79 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 Shoemaker's Apron?

Work through the 79 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 79 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 Shoemaker's Apron

Common questions about reading The Shoemaker's Apron by Parker Fillmore on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Shoemaker's Apron?

Yes. All 3226 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33002 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Shoemaker's Apron is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #33002, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Shoemaker's Apron take to read?

About 268 minutes of reading across 646 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Shoemaker's Apron section by section

How to work through The Shoemaker's Apron section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 8 chapters of The Shoemaker's Apron 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 Shoemaker's Apron

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Shoemaker's Apron, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Czechoslovak
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shoemaker's Apron; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fairy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shoemaker's Apron; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tales
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shoemaker's Apron; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Retold
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shoemaker's Apron; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.