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The Snow-Burner
The Snow-Burner

Chapter IV · Toppy Overhears a Conversation

Chapter IV of The Snow-Burner, “Toppy Overhears a Conversation,” is here in full — 97 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Henry Oyen • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Snow-Burner
Context Illustration Reading 1/19 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.
“Go through the shop to that room in the back,” said Jerry.
“You’ll find him in there.”
And he drove off without another word.
Toppy walked in and knocked at a door in a partition across the rear of the shop.
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 Snow-Burner

Chapter IV · Toppy Overhears a Conversation

Chapter IV of The Snow-Burner, “Toppy Overhears a Conversation,” is here in full — 97 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/19 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.
Line 2
“Go through the shop to that room in the back,” said Jerry.
/ɡoʊ θruː ðə ʃɑːp tuː ðæt ruːm ɪn ðə bæk sed ˈdʒeri/
Line 3
“You’ll find him in there.”
Line 4
And he drove off without another word.
/ənd hiː droʊv ɔːf wɪˈθaʊt əˈnʌðər wɜːrd/
Line 5
Toppy walked in and knocked at a door in a partition across the rear of the shop.

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.

blacksmith noun US /ˈblæksmɪθ/

a smith who forges and shapes iron with a hammer and anvil

From this reading “Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Campbell noun US /ˈkæmbəl/

United States mythologist (1904-1987)

From this reading “Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
day's noun US /deɪz/

possessive form of “day” — time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Jerry noun US /ˈdʒeri/

offensive term for a person of German descent

From this reading ““Go through the shop to that room in the back,” said Jerry.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
knocked verb US /nɑːkt/

past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push

From this reading “Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
partition noun US /pɑːrˈtɪʃən/

a vertical structure that divides or separates (as a wall divides one room from another)

From this reading “Toppy walked in and knocked at a door in a partition across the rear of the shop.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rear noun US /rɪr/

the back of a military formation or procession

From this reading “Toppy walked in and knocked at a door in a partition across the rear of the shop.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sleigh noun US /sleɪ/

a vehicle mounted on runners and pulled by horses or dogs; for transportation over snow

From this reading “Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

few minutes adjective + noun

In this reading “Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.”

55,079 times in 426,211 chapters
knocked off verb + particle counted as “knock off”

get rid of (someone who may be a threat) by killing

In this reading “Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.”

2,317 times in 426,211 chapters
knocked at verb + particle counted as “knock at”

In this reading “Toppy walked in and knocked at a door in a partition across the rear of the shop.”

12,461 times in 426,211 chapters
at a door preposition + article + noun counted as “at … door”

In this reading “Toppy walked in and knocked at a door in a partition across the rear of the shop.”

53,016 times in 426,211 chapters
Go through verb + particle

undergo or live through a difficult experience

In this reading ““Go through the shop to that room in the back,” said Jerry.”

29,107 times in 426,211 chapters
before the door preposition + article + noun counted as “before … door”

In this reading “Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.”

4,343 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 46

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 Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading Toppy walked in and knocked at a door in a partition across the rear of the shop.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And he drove off without another word.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading And he drove off without another word.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Toppy walked in and knocked at a door in a partition across the rear of the shop.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading “Go through the shop to that room in the back,” said Jerry.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
blacksmithnounUS /ˈblæksmɪθ/

a smith who forges and shapes iron with a hammer and anvil

From this reading Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CampbellnounUS /ˈkæmbəl/

United States mythologist (1904-1987)

From this reading Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
day'snounUS /deɪz/

possessive form of “day” — time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doornounUS /dɔːr/

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

From this reading Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
drovenounUS /droʊv/

a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together

From this reading And he drove off without another word.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading “You’ll find him in there.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
GoverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading “Go through the shop to that room in the back,” said Jerry.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading And he drove off without another word.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading “You’ll find him in there.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “Go through the shop to that room in the back,” said Jerry.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
JerrynounUS /ˈdʒeri/

offensive term for a person of German descent

From this reading “Go through the shop to that room in the back,” said Jerry.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
knockedverbUS /nɑːkt/

past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push

From this reading Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

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

From this reading Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
partitionnounUS /pɑːrˈtɪʃən/

a vertical structure that divides or separates (as a wall divides one room from another)

From this reading Toppy walked in and knocked at a door in a partition across the rear of the shop.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rearnounUS /rɪr/

the back of a military formation or procession

From this reading Toppy walked in and knocked at a door in a partition across the rear of the shop.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading “Go through the shop to that room in the back,” said Jerry.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “Go through the shop to that room in the back,” said Jerry.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shopverbUS /ʃɑːp/

do one's shopping

From this reading Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sleighnounUS /sleɪ/

a vehicle mounted on runners and pulled by horses or dogs; for transportation over snow

From this reading Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
steppedverbUS /stept/

inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step

From this reading Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading “Go through the shop to that room in the back,” said Jerry.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading “You’ll find him in there.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading “Go through the shop to that room in the back,” said Jerry.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “Go through the shop to that room in the back,” said Jerry.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Toppy

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

From this reading Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.

Pending verification
walkedverbUS /wɔːkt/

past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps

From this reading Toppy walked in and knocked at a door in a partition across the rear of the shop.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading And he drove off without another word.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading And he drove off without another word.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading Old Campbell, the blacksmith, had knocked off from the day’s work when, a few minutes later, Toppy stepped from the sleigh before the door of the shop.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
You'll

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

From this reading “You’ll find him in there.”

Pending verification

Chapter 4 of The Snow-Burner by Henry Oyen holds 97 sentences, grouped into 20 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 Snow-Burner contain?

Chapter 4 holds 97 sentences of The Snow-Burner, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Snow-Burner by Henry Oyen exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 97 sentences, grouped into 20 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 Snow-Burner?

Work through the 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 20 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 Snow-Burner

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Is this the complete text of The Snow-Burner?

Yes. All 6613 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36121 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Snow-Burner is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #36121, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Snow-Burner take to read?

About 551 minutes of reading across 1323 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in The Snow-Burner

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Snow-Burner, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Brisk
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Snow-Burner; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
November
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Snow-Burner; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sunrise
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Snow-Burner; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Breaking
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Snow-Burner; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.