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The Story of a Calico Clown
The Story of a Calico Clown

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Story of a Calico Clown is here in full — 146 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Story of a Calico Clown
Context Illustration Reading 1/29 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.
But as the hand-organ monkey climbed higher and higher the Clown finally cried:
"Here!
Hold on if you please!
What are you going to do?"
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 Story of a Calico Clown

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Story of a Calico Clown is here in full — 146 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/29 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.
/ˈteɪkən daʊn taʊn ðə ˈkæləkoʊ klaʊn wɑːz soʊ sərˈpraɪzd æt ðə kwɪk ˈækʃən ʌv ðə ˈmʌŋki ɪn ˈkætʃɪŋ hɪm baɪ wʌn leɡ ənd ˈkæriɪŋ hɪm ʌp ˈɪntuː ðə triː ðæt fɔːr ə ˈmoʊmənt ɔːr tuː ðə tɔɪ sed ˈnʌθɪŋ/
Line 2
But as the hand-organ monkey climbed higher and higher the Clown finally cried:
Line 3
"Here!
/hiːr/
Line 4
Hold on if you please!
/hoʊld ɑːn ɪf juː pliːz/
Line 5
What are you going to do?"
/wʌt ɑːr juː ˈɡoʊɪŋ tuː duː/

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.

Calico adjective US /ˈkæləkoʊ/

made of calico or resembling calico in being patterned

From this reading “TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.”

carrying verb US /ˈkæriɪŋ/

-ing form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading “TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.”

catching noun US /ˈkætʃɪŋ/

(baseball) playing the position of catcher on a baseball team

From this reading “TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.”

climbed verb US /klaɪmd/

past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress

From this reading “But as the hand-organ monkey climbed higher and higher the Clown finally cried:”

Clown noun US /klaʊn/

a rude or vulgar fool

From this reading “TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.”

leg noun US /leɡ/

a human limb; commonly used to refer to a whole limb but technically only the part of the limb between the knee and ankle

From this reading “TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.”

monkey noun US /ˈmʌŋki/

any of various long-tailed primates (excluding the prosimians)

From this reading “TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.”

toy noun US /tɔɪ/

an artifact designed to be played with

From this reading “TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.”

All words in this reading · 52

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 TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

actionnounUS /ˈækʃən/

something done (usually as opposed to something said)

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading What are you going to do?"

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading But as the hand-organ monkey climbed higher and higher the Clown finally cried:

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But as the hand-organ monkey climbed higher and higher the Clown finally cried:

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

CalicoadjectiveUS /ˈkæləkoʊ/

made of calico or resembling calico in being patterned

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

carryingverbUS /ˈkæriɪŋ/

-ing form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

catchingnounUS /ˈkætʃɪŋ/

(baseball) playing the position of catcher on a baseball team

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

climbedverbUS /klaɪmd/

past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress

From this reading But as the hand-organ monkey climbed higher and higher the Clown finally cried:

ClownnounUS /klaʊn/

a rude or vulgar fool

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

criedverbUS /kraɪd/

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading But as the hand-organ monkey climbed higher and higher the Clown finally cried:

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading What are you going to do?"

DOWNadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

finallyadverbUS /ˈfaɪnəli/

after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay

From this reading But as the hand-organ monkey climbed higher and higher the Clown finally cried:

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading What are you going to do?"

hand-organ

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

From this reading But as the hand-organ monkey climbed higher and higher the Clown finally cried:

HereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading "Here!

higheradjectiveUS /ˈhaɪər/

advanced in complexity or elaboration

From this reading But as the hand-organ monkey climbed higher and higher the Clown finally cried:

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

HoldverbUS /hoʊld/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading Hold on if you please!

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Hold on if you please!

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

legnounUS /leɡ/

a human limb; commonly used to refer to a whole limb but technically only the part of the limb between the knee and ankle

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

monkeynounUS /ˈmʌŋki/

any of various long-tailed primates (excluding the prosimians)

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Hold on if you please!

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

pleaseverbUS /pliːz/

give pleasure to or be pleasing to

From this reading Hold on if you please!

quickadjectiveUS /kwɪk/

accomplished rapidly and without delay

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

surprisedadjectiveUS /sərˈpraɪzd/

taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

TAKENadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading What are you going to do?"

TOWNnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

toynounUS /tɔɪ/

an artifact designed to be played with

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

treenounUS /triː/

a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

twonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading TAKEN DOWN TOWN The Calico Clown was so surprised at the quick action of the monkey in catching him by one leg and carrying him up into the tree, that, for a moment or two, the toy said nothing.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What are you going to do?"

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Hold on if you please!

Chapter 4 of The Story of a Calico Clown by Laura Lee Hope holds 146 sentences, grouped into 30 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 Story of a Calico Clown contain?

Chapter 4 holds 146 sentences of The Story of a Calico Clown, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Story of a Calico Clown by Laura Lee Hope exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 146 sentences, grouped into 30 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 Story of a Calico Clown?

Work through the 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 30 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 Story of a Calico Clown

Common questions about reading The Story of a Calico Clown by Laura Lee Hope on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Story of a Calico Clown?

Yes. All 1037 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5845 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Story of a Calico Clown is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5845, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Story of a Calico Clown take to read?

About 86 minutes of reading across 208 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Story of a Calico Clown section by section

How to work through The Story of a Calico Clown section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 9 chapters of The Story of a Calico Clown 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 Story of a Calico Clown

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Story of a Calico Clown, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Hurried
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Story of a Calico Clown; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Archibald
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Story of a Calico Clown; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Carried
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Story of a Calico Clown; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Yellow
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Story of a Calico Clown; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.