Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The story of iron
The story of iron

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of The story of iron is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Elizabeth Ida Samuel • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The story of iron
Context Illustration Reading 1/32 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THOMAS MURPHY, TIMEKEEPER “There’s a garden,” said Mr. Prescott, the next morning.
“_Is_ there a garden?” interrupted Billy, eagerly.
“There’s a garden,” Mr. Prescott went on, in his steady, even tone, “down behind this house, and I have decided to give a garden party.
Are there any ladies that you would like to invite?”
“All the ladies that I have in the world,” said Billy, soberly, “are Aunt Mary and Miss King.”
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 iron

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of The story of iron is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THOMAS MURPHY, TIMEKEEPER “There’s a garden,” said Mr. Prescott, the next morning.
Line 2
“_Is_ there a garden?” interrupted Billy, eagerly.
/ɪz ðer ə ˈɡɑːrdən ˌɪntərˈʌptɪd ˈbɪli ˈiːɡərli/
Line 3
“There’s a garden,” Mr. Prescott went on, in his steady, even tone, “down behind this house, and I have decided to give a garden party.
Line 4
Are there any ladies that you would like to invite?”
/ɑːr ðer ˈeni ˈleɪdiz ðæt juː wʊd laɪk tuː ˌɪnˈvaɪt/
Line 5
“All the ladies that I have in the world,” said Billy, soberly, “are Aunt Mary and Miss King.”
/ɔːl ðə ˈleɪdiz ðæt aɪ hæv ɪn ðə wɜːrld sed ˈbɪli ˈsoʊbərli ɑːr ænt ˈmeri ənd mɪs kɪŋ/

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.

Billy noun US /ˈbɪli/

a short stout club used primarily by policemen

From this reading ““_Is_ there a garden?” interrupted Billy, eagerly.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eagerly adverb US /ˈiːɡərli/

with eagerness; in an eager manner

From this reading ““_Is_ there a garden?” interrupted Billy, eagerly.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
invite verb US /ˌɪnˈvaɪt/

increase the likelihood of

From this reading “Are there any ladies that you would like to invite?””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
murphy noun US /ˈmɜːrfi/

an edible tuber native to South America; a staple food of Ireland

From this reading “THOMAS MURPHY, TIMEKEEPER “There’s a garden,” said Mr. Prescott, the next morning.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Prescott noun US /ˈpreskɑːt/

a town in central Arizona

From this reading “THOMAS MURPHY, TIMEKEEPER “There’s a garden,” said Mr. Prescott, the next morning.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
soberly adverb US /ˈsoʊbərli/

in a grave and sober manner

From this reading ““All the ladies that I have in the world,” said Billy, soberly, “are Aunt Mary and Miss King.””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
steady verb US /ˈstedi/

make steady

From this reading ““There’s a garden,” Mr. Prescott went on, in his steady, even tone, “down behind this house, and I have decided to give a garden party.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thomas noun US /ˈtɑːməs/

United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)

From this reading “THOMAS MURPHY, TIMEKEEPER “There’s a garden,” said Mr. Prescott, the next morning.”

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.

next morning adjective + noun

In this reading “THOMAS MURPHY, TIMEKEEPER “There’s a garden,” said Mr. Prescott, the next morning.”

52,521 times in 426,211 chapters
garden party noun + noun

a party of people assembled for social interaction out of doors

In this reading ““There’s a garden,” Mr. Prescott went on, in his steady, even tone, “down behind this house, and I have decided to give a garden party.”

600 times in 426,211 chapters
went on verb + particle counted as “go on”

continue a certain state, condition, or activity

In this reading ““There’s a garden,” Mr. Prescott went on, in his steady, even tone, “down behind this house, and I have decided to give a garden party.”

241,940 times in 426,211 chapters
in the world preposition + article + noun counted as “in … world”

In this reading ““All the ladies that I have in the world,” said Billy, soberly, “are Aunt Mary and Miss King.””

107,541 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 50

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 THOMAS MURPHY, TIMEKEEPER “There’s a garden,” said Mr. Prescott, the next morning.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AlladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading “All the ladies that I have in the world,” said Billy, soberly, “are Aunt Mary and Miss King.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “There’s a garden,” Mr. Prescott went on, in his steady, even tone, “down behind this house, and I have decided to give a garden party.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading Are there any ladies that you would like to invite?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Are there any ladies that you would like to invite?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AuntnounUS /ænt/

the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle

From this reading “All the ladies that I have in the world,” said Billy, soberly, “are Aunt Mary and Miss King.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading “There’s a garden,” Mr. Prescott went on, in his steady, even tone, “down behind this house, and I have decided to give a garden party.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BillynounUS /ˈbɪli/

a short stout club used primarily by policemen

From this reading “_Is_ there a garden?” interrupted Billy, eagerly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
decidedadjectiveUS /ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd/

recognizable; marked

From this reading “There’s a garden,” Mr. Prescott went on, in his steady, even tone, “down behind this house, and I have decided to give a garden party.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading “There’s a garden,” Mr. Prescott went on, in his steady, even tone, “down behind this house, and I have decided to give a garden party.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eagerlyadverbUS /ˈiːɡərli/

with eagerness; in an eager manner

From this reading “_Is_ there a garden?” interrupted Billy, eagerly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading “There’s a garden,” Mr. Prescott went on, in his steady, even tone, “down behind this house, and I have decided to give a garden party.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading THOMAS MURPHY, TIMEKEEPER “There’s a garden,” said Mr. Prescott, the next morning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading “There’s a garden,” Mr. Prescott went on, in his steady, even tone, “down behind this house, and I have decided to give a garden party.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “There’s a garden,” Mr. Prescott went on, in his steady, even tone, “down behind this house, and I have decided to give a garden party.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading “There’s a garden,” Mr. Prescott went on, in his steady, even tone, “down behind this house, and I have decided to give a garden party.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading “There’s a garden,” Mr. Prescott went on, in his steady, even tone, “down behind this house, and I have decided to give a garden party.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading “There’s a garden,” Mr. Prescott went on, in his steady, even tone, “down behind this house, and I have decided to give a garden party.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “There’s a garden,” Mr. Prescott went on, in his steady, even tone, “down behind this house, and I have decided to give a garden party.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
interruptedadjectiveUS /ˌɪntərˈʌptɪd/

discontinued temporarily

From this reading “_Is_ there a garden?” interrupted Billy, eagerly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inviteverbUS /ˌɪnˈvaɪt/

increase the likelihood of

From this reading Are there any ladies that you would like to invite?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading “_Is_ there a garden?” interrupted Billy, eagerly.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
KingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading “All the ladies that I have in the world,” said Billy, soberly, “are Aunt Mary and Miss King.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ladiesnounUS /ˈleɪdiz/

plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman

From this reading Are there any ladies that you would like to invite?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Are there any ladies that you would like to invite?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MarynounUS /ˈmeri/

the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics

From this reading “All the ladies that I have in the world,” said Billy, soberly, “are Aunt Mary and Miss King.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading “All the ladies that I have in the world,” said Billy, soberly, “are Aunt Mary and Miss King.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading THOMAS MURPHY, TIMEKEEPER “There’s a garden,” said Mr. Prescott, the next morning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading THOMAS MURPHY, TIMEKEEPER “There’s a garden,” said Mr. Prescott, the next morning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MURPHYnounUS /ˈmɜːrfi/

an edible tuber native to South America; a staple food of Ireland

From this reading THOMAS MURPHY, TIMEKEEPER “There’s a garden,” said Mr. Prescott, the next morning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading THOMAS MURPHY, TIMEKEEPER “There’s a garden,” said Mr. Prescott, the next morning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading “There’s a garden,” Mr. Prescott went on, in his steady, even tone, “down behind this house, and I have decided to give a garden party.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
partynounUS /ˈpɑːrti/

an organization to gain political power

From this reading “There’s a garden,” Mr. Prescott went on, in his steady, even tone, “down behind this house, and I have decided to give a garden party.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PrescottnounUS /ˈpreskɑːt/

a town in central Arizona

From this reading THOMAS MURPHY, TIMEKEEPER “There’s a garden,” said Mr. Prescott, the next morning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading THOMAS MURPHY, TIMEKEEPER “There’s a garden,” said Mr. Prescott, the next morning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
soberlyadverbUS /ˈsoʊbərli/

in a grave and sober manner

From this reading “All the ladies that I have in the world,” said Billy, soberly, “are Aunt Mary and Miss King.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
steadyverbUS /ˈstedi/

make steady

From this reading “There’s a garden,” Mr. Prescott went on, in his steady, even tone, “down behind this house, and I have decided to give a garden party.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Are there any ladies that you would like to invite?”

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 THOMAS MURPHY, TIMEKEEPER “There’s a garden,” said Mr. Prescott, the next morning.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading “_Is_ there a garden?” interrupted Billy, eagerly.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
There's

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

From this reading THOMAS MURPHY, TIMEKEEPER “There’s a garden,” said Mr. Prescott, the next morning.

Pending verification
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading “There’s a garden,” Mr. Prescott went on, in his steady, even tone, “down behind this house, and I have decided to give a garden party.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
THOMASnounUS /ˈtɑːməs/

United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)

From this reading THOMAS MURPHY, TIMEKEEPER “There’s a garden,” said Mr. Prescott, the next morning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
TIMEKEEPERnoun

(sports) an official who keeps track of the time elapsed

From this reading THOMAS MURPHY, TIMEKEEPER “There’s a garden,” said Mr. Prescott, the next morning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “There’s a garden,” Mr. Prescott went on, in his steady, even tone, “down behind this house, and I have decided to give a garden party.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tonenounUS /toʊn/

the quality of a person's voice

From this reading “There’s a garden,” Mr. Prescott went on, in his steady, even tone, “down behind this house, and I have decided to give a garden party.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading “There’s a garden,” Mr. Prescott went on, in his steady, even tone, “down behind this house, and I have decided to give a garden party.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading “All the ladies that I have in the world,” said Billy, soberly, “are Aunt Mary and Miss King.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Are there any ladies that you would like to invite?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Are there any ladies that you would like to invite?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 12 of The story of iron by Elizabeth Ida Samuel holds 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 12 of The story of iron contain?

Chapter 12 holds 161 sentences of The story of iron, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of The story of iron by Elizabeth Ida Samuel exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 12 of The story of iron?

Work through the 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 33 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 iron

Common questions about reading The story of iron by Elizabeth Ida Samuel on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The story of iron?

Yes. All 2261 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #68492 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The story of iron is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #68492, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The story of iron take to read?

About 188 minutes of reading across 453 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The story of iron section by section

How to work through The story of iron section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 16 chapters of The story of iron 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 iron

Words and structures a reader meets early in The story of iron, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The story of iron; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Story
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The story of iron; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Silver
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The story of iron; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wisht
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The story of iron; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.