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The Story of Leather
The Story of Leather

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Story of Leather is here in full — 303 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Story of Leather
Context Illustration Reading 1/60 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.
What had happened?
What was all this jangling about?
In a second more, however, he recollected.
This was the day when school, fun, and friends were to be left behind, and when he was to set forth into a new world.
0:00 / 0:00
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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 Leather

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Story of Leather is here in full — 303 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/60 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.
Line 2
What had happened?
/wʌt hæd ˈhæpənd/
Line 3
What was all this jangling about?
Line 4
In a second more, however, he recollected.
/ɪn ə ˈsekənd mɔːr ˌhaʊˈevər hiː ˌrekəˈlektɪd/
Line 5
This was the day when school, fun, and friends were to be left behind, and when he was to set forth into a new world.
/ðɪs wɑːz ðə deɪ wen skuːl fʌn ənd frendz wɜːr tuː biː left bɪˈhaɪnd ənd wen hiː wɑːz tuː set fɔːrθ ˈɪntuː ə nuː wɜːrld/

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.

alarm noun US /əˈlɑːrm/

fear resulting from the awareness of danger

From this reading “PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.”

bedside noun US /ˈbedsaɪd/

space by the side of a bed (especially the bed of a sick or dying person)

From this reading “PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.”

clock noun US /klɑːk/

a timepiece that shows the time of day

From this reading “PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.”

elbow noun US /ˈelboʊ/

hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped

From this reading “PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.”

fun noun US /fʌn/

activities that are enjoyable or amusing

From this reading “This was the day when school, fun, and friends were to be left behind, and when he was to set forth into a new world.”

metallic adjective US /məˈtælɪk/

containing or made of or resembling or characteristic of a metal

From this reading “PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.”

recollected verb US /ˌrekəˈlektɪd/

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

From this reading “In a second more, however, he recollected.”

wins noun US /wɪnz/

plural of “win” — a victory (as in a race or other competition)

From this reading “PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.”

All words in this reading · 57

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 In a second more, however, he recollected.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

alarmnounUS /əˈlɑːrm/

fear resulting from the awareness of danger

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

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 What was all this jangling about?

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

ANOTHERdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading This was the day when school, fun, and friends were to be left behind, and when he was to set forth into a new world.

bedsidenounUS /ˈbedsaɪd/

space by the side of a bed (especially the bed of a sick or dying person)

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading This was the day when school, fun, and friends were to be left behind, and when he was to set forth into a new world.

clangornoun

a loud resonant repeating noise

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

clocknounUS /klɑːk/

a timepiece that shows the time of day

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading This was the day when school, fun, and friends were to be left behind, and when he was to set forth into a new world.

drowsilyadverb

in a drowsy manner

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

elbownounUS /ˈelboʊ/

hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

forthadverbUS /fɔːrθ/

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

From this reading This was the day when school, fun, and friends were to be left behind, and when he was to set forth into a new world.

friendsnounUS /frendz/

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading This was the day when school, fun, and friends were to be left behind, and when he was to set forth into a new world.

funnounUS /fʌn/

activities that are enjoyable or amusing

From this reading This was the day when school, fun, and friends were to be left behind, and when he was to set forth into a new world.

glancedverbUS /ɡlænst/

past form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading What had happened?

half-past

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

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading What had happened?

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading In a second more, however, he recollected.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading In a second more, however, he recollected.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In a second more, however, he recollected.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading This was the day when school, fun, and friends were to be left behind, and when he was to set forth into a new world.

janglingadjective

like the discordant ringing of nonmusical metallic objects striking together

From this reading What was all this jangling about?

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading This was the day when school, fun, and friends were to be left behind, and when he was to set forth into a new world.

metallicadjectiveUS /məˈtælɪk/

containing or made of or resembling or characteristic of a metal

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading In a second more, however, he recollected.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

NAMEverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading This was the day when school, fun, and friends were to be left behind, and when he was to set forth into a new world.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

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

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

PETERnounUS /ˈpiːtər/

disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

raisedadjectiveUS /reɪzd/

located or moved above the surround or above the normal position

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

recollectedverbUS /ˌrekəˈlektɪd/

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

From this reading In a second more, however, he recollected.

schoolnounUS /skuːl/

an educational institution

From this reading This was the day when school, fun, and friends were to be left behind, and when he was to set forth into a new world.

secondnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading In a second more, however, he recollected.

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading This was the day when school, fun, and friends were to be left behind, and when he was to set forth into a new world.

shotnounUS /ʃɑːt/

the act of firing a projectile

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

sixnounUS /sɪks/

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

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

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading What was all this jangling about?

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading This was the day when school, fun, and friends were to be left behind, and when he was to set forth into a new world.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading What was all this jangling about?

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading This was the day when school, fun, and friends were to be left behind, and when he was to set forth into a new world.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What had happened?

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

WINSnounUS /wɪnz/

plural of “win” — a victory (as in a race or other competition)

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading PETER WINS ANOTHER NAME The next morning when, at half-past six, the small alarm clock at his bedside shot off with metallic clangor Peter raised himself drowsily on his elbow and glanced about.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading This was the day when school, fun, and friends were to be left behind, and when he was to set forth into a new world.

Chapter 2 of The Story of Leather by Sara Ware Bassett holds 303 sentences, grouped into 61 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 2 of The Story of Leather contain?

Chapter 2 holds 303 sentences of The Story of Leather, unabridged, divided into 61 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Story of Leather by Sara Ware Bassett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 303 sentences, grouped into 61 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 2 of The Story of Leather?

Work through the 61 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 61 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Leather

Common questions about reading The Story of Leather by Sara Ware Bassett on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Story of Leather?

Yes. All 2696 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25823 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Story of Leather is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #25823, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Story of Leather take to read?

About 224 minutes of reading across 540 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Story of Leather section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 12 chapters of The Story of Leather 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 Leather

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

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Story of Leather; 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 Leather; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lumber
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Story of Leather; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Glass
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Story of Leather; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.