The Strength of the Strong

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Strength of the Strong is here in full — 187 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Jack London • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Strength of the Strong

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

“Each string was of the value of thirty fish, or forty fish, but the women, who made a string a day, were given two fish each.

The fish came out of the shares of Dog-Tooth, Big-Fat, and Sea-Lion, which they three did not eat.

So all the money belonged to them.

Then they told Three-Legs and the other land-owners that they would take their share of corn and roots in money, Little-Belly that they would take their share of fish in money, Pig-Jaw that they would take their share of goats and cheese in money.

Thus, a man who had nothing, worked for one who had, and was paid in money.

Narrator

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.

Chapter II Reading 1/37

The Strength of the Strong Jack London

Chapter II

Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Strength of the Strong is here in full — 187 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

“Each string was of the value of thirty fish, or forty fish, but the women, who made a string a day, were given two fish each. The fish came out of the shares of Dog-Tooth, Big-Fat, and Sea-Lion, which they three did not eat. So all the money belonged to them. Then they told Three-Legs and the other land-owners that they would take their share of corn and roots in money, Little-Belly that they would take their share of fish in money, Pig-Jaw that they would take their share of goats and cheese in money. Thus, a man who had nothing, worked for one who had, and was paid in money.

The Strength of the Strong

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Strength of the Strong is here in full — 187 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

“Each string was of the value of thirty fish, or forty fish, but the women, who made a string a day, were given two fish each.

/iːtʃ strɪŋ wɑːz ʌv ðə ˈvæljuː ʌv ˈθɜːrdiː fɪʃ ɔːr ˈfɔːrti fɪʃ bʌt ðə ˈwɪmən huː meɪd ə strɪŋ ə deɪ wɜːr ˈɡɪvən tuː fɪʃ iːtʃ/

Line 2

The fish came out of the shares of Dog-Tooth, Big-Fat, and Sea-Lion, which they three did not eat.

Line 3

So all the money belonged to them.

/soʊ ɔːl ðə ˈmʌni bɪˈlɔːŋd tuː ðem/

Line 4

Line 5

Thus, a man who had nothing, worked for one who had, and was paid in money.

/ðʌs ə mæn huː hæd ˈnʌθɪŋ wɜːrkt fɔːr wʌn huː hæd ənd wɑːz peɪd ɪn ˈmʌni/

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.

belonged verb US /bɪˈlɔːŋd/

past form of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of

From this reading “So all the money belonged to them.”

cheese noun US /tʃiːz/

a solid food prepared from the pressed curd of milk

From this reading “Then they told Three-Legs and the other land-owners that they would take their share of corn and roots in money, Little-Belly that they would take their share of fish in money, Pig-Jaw that they would take their share of goats and cheese in money.”

corn noun US /kɔːrn/

tall annual cereal grass bearing kernels on large ears: widely cultivated in America in many varieties; the principal cereal in Mexico and Central and South America since pre-Columbian times

forty adjective US /ˈfɔːrti/

being ten more than thirty

From this reading ““Each string was of the value of thirty fish, or forty fish, but the women, who made a string a day, were given two fish each.”

goats noun US /ɡoʊts/

plural of “goat” — any of numerous agile ruminants related to sheep but having a beard and straight horns

roots noun US /ruːts/

the condition of belonging to a particular place or group by virtue of social or ethnic or cultural lineage

shares noun US /ʃerz/

plural of “share” — assets belonging to or due to or contributed by an individual person or group

From this reading “The fish came out of the shares of Dog-Tooth, Big-Fat, and Sea-Lion, which they three did not eat.”

string noun US /strɪŋ/

a lightweight cord

From this reading ““Each string was of the value of thirty fish, or forty fish, but the women, who made a string a day, were given two fish each.”

All words in this reading · 63

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 “Each string was of the value of thirty fish, or forty fish, but the women, who made a string a day, were given two fish each.

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 So all the money belonged to them.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The fish came out of the shares of Dog-Tooth, Big-Fat, and Sea-Lion, which they three did not eat.

belongedverbUS /bɪˈlɔːŋd/

past form of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of

From this reading So all the money belonged to them.

Big-Fat

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

From this reading The fish came out of the shares of Dog-Tooth, Big-Fat, and Sea-Lion, which they three did not eat.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading “Each string was of the value of thirty fish, or forty fish, but the women, who made a string a day, were given two fish each.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading The fish came out of the shares of Dog-Tooth, Big-Fat, and Sea-Lion, which they three did not eat.

cheesenounUS /tʃiːz/

a solid food prepared from the pressed curd of milk

From this reading Then they told Three-Legs and the other land-owners that they would take their share of corn and roots in money, Little-Belly that they would take their share of fish in money, Pig-Jaw that they would take their share of goats and cheese in money.

cornnounUS /kɔːrn/

tall annual cereal grass bearing kernels on large ears: widely cultivated in America in many varieties; the principal cereal in Mexico and Central and South America since pre-Columbian times

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading “Each string was of the value of thirty fish, or forty fish, but the women, who made a string a day, were given two fish each.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading The fish came out of the shares of Dog-Tooth, Big-Fat, and Sea-Lion, which they three did not eat.

Dog-Tooth

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

From this reading The fish came out of the shares of Dog-Tooth, Big-Fat, and Sea-Lion, which they three did not eat.

EachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading “Each string was of the value of thirty fish, or forty fish, but the women, who made a string a day, were given two fish each.

eatverbUS /iːt/

take in solid food

From this reading The fish came out of the shares of Dog-Tooth, Big-Fat, and Sea-Lion, which they three did not eat.

fishnounUS /fɪʃ/

any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills

From this reading “Each string was of the value of thirty fish, or forty fish, but the women, who made a string a day, were given two fish each.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Thus, a man who had nothing, worked for one who had, and was paid in money.

fortyadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrti/

being ten more than thirty

From this reading “Each string was of the value of thirty fish, or forty fish, but the women, who made a string a day, were given two fish each.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading “Each string was of the value of thirty fish, or forty fish, but the women, who made a string a day, were given two fish each.

goatsnounUS /ɡoʊts/

plural of “goat” — any of numerous agile ruminants related to sheep but having a beard and straight horns

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Thus, a man who had nothing, worked for one who had, and was paid in money.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

land-owners

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

Little-Belly

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

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading “Each string was of the value of thirty fish, or forty fish, but the women, who made a string a day, were given two fish each.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Thus, a man who had nothing, worked for one who had, and was paid in money.

moneynounUS /ˈmʌni/

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading So all the money belonged to them.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The fish came out of the shares of Dog-Tooth, Big-Fat, and Sea-Lion, which they three did not eat.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Thus, a man who had nothing, worked for one who had, and was paid in money.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “Each string was of the value of thirty fish, or forty fish, but the women, who made a string a day, were given two fish each.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Thus, a man who had nothing, worked for one who had, and was paid in money.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading “Each string was of the value of thirty fish, or forty fish, but the women, who made a string a day, were given two fish each.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading The fish came out of the shares of Dog-Tooth, Big-Fat, and Sea-Lion, which they three did not eat.

paidadjectiveUS /peɪd/

marked by the reception of pay

From this reading Thus, a man who had nothing, worked for one who had, and was paid in money.

Pig-Jaw

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

rootsnounUS /ruːts/

the condition of belonging to a particular place or group by virtue of social or ethnic or cultural lineage

Sea-Lion

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

From this reading The fish came out of the shares of Dog-Tooth, Big-Fat, and Sea-Lion, which they three did not eat.

shareverbUS /ʃer/

have in common

sharesnounUS /ʃerz/

plural of “share” — assets belonging to or due to or contributed by an individual person or group

From this reading The fish came out of the shares of Dog-Tooth, Big-Fat, and Sea-Lion, which they three did not eat.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So all the money belonged to them.

stringnounUS /strɪŋ/

a lightweight cord

From this reading “Each string was of the value of thirty fish, or forty fish, but the women, who made a string a day, were given two fish each.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “Each string was of the value of thirty fish, or forty fish, but the women, who made a string a day, were given two fish each.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading So all the money belonged to them.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The fish came out of the shares of Dog-Tooth, Big-Fat, and Sea-Lion, which they three did not eat.

thirtynounUS /ˈθɜːrdiː/

the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three

From this reading “Each string was of the value of thirty fish, or forty fish, but the women, who made a string a day, were given two fish each.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading The fish came out of the shares of Dog-Tooth, Big-Fat, and Sea-Lion, which they three did not eat.

Three-Legs

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

ThusadverbUS /ðʌs/

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading Thus, a man who had nothing, worked for one who had, and was paid in money.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading So all the money belonged to them.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

twonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “Each string was of the value of thirty fish, or forty fish, but the women, who made a string a day, were given two fish each.

valuenounUS /ˈvæljuː/

a numerical quantity measured or assigned or computed

From this reading “Each string was of the value of thirty fish, or forty fish, but the women, who made a string a day, were given two fish each.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading “Each string was of the value of thirty fish, or forty fish, but the women, who made a string a day, were given two fish each.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading “Each string was of the value of thirty fish, or forty fish, but the women, who made a string a day, were given two fish each.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The fish came out of the shares of Dog-Tooth, Big-Fat, and Sea-Lion, which they three did not eat.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading “Each string was of the value of thirty fish, or forty fish, but the women, who made a string a day, were given two fish each.

womennounUS /ˈwɪmən/

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading “Each string was of the value of thirty fish, or forty fish, but the women, who made a string a day, were given two fish each.

workedverbUS /wɜːrkt/

past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading Thus, a man who had nothing, worked for one who had, and was paid in money.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

Chapter 2 of The Strength of the Strong by Jack London holds 187 sentences, grouped into 38 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 Strength of the Strong contain?

Chapter 2 holds 187 sentences of The Strength of the Strong, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Strength of the Strong by Jack London exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 187 sentences, grouped into 38 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 Strength of the Strong?

Work through the 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 38 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 Strength of the Strong

Common questions about reading The Strength of the Strong by Jack London on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Strength of the Strong?

Yes. All 2809 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1075 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Strength of the Strong is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1075, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Strength of the Strong take to read?

About 234 minutes of reading across 562 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Strength of the Strong section by section

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

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 15 chapters of The Strength of the Strong to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Strength of the Strong

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Strength of the Strong, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Transcribed: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Strength of the Strong; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
David: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Strength of the Strong; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Price: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Strength of the Strong; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Email: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Strength of the Strong; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter II · Chapter 2

What does chapter 2 of The Strength of the Strong contain?

How do I study chapter 2 of The Strength of the Strong?

Can chapter 2 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading The Strength of the Strong

How to read The Strength of the Strong section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in The Strength of the Strong