Chapter 2 of The tale of Betsy Butterfly is here in full — 508 sentences across 102 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The tale of Betsy Butterfly is here in full — 508 sentences across 102 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Why, that's exactly what she did, that time when I saw her!" Daddy Longlegs shouted. "While I was watching her I saw her turn over a leaf. So what's the use of her turning over another." And now it was Mrs. Ladybug's turn to look amazed and bewildered.
Chapter 2 of The tale of Betsy Butterfly is here in full — 508 sentences across 102 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/101 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading “And now it was Mrs. Ladybug's turn to look amazed and bewildered.”
perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment
From this reading “And now it was Mrs. Ladybug's turn to look amazed and bewildered.”
an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
From this reading “Daddy Longlegs shouted.”
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading “"Why, that's exactly what she did, that time when I saw her!"”
the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading “"While I was watching her I saw her turn over a leaf.”
long-legged three-toed black-and-white wading bird of inland ponds and marshes or brackish lagoons
From this reading “Daddy Longlegs shouted.”
in a vehement outcry
From this reading “Daddy Longlegs shouted.”
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading “"While I was watching her I saw her turn over a leaf.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "While I was watching her I saw her turn over a leaf.
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading And now it was Mrs. Ladybug's turn to look amazed and bewildered.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And now it was Mrs. Ladybug's turn to look amazed and bewildered.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading So what's the use of her turning over another."
perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment
From this reading And now it was Mrs. Ladybug's turn to look amazed and bewildered.
an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
From this reading Daddy Longlegs shouted.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "Why, that's exactly what she did, that time when I saw her!"
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading "Why, that's exactly what she did, that time when I saw her!"
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "Why, that's exactly what she did, that time when I saw her!"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Why, that's exactly what she did, that time when I saw her!"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading And now it was Mrs. Ladybug's turn to look amazed and bewildered.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And now it was Mrs. Ladybug's turn to look amazed and bewildered.
the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading "While I was watching her I saw her turn over a leaf.
long-legged three-toed black-and-white wading bird of inland ponds and marshes or brackish lagoons
From this reading Daddy Longlegs shouted.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading And now it was Mrs. Ladybug's turn to look amazed and bewildered.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading And now it was Mrs. Ladybug's turn to look amazed and bewildered.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading And now it was Mrs. Ladybug's turn to look amazed and bewildered.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading So what's the use of her turning over another."
above and across; more than
From this reading "While I was watching her I saw her turn over a leaf.
cut with a saw
From this reading "Why, that's exactly what she did, that time when I saw her!"
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Why, that's exactly what she did, that time when I saw her!"
in a vehement outcry
From this reading Daddy Longlegs shouted.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So what's the use of her turning over another."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Why, that's exactly what she did, that time when I saw her!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why, that's exactly what she did, that time when I saw her!"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading So what's the use of her turning over another."
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading "Why, that's exactly what she did, that time when I saw her!"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And now it was Mrs. Ladybug's turn to look amazed and bewildered.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading "While I was watching her I saw her turn over a leaf.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading So what's the use of her turning over another."
the act of using
From this reading So what's the use of her turning over another."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "While I was watching her I saw her turn over a leaf.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading "While I was watching her I saw her turn over a leaf.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Why, that's exactly what she did, that time when I saw her!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So what's the use of her turning over another."
at the time that
From this reading "Why, that's exactly what she did, that time when I saw her!"
during the time that
From this reading "While I was watching her I saw her turn over a leaf.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why, that's exactly what she did, that time when I saw her!"
Chapter 2 of The tale of Betsy Butterfly by Arthur Scott Bailey holds 508 sentences, grouped into 102 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.
Chapter 2 holds 508 sentences of The tale of Betsy Butterfly, unabridged, divided into 102 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The tale of Betsy Butterfly by Arthur Scott Bailey exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 508 sentences, grouped into 102 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.
Work through the 102 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 102 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.
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.
Common questions about reading The tale of Betsy Butterfly by Arthur Scott Bailey on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1032 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21322 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #21322, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 86 minutes of reading across 207 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The tale of Betsy Butterfly section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 2 chapters of The tale of Betsy Butterfly to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The tale of Betsy Butterfly, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
