Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The tale of Brownie Beaver
The tale of Brownie Beaver

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The tale of Brownie Beaver is here in full — 478 sentences across 96 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The tale of Brownie Beaver
Context Illustration Reading 1/95 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.
There was another which Farmer Green seldom visited, because it lay beyond the mountain and was a long distance from his house.
Though he owned the land where it stood, those that lived there thought they had every right to stay there as long as they pleased, without being disturbed.
It was in this village that Brownie Beaver and his neighbors lived.
It was a different sort of town, too, from the one where Farmer Green went each week.
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 tale of Brownie Beaver

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The tale of Brownie Beaver is here in full — 478 sentences across 96 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/95 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.
/ðə ˈvɪlədʒ nɪr wʌn end ʌv ˈplezənt ˈvæli wer ˈfɑːrmər ɡriːn ˈɔːfən went tuː sel ˈbʌtər ənd eɡz wɑːz nɑːt ðə ˈoʊnli ˈvɪlədʒ tuː biː siːn frʌm bluː ˈmaʊntən/
Line 2
There was another which Farmer Green seldom visited, because it lay beyond the mountain and was a long distance from his house.
/ðer wɑːz əˈnʌðər wɪtʃ ˈfɑːrmər ɡriːn ˈseldəm ˈvɪzɪtɪd bɪˈkɔːz ɪt leɪ bɪˈɑːnd ðə ˈmaʊntən ənd wɑːz ə lɔːŋ ˈdɪstəns frʌm hɪz haʊs/
Line 3
Though he owned the land where it stood, those that lived there thought they had every right to stay there as long as they pleased, without being disturbed.
/ðoʊ hiː oʊnd ðə lænd wer ɪt stʊd ðoʊz ðæt lɪvd ðer θɔːt ðeɪ hæd ˈevəri raɪt tuː steɪ ðer æz lɔːŋ æz ðeɪ pliːzd wɪˈθaʊt ˈbiːɪŋ dɪˈstɜːrbd/
Line 4
It was in this village that Brownie Beaver and his neighbors lived.
/ɪt wɑːz ɪn ðɪs ˈvɪlədʒ ðæt ˈbraʊni ˈbiːvər ənd hɪz ˈneɪbərz lɪvd/
Line 5
It was a different sort of town, too, from the one where Farmer Green went each week.
/ɪt wɑːz ə ˈdɪfərənt sɔːrt ʌv taʊn tuː frʌm ðə wʌn wer ˈfɑːrmər ɡriːn went iːtʃ wiːk/

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.

Beaver noun US /ˈbiːvər/

the soft brown fur of the beaver

From this reading “It was in this village that Brownie Beaver and his neighbors lived.”

Brownie noun US /ˈbraʊni/

a junior Girl Scout

From this reading “It was in this village that Brownie Beaver and his neighbors lived.”

butter noun US /ˈbʌtər/

an edible emulsion of fat globules made by churning milk or cream; for cooking and table use

From this reading “The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.”

eggs noun US /eɡz/

oval reproductive body of a fowl (especially a hen) used as food

From this reading “The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.”

Farmer noun US /ˈfɑːrmər/

a person who operates a farm

From this reading “The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.”

neighbors noun US /ˈneɪbərz/

plural of “neighbor” — a person who lives (or is located) near another

From this reading “It was in this village that Brownie Beaver and his neighbors lived.”

owned adjective US /oʊnd/

having an owner; often used in combination

From this reading “Though he owned the land where it stood, those that lived there thought they had every right to stay there as long as they pleased, without being disturbed.”

visited verb US /ˈvɪzɪtɪd/

past form of “visit” — go to see a place, as for entertainment

From this reading “There was another which Farmer Green seldom visited, because it lay beyond the mountain and was a long distance from his house.”

All words in this reading · 70

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 There was another which Farmer Green seldom visited, because it lay beyond the mountain and was a long distance from his house.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading There was another which Farmer Green seldom visited, because it lay beyond the mountain and was a long distance from his house.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Though he owned the land where it stood, those that lived there thought they had every right to stay there as long as they pleased, without being disturbed.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

BeavernounUS /ˈbiːvər/

the soft brown fur of the beaver

From this reading It was in this village that Brownie Beaver and his neighbors lived.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading There was another which Farmer Green seldom visited, because it lay beyond the mountain and was a long distance from his house.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading Though he owned the land where it stood, those that lived there thought they had every right to stay there as long as they pleased, without being disturbed.

beyondprepositionUS /bɪˈɑːnd/

on the far side of; further than

From this reading There was another which Farmer Green seldom visited, because it lay beyond the mountain and was a long distance from his house.

BlueadjectiveUS /bluː/

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

BrownienounUS /ˈbraʊni/

a junior Girl Scout

From this reading It was in this village that Brownie Beaver and his neighbors lived.

butternounUS /ˈbʌtər/

an edible emulsion of fat globules made by churning milk or cream; for cooking and table use

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

differentadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfərənt/

unlike in nature or quality or form or degree

From this reading It was a different sort of town, too, from the one where Farmer Green went each week.

distancenounUS /ˈdɪstəns/

the property created by the space between two objects or points

From this reading There was another which Farmer Green seldom visited, because it lay beyond the mountain and was a long distance from his house.

disturbedadjectiveUS /dɪˈstɜːrbd/

having the place or position changed

From this reading Though he owned the land where it stood, those that lived there thought they had every right to stay there as long as they pleased, without being disturbed.

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

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

From this reading It was a different sort of town, too, from the one where Farmer Green went each week.

eggsnounUS /eɡz/

oval reproductive body of a fowl (especially a hen) used as food

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Though he owned the land where it stood, those that lived there thought they had every right to stay there as long as they pleased, without being disturbed.

FarmernounUS /ˈfɑːrmər/

a person who operates a farm

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

GreennounUS /ɡriːn/

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Though he owned the land where it stood, those that lived there thought they had every right to stay there as long as they pleased, without being disturbed.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Though he owned the land where it stood, those that lived there thought they had every right to stay there as long as they pleased, without being disturbed.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading There was another which Farmer Green seldom visited, because it lay beyond the mountain and was a long distance from his house.

housenounUS /haʊs/

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

From this reading There was another which Farmer Green seldom visited, because it lay beyond the mountain and was a long distance from his house.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It was in this village that Brownie Beaver and his neighbors lived.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading There was another which Farmer Green seldom visited, because it lay beyond the mountain and was a long distance from his house.

landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading Though he owned the land where it stood, those that lived there thought they had every right to stay there as long as they pleased, without being disturbed.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading There was another which Farmer Green seldom visited, because it lay beyond the mountain and was a long distance from his house.

livedverbUS /lɪvd/

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading Though he owned the land where it stood, those that lived there thought they had every right to stay there as long as they pleased, without being disturbed.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading There was another which Farmer Green seldom visited, because it lay beyond the mountain and was a long distance from his house.

MountainnounUS /ˈmaʊntən/

a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

neighborsnounUS /ˈneɪbərz/

plural of “neighbor” — a person who lives (or is located) near another

From this reading It was in this village that Brownie Beaver and his neighbors lived.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

ownedadjectiveUS /oʊnd/

having an owner; often used in combination

From this reading Though he owned the land where it stood, those that lived there thought they had every right to stay there as long as they pleased, without being disturbed.

PleasantadjectiveUS /ˈplezənt/

affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

pleasedadjectiveUS /pliːzd/

experiencing or manifesting pleasure

From this reading Though he owned the land where it stood, those that lived there thought they had every right to stay there as long as they pleased, without being disturbed.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading Though he owned the land where it stood, those that lived there thought they had every right to stay there as long as they pleased, without being disturbed.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

seldomadverbUS /ˈseldəm/

not often

From this reading There was another which Farmer Green seldom visited, because it lay beyond the mountain and was a long distance from his house.

sellverbUS /sel/

exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

sortnounUS /sɔːrt/

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading It was a different sort of town, too, from the one where Farmer Green went each week.

stayverbUS /steɪ/

stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading Though he owned the land where it stood, those that lived there thought they had every right to stay there as long as they pleased, without being disturbed.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading Though he owned the land where it stood, those that lived there thought they had every right to stay there as long as they pleased, without being disturbed.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Though he owned the land where it stood, those that lived there thought they had every right to stay there as long as they pleased, without being disturbed.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was another which Farmer Green seldom visited, because it lay beyond the mountain and was a long distance from his house.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading Though he owned the land where it stood, those that lived there thought they had every right to stay there as long as they pleased, without being disturbed.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading It was in this village that Brownie Beaver and his neighbors lived.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading Though he owned the land where it stood, those that lived there thought they had every right to stay there as long as they pleased, without being disturbed.

ThoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Though he owned the land where it stood, those that lived there thought they had every right to stay there as long as they pleased, without being disturbed.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading Though he owned the land where it stood, those that lived there thought they had every right to stay there as long as they pleased, without being disturbed.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading It was a different sort of town, too, from the one where Farmer Green went each week.

townnounUS /taʊn/

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

From this reading It was a different sort of town, too, from the one where Farmer Green went each week.

ValleynounUS /ˈvæli/

a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

villagenounUS /ˈvɪlədʒ/

a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

visitedverbUS /ˈvɪzɪtɪd/

past form of “visit” — go to see a place, as for entertainment

From this reading There was another which Farmer Green seldom visited, because it lay beyond the mountain and was a long distance from his house.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

weeknounUS /wiːk/

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading It was a different sort of town, too, from the one where Farmer Green went each week.

wentverbUS /went/

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

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading The village near one end of Pleasant Valley where Farmer Green often went to sell butter and eggs was not the only village to be seen from Blue Mountain.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading There was another which Farmer Green seldom visited, because it lay beyond the mountain and was a long distance from his house.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Though he owned the land where it stood, those that lived there thought they had every right to stay there as long as they pleased, without being disturbed.

Chapter 1 of The tale of Brownie Beaver by Arthur Scott Bailey holds 478 sentences, grouped into 96 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 1 of The tale of Brownie Beaver contain?

Chapter 1 holds 478 sentences of The tale of Brownie Beaver, unabridged, divided into 96 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The tale of Brownie Beaver by Arthur Scott Bailey exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 478 sentences, grouped into 96 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 1 of The tale of Brownie Beaver?

Work through the 96 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 96 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 tale of Brownie Beaver

Common questions about reading The tale of Brownie Beaver by Arthur Scott Bailey on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The tale of Brownie Beaver?

Yes. All 952 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6754 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The tale of Brownie Beaver is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #6754, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The tale of Brownie Beaver take to read?

About 79 minutes of reading across 191 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The tale of Brownie Beaver section by section

How to work through The tale of Brownie Beaver section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 2 chapters of The tale of Brownie Beaver 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 tale of Brownie Beaver

Words and structures a reader meets early in The tale of Brownie Beaver, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Village
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The tale of Brownie Beaver; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pleasant
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The tale of Brownie Beaver; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Valley
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The tale of Brownie Beaver; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Where
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The tale of Brownie Beaver; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.