Chapter 1 of The Tale of Mr. Tod is here in full — 327 sentences across 66 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Tale of Mr. Tod is here in full — 327 sentences across 66 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_Author of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," etc._ FOR FRANCIS WILLIAM OF ULVA ----SOMEDAY! THE TALE OF MR. TOD I have made many books about well-behaved people. Now, for a change, I am going to make a story about two disagreeable people, called Tommy Brock and Mr. Tod. Nobody could call Mr. Tod "nice."
Chapter 1 of The Tale of Mr. Tod is here in full — 327 sentences across 66 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/65 · 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.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
not to your liking
From this reading “Now, for a change, I am going to make a story about two disagreeable people, called Tommy Brock and Mr. Tod.”
pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance
From this reading “Nobody could call Mr. Tod "nice."”
any of various burrowing animals of the family Leporidae having long ears and short tails; some domesticated and raised for pets or food
From this reading “_Author of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," etc._ FOR FRANCIS WILLIAM OF ULVA ----SOMEDAY!”
some unspecified time in the future
From this reading “_Author of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," etc._ FOR FRANCIS WILLIAM OF ULVA ----SOMEDAY!”
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading “_Author of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," etc._ FOR FRANCIS WILLIAM OF ULVA ----SOMEDAY!”
a unit of weight for wool equal to about 28 pounds
From this reading “TOD I have made many books about well-behaved people.”
type genus of the family Ulvaceae; green seaweed having a thallus two cells thick: sea lettuce
From this reading “_Author of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," etc._ FOR FRANCIS WILLIAM OF ULVA ----SOMEDAY!”
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 Now, for a change, I am going to make a story about two disagreeable people, called Tommy Brock and Mr. Tod.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading TOD I have made many books about well-behaved people.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading Now, for a change, I am going to make a story about two disagreeable people, called Tommy Brock and Mr. Tod.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Now, for a change, I am going to make a story about two disagreeable people, called Tommy Brock and Mr. Tod.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading _Author of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," etc._ FOR FRANCIS WILLIAM OF ULVA ----SOMEDAY!
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading TOD I have made many books about well-behaved people.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now, for a change, I am going to make a story about two disagreeable people, called Tommy Brock and Mr. Tod.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Nobody could call Mr. Tod "nice."
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Now, for a change, I am going to make a story about two disagreeable people, called Tommy Brock and Mr. Tod.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading Now, for a change, I am going to make a story about two disagreeable people, called Tommy Brock and Mr. Tod.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Nobody could call Mr. Tod "nice."
not to your liking
From this reading Now, for a change, I am going to make a story about two disagreeable people, called Tommy Brock and Mr. Tod.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Author of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," etc._ FOR FRANCIS WILLIAM OF ULVA ----SOMEDAY!
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading _Author of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," etc._ FOR FRANCIS WILLIAM OF ULVA ----SOMEDAY!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Author of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," etc._ FOR FRANCIS WILLIAM OF ULVA ----SOMEDAY!
the act of departing
From this reading Now, for a change, I am going to make a story about two disagreeable people, called Tommy Brock and Mr. Tod.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading TOD I have made many books about well-behaved people.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading TOD I have made many books about well-behaved people.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading TOD I have made many books about well-behaved people.
engage in
From this reading Now, for a change, I am going to make a story about two disagreeable people, called Tommy Brock and Mr. Tod.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading TOD I have made many books about well-behaved people.
a form of address for a man
From this reading THE TALE OF MR.
pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance
From this reading Nobody could call Mr. Tod "nice."
no person; not anyone
From this reading Nobody could call Mr. Tod "nice."
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now, for a change, I am going to make a story about two disagreeable people, called Tommy Brock and Mr. Tod.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _Author of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," etc._ FOR FRANCIS WILLIAM OF ULVA ----SOMEDAY!
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading TOD I have made many books about well-behaved people.
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading _Author of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," etc._ FOR FRANCIS WILLIAM OF ULVA ----SOMEDAY!
any of various burrowing animals of the family Leporidae having long ears and short tails; some domesticated and raised for pets or food
From this reading _Author of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," etc._ FOR FRANCIS WILLIAM OF ULVA ----SOMEDAY!
some unspecified time in the future
From this reading _Author of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," etc._ FOR FRANCIS WILLIAM OF ULVA ----SOMEDAY!
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading Now, for a change, I am going to make a story about two disagreeable people, called Tommy Brock and Mr. Tod.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading _Author of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," etc._ FOR FRANCIS WILLIAM OF ULVA ----SOMEDAY!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _Author of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," etc._ FOR FRANCIS WILLIAM OF ULVA ----SOMEDAY!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Now, for a change, I am going to make a story about two disagreeable people, called Tommy Brock and Mr. Tod.
a unit of weight for wool equal to about 28 pounds
From this reading TOD I have made many books about well-behaved people.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now, for a change, I am going to make a story about two disagreeable people, called Tommy Brock and Mr. Tod.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Now, for a change, I am going to make a story about two disagreeable people, called Tommy Brock and Mr. Tod.
type genus of the family Ulvaceae; green seaweed having a thallus two cells thick: sea lettuce
From this reading _Author of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," etc._ FOR FRANCIS WILLIAM OF ULVA ----SOMEDAY!
(usually of children) someone who behaves in a manner that the speaker believes is correct
From this reading TOD I have made many books about well-behaved people.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Author of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," etc._ FOR FRANCIS WILLIAM OF ULVA ----SOMEDAY!
Chapter 1 of The Tale of Mr. Tod by Beatrix Potter holds 327 sentences, grouped into 66 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 1 holds 327 sentences of The Tale of Mr. Tod, unabridged, divided into 66 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Tale of Mr. Tod by Beatrix Potter exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 327 sentences, grouped into 66 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 66 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 66 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Tale of Mr. Tod by Beatrix Potter on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 327 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #19805 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #19805, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 27 minutes of reading across 66 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Tale of Mr. Tod section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of The Tale of Mr. Tod 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 Mr. Tod, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
