Chapter 4 of The thing in the woods is here in full — 407 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The thing in the woods is here in full — 407 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I suppose," he began at last, "that I owe you some sort of an explanation, as things go." I made a little gesture of indifference. I was beginning to know my man. If it pleased him to work upon my curiosity I was prepared to give him the least possible satisfaction. "You offered me one," I corrected him.
Chapter 4 of The thing in the woods is here in full — 407 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
having something undesirable neutralized
From this reading “"You offered me one," I corrected him.”
a state in which you want to learn more about something
From this reading “If it pleased him to work upon my curiosity I was prepared to give him the least possible satisfaction.”
a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
From this reading “"I suppose," he began at last, "that I owe you some sort of an explanation, as things go."”
motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling
From this reading “I made a little gesture of indifference.”
unbiased impartial unconcern
From this reading “I made a little gesture of indifference.”
be obliged to pay or repay
From this reading “"I suppose," he began at last, "that I owe you some sort of an explanation, as things go."”
made ready or fit or suitable beforehand
From this reading “If it pleased him to work upon my curiosity I was prepared to give him the least possible satisfaction.”
the contentment one feels when one has fulfilled a desire, need, or expectation
From this reading “If it pleased him to work upon my curiosity I was prepared to give him the least possible satisfaction.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “"I suppose," he began at last, "that I owe you some sort of an explanation, as things go."”
In this reading “If it pleased him to work upon my curiosity I was prepared to give him the least possible satisfaction.”
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 I made a little gesture of indifference.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "I suppose," he began at last, "that I owe you some sort of an explanation, as things go."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "I suppose," he began at last, "that I owe you some sort of an explanation, as things go."
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "I suppose," he began at last, "that I owe you some sort of an explanation, as things go."
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading "I suppose," he began at last, "that I owe you some sort of an explanation, as things go."
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading I was beginning to know my man.
having something undesirable neutralized
From this reading "You offered me one," I corrected him.
a state in which you want to learn more about something
From this reading If it pleased him to work upon my curiosity I was prepared to give him the least possible satisfaction.
a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
From this reading "I suppose," he began at last, "that I owe you some sort of an explanation, as things go."
motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling
From this reading I made a little gesture of indifference.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading If it pleased him to work upon my curiosity I was prepared to give him the least possible satisfaction.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "I suppose," he began at last, "that I owe you some sort of an explanation, as things go."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I suppose," he began at last, "that I owe you some sort of an explanation, as things go."
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading If it pleased him to work upon my curiosity I was prepared to give him the least possible satisfaction.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I suppose," he began at last, "that I owe you some sort of an explanation, as things go."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If it pleased him to work upon my curiosity I was prepared to give him the least possible satisfaction.
unbiased impartial unconcern
From this reading I made a little gesture of indifference.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading If it pleased him to work upon my curiosity I was prepared to give him the least possible satisfaction.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I was beginning to know my man.
immediately past
From this reading "I suppose," he began at last, "that I owe you some sort of an explanation, as things go."
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading If it pleased him to work upon my curiosity I was prepared to give him the least possible satisfaction.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading I made a little gesture of indifference.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading I made a little gesture of indifference.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading I was beginning to know my man.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "You offered me one," I corrected him.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I was beginning to know my man.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "I suppose," he began at last, "that I owe you some sort of an explanation, as things go."
past form of “offer” — make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading "You offered me one," I corrected him.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "You offered me one," I corrected him.
be obliged to pay or repay
From this reading "I suppose," he began at last, "that I owe you some sort of an explanation, as things go."
experiencing or manifesting pleasure
From this reading If it pleased him to work upon my curiosity I was prepared to give him the least possible satisfaction.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading If it pleased him to work upon my curiosity I was prepared to give him the least possible satisfaction.
made ready or fit or suitable beforehand
From this reading If it pleased him to work upon my curiosity I was prepared to give him the least possible satisfaction.
the contentment one feels when one has fulfilled a desire, need, or expectation
From this reading If it pleased him to work upon my curiosity I was prepared to give him the least possible satisfaction.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading "I suppose," he began at last, "that I owe you some sort of an explanation, as things go."
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading "I suppose," he began at last, "that I owe you some sort of an explanation, as things go."
express a supposition
From this reading "I suppose," he began at last, "that I owe you some sort of an explanation, as things go."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "I suppose," he began at last, "that I owe you some sort of an explanation, as things go."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading If it pleased him to work upon my curiosity I was prepared to give him the least possible satisfaction.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading "I suppose," he began at last, "that I owe you some sort of an explanation, as things go."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I was beginning to know my man.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading If it pleased him to work upon my curiosity I was prepared to give him the least possible satisfaction.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was beginning to know my man.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading If it pleased him to work upon my curiosity I was prepared to give him the least possible satisfaction.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I suppose," he began at last, "that I owe you some sort of an explanation, as things go."
Chapter 4 of The thing in the woods by Harper Williams holds 407 sentences, grouped into 82 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 4 holds 407 sentences of The thing in the woods, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The thing in the woods by Harper Williams exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 407 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 4 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 thing in the woods by Harper Williams on this page, its source edition and its audio.
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Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The thing in the woods section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of The thing in the woods 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 thing in the woods, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
