Chapter 5 of The Tin Soldier is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of The Tin Soldier is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE SLACKER It was at the Witherspoon dinner that Jean McKenzie first heard the things that were being said about Derry. "I can't understand," someone had remarked, "why Derry Drake is staying out of it." "I fancy he'll be getting in," Ralph Witherspoon had said. "Derry's no slacker." Ralph could afford to be generous.
Chapter 5 of The Tin Soldier is here in full — 203 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/40 · 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.
be able to spare or give up
From this reading “Ralph could afford to be generous.”
English explorer and admiral who was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe and who helped to defeat the Spanish Armada (1540-1596)
From this reading “"I can't understand," someone had remarked, "why Derry Drake is staying out of it."”
willing to give and share unstintingly
From this reading “Ralph could afford to be generous.”
a coarse durable twill-weave cotton fabric
From this reading “THE SLACKER It was at the Witherspoon dinner that Jean McKenzie first heard the things that were being said about Derry.”
a person who shirks his work or duty (especially one who tries to evade military service in wartime)
From this reading “THE SLACKER It was at the Witherspoon dinner that Jean McKenzie first heard the things that were being said about Derry.”
a person, without saying who
From this reading “"I can't understand," someone had remarked, "why Derry Drake is staying out of it."”
-ing form of “stay” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading “"I can't understand," someone had remarked, "why Derry Drake is staying out of it."”
American Revolutionary leader and educator (born in Scotland) who signed of the Declaration of Independence and was president of the college that became Princeton University (1723-1794)
From this reading “THE SLACKER It was at the Witherspoon dinner that Jean McKenzie first heard the things that were being said about Derry.”
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading THE SLACKER It was at the Witherspoon dinner that Jean McKenzie first heard the things that were being said about Derry.
be able to spare or give up
From this reading Ralph could afford to be generous.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE SLACKER It was at the Witherspoon dinner that Jean McKenzie first heard the things that were being said about Derry.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "I fancy he'll be getting in," Ralph Witherspoon had said.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading THE SLACKER It was at the Witherspoon dinner that Jean McKenzie first heard the things that were being said about Derry.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I can't understand," someone had remarked, "why Derry Drake is staying out of it."
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Ralph could afford to be generous.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SLACKER It was at the Witherspoon dinner that Jean McKenzie first heard the things that were being said about Derry.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Derry's no slacker."
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading THE SLACKER It was at the Witherspoon dinner that Jean McKenzie first heard the things that were being said about Derry.
English explorer and admiral who was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe and who helped to defeat the Spanish Armada (1540-1596)
From this reading "I can't understand," someone had remarked, "why Derry Drake is staying out of it."
something many people believe that is false
From this reading "I fancy he'll be getting in," Ralph Witherspoon had said.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading THE SLACKER It was at the Witherspoon dinner that Jean McKenzie first heard the things that were being said about Derry.
willing to give and share unstintingly
From this reading Ralph could afford to be generous.
the act of acquiring something
From this reading "I fancy he'll be getting in," Ralph Witherspoon had said.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "I can't understand," someone had remarked, "why Derry Drake is staying out of it."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I fancy he'll be getting in," Ralph Witherspoon had said.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading THE SLACKER It was at the Witherspoon dinner that Jean McKenzie first heard the things that were being said about Derry.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I can't understand," someone had remarked, "why Derry Drake is staying out of it."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "I fancy he'll be getting in," Ralph Witherspoon had said.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I can't understand," someone had remarked, "why Derry Drake is staying out of it."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE SLACKER It was at the Witherspoon dinner that Jean McKenzie first heard the things that were being said about Derry.
a coarse durable twill-weave cotton fabric
From this reading THE SLACKER It was at the Witherspoon dinner that Jean McKenzie first heard the things that were being said about Derry.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SLACKER It was at the Witherspoon dinner that Jean McKenzie first heard the things that were being said about Derry.
not any; not one
From this reading "Derry's no slacker."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "I can't understand," someone had remarked, "why Derry Drake is staying out of it."
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "I can't understand," someone had remarked, "why Derry Drake is staying out of it."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I fancy he'll be getting in," Ralph Witherspoon had said.
past form of “remark” — make mention of
From this reading "I can't understand," someone had remarked, "why Derry Drake is staying out of it."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading THE SLACKER It was at the Witherspoon dinner that Jean McKenzie first heard the things that were being said about Derry.
a person who shirks his work or duty (especially one who tries to evade military service in wartime)
From this reading THE SLACKER It was at the Witherspoon dinner that Jean McKenzie first heard the things that were being said about Derry.
a person, without saying who
From this reading "I can't understand," someone had remarked, "why Derry Drake is staying out of it."
-ing form of “stay” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading "I can't understand," someone had remarked, "why Derry Drake is staying out of it."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE SLACKER It was at the Witherspoon dinner that Jean McKenzie first heard the things that were being said about Derry.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SLACKER It was at the Witherspoon dinner that Jean McKenzie first heard the things that were being said about Derry.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading THE SLACKER It was at the Witherspoon dinner that Jean McKenzie first heard the things that were being said about Derry.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Ralph could afford to be generous.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading "I can't understand," someone had remarked, "why Derry Drake is staying out of it."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE SLACKER It was at the Witherspoon dinner that Jean McKenzie first heard the things that were being said about Derry.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading THE SLACKER It was at the Witherspoon dinner that Jean McKenzie first heard the things that were being said about Derry.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "I can't understand," someone had remarked, "why Derry Drake is staying out of it."
American Revolutionary leader and educator (born in Scotland) who signed of the Declaration of Independence and was president of the college that became Princeton University (1723-1794)
From this reading THE SLACKER It was at the Witherspoon dinner that Jean McKenzie first heard the things that were being said about Derry.
Chapter 5 of The Tin Soldier by Temple Bailey holds 203 sentences, grouped into 41 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 5 holds 203 sentences of The Tin Soldier, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of The Tin Soldier by Temple Bailey exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 203 sentences, grouped into 41 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 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 41 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 5 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 Tin Soldier by Temple Bailey on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7499 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18056 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #18056, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1500 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Tin Soldier section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 29 chapters of The Tin Soldier 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 Tin Soldier, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
