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The Varmint
The Varmint

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Varmint is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Varmint
Context Illustration Reading 1/80 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Author of "The Prodigious Hickey," "Stover at Yale," "The Humming Bird," "Tennessee Shad," etc.
THE COUNTRY LIFE PRESS, GARDEN CITY, N. Y.
Alexander Lambert, M.D.
IN FRIENDSHIP, IN GRATITUDE, AND IN MEMORY OF MY WIFE.
When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Varmint

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Varmint is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/80 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Author of "The Prodigious Hickey," "Stover at Yale," "The Humming Bird," "Tennessee Shad," etc.
Line 2
THE COUNTRY LIFE PRESS, GARDEN CITY, N. Y.
/ðə ˈkʌntri laɪf pres ˈɡɑːrdən ˈsɪti en waɪ/
Line 3
Alexander Lambert, M.D.
Line 4
IN FRIENDSHIP, IN GRATITUDE, AND IN MEMORY OF MY WIFE.
/ɪn ˈfrendʃɪp ɪn ˈɡrætətuːd ənd ɪn ˈmem.ər.i ʌv maɪ waɪf/
Line 5
When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

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.

Hickey noun US /ˈhɪki/

a small inflamed elevation of the skin; a pustule or papule; common symptom in acne

From this reading “Author of "The Prodigious Hickey," "Stover at Yale," "The Humming Bird," "Tennessee Shad," etc.”

Lambert noun US /ˈlæmbərt/

a cgs unit of illumination equal to the brightness of a perfectly diffusing surface that emits or reflects one lumen per square centimeter

From this reading “Alexander Lambert, M.D.”

Pennsylvania noun US /ˌpensəlˈveɪnjə/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading “When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.”

Shad noun US /ʃæd/

bony flesh of herring-like fish usually caught during their migration to fresh water for spawning; especially of Atlantic coast

From this reading “Author of "The Prodigious Hickey," "Stover at Yale," "The Humming Bird," "Tennessee Shad," etc.”

Stover noun US /ˈstoʊvər/

the dried stalks and leaves of a field crop (especially corn) used as animal fodder after the grain has been harvested

From this reading “Author of "The Prodigious Hickey," "Stover at Yale," "The Humming Bird," "Tennessee Shad," etc.”

Tennessee noun US /ˌtenəˈsiː/

a state in east central United States

From this reading “Author of "The Prodigious Hickey," "Stover at Yale," "The Humming Bird," "Tennessee Shad," etc.”

Trenton noun US /ˈtrentən/

capital of the state of New Jersey; located in western New Jersey on the Delaware river

From this reading “When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.”

Yale noun US /jeɪl/

a university in Connecticut

From this reading “Author of "The Prodigious Hickey," "Stover at Yale," "The Humming Bird," "Tennessee Shad," etc.”

All words in this reading · 59

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.

acquiredadjectiveUS /əˈkwaɪərd/

gotten through environmental forces

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

AlexandernounUS /ˌæləɡˈzændər/

European herb somewhat resembling celery widely naturalized in Britain coastal regions and often cultivated as a potherb

From this reading Alexander Lambert, M.D.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading IN FRIENDSHIP, IN GRATITUDE, AND IN MEMORY OF MY WIFE.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Author of "The Prodigious Hickey," "Stover at Yale," "The Humming Bird," "Tennessee Shad," etc.

AuthornounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading Author of "The Prodigious Hickey," "Stover at Yale," "The Humming Bird," "Tennessee Shad," etc.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

BirdnounUS /bɜːrd/

warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading Author of "The Prodigious Hickey," "Stover at Yale," "The Humming Bird," "Tennessee Shad," etc.

briefadjectiveUS /briːf/

of short duration or distance

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

CITYnounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading THE COUNTRY LIFE PRESS, GARDEN CITY, N. Y.

concealedadjectiveUS /kənˈsiːld/

not accessible to view

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

COUNTRYnounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading THE COUNTRY LIFE PRESS, GARDEN CITY, N. Y.

DnounUS /diː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets

From this reading Alexander Lambert, M.D.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

detachedadjectiveUS /dɪˈtætʃt/

showing lack of emotional involvement

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

disembarked

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

etc

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Author of "The Prodigious Hickey," "Stover at Yale," "The Humming Bird," "Tennessee Shad," etc.

fourthnounUS /fɔːrθ/

following the third position; number four in a countable series

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

FRIENDSHIPnounUS /ˈfrendʃɪp/

the state of being friends (or friendly)

From this reading IN FRIENDSHIP, IN GRATITUDE, AND IN MEMORY OF MY WIFE.

GARDENnounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading THE COUNTRY LIFE PRESS, GARDEN CITY, N. Y.

GRATITUDEnounUS /ˈɡrætətuːd/

a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation

From this reading IN FRIENDSHIP, IN GRATITUDE, AND IN MEMORY OF MY WIFE.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

HickeynounUS /ˈhɪki/

a small inflamed elevation of the skin; a pustule or papule; common symptom in acne

From this reading Author of "The Prodigious Hickey," "Stover at Yale," "The Humming Bird," "Tennessee Shad," etc.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

HummingnounUS /ˈhʌmɪŋ/

a humming noise

From this reading Author of "The Prodigious Hickey," "Stover at Yale," "The Humming Bird," "Tennessee Shad," etc.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading IN FRIENDSHIP, IN GRATITUDE, AND IN MEMORY OF MY WIFE.

journeyverbUS /ˈdʒɜːrni/

undertake a journey or trip

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

LambertnounUS /ˈlæmbərt/

a cgs unit of illumination equal to the brightness of a perfectly diffusing surface that emits or reflects one lumen per square centimeter

From this reading Alexander Lambert, M.D.

LIFEnounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading THE COUNTRY LIFE PRESS, GARDEN CITY, N. Y.

MnounUS /em/

the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)

From this reading Alexander Lambert, M.D.

MEMORYnounUS /ˈmem.ər.i/

The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.

From this reading IN FRIENDSHIP, IN GRATITUDE, AND IN MEMORY OF MY WIFE.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

MYdeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading IN FRIENDSHIP, IN GRATITUDE, AND IN MEMORY OF MY WIFE.

NnounUS /en/

a common nonmetallic element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless inert diatomic gas; constitutes 78 percent of the atmosphere by volume; a constituent of all living tissues

From this reading THE COUNTRY LIFE PRESS, GARDEN CITY, N. Y.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Author of "The Prodigious Hickey," "Stover at Yale," "The Humming Bird," "Tennessee Shad," etc.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

openingnounUS /ˈoʊpənɪŋ/

an open or empty space in or between things

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

PennsylvanianounUS /ˌpensəlˈveɪnjə/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

PRESSverbUS /pres/

exert pressure or force to or upon

From this reading THE COUNTRY LIFE PRESS, GARDEN CITY, N. Y.

ProdigiousadjectiveUS /prəˈdɪdʒəs/

so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe

From this reading Author of "The Prodigious Hickey," "Stover at Yale," "The Humming Bird," "Tennessee Shad," etc.

rollingadjectiveUS /ˈroʊlɪŋ/

uttered with a trill

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

ShadnounUS /ʃæd/

bony flesh of herring-like fish usually caught during their migration to fresh water for spawning; especially of Atlantic coast

From this reading Author of "The Prodigious Hickey," "Stover at Yale," "The Humming Bird," "Tennessee Shad," etc.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

springnounUS /sprɪŋ/

the season of growth

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

stationnounUS /ˈsteɪʃən/

a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

stocknounUS /stɑːk/

the capital raised by a corporation through the issue of shares entitling holders to an ownership interest

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

StovernounUS /ˈstoʊvər/

the dried stalks and leaves of a field crop (especially corn) used as animal fodder after the grain has been harvested

From this reading Author of "The Prodigious Hickey," "Stover at Yale," "The Humming Bird," "Tennessee Shad," etc.

TennesseenounUS /ˌtenəˈsiː/

a state in east central United States

From this reading Author of "The Prodigious Hickey," "Stover at Yale," "The Humming Bird," "Tennessee Shad," etc.

termnounUS /tɜːrm/

a word or expression used for some particular thing

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Author of "The Prodigious Hickey," "Stover at Yale," "The Humming Bird," "Tennessee Shad," etc.

TrentonnounUS /ˈtrentən/

capital of the state of New Jersey; located in western New Jersey on the Delaware river

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

WIFEnounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading IN FRIENDSHIP, IN GRATITUDE, AND IN MEMORY OF MY WIFE.

YnounUS /waɪ/

a silvery metallic element that is common in rare-earth minerals; used in magnesium and aluminum alloys

From this reading THE COUNTRY LIFE PRESS, GARDEN CITY, N. Y.

YalenounUS /jeɪl/

a university in Connecticut

From this reading Author of "The Prodigious Hickey," "Stover at Yale," "The Humming Bird," "Tennessee Shad," etc.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading When young Stover disembarked at the Trenton station on the fourth day after the opening of the spring term he had acquired in his brief journey so much of the Pennsylvania rolling stock as could be detached and concealed.

Chapter 1 of The Varmint by Owen Johnson holds 400 sentences, grouped into 80 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 Varmint contain?

Chapter 1 holds 400 sentences of The Varmint, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Varmint by Owen Johnson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 400 sentences, grouped into 80 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 Varmint?

Work through the 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 80 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 Varmint

Common questions about reading The Varmint by Owen Johnson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Varmint?

Yes. All 5799 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25272 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Varmint is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #25272, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Varmint take to read?

About 483 minutes of reading across 1160 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Varmint section by section

How to work through The Varmint section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 14 chapters of The Varmint 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 Varmint

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Varmint, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Varmint; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Prodigious
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Varmint; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hickey
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Varmint; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stover
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Varmint; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.