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The Varmint
The Varmint

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Varmint is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Varmint
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Now you'll sink into the landscape and won't annoy the cows.
Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."
Outside, Cheyenne Baxter, who was pitching curves to Tough McCarty, stopped them:
"Hello, there, Rinky Dink: turn up here sharp at four o'clock."
"What for--sir," said Stover, surprised.
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 Varmint

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of The Varmint is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Now you'll sink into the landscape and won't annoy the cows.
Line 2
Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."
Line 3
Outside, Cheyenne Baxter, who was pitching curves to Tough McCarty, stopped them:
Line 4
"Hello, there, Rinky Dink: turn up here sharp at four o'clock."
Line 5
"What for--sir," said Stover, surprised.

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.

annoy verb US /əˈnɔɪ/

cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations

From this reading “"Now you'll sink into the landscape and won't annoy the cows.”

Cheyenne noun US /ʃaɪˈen/

the capital and largest city of Wyoming; located in the southeastern corner of the state

From this reading “Outside, Cheyenne Baxter, who was pitching curves to Tough McCarty, stopped them:”

curves noun US /kɜːrvz/

plural of “curve” — the trace of a point whose direction of motion changes

From this reading “Outside, Cheyenne Baxter, who was pitching curves to Tough McCarty, stopped them:”

Dink noun US /dɪŋk/

a couple who both have careers and no children (an acronym for dual income no kids)

From this reading “"Hello, there, Rinky Dink: turn up here sharp at four o'clock."”

hoof noun US /huːf/

the foot of an ungulate mammal

From this reading “Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."”

pitching noun US /ˈpɪtʃɪŋ/

(baseball) playing the position of pitcher on a baseball team

From this reading “Outside, Cheyenne Baxter, who was pitching curves to Tough McCarty, stopped them:”

pointers noun US /ˈpɔɪntərz/

plural of “pointer” — a mark to indicate a direction or relation

From this reading “Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."”

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 “"What for--sir," said Stover, surprised.”

All words in this reading · 65

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.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "Now you'll sink into the landscape and won't annoy the cows.

annoyverbUS /əˈnɔɪ/

cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations

From this reading "Now you'll sink into the landscape and won't annoy the cows.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

Baxter

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

From this reading Outside, Cheyenne Baxter, who was pitching curves to Tough McCarty, stopped them:

capnounUS /kæp/

a tight-fitting headdress

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

CheyennenounUS /ʃaɪˈen/

the capital and largest city of Wyoming; located in the southeastern corner of the state

From this reading Outside, Cheyenne Baxter, who was pitching curves to Tough McCarty, stopped them:

cowsnounUS /kaʊz/

domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age

From this reading "Now you'll sink into the landscape and won't annoy the cows.

curvesnounUS /kɜːrvz/

plural of “curve” — the trace of a point whose direction of motion changes

From this reading Outside, Cheyenne Baxter, who was pitching curves to Tough McCarty, stopped them:

DinknounUS /dɪŋk/

a couple who both have careers and no children (an acronym for dual income no kids)

From this reading "Hello, there, Rinky Dink: turn up here sharp at four o'clock."

Doctor'snounUS /ˈdɑːktərz/

possessive form of “doctor” — a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

dueadjectiveUS /duː/

owed and payable immediately or on demand

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "What for--sir," said Stover, surprised.

fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading "Hello, there, Rinky Dink: turn up here sharp at four o'clock."

Fuzzy-Wuzzy

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

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

HellonounUS /həˈloʊ/

an expression of greeting

From this reading "Hello, there, Rinky Dink: turn up here sharp at four o'clock."

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading "Hello, there, Rinky Dink: turn up here sharp at four o'clock."

hoofnounUS /huːf/

the foot of an ungulate mammal

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading "Now you'll sink into the landscape and won't annoy the cows.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

landscapenounUS /ˈlændskeɪp/

an expanse of scenery that can be seen in a single view

From this reading "Now you'll sink into the landscape and won't annoy the cows.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

McCarty

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

From this reading Outside, Cheyenne Baxter, who was pitching curves to Tough McCarty, stopped them:

minepronounUS /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

NowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading "Now you'll sink into the landscape and won't annoy the cows.

o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading "Hello, there, Rinky Dink: turn up here sharp at four o'clock."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

OutsideadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit

From this reading Outside, Cheyenne Baxter, who was pitching curves to Tough McCarty, stopped them:

pitchingnounUS /ˈpɪtʃɪŋ/

(baseball) playing the position of pitcher on a baseball team

From this reading Outside, Cheyenne Baxter, who was pitching curves to Tough McCarty, stopped them:

pointersnounUS /ˈpɔɪntərz/

plural of “pointer” — a mark to indicate a direction or relation

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

promisedverbUS /ˈprɑːməst/

past form of “promise” — make a promise or commitment

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

Rinky

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

From this reading "Hello, there, Rinky Dink: turn up here sharp at four o'clock."

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "What for--sir," said Stover, surprised.

sharpadjectiveUS /ʃɑːrp/

(of something seen or heard) clearly defined

From this reading "Hello, there, Rinky Dink: turn up here sharp at four o'clock."

showverbUS /ʃoʊ/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

sinkverbUS /sɪŋk/

fall or descend to a lower place or level

From this reading "Now you'll sink into the landscape and won't annoy the cows.

sirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading "What for--sir," said Stover, surprised.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

StickverbUS /stɪk/

put, fix, force, or implant

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

stoppedadjectiveUS /stɑːpt/

(of a nose) blocked

From this reading Outside, Cheyenne Baxter, who was pitching curves to Tough McCarty, stopped them:

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 "What for--sir," said Stover, surprised.

surprisedadjectiveUS /sərˈpraɪzd/

taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment

From this reading "What for--sir," said Stover, surprised.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "Now you'll sink into the landscape and won't annoy the cows.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Outside, Cheyenne Baxter, who was pitching curves to Tough McCarty, stopped them:

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading "Hello, there, Rinky Dink: turn up here sharp at four o'clock."

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

ToughadjectiveUS /tʌf/

not given to gentleness or sentimentality

From this reading Outside, Cheyenne Baxter, who was pitching curves to Tough McCarty, stopped them:

turnverbUS /tɜːrn/

change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense

From this reading "Hello, there, Rinky Dink: turn up here sharp at four o'clock."

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading "Hello, there, Rinky Dink: turn up here sharp at four o'clock."

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Outside, Cheyenne Baxter, who was pitching curves to Tough McCarty, stopped them:

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "What for--sir," said Stover, surprised.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Outside, Cheyenne Baxter, who was pitching curves to Tough McCarty, stopped them:

won't

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

From this reading "Now you'll sink into the landscape and won't annoy the cows.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

you'll

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

From this reading "Now you'll sink into the landscape and won't annoy the cows.

you're

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

From this reading Stick on this cap of mine and hoof it; you're due at the Doctor's in half an hour, and I promised old Fuzzy-Wuzzy to show you the lay of the land and give you some pointers."

Chapter 2 of The Varmint by Owen Johnson holds 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 2 of The Varmint contain?

Chapter 2 holds 414 sentences of The Varmint, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Varmint by Owen Johnson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 2 of The Varmint?

Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 83 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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.