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The White Blackbird
The White Blackbird

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of The White Blackbird is here in full — 221 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Robert Aitken • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The White Blackbird
Context Illustration Reading 1/44 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.
She was nervous and overwrought in the midst of so many uncertainties.
Yoxall had stepped quickly in front of her.
He caught sight of a shadow crawling away in the dark on the deck below.
"One of the niggers," he told her, and turned.
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 White Blackbird

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of The White Blackbird is here in full — 221 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/44 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.
Line 2
She was nervous and overwrought in the midst of so many uncertainties.
/ʃiː wɑːz ˈnɜːrvəs ənd ˌoʊvərˈrɔːt ɪn ðə mɪdst ʌv soʊ ˈmeni ənˈsɜːrtəntiz/
Line 3
Yoxall had stepped quickly in front of her.
Line 4
He caught sight of a shadow crawling away in the dark on the deck below.
/hiː kɑːt saɪt ʌv ə ˈʃæd.oʊ ˈkrɔːlɪŋ əˈweɪ ɪn ðə dɑːrk ɑːn ðə dek bɪˈloʊ/
Line 5
"One of the niggers," he told her, and turned.

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.

afloat adjective US /əˈfloʊt/

aimlessly drifting

From this reading “AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
crawling noun US /ˈkrɔːlɪŋ/

a slow mode of locomotion on hands and knees or dragging the body

From this reading “He caught sight of a shadow crawling away in the dark on the deck below.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eyeballs noun US /ˈaɪbɔːlz/

plural of “eyeball” — the ball-shaped capsule containing the vertebrate eye

From this reading “AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hatch verb US /hætʃ/

emerge from the eggs

From this reading “AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
overwrought adjective US /ˌoʊvərˈrɔːt/

deeply agitated especially from emotion

From this reading “She was nervous and overwrought in the midst of so many uncertainties.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Rube noun US /ruːb/

a person who is not very intelligent or interested in culture

From this reading “AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
uncannily adverb US /ənˈkænəli/

in an uncanny manner

From this reading “AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
uncertainties noun US /ənˈsɜːrtəntiz/

plural of “uncertainty” — being unsettled or in doubt or dependent on chance

From this reading “She was nervous and overwrought in the midst of so many uncertainties.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

caught sight verb + noun counted as “catch sight”

see something for a brief time

In this reading “He caught sight of a shadow crawling away in the dark on the deck below.”

17,480 times in 426,211 chapters
in the midst preposition + article + noun counted as “in … midst”

the middle or central part or point

In this reading “She was nervous and overwrought in the midst of so many uncertainties.”

42,254 times in 426,211 chapters
in front preposition + noun

at or in the front

In this reading “Yoxall had stepped quickly in front of her.”

87,341 times in 426,211 chapters
for a moment preposition + article + noun counted as “for … moment”

temporarily

In this reading “AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.”

130,343 times in 426,211 chapters
on the deck preposition + article + noun counted as “on … deck”

In this reading “He caught sight of a shadow crawling away in the dark on the deck below.”

7,830 times in 426,211 chapters
in the dark preposition + article + noun counted as “in … dark”

In this reading “He caught sight of a shadow crawling away in the dark on the deck below.”

32,101 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 56

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AFLOATadjectiveUS /əˈfloʊt/

aimlessly drifting

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ASHOREadverbUS /əˈʃɔːr/

towards the shore from the water

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading He caught sight of a shadow crawling away in the dark on the deck below.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading He caught sight of a shadow crawling away in the dark on the deck below.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
caughtverbUS /kɑːt/

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading He caught sight of a shadow crawling away in the dark on the deck below.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
crawlingnounUS /ˈkrɔːlɪŋ/

a slow mode of locomotion on hands and knees or dragging the body

From this reading He caught sight of a shadow crawling away in the dark on the deck below.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading He caught sight of a shadow crawling away in the dark on the deck below.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
decknounUS /dek/

any of various platforms built into a vessel

From this reading He caught sight of a shadow crawling away in the dark on the deck below.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
disappearedverbUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrd/

past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eyeballsnounUS /ˈaɪbɔːlz/

plural of “eyeball” — the ball-shaped capsule containing the vertebrate eye

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
frontnounUS /frʌnt/

the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading Yoxall had stepped quickly in front of her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hatchverbUS /hætʃ/

emerge from the eggs

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He caught sight of a shadow crawling away in the dark on the deck below.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Yoxall had stepped quickly in front of her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading She was nervous and overwrought in the midst of so many uncertainties.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

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 She was nervous and overwrought in the midst of so many uncertainties.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
midstnounUS /mɪdst/

the location of something surrounded by other things

From this reading She was nervous and overwrought in the midst of so many uncertainties.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nervousadjectiveUS /ˈnɜːrvəs/

easily agitated

From this reading She was nervous and overwrought in the midst of so many uncertainties.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
niggers

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

From this reading "One of the niggers," he told her, and turned.

Pending verification
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He caught sight of a shadow crawling away in the dark on the deck below.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OnepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading "One of the niggers," he told her, and turned.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
overwroughtadjectiveUS /ˌoʊvərˈrɔːt/

deeply agitated especially from emotion

From this reading She was nervous and overwrought in the midst of so many uncertainties.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pairnounUS /per/

a set of two similar things considered as a unit

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pointedadjectiveUS /ˈpɔɪntɪd/

having a point

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
quicklyadverbUS /ˈkwɪkli/

with speed

From this reading Yoxall had stepped quickly in front of her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RubenounUS /ruːb/

a person who is not very intelligent or interested in culture

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Sallie

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

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

Pending verification
shadownounUS /ˈʃæd.oʊ/

A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.

From this reading He caught sight of a shadow crawling away in the dark on the deck below.

Velmora curated lexicon
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She was nervous and overwrought in the midst of so many uncertainties.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
sightnounUS /saɪt/

an instance of visual perception

From this reading He caught sight of a shadow crawling away in the dark on the deck below.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading She was nervous and overwrought in the midst of so many uncertainties.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
steppedverbUS /stept/

inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step

From this reading Yoxall had stepped quickly in front of her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading "One of the niggers," he told her, and turned.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading "One of the niggers," he told her, and turned.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
uncannilyadverbUS /ənˈkænəli/

in an uncanny manner

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
uncertaintiesnounUS /ənˈsɜːrtəntiz/

plural of “uncertainty” — being unsettled or in doubt or dependent on chance

From this reading She was nervous and overwrought in the midst of so many uncertainties.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
visibleadjectiveUS /ˈvɪzəbəl/

capable of being seen; or open to easy view

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading She was nervous and overwrought in the midst of so many uncertainties.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whisperedadjectiveUS /ˈwɪspərd/

spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Who's

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

From this reading AFLOAT AND ASHORE "Who's that, Rube?--there, by the hatch," whispered Sallie, and pointed to where a pair of white eyeballs had been uncannily visible for a moment and then disappeared.

Pending verification
Yoxall

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

From this reading Yoxall had stepped quickly in front of her.

Pending verification

Chapter 5 of The White Blackbird by Robert Aitken holds 221 sentences, grouped into 45 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 5 of The White Blackbird contain?

Chapter 5 holds 221 sentences of The White Blackbird, unabridged, divided into 45 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of The White Blackbird by Robert Aitken exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 221 sentences, grouped into 45 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 5 of The White Blackbird?

Work through the 45 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 45 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 5 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The White Blackbird

Common questions about reading The White Blackbird by Robert Aitken on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The White Blackbird?

Yes. All 5490 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39066 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The White Blackbird is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #39066, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The White Blackbird take to read?

About 457 minutes of reading across 1098 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The White Blackbird section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The White Blackbird

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

Colonial
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The White Blackbird; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Press
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The White Blackbird; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Simonds
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The White Blackbird; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Boston
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The White Blackbird; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.