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The Wood-Pigeons and Mary
The Wood-Pigeons and Mary

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Wood-Pigeons and Mary is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Wood-Pigeons and Mary
Context Illustration Reading 1/84 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Darling," said his mother.
"Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.
"What would you like to do, then, Moll?" said Michael.
"I'm sure you've got something in your head."
Mary clasped her hands in eagerness.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Wood-Pigeons and Mary

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Wood-Pigeons and Mary is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Darling," said his mother.
/ˈdɑːrlɪŋ sed hɪz ˈmʌðər/
Line 2
"Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.
Line 3
"What would you like to do, then, Moll?" said Michael.
/wʌt wʊd juː laɪk tuː duː ðen mɑːl sed ˈmaɪkəl/
Line 4
"I'm sure you've got something in your head."
Line 5
Mary clasped her hands in eagerness.
/ˈmeri klæspt hɜːr hændz ɪn ˈiːɡərnəs/

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.

clasped verb US /klæspt/

past form of “clasp” — hold firmly and tightly

From this reading “Mary clasped her hands in eagerness.”

Darling noun US /ˈdɑːrlɪŋ/

a special loved one

From this reading “"Darling," said his mother.”

eagerness noun US /ˈiːɡərnəs/

a positive feeling of wanting to push ahead with something

From this reading “Mary clasped her hands in eagerness.”

godmother noun US /ˈɡɑːdmʌðər/

any woman who serves as a sponsor for a child at baptism

From this reading “"Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.”

good-bye noun US /ɡɪdˈbaɪ/

a farewell remark

From this reading “"Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.”

Michael noun US /ˈmaɪkəl/

(Old Testament) the guardian archangel of the Jews

From this reading “"What would you like to do, then, Moll?" said Michael.”

Moll noun US /mɑːl/

the girlfriend of a gangster

From this reading “"What would you like to do, then, Moll?" said Michael.”

suit verb US /suːt/

be agreeable or acceptable to

From this reading “"Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.”

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.

say good-bye verb + noun

In this reading “"Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.”

go out verb + adjective

move out of or depart from

In this reading “"Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.”

went on verb + particle counted as “go on”

continue a certain state, condition, or activity

In this reading “"Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.”

in the afternoon preposition + article + noun counted as “in … afternoon”

In this reading “"Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.”

in the morning preposition + article + noun counted as “in … morning”

In this reading “"Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.”

think of verb + particle

keep in mind for attention or consideration

In this reading “"Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.”

All words in this reading · 55

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.

afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

claspedverbUS /klæspt/

past form of “clasp” — hold firmly and tightly

From this reading Mary clasped her hands in eagerness.

DarlingnounUS /ˈdɑːrlɪŋ/

a special loved one

From this reading "Darling," said his mother.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

eagernessnounUS /ˈiːɡərnəs/

a positive feeling of wanting to push ahead with something

From this reading Mary clasped her hands in eagerness.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

godmothernounUS /ˈɡɑːdmʌðər/

any woman who serves as a sponsor for a child at baptism

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

good-byenounUS /ɡɪdˈbaɪ/

a farewell remark

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading "I'm sure you've got something in your head."

handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading Mary clasped her hands in eagerness.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading "I'm sure you've got something in your head."

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Mary clasped her hands in eagerness.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading "Darling," said his mother.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

I'm

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

From this reading "I'm sure you've got something in your head."

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

MarynounUS /ˈmeri/

the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

MichaelnounUS /ˈmaɪkəl/

(Old Testament) the guardian archangel of the Jews

From this reading "What would you like to do, then, Moll?" said Michael.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

MollnounUS /mɑːl/

the girlfriend of a gangster

From this reading "What would you like to do, then, Moll?" said Michael.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading "Darling," said his mother.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Darling," said his mother.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading "I'm sure you've got something in your head."

suitverbUS /suːt/

be agreeable or acceptable to

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

sureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading "I'm sure you've got something in your head."

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

thinkingnounUS /ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/

the process of using your mind to consider something carefully

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

WelladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "What would you like to do, then, Moll?" said Michael.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

writingnounUS /ˈraɪtɪŋ/

the act of creating written works

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

you've

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

From this reading "I'm sure you've got something in your head."

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Well, I was thinking we might go out together in the afternoon, you and I. I want you to say good-bye to your godmother--and if you and Mary can think of anything you would like to do in the morning, that would suit very well," and then she went on writing.

Chapter 2 of The Wood-Pigeons and Mary by Mrs. Molesworth holds 422 sentences, grouped into 85 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 Wood-Pigeons and Mary contain?

Chapter 2 holds 422 sentences of The Wood-Pigeons and Mary, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Wood-Pigeons and Mary by Mrs. Molesworth exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 422 sentences, grouped into 85 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 Wood-Pigeons and Mary?

Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 85 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 Wood-Pigeons and Mary

Common questions about reading The Wood-Pigeons and Mary by Mrs. Molesworth on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Wood-Pigeons and Mary?

Yes. All 2138 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43107 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Wood-Pigeons and Mary is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #43107, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Wood-Pigeons and Mary take to read?

About 178 minutes of reading across 428 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Wood-Pigeons and Mary section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

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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 Wood-Pigeons and Mary

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Wood-Pigeons and Mary, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Wood-pigeons
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Wood-Pigeons and Mary; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Molesworth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Wood-Pigeons and Mary; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chapter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Wood-Pigeons and Mary; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tears
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Wood-Pigeons and Mary; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.