Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Timid Lucy
Timid Lucy

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Timid Lucy is here in full — 48 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Timid Lucy
Context Illustration Reading 1/9 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"FEAR NOT, LITTLE FLOCK."
LONDON: ROBERT K. BURT, PRINTER, HOLBORN HILL.
Dr. Vale had the prettiest house in all Chatford.
It was a tasteful, white cottage, with a green lawn in front, and tall elm trees about it.
The side windows looked out upon a pleasant orchard, where the smooth, ripe apples peeped temptingly from their beds of fresh leaves.
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.

Timid Lucy

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Timid Lucy is here in full — 48 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/9 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"FEAR NOT, LITTLE FLOCK."
/fɪr nɑːt ˈlɪtəl flɑːk/
Line 2
LONDON: ROBERT K. BURT, PRINTER, HOLBORN HILL.
Line 3
Dr. Vale had the prettiest house in all Chatford.
Line 4
It was a tasteful, white cottage, with a green lawn in front, and tall elm trees about it.
/ɪt wɑːz ə ˈteɪstfəl waɪt ˈkɑːtədʒ wɪð ə ɡriːn lɔːn ɪn frʌnt ənd tɔːl elm triːz əˈbaʊt ɪt/
Line 5
The side windows looked out upon a pleasant orchard, where the smooth, ripe apples peeped temptingly from their beds of fresh leaves.

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.

burt noun US /bɜːrt/

English psychologist whose studies of twins were later said to have used fabricated data (1883-1971)

From this reading “LONDON: ROBERT K. BURT, PRINTER, HOLBORN HILL.”

elm noun US /elm/

any of various trees of the genus Ulmus: important timber or shade trees

From this reading “It was a tasteful, white cottage, with a green lawn in front, and tall elm trees about it.”

orchard noun US /ˈɔːrtʃərd/

garden consisting of a small cultivated wood without undergrowth

From this reading “The side windows looked out upon a pleasant orchard, where the smooth, ripe apples peeped temptingly from their beds of fresh leaves.”

peeped verb US /piːpt/

past form of “peep” — look furtively

From this reading “The side windows looked out upon a pleasant orchard, where the smooth, ripe apples peeped temptingly from their beds of fresh leaves.”

prettiest adjective US /ˈprɪtiəst/

superlative of “pretty” — pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading “Dr. Vale had the prettiest house in all Chatford.”

printer noun US /ˈprɪntər/

someone whose occupation is printing

From this reading “LONDON: ROBERT K. BURT, PRINTER, HOLBORN HILL.”

tasteful adjective US /ˈteɪstfəl/

having or showing or conforming to good taste

From this reading “It was a tasteful, white cottage, with a green lawn in front, and tall elm trees about it.”

Vale noun US /veɪl/

a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river

From this reading “Dr. Vale had the prettiest house in all Chatford.”

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.

elm trees noun + noun counted as “elm tree”

any of various trees of the genus Ulmus: important timber or shade trees

In this reading “It was a tasteful, white cottage, with a green lawn in front, and tall elm trees about it.”

green lawn noun + noun

In this reading “It was a tasteful, white cottage, with a green lawn in front, and tall elm trees about it.”

in front preposition + noun

at or in the front

In this reading “It was a tasteful, white cottage, with a green lawn in front, and tall elm trees about it.”

white cottage noun + noun

In this reading “It was a tasteful, white cottage, with a green lawn in front, and tall elm trees about it.”

fresh leaves adjective + noun counted as “fresh leaf”

In this reading “The side windows looked out upon a pleasant orchard, where the smooth, ripe apples peeped temptingly from their beds of fresh leaves.”

looked out verb + adjective counted as “look out”

be vigilant, be on the lookout or be careful

In this reading “The side windows looked out upon a pleasant orchard, where the smooth, ripe apples peeped temptingly from their beds of fresh leaves.”

All words in this reading · 54

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 It was a tasteful, white cottage, with a green lawn in front, and tall elm trees about it.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading It was a tasteful, white cottage, with a green lawn in front, and tall elm trees about it.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Dr. Vale had the prettiest house in all Chatford.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It was a tasteful, white cottage, with a green lawn in front, and tall elm trees about it.

applesnounUS /ˈæpəlz/

plural of “apple” — fruit with red or yellow or green skin and sweet to tart crisp whitish flesh

From this reading The side windows looked out upon a pleasant orchard, where the smooth, ripe apples peeped temptingly from their beds of fresh leaves.

bedsnounUS /bedz/

plural of “bed” — a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading The side windows looked out upon a pleasant orchard, where the smooth, ripe apples peeped temptingly from their beds of fresh leaves.

BURTnounUS /bɜːrt/

English psychologist whose studies of twins were later said to have used fabricated data (1883-1971)

From this reading LONDON: ROBERT K. BURT, PRINTER, HOLBORN HILL.

Chatford

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

From this reading Dr. Vale had the prettiest house in all Chatford.

cottagenounUS /ˈkɑːtədʒ/

a small house with a single story

From this reading It was a tasteful, white cottage, with a green lawn in front, and tall elm trees about it.

Dr

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

From this reading Dr. Vale had the prettiest house in all Chatford.

elmnounUS /elm/

any of various trees of the genus Ulmus: important timber or shade trees

From this reading It was a tasteful, white cottage, with a green lawn in front, and tall elm trees about it.

FEARverbUS /fɪr/

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading "FEAR NOT, LITTLE FLOCK."

FLOCKnounUS /flɑːk/

a church congregation guided by a pastor

From this reading "FEAR NOT, LITTLE FLOCK."

freshadjectiveUS /freʃ/

recently made, produced, or harvested

From this reading The side windows looked out upon a pleasant orchard, where the smooth, ripe apples peeped temptingly from their beds of fresh leaves.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The side windows looked out upon a pleasant orchard, where the smooth, ripe apples peeped temptingly from their beds of fresh leaves.

frontnounUS /frʌnt/

the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading It was a tasteful, white cottage, with a green lawn in front, and tall elm trees about it.

greennounUS /ɡriːn/

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading It was a tasteful, white cottage, with a green lawn in front, and tall elm trees about it.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Dr. Vale had the prettiest house in all Chatford.

HILLnounUS /hɪl/

a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading LONDON: ROBERT K. BURT, PRINTER, HOLBORN HILL.

HOLBORN

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

From this reading LONDON: ROBERT K. BURT, PRINTER, HOLBORN HILL.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Dr. Vale had the prettiest house in all Chatford.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Dr. Vale had the prettiest house in all Chatford.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was a tasteful, white cottage, with a green lawn in front, and tall elm trees about it.

KnounUS /keɪ/

the basic unit of thermodynamic temperature adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading LONDON: ROBERT K. BURT, PRINTER, HOLBORN HILL.

lawnnounUS /lɔːn/

a field of cultivated and mowed grass

From this reading It was a tasteful, white cottage, with a green lawn in front, and tall elm trees about it.

leavesnounUS /liːvz/

plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants

From this reading The side windows looked out upon a pleasant orchard, where the smooth, ripe apples peeped temptingly from their beds of fresh leaves.

LITTLEadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading "FEAR NOT, LITTLE FLOCK."

LONDONnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading LONDON: ROBERT K. BURT, PRINTER, HOLBORN HILL.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading The side windows looked out upon a pleasant orchard, where the smooth, ripe apples peeped temptingly from their beds of fresh leaves.

NOTadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "FEAR NOT, LITTLE FLOCK."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The side windows looked out upon a pleasant orchard, where the smooth, ripe apples peeped temptingly from their beds of fresh leaves.

orchardnounUS /ˈɔːrtʃərd/

garden consisting of a small cultivated wood without undergrowth

From this reading The side windows looked out upon a pleasant orchard, where the smooth, ripe apples peeped temptingly from their beds of fresh leaves.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading The side windows looked out upon a pleasant orchard, where the smooth, ripe apples peeped temptingly from their beds of fresh leaves.

peepedverbUS /piːpt/

past form of “peep” — look furtively

From this reading The side windows looked out upon a pleasant orchard, where the smooth, ripe apples peeped temptingly from their beds of fresh leaves.

pleasantadjectiveUS /ˈplezənt/

affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings

From this reading The side windows looked out upon a pleasant orchard, where the smooth, ripe apples peeped temptingly from their beds of fresh leaves.

prettiestadjectiveUS /ˈprɪtiəst/

superlative of “pretty” — pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading Dr. Vale had the prettiest house in all Chatford.

PRINTERnounUS /ˈprɪntər/

someone whose occupation is printing

From this reading LONDON: ROBERT K. BURT, PRINTER, HOLBORN HILL.

ripeadjectiveUS /raɪp/

fully developed or matured and ready to be eaten or used

From this reading The side windows looked out upon a pleasant orchard, where the smooth, ripe apples peeped temptingly from their beds of fresh leaves.

ROBERTnounUS /ˈrɑːbərt/

United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)

From this reading LONDON: ROBERT K. BURT, PRINTER, HOLBORN HILL.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading The side windows looked out upon a pleasant orchard, where the smooth, ripe apples peeped temptingly from their beds of fresh leaves.

smoothadjectiveUS /smuːð/

having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities

From this reading The side windows looked out upon a pleasant orchard, where the smooth, ripe apples peeped temptingly from their beds of fresh leaves.

talladjectiveUS /tɔːl/

great in vertical dimension; high in stature

From this reading It was a tasteful, white cottage, with a green lawn in front, and tall elm trees about it.

tastefuladjectiveUS /ˈteɪstfəl/

having or showing or conforming to good taste

From this reading It was a tasteful, white cottage, with a green lawn in front, and tall elm trees about it.

temptinglyadverb

in a tempting seductive manner

From this reading The side windows looked out upon a pleasant orchard, where the smooth, ripe apples peeped temptingly from their beds of fresh leaves.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Dr. Vale had the prettiest house in all Chatford.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The side windows looked out upon a pleasant orchard, where the smooth, ripe apples peeped temptingly from their beds of fresh leaves.

treesnounUS /triːz/

plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading It was a tasteful, white cottage, with a green lawn in front, and tall elm trees about it.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading The side windows looked out upon a pleasant orchard, where the smooth, ripe apples peeped temptingly from their beds of fresh leaves.

ValenounUS /veɪl/

a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river

From this reading Dr. Vale had the prettiest house in all Chatford.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was a tasteful, white cottage, with a green lawn in front, and tall elm trees about it.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading The side windows looked out upon a pleasant orchard, where the smooth, ripe apples peeped temptingly from their beds of fresh leaves.

whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading It was a tasteful, white cottage, with a green lawn in front, and tall elm trees about it.

windowsnounUS /ˈwɪndoʊz/

(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface

From this reading The side windows looked out upon a pleasant orchard, where the smooth, ripe apples peeped temptingly from their beds of fresh leaves.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading It was a tasteful, white cottage, with a green lawn in front, and tall elm trees about it.

Chapter 1 of Timid Lucy by Sarah S. (Sarah Schoonmaker) Baker holds 48 sentences, grouped into 10 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 Timid Lucy contain?

Chapter 1 holds 48 sentences of Timid Lucy, unabridged, divided into 10 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Timid Lucy by Sarah S. (Sarah Schoonmaker) Baker exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 48 sentences, grouped into 10 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 Timid Lucy?

Work through the 10 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 10 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 Timid Lucy

Common questions about reading Timid Lucy by Sarah S. (Sarah Schoonmaker) Baker on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Timid Lucy?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Timid Lucy is used?

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

How long does Timid Lucy take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Timid Lucy section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 0 chapters of Timid Lucy 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 Timid Lucy

Words and structures a reader meets early in Timid Lucy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of Timid Lucy, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of Timid Lucy, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of Timid Lucy, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.