Told by Uncle Remus

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Told by Uncle Remus is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Joel Chandler Harris • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Told by Uncle Remus

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

“Brer Fox sot dar lookin’ up de chimbley.

Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

Brer Fox kinder work his under jaw, but he ain’t sayin’ nothin’.

So his ol’ ’oman went out ter de woodpile an’ got de ax, an’ den she say, ‘I’m ready, honey, whenever you is,’ an’ Brer Fox, he ’spon’, ‘I’m des ez ready now ez I ever is ter be,’ an’ wid dat she up wid de ax an’ _blip!_ she tuck ’im right on de neck.

De head come right off wid little er no trouble, an’ ol’ Miss Fox laugh an’ say ter herse’f dat she glad dey follerin’ de fashion at las’.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter IV Reading 1/83

Told by Uncle Remus Joel Chandler Harris

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Told by Uncle Remus is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

“Brer Fox sot dar lookin’ up de chimbley. Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion. Brer Fox kinder work his under jaw, but he ain’t sayin’ nothin’. So his ol’ ’oman went out ter de woodpile an’ got de ax, an’ den she say, ‘I’m ready, honey, whenever you is,’ an’ Brer Fox, he ’spon’, ‘I’m des ez ready now ez I ever is ter be,’ an’ wid dat she up wid de ax an’ _blip!_ she tuck ’im right on de neck. De head come right off wid little er no trouble, an’ ol’ Miss Fox laugh an’ say ter herse’f dat she glad dey follerin’ de fashion at las’.

Told by Uncle Remus

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Told by Uncle Remus is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

“Brer Fox sot dar lookin’ up de chimbley.

Line 2

Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

Line 3

Brer Fox kinder work his under jaw, but he ain’t sayin’ nothin’.

Line 4

Line 5

De head come right off wid little er no trouble, an’ ol’ Miss Fox laugh an’ say ter herse’f dat she glad dey follerin’ de fashion at las’.

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.

blip noun US /blɪp/

a sudden minor shock or meaningless interruption

jaw verb US /dʒɔː/

talk socially without exchanging too much information

From this reading “Brer Fox kinder work his under jaw, but he ain’t sayin’ nothin’.”

kinder adjective US /ˈkaɪndər/

comparative of “kind” — having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading “Brer Fox kinder work his under jaw, but he ain’t sayin’ nothin’.”

las noun US /lɑːs/

plural of “la” — a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth

From this reading “De head come right off wid little er no trouble, an’ ol’ Miss Fox laugh an’ say ter herse’f dat she glad dey follerin’ de fashion at las’.”

oman noun US /oʊˈmɑːn/

a strategically located monarchy on the southern and eastern coasts of the Arabian Peninsula; the economy is dominated by oil

From this reading “Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.”

sot noun US /sɔːt/

a chronic drinker

From this reading ““Brer Fox sot dar lookin’ up de chimbley.”

tuck verb US /tʌk/

fit snugly into

From this reading “So his ol’ ’oman went out ter de woodpile an’ got de ax, an’ den she say, ‘I’m ready, honey, whenever you is,’ an’ Brer Fox, he ’spon’, ‘I’m des ez ready now ez I ever is ter be,’ an’ wid dat she up wid de ax an’ _blip!_ she tuck ’im right on de neck.”

woodpile noun US /ˈwʊdpaɪl/

a pile or stack of wood to be used for fuel

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.

went out verb + adjective counted as “go out”

move out of or depart from

In this reading “So his ol’ ’oman went out ter de woodpile an’ got de ax, an’ den she say, ‘I’m ready, honey, whenever you is,’ an’ Brer Fox, he ’spon’, ‘I’m des ez ready now ez I ever is ter be,’ an’ wid dat she up wid de ax an’ _blip!_ she tuck ’im right on de neck.”

All words in this reading · 82

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.

ain't

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

From this reading Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading De head come right off wid little er no trouble, an’ ol’ Miss Fox laugh an’ say ter herse’f dat she glad dey follerin’ de fashion at las’.

axnounUS /æks/

an edge tool with a heavy bladed head mounted across a handle

From this reading Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading So his ol’ ’oman went out ter de woodpile an’ got de ax, an’ den she say, ‘I’m ready, honey, whenever you is,’ an’ Brer Fox, he ’spon’, ‘I’m des ez ready now ez I ever is ter be,’ an’ wid dat she up wid de ax an’ _blip!_ she tuck ’im right on de neck.

Bimeby

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

From this reading Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

blipnounUS /blɪp/

a sudden minor shock or meaningless interruption

Brer

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

From this reading “Brer Fox sot dar lookin’ up de chimbley.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

chimbley

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

From this reading “Brer Fox sot dar lookin’ up de chimbley.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading De head come right off wid little er no trouble, an’ ol’ Miss Fox laugh an’ say ter herse’f dat she glad dey follerin’ de fashion at las’.

dar

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

From this reading “Brer Fox sot dar lookin’ up de chimbley.

datnounUS /dæt/

a digital tape recording of sound

From this reading Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

denounUS /diː/

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

From this reading “Brer Fox sot dar lookin’ up de chimbley.

dennounUS /den/

the habitation of wild animals

desnounUS /des/

a potent estrogen used in medicine and in feed for livestock and poultry

dey

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

From this reading De head come right off wid little er no trouble, an’ ol’ Miss Fox laugh an’ say ter herse’f dat she glad dey follerin’ de fashion at las’.

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

From this reading Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

ernounUS /ər/

a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs with yttrium

From this reading De head come right off wid little er no trouble, an’ ol’ Miss Fox laugh an’ say ter herse’f dat she glad dey follerin’ de fashion at las’.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

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

fashionnounUS /ˈfæʃən/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

follerin

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

From this reading De head come right off wid little er no trouble, an’ ol’ Miss Fox laugh an’ say ter herse’f dat she glad dey follerin’ de fashion at las’.

FoxnounUS /fɑːks/

alert carnivorous mammal with pointed muzzle and ears and a bushy tail; most are predators that do not hunt in packs

From this reading “Brer Fox sot dar lookin’ up de chimbley.

gladadjectiveUS /ɡlæd/

showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy

From this reading De head come right off wid little er no trouble, an’ ol’ Miss Fox laugh an’ say ter herse’f dat she glad dey follerin’ de fashion at las’.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

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

gwineter

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

From this reading Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Brer Fox kinder work his under jaw, but he ain’t sayin’ nothin’.

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 De head come right off wid little er no trouble, an’ ol’ Miss Fox laugh an’ say ter herse’f dat she glad dey follerin’ de fashion at las’.

herse'f

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

From this reading De head come right off wid little er no trouble, an’ ol’ Miss Fox laugh an’ say ter herse’f dat she glad dey follerin’ de fashion at las’.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

honeynounUS /ˈhʌni/

a sweet yellow liquid produced by bees

hurtverbUS /hɜːrt/

be the source of pain

From this reading Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

I'm

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

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

it's

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

From this reading Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

jawverbUS /dʒɔː/

talk socially without exchanging too much information

From this reading Brer Fox kinder work his under jaw, but he ain’t sayin’ nothin’.

kinderadjectiveUS /ˈkaɪndər/

comparative of “kind” — having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading Brer Fox kinder work his under jaw, but he ain’t sayin’ nothin’.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

lasnounUS /lɑːs/

plural of “la” — a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth

From this reading De head come right off wid little er no trouble, an’ ol’ Miss Fox laugh an’ say ter herse’f dat she glad dey follerin’ de fashion at las’.

laughnounUS /læf/

the sound of laughing

From this reading De head come right off wid little er no trouble, an’ ol’ Miss Fox laugh an’ say ter herse’f dat she glad dey follerin’ de fashion at las’.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading De head come right off wid little er no trouble, an’ ol’ Miss Fox laugh an’ say ter herse’f dat she glad dey follerin’ de fashion at las’.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

lookin

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

From this reading “Brer Fox sot dar lookin’ up de chimbley.

lowadjectiveUS /loʊ/

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

mightyadjectiveUS /ˈmaɪti/

having or showing great strength or force or intensity

From this reading Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading De head come right off wid little er no trouble, an’ ol’ Miss Fox laugh an’ say ter herse’f dat she glad dey follerin’ de fashion at las’.

necknounUS /nek/

the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading De head come right off wid little er no trouble, an’ ol’ Miss Fox laugh an’ say ter herse’f dat she glad dey follerin’ de fashion at las’.

nothin

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

From this reading Brer Fox kinder work his under jaw, but he ain’t sayin’ nothin’.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

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

From this reading De head come right off wid little er no trouble, an’ ol’ Miss Fox laugh an’ say ter herse’f dat she glad dey follerin’ de fashion at las’.

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

From this reading Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

omannounUS /oʊˈmɑːn/

a strategically located monarchy on the southern and eastern coasts of the Arabian Peninsula; the economy is dominated by oil

From this reading Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

readyadjectiveUS /ˈredi/

completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

sayin

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

From this reading Brer Fox kinder work his under jaw, but he ain’t sayin’ nothin’.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

skeery

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

From this reading Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

sotnounUS /sɔːt/

a chronic drinker

From this reading “Brer Fox sot dar lookin’ up de chimbley.

spon

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

ter

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

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

troublenounUS /ˈtrʌbəl/

a source of difficulty

From this reading De head come right off wid little er no trouble, an’ ol’ Miss Fox laugh an’ say ter herse’f dat she glad dey follerin’ de fashion at las’.

tuckverbUS /tʌk/

fit snugly into

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading Brer Fox kinder work his under jaw, but he ain’t sayin’ nothin’.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading “Brer Fox sot dar lookin’ up de chimbley.

wentverbUS /went/

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

wheneverconjunctionUS /weˈnevər/

at any time that; every time that

wid

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

woodpilenounUS /ˈwʊdpaɪl/

a pile or stack of wood to be used for fuel

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading Brer Fox kinder work his under jaw, but he ain’t sayin’ nothin’.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Bimeby his ol’ ’oman ’low, ‘De ax look mighty skeery, but one thing I know, an’ dat ain’t two, it ain’t gwineter hurt you ef it’s de fashion.

Chapter 4 of Told by Uncle Remus by Joel Chandler Harris holds 415 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 4 of Told by Uncle Remus contain?

Chapter 4 holds 415 sentences of Told by Uncle Remus, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Told by Uncle Remus by Joel Chandler Harris exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 415 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 4 of Told by Uncle Remus?

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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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.

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Is this the complete text of Told by Uncle Remus?

Yes. All 2496 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55676 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Told by Uncle Remus is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #55676, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Told by Uncle Remus take to read?

About 208 minutes of reading across 500 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Told by Uncle Remus

Words and structures a reader meets early in Told by Uncle Remus, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

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Chapter IV

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