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Tom, The Bootblack
Tom, The Bootblack

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Tom, The Bootblack is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Horatio, Jr. Alger • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Tom, The Bootblack
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
INTRODUCING TOM, THE BOOTBLACK.
"How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.
"Weak, Tom," whined the old man, in reply.
"I--I ain't got much strength."
"Would you like some breakfast?"
0:00 / 0:00
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Tom, The Bootblack

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Tom, The Bootblack is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
INTRODUCING TOM, THE BOOTBLACK.
Line 2
"How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.
Line 3
"Weak, Tom," whined the old man, in reply.
Line 4
"I--I ain't got much strength."
Line 5
"Would you like some breakfast?"
/wʊd juː laɪk sʌm ˈbrekfəst/

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.

bending noun US /ˈbendɪŋ/

movement that causes the formation of a curve

From this reading “"How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
crouched verb US /kraʊtʃt/

past form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down

From this reading “"How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fifteen noun US /fɪfˈtiːn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one

From this reading “"How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
introducing verb US /ˌɪntrəˈduːsɪŋ/

-ing form of “introduce” — cause to come to know personally

From this reading “INTRODUCING TOM, THE BOOTBLACK.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Jacob noun US /ˈdʒeɪkəb/

French biochemist who (with Jacques Monod) studied regulatory processes in cells (born in 1920)

From this reading “"How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mile noun US /maɪl/

a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters

From this reading “"How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
quarter noun US /ˈkwɔːrtər/

one of four equal parts

From this reading “"How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
upper adjective US /ˈʌpər/

the topmost one of two

From this reading “"How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.”

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.

old man adjective + noun

a man who is very old

In this reading “"How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.”

132,882 times in 225,867 chapters
upper room adjective + noun

In this reading “"How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.”

869 times in 225,867 chapters
in the corner preposition + article + noun counted as “in … corner”

In this reading “"How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.”

24,646 times in 225,867 chapters
crouched in verb + particle counted as “crouch in”

In this reading “"How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.”

2,210 times in 225,867 chapters
like some verb + adjective

In this reading “"Would you like some breakfast?"”

11,629 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 50

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 "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ain't

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

From this reading "I--I ain't got much strength."

Pending verification
andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bendingnounUS /ˈbendɪŋ/

movement that causes the formation of a curve

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BOOTBLACKnoun

a person who polishes shoes and boots

From this reading INTRODUCING TOM, THE BOOTBLACK.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
breakfastverbUS /ˈbrekfəst/

eat an early morning meal

From this reading "Would you like some breakfast?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CitynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cornernounUS /ˈkɔːrnər/

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
crouchedverbUS /kraʊtʃt/

past form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
distantadjectiveUS /ˈdɪstənt/

separated in space or coming from or going to a distance

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
feelverbUS /fiːl/

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fifteennounUS /fɪfˈtiːn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

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

From this reading "I--I ain't got much strength."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HallnounUS /hɔːl/

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
How

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

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

Pending verification
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I--I ain't got much strength."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
INTRODUCINGverbUS /ˌɪntrəˈduːsɪŋ/

-ing form of “introduce” — cause to come to know personally

From this reading INTRODUCING TOM, THE BOOTBLACK.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
JacobnounUS /ˈdʒeɪkəb/

French biochemist who (with Jacques Monod) studied regulatory processes in cells (born in 1920)

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading "Would you like some breakfast?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
milenounUS /maɪl/

a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading "I--I ain't got much strength."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

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

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
quarternounUS /ˈkwɔːrtər/

one of four equal parts

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
replynounUS /rɪˈplaɪ/

a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation

From this reading "Weak, Tom," whined the old man, in reply.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading "Would you like some breakfast?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
strengthnounUS /streŋkθ/

the property of being physically or mentally strong

From this reading "I--I ain't got much strength."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tenement-house

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

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

Pending verification
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

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 INTRODUCING TOM, THE BOOTBLACK.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TOMnounUS /tɑːm/

male cat

From this reading INTRODUCING TOM, THE BOOTBLACK.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
upperadjectiveUS /ˈʌpər/

the topmost one of two

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WeakadjectiveUS /wiːk/

wanting in physical strength

From this reading "Weak, Tom," whined the old man, in reply.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whined

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

From this reading "Weak, Tom," whined the old man, in reply.

Pending verification
Wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading "Would you like some breakfast?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
YorknounUS /jɔːrk/

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "How do you feel this morning, Jacob?" asked a boy of fifteen, bending over an old man crouched in the corner of an upper room, in a poor tenement-house, distant less than a quarter of a mile from the New York City Hall.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 1 of Tom, The Bootblack by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 119 sentences, grouped into 24 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 Tom, The Bootblack contain?

Chapter 1 holds 119 sentences of Tom, The Bootblack, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Tom, The Bootblack by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 119 sentences, grouped into 24 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 Tom, The Bootblack?

Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 24 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 Tom, The Bootblack

Common questions about reading Tom, The Bootblack by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Tom, The Bootblack?

Yes. All 4823 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26355 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Tom, The Bootblack is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #26355, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Tom, The Bootblack take to read?

About 401 minutes of reading across 965 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Tom, The Bootblack section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 Tom, The Bootblack

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

Introducing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom, The Bootblack; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bootblack
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom, The Bootblack; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Morning
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom, The Bootblack; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Jacob
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom, The Bootblack; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.