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Trailin'!
Trailin'!

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of Trailin'! is here in full — 72 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Trailin'!
Context Illustration Reading 1/14 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
ANTHONY IS LEFT IN THE DARK "It will explain why I changed my clothes after I came home.
You see, toward the end of the show a lot of the cowboys rode in.
The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.
He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.
"As they worked the brute down the arena, it caught sight of my white shirt, I suppose, for it made a dive at me, reared up, and smashed its forehoofs against the barrier.
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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.

Trailin'!

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of Trailin'! is here in full — 72 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/14 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
ANTHONY IS LEFT IN THE DARK "It will explain why I changed my clothes after I came home.
/ˈænθəni ɪz left ɪn ðə dɑːrk ɪt wɪl ɪkˈspleɪn waɪ aɪ tʃeɪndʒd maɪ kloʊðz ˈæftər aɪ keɪm hoʊm/
Line 2
You see, toward the end of the show a lot of the cowboys rode in.
/juː siː təˈwɔːrd ðə end ʌv ðə ʃoʊ ə lɑːt ʌv ðə ˈkaʊbɔɪz roʊd ɪn/
Line 3
The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.
Line 4
He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.
Line 5
"As they worked the brute down the arena, it caught sight of my white shirt, I suppose, for it made a dive at me, reared up, and smashed its forehoofs against the barrier.

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.

arena noun US /ərˈiːnə/

a particular environment or walk of life

From this reading “"As they worked the brute down the arena, it caught sight of my white shirt, I suppose, for it made a dive at me, reared up, and smashed its forehoofs against the barrier.”

cowboys noun US /ˈkaʊbɔɪz/

plural of “cowboy” — a hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback

From this reading “You see, toward the end of the show a lot of the cowboys rode in.”

dive noun US /daɪv/

a cheap disreputable nightclub or dance hall

From this reading “"As they worked the brute down the arena, it caught sight of my white shirt, I suppose, for it made a dive at me, reared up, and smashed its forehoofs against the barrier.”

horseflesh noun US /ˈhɔːrsfleʃ/

the flesh of horses as food

From this reading “He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.”

ringmaster noun US /ˈrɪŋmæstər/

the person in charge of performances in a circus ring

From this reading “The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.”

smashed adjective US /smæʃt/

very drunk

From this reading “"As they worked the brute down the arena, it caught sight of my white shirt, I suppose, for it made a dive at me, reared up, and smashed its forehoofs against the barrier.”

stallion noun US /ˈstæljən/

uncastrated adult male horse

From this reading “He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.”

ugliest adjective US /ˈʌɡliəst/

superlative of “ugly” — displeasing to the senses

From this reading “He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.”

All words in this reading · 109

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 You see, toward the end of the show a lot of the cowboys rode in.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading ANTHONY IS LEFT IN THE DARK "It will explain why I changed my clothes after I came home.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading "As they worked the brute down the arena, it caught sight of my white shirt, I suppose, for it made a dive at me, reared up, and smashed its forehoofs against the barrier.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

announcingverbUS /əˈnaʊnsɪŋ/

-ing form of “announce” — make known; make an announcement

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

ANTHONYnounUS /ˈænθəni/

Roman general under Julius Caesar in the Gallic wars; repudiated his wife for the Egyptian queen Cleopatra; they were defeated by Octavian at Actium (83-30 BC)

From this reading ANTHONY IS LEFT IN THE DARK "It will explain why I changed my clothes after I came home.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

arenanounUS /ərˈiːnə/

a particular environment or walk of life

From this reading "As they worked the brute down the arena, it caught sight of my white shirt, I suppose, for it made a dive at me, reared up, and smashed its forehoofs against the barrier.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading "As they worked the brute down the arena, it caught sight of my white shirt, I suppose, for it made a dive at me, reared up, and smashed its forehoofs against the barrier.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "As they worked the brute down the arena, it caught sight of my white shirt, I suppose, for it made a dive at me, reared up, and smashed its forehoofs against the barrier.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

barriernounUS /ˈbæriər/

a structure or object that impedes free movement

From this reading "As they worked the brute down the arena, it caught sight of my white shirt, I suppose, for it made a dive at me, reared up, and smashed its forehoofs against the barrier.

boxnounUS /bɑːks/

a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

brutenounUS /bruːt/

a cruelly rapacious person

From this reading "As they worked the brute down the arena, it caught sight of my white shirt, I suppose, for it made a dive at me, reared up, and smashed its forehoofs against the barrier.

buildingnounUS /ˈbɪldɪŋ/

a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading ANTHONY IS LEFT IN THE DARK "It will explain why I changed my clothes after I came home.

caughtverbUS /kɑːt/

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

From this reading "As they worked the brute down the arena, it caught sight of my white shirt, I suppose, for it made a dive at me, reared up, and smashed its forehoofs against the barrier.

changedadjectiveUS /tʃeɪndʒd/

made or become different in nature or form

From this reading ANTHONY IS LEFT IN THE DARK "It will explain why I changed my clothes after I came home.

clothesnounUS /kloʊðz/

clothing in general

From this reading ANTHONY IS LEFT IN THE DARK "It will explain why I changed my clothes after I came home.

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

cowboysnounUS /ˈkaʊbɔɪz/

plural of “cowboy” — a hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback

From this reading You see, toward the end of the show a lot of the cowboys rode in.

DARKnounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading ANTHONY IS LEFT IN THE DARK "It will explain why I changed my clothes after I came home.

divenounUS /daɪv/

a cheap disreputable nightclub or dance hall

From this reading "As they worked the brute down the arena, it caught sight of my white shirt, I suppose, for it made a dive at me, reared up, and smashed its forehoofs against the barrier.

dollarsnounUS /ˈdɑːlərz/

plural of “dollar” — the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading "As they worked the brute down the arena, it caught sight of my white shirt, I suppose, for it made a dive at me, reared up, and smashed its forehoofs against the barrier.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading You see, toward the end of the show a lot of the cowboys rode in.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

explainverbUS /ɪkˈspleɪn/

make plain and comprehensible

From this reading ANTHONY IS LEFT IN THE DARK "It will explain why I changed my clothes after I came home.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

fellownounUS /ˈfeloʊ/

a boy or man

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

fivenounUS /faɪv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "As they worked the brute down the arena, it caught sight of my white shirt, I suppose, for it made a dive at me, reared up, and smashed its forehoofs against the barrier.

forehoofs

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

From this reading "As they worked the brute down the arena, it caught sight of my white shirt, I suppose, for it made a dive at me, reared up, and smashed its forehoofs against the barrier.

fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading ANTHONY IS LEFT IN THE DARK "It will explain why I changed my clothes after I came home.

horsenounUS /hɔːrs/

solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

horsefleshnounUS /ˈhɔːrsfleʃ/

the flesh of horses as food

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

hundrednounUS /ˈhʌndrəd/

ten 10s

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading ANTHONY IS LEFT IN THE DARK "It will explain why I changed my clothes after I came home.

I've

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

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading ANTHONY IS LEFT IN THE DARK "It will explain why I changed my clothes after I came home.

insideadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

ISauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading ANTHONY IS LEFT IN THE DARK "It will explain why I changed my clothes after I came home.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading ANTHONY IS LEFT IN THE DARK "It will explain why I changed my clothes after I came home.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading "As they worked the brute down the arena, it caught sight of my white shirt, I suppose, for it made a dive at me, reared up, and smashed its forehoofs against the barrier.

jumpedverbUS /dʒʌmpt/

past form of “jump” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

leadingadjectiveUS /ˈliːdɪŋ/

indicating the most important performer or role

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

LEFTnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading ANTHONY IS LEFT IN THE DARK "It will explain why I changed my clothes after I came home.

lotnounUS /lɑːt/

(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent

From this reading You see, toward the end of the show a lot of the cowboys rode in.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "As they worked the brute down the arena, it caught sight of my white shirt, I suppose, for it made a dive at me, reared up, and smashed its forehoofs against the barrier.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

minepronounUS /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

mountverbUS /maʊnt/

attach to a support

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading ANTHONY IS LEFT IN THE DARK "It will explain why I changed my clothes after I came home.

nonepronounUS /nʌn/

not one, and not any

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading You see, toward the end of the show a lot of the cowboys rode in.

offeredverbUS /ˈɔːfərd/

past form of “offer” — make available or accessible, provide or furnish

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

oldishadjective

somewhat elderly

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

oppositeadjectiveUS /ˈɑːpəzət/

being directly across from each other; facing

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

piecenounUS /piːs/

a separate part of a whole

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

rearedverbUS /rɪrd/

past form of “rear” — stand up on the hind legs, of quadrupeds

From this reading "As they worked the brute down the arena, it caught sight of my white shirt, I suppose, for it made a dive at me, reared up, and smashed its forehoofs against the barrier.

rideverbUS /raɪd/

sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

ringmasternounUS /ˈrɪŋmæstər/

the person in charge of performances in a circus ring

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

rodeverbUS /roʊd/

inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions

From this reading You see, toward the end of the show a lot of the cowboys rode in.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading You see, toward the end of the show a lot of the cowboys rode in.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

shirtnounUS /ʃɜːrt/

a garment worn on the upper half of the body

From this reading "As they worked the brute down the arena, it caught sight of my white shirt, I suppose, for it made a dive at me, reared up, and smashed its forehoofs against the barrier.

shoutedadjectiveUS /ˈʃaʊtɪd/

in a vehement outcry

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

showverbUS /ʃoʊ/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading You see, toward the end of the show a lot of the cowboys rode in.

sightnounUS /saɪt/

an instance of visual perception

From this reading "As they worked the brute down the arena, it caught sight of my white shirt, I suppose, for it made a dive at me, reared up, and smashed its forehoofs against the barrier.

skinnounUS /skɪn/

a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

smashedadjectiveUS /smæʃt/

very drunk

From this reading "As they worked the brute down the arena, it caught sight of my white shirt, I suppose, for it made a dive at me, reared up, and smashed its forehoofs against the barrier.

stallionnounUS /ˈstæljən/

uncastrated adult male horse

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

supposeverbUS /səˈpoʊz/

express a supposition

From this reading "As they worked the brute down the arena, it caught sight of my white shirt, I suppose, for it made a dive at me, reared up, and smashed its forehoofs against the barrier.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading ANTHONY IS LEFT IN THE DARK "It will explain why I changed my clothes after I came home.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/

in the direction of

From this reading You see, toward the end of the show a lot of the cowboys rode in.

twonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

ugliestadjectiveUS /ˈʌɡliəst/

superlative of “ugly” — displeasing to the senses

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

walkedverbUS /wɔːkt/

past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading "As they worked the brute down the arena, it caught sight of my white shirt, I suppose, for it made a dive at me, reared up, and smashed its forehoofs against the barrier.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

whynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading ANTHONY IS LEFT IN THE DARK "It will explain why I changed my clothes after I came home.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading ANTHONY IS LEFT IN THE DARK "It will explain why I changed my clothes after I came home.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He offered five hundred dollars to the man who could back him; and made it good by going out of the building and coming back inside of five minutes with two men leading a great stallion, the ugliest piece of horseflesh I've ever seen.

woreverbUS /wɔːr/

inflected form of “wear” — be dressed in

From this reading The ringmaster was announcing that they could ride anything that walked on four feet and wore a skin, when up jumped an oldish fellow in a box opposite mine and shouted that he had a horse which none of them could mount.

workedverbUS /wɜːrkt/

past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading "As they worked the brute down the arena, it caught sight of my white shirt, I suppose, for it made a dive at me, reared up, and smashed its forehoofs against the barrier.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You see, toward the end of the show a lot of the cowboys rode in.

Chapter 5 of Trailin'! by Max Brand holds 72 sentences, grouped into 15 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 5 of Trailin'! contain?

Chapter 5 holds 72 sentences of Trailin'!, unabridged, divided into 15 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of Trailin'! by Max Brand exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 72 sentences, grouped into 15 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 5 of Trailin'!?

Work through the 15 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 15 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading Trailin'!

Common questions about reading Trailin'! by Max Brand on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Trailin'!?

Yes. All 5143 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11093 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Trailin'! is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #11093, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Trailin'! take to read?

About 428 minutes of reading across 1029 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Trailin'! section by section

How to work through Trailin'! section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Trailin'! 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 Trailin'!

Words and structures a reader meets early in Trailin'!, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

La-a-a-dies
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Trailin'!; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Gen'l'mun
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Trailin'!; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Through
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Trailin'!; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Exhibition
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Trailin'!; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.