Chapter 1 of True to Himself is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of True to Himself is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Hi, there, Duncan Woodward!" I called out. "What are you doing in Widow Canby's orchard?" "None of your business, Roger Strong," replied the only son of the wealthiest merchant in Darbyville. "You are stealing her pears," I went on.
Chapter 1 of True to Himself is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/25 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
United States dancer and pioneer of modern dance (1878-1927)
From this reading “"Hi, there, Duncan Woodward!"”
A person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially with foreign countries.
From this reading “"None of your business, Roger Strong," replied the only son of the wealthiest merchant in Darbyville.”
garden consisting of a small cultivated wood without undergrowth
From this reading “"What are you doing in Widow Canby's orchard?"”
plural of “pear” — sweet juicy gritty-textured fruit available in many varieties
From this reading “"You are stealing her pears," I went on.”
the act of taking something from someone unlawfully
From this reading “"You are stealing her pears," I went on.”
superlative of “wealthy” — having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value
From this reading “"None of your business, Roger Strong," replied the only son of the wealthiest merchant in Darbyville.”
a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried
From this reading “"What are you doing in Widow Canby's orchard?"”
United States historian (1908-1999)
From this reading “"Hi, there, Duncan Woodward!"”
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.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "What are you doing in Widow Canby's orchard?"
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading "None of your business, Roger Strong," replied the only son of the wealthiest merchant in Darbyville.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading I called out.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What are you doing in Widow Canby's orchard?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "None of your business, Roger Strong," replied the only son of the wealthiest merchant in Darbyville.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading "What are you doing in Widow Canby's orchard?"
United States dancer and pioneer of modern dance (1878-1927)
From this reading "Hi, there, Duncan Woodward!"
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "You are stealing her pears," I went on.
an expression of greeting
From this reading "Hi, there, Duncan Woodward!"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I called out.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "What are you doing in Widow Canby's orchard?"
A person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially with foreign countries.
From this reading "None of your business, Roger Strong," replied the only son of the wealthiest merchant in Darbyville.
not one, and not any
From this reading "None of your business, Roger Strong," replied the only son of the wealthiest merchant in Darbyville.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "None of your business, Roger Strong," replied the only son of the wealthiest merchant in Darbyville.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "You are stealing her pears," I went on.
and nothing more
From this reading "None of your business, Roger Strong," replied the only son of the wealthiest merchant in Darbyville.
garden consisting of a small cultivated wood without undergrowth
From this reading "What are you doing in Widow Canby's orchard?"
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading I called out.
plural of “pear” — sweet juicy gritty-textured fruit available in many varieties
From this reading "You are stealing her pears," I went on.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "None of your business, Roger Strong," replied the only son of the wealthiest merchant in Darbyville.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "None of your business, Roger Strong," replied the only son of the wealthiest merchant in Darbyville.
a male human offspring
From this reading "None of your business, Roger Strong," replied the only son of the wealthiest merchant in Darbyville.
the act of taking something from someone unlawfully
From this reading "You are stealing her pears," I went on.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading "None of your business, Roger Strong," replied the only son of the wealthiest merchant in Darbyville.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "None of your business, Roger Strong," replied the only son of the wealthiest merchant in Darbyville.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "Hi, there, Duncan Woodward!"
superlative of “wealthy” — having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value
From this reading "None of your business, Roger Strong," replied the only son of the wealthiest merchant in Darbyville.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "You are stealing her pears," I went on.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What are you doing in Widow Canby's orchard?"
a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried
From this reading "What are you doing in Widow Canby's orchard?"
United States historian (1908-1999)
From this reading "Hi, there, Duncan Woodward!"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "What are you doing in Widow Canby's orchard?"
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "None of your business, Roger Strong," replied the only son of the wealthiest merchant in Darbyville.
Chapter 1 of True to Himself by Edward Stratemeyer holds 128 sentences, grouped into 26 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.
Chapter 1 holds 128 sentences of True to Himself, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of True to Himself by Edward Stratemeyer exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 128 sentences, grouped into 26 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.
Work through the 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 26 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.
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.
Common questions about reading True to Himself by Edward Stratemeyer on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5143 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4995 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4995, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 428 minutes of reading across 1029 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through True to Himself section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 36 chapters of True to Himself to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in True to Himself, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
