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Twinkle and Chubbins
Twinkle and Chubbins

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of Twinkle and Chubbins is here in full — 31 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Twinkle and Chubbins
Context Illustration Reading 1/6 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.
"But we can't!" exclaimed Twinkle.
"We're too big," and she got up and sat down upon the bank, to show him how big she really was when compared with the prairie-dogs.
"Oh, that doesn't matter in the least," the Mayor replied.
"I'll have Presto Digi, our magician, reduce you to our size."
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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.

Twinkle and Chubbins

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of Twinkle and Chubbins is here in full — 31 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/6 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.
Line 2
"But we can't!" exclaimed Twinkle.
Line 3
"We're too big," and she got up and sat down upon the bank, to show him how big she really was when compared with the prairie-dogs.
Line 4
"Oh, that doesn't matter in the least," the Mayor replied.
Line 5
"I'll have Presto Digi, our magician, reduce you to our size."

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.

compared verb US /kəmˈperd/

past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of

From this reading “"We're too big," and she got up and sat down upon the bank, to show him how big she really was when compared with the prairie-dogs.”

friendly adjective US /ˈfrendli/

characteristic of or befitting a friend

From this reading “Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.”

magician noun US /məˈdʒɪʃ.ən/

A practitioner of magic and ancient arcane arts, often wielding deception and powerful spells.

From this reading “Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.”

Mayor noun US /ˈmeɪər/

the head of a city government

From this reading “Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.”

Presto adverb US /ˈprestoʊ/

suddenly

From this reading “Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.”

reduce verb US /rəˈduːs/

cut down on; make a reduction in

From this reading “"I'll have Presto Digi, our magician, reduce you to our size."”

size noun US /saɪz/

the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)

From this reading “"I'll have Presto Digi, our magician, reduce you to our size."”

Twinkle verb US /ˈtwɪŋkəl/

gleam or glow intermittently

From this reading “"But we can't!" exclaimed Twinkle.”

All words in this reading · 60

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 Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

banknounUS /bæŋk/

sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)

From this reading "We're too big," and she got up and sat down upon the bank, to show him how big she really was when compared with the prairie-dogs.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

bigadjectiveUS /bɪɡ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading "We're too big," and she got up and sat down upon the bank, to show him how big she really was when compared with the prairie-dogs.

Bowko

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

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "But we can't!" exclaimed Twinkle.

can't

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

From this reading "But we can't!" exclaimed Twinkle.

comparedverbUS /kəmˈperd/

past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of

From this reading "We're too big," and she got up and sat down upon the bank, to show him how big she really was when compared with the prairie-dogs.

Digi

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

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

doesn't

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

From this reading "Oh, that doesn't matter in the least," the Mayor replied.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading "We're too big," and she got up and sat down upon the bank, to show him how big she really was when compared with the prairie-dogs.

exclaimedverbUS /ɪkˈskleɪmd/

past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

From this reading "But we can't!" exclaimed Twinkle.

friendlyadjectiveUS /ˈfrendli/

characteristic of or befitting a friend

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

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

From this reading "We're too big," and she got up and sat down upon the bank, to show him how big she really was when compared with the prairie-dogs.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading "We're too big," and she got up and sat down upon the bank, to show him how big she really was when compared with the prairie-dogs.

housesnounUS /ˈhaʊsəz/

plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

how

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

From this reading "We're too big," and she got up and sat down upon the bank, to show him how big she really was when compared with the prairie-dogs.

I'll

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

From this reading "I'll have Presto Digi, our magician, reduce you to our size."

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading "Oh, that doesn't matter in the least," the Mayor replied.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

MagiciannounUS /məˈdʒɪʃ.ən/

A practitioner of magic and ancient arcane arts, often wielding deception and powerful spells.

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading "Oh, that doesn't matter in the least," the Mayor replied.

MayornounUS /ˈmeɪər/

the head of a city government

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading "Oh, that doesn't matter in the least," the Mayor replied.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

pleasedadjectiveUS /pliːzd/

experiencing or manifesting pleasure

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

prairie-dogs

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

From this reading "We're too big," and she got up and sat down upon the bank, to show him how big she really was when compared with the prairie-dogs.

PrestoadverbUS /ˈprestoʊ/

suddenly

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading "We're too big," and she got up and sat down upon the bank, to show him how big she really was when compared with the prairie-dogs.

reduceverbUS /rəˈduːs/

cut down on; make a reduction in

From this reading "I'll have Presto Digi, our magician, reduce you to our size."

repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading "Oh, that doesn't matter in the least," the Mayor replied.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading "We're too big," and she got up and sat down upon the bank, to show him how big she really was when compared with the prairie-dogs.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading "We're too big," and she got up and sat down upon the bank, to show him how big she really was when compared with the prairie-dogs.

showverbUS /ʃoʊ/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading "We're too big," and she got up and sat down upon the bank, to show him how big she really was when compared with the prairie-dogs.

sizenounUS /saɪz/

the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)

From this reading "I'll have Presto Digi, our magician, reduce you to our size."

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "Oh, that doesn't matter in the least," the Mayor replied.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

tonenounUS /toʊn/

the quality of a person's voice

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading "We're too big," and she got up and sat down upon the bank, to show him how big she really was when compared with the prairie-dogs.

TwinkleverbUS /ˈtwɪŋkəl/

gleam or glow intermittently

From this reading "But we can't!" exclaimed Twinkle.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading "We're too big," and she got up and sat down upon the bank, to show him how big she really was when compared with the prairie-dogs.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading "We're too big," and she got up and sat down upon the bank, to show him how big she really was when compared with the prairie-dogs.

visitverbUS /ˈvɪzɪt/

go to see a place, as for entertainment

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "We're too big," and she got up and sat down upon the bank, to show him how big she really was when compared with the prairie-dogs.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

We're

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

From this reading "We're too big," and she got up and sat down upon the bank, to show him how big she really was when compared with the prairie-dogs.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "We're too big," and she got up and sat down upon the bank, to show him how big she really was when compared with the prairie-dogs.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "We're too big," and she got up and sat down upon the bank, to show him how big she really was when compared with the prairie-dogs.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Presto Digi, the Magician "AND now, if you like, we will be pleased to have you visit some of our houses," said Mr. Bowko, the Mayor, in a friendly tone.

Chapter 17 of Twinkle and Chubbins by L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum holds 31 sentences, grouped into 7 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 17 of Twinkle and Chubbins contain?

Chapter 17 holds 31 sentences of Twinkle and Chubbins, unabridged, divided into 7 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of Twinkle and Chubbins by L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 31 sentences, grouped into 7 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 17 of Twinkle and Chubbins?

Work through the 7 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 7 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 Twinkle and Chubbins

Common questions about reading Twinkle and Chubbins by L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Twinkle and Chubbins?

Yes. All 1573 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28552 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Twinkle and Chubbins is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #28552, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Twinkle and Chubbins take to read?

About 131 minutes of reading across 315 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Twinkle and Chubbins section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Twinkle and Chubbins 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 Twinkle and Chubbins

Words and structures a reader meets early in Twinkle and Chubbins, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

There's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Twinkle and Chubbins; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Woodchuck
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Twinkle and Chubbins; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Eating
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Twinkle and Chubbins; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Clover
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Twinkle and Chubbins; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.