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Under the Lilacs
Under the Lilacs

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Under the Lilacs is here in full — 78 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Under the Lilacs
Context Illustration Reading 1/15 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.
It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.
"The dog didn't eat it!"
"Sally didn't take it!"
"How do you know?"
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Under the Lilacs

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Under the Lilacs is here in full — 78 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/15 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.
/ˈniːðər spoʊk fɔːr ə ˈmɪnət əˈstɑːnɪʃmənt ˈbiːɪŋ tuː ɡreɪt fɔːr wɜːrdz ðen æz baɪ wʌn ˈɪmpəls boʊθ stoʊl ʌp ənd tʌtʃt ðə keɪk wɪð ə ˈtɪmɪd ˈfɪŋɡər kwaɪt priˈperd tuː siː ɪt flaɪ əˈweɪ ɪn sʌm mɪˈstɪriəs ənd ˈstɑːrtlɪŋ ˈmænər/
Line 2
It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.
Line 3
"The dog didn't eat it!"
Line 4
"Sally didn't take it!"
Line 5
"How do you know?"

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.

basket noun US /ˈbæskət/

a container that is usually woven and has handles

From this reading “It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.”

cake noun US /keɪk/

a block of solid substance (such as soap or wax)

From this reading “Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.”

fairies noun US /ˈferiz/

plural of “fairy” — a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers

From this reading “It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.”

performances noun US /pərˈfɔːrmənsəz/

plural of “performance” — a dramatic or musical entertainment

From this reading “It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.”

Sally noun US /ˈsæli/

witty remark

From this reading “"Sally didn't take it!"”

startling adjective US /ˈstɑːrtlɪŋ/

so remarkably different or sudden as to cause momentary shock or alarm

From this reading “Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.”

timid adjective US /ˈtɪmɪd/

showing fear and lack of confidence

From this reading “Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.”

witchcraft noun US /ˈwɪtʃkræft/

the art of sorcery

From this reading “It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.”

All words in this reading · 69

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 Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

astonishmentnounUS /əˈstɑːnɪʃmənt/

the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

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

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

basketnounUS /ˈbæskət/

a container that is usually woven and has handles

From this reading It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

From this reading It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

breathnounUS /breθ/

the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing

From this reading It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

cakenounUS /keɪk/

a block of solid substance (such as soap or wax)

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

childrennounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.

didn't

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

From this reading "The dog didn't eat it!"

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "How do you know?"

dognounUS /dɔːɡ/

a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds

From this reading "The dog didn't eat it!"

drewnounUS /druː/

United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)

From this reading It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.

eatverbUS /iːt/

take in solid food

From this reading "The dog didn't eat it!"

fairiesnounUS /ˈferiz/

plural of “fairy” — a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers

From this reading It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.

fingerverbUS /ˈfɪŋɡər/

feel or handle with the fingers

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

flyverbUS /flaɪ/

travel through the air; be airborne

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

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

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

How

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

From this reading "How do you know?"

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.

impulsenounUS /ˈɪmpəls/

an instinctive motive

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

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

From this reading "How do you know?"

lateadjectiveUS /leɪt/

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.

mannernounUS /ˈmænər/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

minutenounUS /ˈmɪnət/

a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

mysteriousadjectiveUS /mɪˈstɪriəs/

of an obscure nature

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

NeitherdeterminerUS /ˈniːðər/

not one and not the other of two

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

performancesnounUS /pərˈfɔːrmənsəz/

plural of “performance” — a dramatic or musical entertainment

From this reading It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.

preparedadjectiveUS /priˈperd/

made ready or fit or suitable beforehand

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.

reliefnounUS /rɪˈliːf/

the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced

From this reading It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.

remainedverbUS /rɪˈmeɪnd/

past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.

SallynounUS /ˈsæli/

witty remark

From this reading "Sally didn't take it!"

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

seemverbUS /siːm/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.

sittingnounUS /ˈsɪtɪŋ/

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

spokenounUS /spoʊk/

support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

startlingadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːrtlɪŋ/

so remarkably different or sudden as to cause momentary shock or alarm

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

stolenounUS /stoʊl/

a wide scarf worn about their shoulders by women

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading "Sally didn't take it!"

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.

timidadjectiveUS /ˈtɪmɪd/

showing fear and lack of confidence

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

touchedadjectiveUS /tʌtʃt/

having come into contact

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

tranquillyadverb

without emotional agitation

From this reading It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

witchcraftnounUS /ˈwɪtʃkræft/

the art of sorcery

From this reading It remained sitting tranquilly in the basket, however, and the children drew a long breath of relief, for, though they did not believe in fairies, the late performances did seem rather like witchcraft.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading Neither spoke for a minute, astonishment being too great for words; then, as by one impulse, both stole up and touched the cake with a timid finger, quite prepared to see it fly away in some mysterious and startling manner.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "How do you know?"

Chapter 1 of Under the Lilacs by Louisa May Alcott holds 78 sentences, grouped into 16 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 1 of Under the Lilacs contain?

Chapter 1 holds 78 sentences of Under the Lilacs, unabridged, divided into 16 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Under the Lilacs by Louisa May Alcott exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 78 sentences, grouped into 16 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 Under the Lilacs?

Work through the 16 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 16 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 Under the Lilacs

Common questions about reading Under the Lilacs by Louisa May Alcott on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Under the Lilacs?

Yes. All 3158 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3795 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Under the Lilacs is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3795, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Under the Lilacs take to read?

About 263 minutes of reading across 632 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Under the Lilacs section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 23 chapters of Under the Lilacs 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 Under the Lilacs

Words and structures a reader meets early in Under the Lilacs, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Neither
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Under the Lilacs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Spoke
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Under the Lilacs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Minute
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Under the Lilacs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Astonishment
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Under the Lilacs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.