Chapter 2 of Verotchka's Tales is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Verotchka's Tales is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Slipper said nothing, but crept silently under the couch. She was a venerable old Slipper, very much worn. She was slightly embarrassed by the tiny hole near her toe, but she hoped that under the couch no one would notice that. "Music, start!" ordered Vanka. "Drum, beat!
Chapter 2 of Verotchka's Tales is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/88 · 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.
an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading “Slipper said nothing, but crept silently under the couch.”
inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading “Slipper said nothing, but crept silently under the couch.”
a musical percussion instrument; usually consists of a hollow cylinder with a membrane stretched across each end
From this reading “"Drum, beat!”
feeling or caused to feel ill at ease or self-conscious or ashamed
From this reading “She was slightly embarrassed by the tiny hole near her toe, but she hoped that under the couch no one would notice that.”
without speaking
From this reading “Slipper said nothing, but crept silently under the couch.”
low footwear that can be slipped on and off easily; usually worn indoors
From this reading “Slipper said nothing, but crept silently under the couch.”
one of the digits of the foot
From this reading “She was slightly embarrassed by the tiny hole near her toe, but she hoped that under the couch no one would notice that.”
impressive by reason of age
From this reading “She was a venerable old Slipper, very much worn.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “She was slightly embarrassed by the tiny hole near her toe, but she hoped that under the couch no one would notice that.”
In this reading “Slipper said nothing, but crept silently under the couch.”
In this reading “She was slightly embarrassed by the tiny hole near her toe, but she hoped that under the couch no one would notice that.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She was a venerable old Slipper, very much worn.
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading "Drum, beat!
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Slipper said nothing, but crept silently under the couch.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading She was slightly embarrassed by the tiny hole near her toe, but she hoped that under the couch no one would notice that.
an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading Slipper said nothing, but crept silently under the couch.
inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading Slipper said nothing, but crept silently under the couch.
a musical percussion instrument; usually consists of a hollow cylinder with a membrane stretched across each end
From this reading "Drum, beat!
feeling or caused to feel ill at ease or self-conscious or ashamed
From this reading She was slightly embarrassed by the tiny hole near her toe, but she hoped that under the couch no one would notice that.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She was slightly embarrassed by the tiny hole near her toe, but she hoped that under the couch no one would notice that.
an opening into or through something
From this reading She was slightly embarrassed by the tiny hole near her toe, but she hoped that under the couch no one would notice that.
past form of “hope” — expect and wish
From this reading She was slightly embarrassed by the tiny hole near her toe, but she hoped that under the couch no one would notice that.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading She was a venerable old Slipper, very much worn.
an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
From this reading "Music, start!" ordered Vanka.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading She was slightly embarrassed by the tiny hole near her toe, but she hoped that under the couch no one would notice that.
not any; not one
From this reading She was slightly embarrassed by the tiny hole near her toe, but she hoped that under the couch no one would notice that.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Slipper said nothing, but crept silently under the couch.
an announcement containing information about an event
From this reading She was slightly embarrassed by the tiny hole near her toe, but she hoped that under the couch no one would notice that.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading She was a venerable old Slipper, very much worn.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading She was slightly embarrassed by the tiny hole near her toe, but she hoped that under the couch no one would notice that.
having a systematic arrangement; especially having elements succeeding in order according to rule
From this reading "Music, start!" ordered Vanka.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Slipper said nothing, but crept silently under the couch.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was a venerable old Slipper, very much worn.
without speaking
From this reading Slipper said nothing, but crept silently under the couch.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading She was slightly embarrassed by the tiny hole near her toe, but she hoped that under the couch no one would notice that.
low footwear that can be slipped on and off easily; usually worn indoors
From this reading Slipper said nothing, but crept silently under the couch.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading "Music, start!" ordered Vanka.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She was slightly embarrassed by the tiny hole near her toe, but she hoped that under the couch no one would notice that.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Slipper said nothing, but crept silently under the couch.
very small
From this reading She was slightly embarrassed by the tiny hole near her toe, but she hoped that under the couch no one would notice that.
one of the digits of the foot
From this reading She was slightly embarrassed by the tiny hole near her toe, but she hoped that under the couch no one would notice that.
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Slipper said nothing, but crept silently under the couch.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Music, start!" ordered Vanka.
impressive by reason of age
From this reading She was a venerable old Slipper, very much worn.
precisely as stated
From this reading She was a venerable old Slipper, very much worn.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was a venerable old Slipper, very much worn.
Damaged or thinned by continuous use.
From this reading She was a venerable old Slipper, very much worn.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading She was slightly embarrassed by the tiny hole near her toe, but she hoped that under the couch no one would notice that.
Chapter 2 of Verotchka's Tales by D. N. (Dmitrii Narkisovich) Mamin-Siberiak holds 440 sentences, grouped into 88 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.
Chapter 2 holds 440 sentences of Verotchka's Tales, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Verotchka's Tales by D. N. (Dmitrii Narkisovich) Mamin-Siberiak exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 440 sentences, grouped into 88 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 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 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 2 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 Verotchka's Tales by D. N. (Dmitrii Narkisovich) Mamin-Siberiak on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2159 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #35036 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #35036, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 179 minutes of reading across 432 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Verotchka's Tales section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of Verotchka's Tales 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 Verotchka's Tales, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
