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Violets and Other Tales
Violets and Other Tales

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Violets and Other Tales is here in full — 523 sentences across 105 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/104 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
One day he folded me tightly in his arms, and said:
"Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"
"It is already yours," I answered.
I'll draw the veil over the scene which followed; you know, you've "been there."
Then began some of the happiest hours that ever the jolly old sun beamed upon, or the love-sick moon clothed in her rays of silver.
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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.

Violets and Other Tales

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Violets and Other Tales is here in full — 523 sentences across 105 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/104 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
One day he folded me tightly in his arms, and said:
/wʌn deɪ hiː ˈfoʊldəd miː ˈtaɪtli ɪn hɪz ɑːrmz ənd sed/
Line 2
"Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"
Line 3
"It is already yours," I answered.
/ɪt ɪz ɔːlˈredi jʊrz aɪ ˈænsərd/
Line 4
I'll draw the veil over the scene which followed; you know, you've "been there."
Line 5
Then began some of the happiest hours that ever the jolly old sun beamed upon, or the love-sick moon clothed in her rays of silver.

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.

beamed verb US /biːmd/

past form of “beam” — smile radiantly; express joy through one's facial expression

From this reading “Then began some of the happiest hours that ever the jolly old sun beamed upon, or the love-sick moon clothed in her rays of silver.”

clothed adjective US /kloʊðd/

wearing or provided with clothing; sometimes used in combination

From this reading “Then began some of the happiest hours that ever the jolly old sun beamed upon, or the love-sick moon clothed in her rays of silver.”

happiest adjective US /ˈhæpiəst/

superlative of “happy” — enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading “Then began some of the happiest hours that ever the jolly old sun beamed upon, or the love-sick moon clothed in her rays of silver.”

jolly adjective US /ˈdʒɑːli/

full of or showing high-spirited merriment

From this reading “Then began some of the happiest hours that ever the jolly old sun beamed upon, or the love-sick moon clothed in her rays of silver.”

priceless adjective US /ˈpraɪsləs/

having incalculable monetary, intellectual, or spiritual worth

From this reading “"Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"”

rays noun US /reɪz/

plural of “ray” — a column of light (as from a beacon)

From this reading “Then began some of the happiest hours that ever the jolly old sun beamed upon, or the love-sick moon clothed in her rays of silver.”

tightly adverb US /ˈtaɪtli/

in a tight or constricted manner

From this reading “One day he folded me tightly in his arms, and said:”

wrecked adjective US /rekt/

destroyed in an accident

From this reading “"Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"”

All words in this reading · 71

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 "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading One day he folded me tightly in his arms, and said:

another's

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

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading "It is already yours," I answered.

armsnounUS /ɑːrmz/

weapons considered collectively

From this reading One day he folded me tightly in his arms, and said:

askverbUS /æsk/

make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

beamedverbUS /biːmd/

past form of “beam” — smile radiantly; express joy through one's facial expression

From this reading Then began some of the happiest hours that ever the jolly old sun beamed upon, or the love-sick moon clothed in her rays of silver.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading Then began some of the happiest hours that ever the jolly old sun beamed upon, or the love-sick moon clothed in her rays of silver.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

clothedadjectiveUS /kloʊðd/

wearing or provided with clothing; sometimes used in combination

From this reading Then began some of the happiest hours that ever the jolly old sun beamed upon, or the love-sick moon clothed in her rays of silver.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading One day he folded me tightly in his arms, and said:

drawverbUS /drɔː/

cause to move by pulling

From this reading I'll draw the veil over the scene which followed; you know, you've "been there."

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading Then began some of the happiest hours that ever the jolly old sun beamed upon, or the love-sick moon clothed in her rays of silver.

exchangenounUS /ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒ/

chemical process in which one atom or ion or group changes places with another

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

feetnounUS /fiːt/

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

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

foldedverbUS /ˈfoʊldəd/

past form of “fold” — bend or lay so that one part covers the other

From this reading One day he folded me tightly in his arms, and said:

followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading I'll draw the veil over the scene which followed; you know, you've "been there."

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

happiestadjectiveUS /ˈhæpiəst/

superlative of “happy” — enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading Then began some of the happiest hours that ever the jolly old sun beamed upon, or the love-sick moon clothed in her rays of silver.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading One day he folded me tightly in his arms, and said:

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Then began some of the happiest hours that ever the jolly old sun beamed upon, or the love-sick moon clothed in her rays of silver.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading One day he folded me tightly in his arms, and said:

hoursnounUS /ˈaʊərz/

a period of time assigned for work

From this reading Then began some of the happiest hours that ever the jolly old sun beamed upon, or the love-sick moon clothed in her rays of silver.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

I'll

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

From this reading I'll draw the veil over the scene which followed; you know, you've "been there."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading One day he folded me tightly in his arms, and said:

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "It is already yours," I answered.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

jollyadjectiveUS /ˈdʒɑːli/

full of or showing high-spirited merriment

From this reading Then began some of the happiest hours that ever the jolly old sun beamed upon, or the love-sick moon clothed in her rays of silver.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

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

From this reading I'll draw the veil over the scene which followed; you know, you've "been there."

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

LittleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

love-sick

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

From this reading Then began some of the happiest hours that ever the jolly old sun beamed upon, or the love-sick moon clothed in her rays of silver.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading One day he folded me tightly in his arms, and said:

moonnounUS /muːn/

the natural satellite of the Earth

From this reading Then began some of the happiest hours that ever the jolly old sun beamed upon, or the love-sick moon clothed in her rays of silver.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Then began some of the happiest hours that ever the jolly old sun beamed upon, or the love-sick moon clothed in her rays of silver.

OnepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading One day he folded me tightly in his arms, and said:

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Then began some of the happiest hours that ever the jolly old sun beamed upon, or the love-sick moon clothed in her rays of silver.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading I'll draw the veil over the scene which followed; you know, you've "been there."

pricelessadjectiveUS /ˈpraɪsləs/

having incalculable monetary, intellectual, or spiritual worth

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

raysnounUS /reɪz/

plural of “ray” — a column of light (as from a beacon)

From this reading Then began some of the happiest hours that ever the jolly old sun beamed upon, or the love-sick moon clothed in her rays of silver.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading One day he folded me tightly in his arms, and said:

scenenounUS /siːn/

the place where some action occurs

From this reading I'll draw the veil over the scene which followed; you know, you've "been there."

silvernounUS /ˈsɪlvər/

a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography

From this reading Then began some of the happiest hours that ever the jolly old sun beamed upon, or the love-sick moon clothed in her rays of silver.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading Then began some of the happiest hours that ever the jolly old sun beamed upon, or the love-sick moon clothed in her rays of silver.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading Then began some of the happiest hours that ever the jolly old sun beamed upon, or the love-sick moon clothed in her rays of silver.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading I'll draw the veil over the scene which followed; you know, you've "been there."

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then began some of the happiest hours that ever the jolly old sun beamed upon, or the love-sick moon clothed in her rays of silver.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading I'll draw the veil over the scene which followed; you know, you've "been there."

tightlyadverbUS /ˈtaɪtli/

in a tight or constricted manner

From this reading One day he folded me tightly in his arms, and said:

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Then began some of the happiest hours that ever the jolly old sun beamed upon, or the love-sick moon clothed in her rays of silver.

veilnounUS /veɪl/

a garment that covers the head and face

From this reading I'll draw the veil over the scene which followed; you know, you've "been there."

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading I'll draw the veil over the scene which followed; you know, you've "been there."

wreckedadjectiveUS /rekt/

destroyed in an accident

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

you've

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

From this reading I'll draw the veil over the scene which followed; you know, you've "been there."

yourspronounUS /jʊrz/

the one or ones belonging to the person spoken to

From this reading "Little girl, I have nothing to give you in exchange for that priceless love of yours but a heart that has already been at another's feet, and a wrecked life, but may I ask for it?"

Chapter 2 of Violets and Other Tales by Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson holds 523 sentences, grouped into 105 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 2 of Violets and Other Tales contain?

Chapter 2 holds 523 sentences of Violets and Other Tales, unabridged, divided into 105 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Violets and Other Tales by Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 523 sentences, grouped into 105 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 2 of Violets and Other Tales?

Work through the 105 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 105 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 2 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Violets and Other Tales

Common questions about reading Violets and Other Tales by Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Violets and Other Tales?

Yes. All 1055 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18713 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Violets and Other Tales is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #18713, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Violets and Other Tales take to read?

About 87 minutes of reading across 211 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Violets and Other Tales section by section

How to work through Violets and Other Tales section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 2 chapters of Violets and Other Tales 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 Violets and Other Tales

Words and structures a reader meets early in Violets and Other Tales, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Introduction
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Violets and Other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
World
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Violets and Other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fairly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Violets and Other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Teeming
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Violets and Other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.