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Chapter 2 of Waifs and strays [part 1] is here in full — 212 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Waifs and strays [part 1] is here in full — 212 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Hallo, Pearson,” said Daddy Weaver. “Look like you’ve been breaking a mustang. What’s that you’ve got tied to your saddle—a pig in a poke?” “Oh, come on, Tonia, if you’re going,” said Betty Rogers. “We mustn’t wait any longer.
Chapter 2 of Waifs and strays [part 1] is here in full — 212 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/42 · 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 informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
From this reading ““Hallo, Pearson,” said Daddy Weaver.”
small hardy range horse of the western plains descended from horses brought by the Spanish
From this reading ““Look like you’ve been breaking a mustang.”
domestic swine
From this reading “What’s that you’ve got tied to your saddle—a pig in a poke?””
poke or thrust abruptly
From this reading “What’s that you’ve got tied to your saddle—a pig in a poke?””
United States humorist remembered for his homespun commentary on politics and American society (1879-1935)
From this reading ““Oh, come on, Tonia, if you’re going,” said Betty Rogers.”
put a saddle on
From this reading “What’s that you’ve got tied to your saddle—a pig in a poke?””
bound or secured closely
From this reading “What’s that you’ve got tied to your saddle—a pig in a poke?””
a craftsman who weaves cloth
From this reading ““Hallo, Pearson,” said Daddy Weaver.”
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 “Look like you’ve been breaking a mustang.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading “We mustn’t wait any longer.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “Look like you’ve been breaking a mustang.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Oh, come on, Tonia, if you’re going,” said Betty Rogers.
the act of breaking something
From this reading “Look like you’ve been breaking a mustang.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “Oh, come on, Tonia, if you’re going,” said Betty Rogers.
an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
From this reading “Hallo, Pearson,” said Daddy Weaver.
the act of departing
From this reading “Oh, come on, Tonia, if you’re going,” said Betty Rogers.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading What’s that you’ve got tied to your saddle—a pig in a poke?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Hallo, Pearson,” said Daddy Weaver.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “Oh, come on, Tonia, if you’re going,” said Betty Rogers.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading What’s that you’ve got tied to your saddle—a pig in a poke?”
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading “Look like you’ve been breaking a mustang.
for more time
From this reading “We mustn’t wait any longer.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “Look like you’ve been breaking a mustang.
small hardy range horse of the western plains descended from horses brought by the Spanish
From this reading “Look like you’ve been breaking a mustang.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “We mustn’t wait any longer.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “Oh, come on, Tonia, if you’re going,” said Betty Rogers.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “Oh, come on, Tonia, if you’re going,” said Betty Rogers.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Hallo, Pearson,” said Daddy Weaver.
domestic swine
From this reading What’s that you’ve got tied to your saddle—a pig in a poke?”
poke or thrust abruptly
From this reading What’s that you’ve got tied to your saddle—a pig in a poke?”
United States humorist remembered for his homespun commentary on politics and American society (1879-1935)
From this reading “Oh, come on, Tonia, if you’re going,” said Betty Rogers.
put a saddle on
From this reading What’s that you’ve got tied to your saddle—a pig in a poke?”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Hallo, Pearson,” said Daddy Weaver.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading What’s that you’ve got tied to your saddle—a pig in a poke?”
bound or secured closely
From this reading What’s that you’ve got tied to your saddle—a pig in a poke?”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading What’s that you’ve got tied to your saddle—a pig in a poke?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Oh, come on, Tonia, if you’re going,” said Betty Rogers.
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading “We mustn’t wait any longer.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “We mustn’t wait any longer.
a craftsman who weaves cloth
From this reading “Hallo, Pearson,” said Daddy Weaver.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What’s that you’ve got tied to your saddle—a pig in a poke?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Oh, come on, Tonia, if you’re going,” said Betty Rogers.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Look like you’ve been breaking a mustang.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading What’s that you’ve got tied to your saddle—a pig in a poke?”
Chapter 2 of Waifs and strays [part 1] by O. Henry holds 212 sentences, grouped into 43 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 212 sentences of Waifs and strays [part 1], unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Waifs and strays [part 1] by O. Henry exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 212 sentences, grouped into 43 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 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 43 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 Waifs and strays [part 1] by O. Henry on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1835 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2295 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2295, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 152 minutes of reading across 367 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Waifs and strays [part 1] section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of Waifs and strays [part 1] 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 Waifs and strays [part 1], each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
