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Chapter 5 of Waifs and strays [part 1] is here in full — 214 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Waifs and strays [part 1] is here in full — 214 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
My friends regarded me in sorrow and wonder. I was not the same man. Where once I had furnished them entertainment and jollity, I now preyed upon them. No jests from me ever bid for their smiles now. They were too precious.
Chapter 5 of Waifs and strays [part 1] is here in full — 214 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.
propose a payment
From this reading “No jests from me ever bid for their smiles now.”
an activity that is diverting and that holds the attention
From this reading “Where once I had furnished them entertainment and jollity, I now preyed upon them.”
provided with whatever is necessary for a purpose (as furniture or equipment or authority)
From this reading “Where once I had furnished them entertainment and jollity, I now preyed upon them.”
plural of “jest” — a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading “No jests from me ever bid for their smiles now.”
characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for
From this reading “They were too precious.”
past form of “prey” — profit from in an exploitatory manner
From this reading “Where once I had furnished them entertainment and jollity, I now preyed upon them.”
past form of “regard” — deem to be
From this reading “My friends regarded me in sorrow and wonder.”
plural of “smile” — a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading “No jests from me ever bid for their smiles now.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading My friends regarded me in sorrow and wonder.
propose a payment
From this reading No jests from me ever bid for their smiles now.
an activity that is diverting and that holds the attention
From this reading Where once I had furnished them entertainment and jollity, I now preyed upon them.
at any time
From this reading No jests from me ever bid for their smiles now.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading No jests from me ever bid for their smiles now.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading My friends regarded me in sorrow and wonder.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading No jests from me ever bid for their smiles now.
provided with whatever is necessary for a purpose (as furniture or equipment or authority)
From this reading Where once I had furnished them entertainment and jollity, I now preyed upon them.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Where once I had furnished them entertainment and jollity, I now preyed upon them.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I was not the same man.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading My friends regarded me in sorrow and wonder.
plural of “jest” — a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading No jests from me ever bid for their smiles now.
feeling jolly and jovial and full of good humor
From this reading Where once I had furnished them entertainment and jollity, I now preyed upon them.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading I was not the same man.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading My friends regarded me in sorrow and wonder.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading My friends regarded me in sorrow and wonder.
not any; not one
From this reading No jests from me ever bid for their smiles now.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I was not the same man.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Where once I had furnished them entertainment and jollity, I now preyed upon them.
on one occasion
From this reading Where once I had furnished them entertainment and jollity, I now preyed upon them.
characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for
From this reading They were too precious.
past form of “prey” — profit from in an exploitatory manner
From this reading Where once I had furnished them entertainment and jollity, I now preyed upon them.
past form of “regard” — deem to be
From this reading My friends regarded me in sorrow and wonder.
Identical; not different.
From this reading I was not the same man.
plural of “smile” — a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading No jests from me ever bid for their smiles now.
an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement
From this reading My friends regarded me in sorrow and wonder.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I was not the same man.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading No jests from me ever bid for their smiles now.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Where once I had furnished them entertainment and jollity, I now preyed upon them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were too precious.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading They were too precious.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Where once I had furnished them entertainment and jollity, I now preyed upon them.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was not the same man.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were too precious.
in or at the place that
From this reading Where once I had furnished them entertainment and jollity, I now preyed upon them.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading My friends regarded me in sorrow and wonder.
Chapter 5 of Waifs and strays [part 1] by O. Henry holds 214 sentences, grouped into 43 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.
Chapter 5 holds 214 sentences of Waifs and strays [part 1], unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Waifs and strays [part 1] by O. Henry exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 214 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 5 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, a public-domain edition. 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.
