When 'Bear Cat' Went Dry

Chapter XXV

Chapter 25 of When 'Bear Cat' Went Dry is here in full — 183 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Charles Neville Buck • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for When 'Bear Cat' Went Dry

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.

It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes.

Although she could see no one, she had the distinct sense of eyes gazing at her from somewhere beyond the narrow circle of light and as she stirred uneasily, she heard a voice that seemed to come from behind the sandstone at her right.

"She's done come ter herself.

Now we've need ter hasten."

Narrator

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.

Chapter XXV Reading 1/36

When 'Bear Cat' Went Dry Charles Neville Buck

Chapter XXV

Chapter 25 of When 'Bear Cat' Went Dry is here in full — 183 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside. It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes. Although she could see no one, she had the distinct sense of eyes gazing at her from somewhere beyond the narrow circle of light and as she stirred uneasily, she heard a voice that seemed to come from behind the sandstone at her right. "She's done come ter herself. Now we've need ter hasten."

When 'Bear Cat' Went Dry

Chapter XXV

Chapter 25 of When 'Bear Cat' Went Dry is here in full — 183 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/36 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.

/wen ðə ˈkɜːrtən ʌv ˌʌnˈkɑːnʃəsnɪs roʊld ʌp əˈɡen ˈblɑːsəm wɑːz noʊ ˈlɔːŋɡər ɪn ðə keɪv bʌt wɑːz ˈlaɪɪŋ ɑːn ðə ɡraʊnd bɪˈtwiːn ðə rɑːks ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/

Line 2

It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes.

/ɪt wɑːz dɑːrk naʊ bʌt ə ˈlæntərn wɑːz ˈlaɪtəd nɪr æt hænd ənd hɜːr rɪsts ənd ˈæŋkəlz eɪkt wɪð ðə baɪt ʌv ˈnɑːtɪd roʊps/

Line 3

/ˌɔːlˈðoʊ ʃiː kʊd siː noʊ wʌn ʃiː hæd ðə dɪˈstɪŋkt sens ʌv aɪz ˈɡeɪzɪŋ æt hɜːr frʌm ˈsʌmwer bɪˈɑːnd ðə ˈneroʊ ˈsɜːrkəl ʌv laɪt ənd æz ʃiː stɜːrd əˈniːzəli ʃiː hɜːrd ə vɔɪs ðæt siːmd tuː kʌm frʌm bɪˈhaɪnd ðə ˈsændstoʊn æt hɜːr raɪt/

Line 4

"She's done come ter herself.

Line 5

Now we've need ter hasten."

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.

ached verb US /eɪkt/

past form of “ache” — feel physical pain

From this reading “It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes.”

ankles noun US /ˈæŋkəlz/

plural of “ankle” — a gliding joint between the distal ends of the tibia and fibula and the proximal end of the talus

From this reading “It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes.”

hasten verb US /ˈheɪsən/

act or move at high speed

From this reading “Now we've need ter hasten."”

knotted adjective US /ˈnɑːtɪd/

tied with a knot

From this reading “It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes.”

sandstone noun US /ˈsændstoʊn/

a sedimentary rock consisting of sand consolidated with some cement (clay or quartz etc.)

From this reading “Although she could see no one, she had the distinct sense of eyes gazing at her from somewhere beyond the narrow circle of light and as she stirred uneasily, she heard a voice that seemed to come from behind the sandstone at her right.”

unconsciousness noun US /ˌʌnˈkɑːnʃəsnɪs/

a state lacking normal awareness of the self or environment

From this reading “When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.”

uneasily adverb US /əˈniːzəli/

with anxiety or apprehension

wrists noun US /rɪsts/

plural of “wrist” — a joint between the distal end of the radius and the proximal row of carpal bones

From this reading “It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

narrow circle verb + noun

In this reading “Although she could see no one, she had the distinct sense of eyes gazing at her from somewhere beyond the narrow circle of light and as she stirred uneasily, she heard a voice that seemed to come from behind the sandstone at her right.”

on the ground preposition + article + noun counted as “on … ground”

In this reading “When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.”

from somewhere preposition + adverb

come from verb + particle

in the cave preposition + article + noun counted as “in … cave”

In this reading “When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.”

at hand preposition + noun

close in space; within reach

In this reading “It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes.”

All words in this reading · 74

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 It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes.

achedverbUS /eɪkt/

past form of “ache” — feel physical pain

From this reading It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.

AlthoughconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Although she could see no one, she had the distinct sense of eyes gazing at her from somewhere beyond the narrow circle of light and as she stirred uneasily, she heard a voice that seemed to come from behind the sandstone at her right.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes.

anklesnounUS /ˈæŋkəlz/

plural of “ankle” — a gliding joint between the distal ends of the tibia and fibula and the proximal end of the talus

From this reading It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes.

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.

beyondprepositionUS /bɪˈɑːnd/

on the far side of; further than

biteverbUS /baɪt/

to grip, cut off, or tear with or as if with the teeth or jaws

From this reading It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes.

BlossomverbUS /ˈblɑːsəm/

produce or yield flowers

From this reading When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.

cavenounUS /keɪv/

a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea

From this reading When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.

circlenounUS /ˈsɜːrkəl/

ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

curtainnounUS /ˈkɜːrtən/

hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)

From this reading When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes.

distinctadjectiveUS /dɪˈstɪŋkt/

(often followed by “from”) not alike; different in nature or quality

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading "She's done come ter herself.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

gazingverbUS /ˈɡeɪzɪŋ/

-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes

groundnounUS /ɡraʊnd/

the solid part of the earth's surface

From this reading When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes.

hastenverbUS /ˈheɪsən/

act or move at high speed

From this reading Now we've need ter hasten."

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes.

herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading "She's done come ter herself.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes.

knottedadjectiveUS /ˈnɑːtɪd/

tied with a knot

From this reading It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes.

lanternnounUS /ˈlæntərn/

light in a transparent protective case

From this reading It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes.

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

lightedadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪtəd/

set afire or burning

From this reading It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes.

longeradverbUS /ˈlɔːŋɡər/

for more time

From this reading When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.

lyingnounUS /ˈlaɪɪŋ/

the deliberate act of deviating from the truth

From this reading When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.

narrowverbUS /ˈneroʊ/

make or become more narrow or restricted

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes.

neednounUS /niːd/

a condition requiring relief

From this reading Now we've need ter hasten."

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

outsideadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit

From this reading When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

rocksnounUS /rɑːks/

plural of “rock” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.

rolledadjectiveUS /roʊld/

especially of petals or leaves in bud; having margins rolled inward

From this reading When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.

ropesnounUS /roʊps/

plural of “rope” — a strong line

From this reading It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes.

sandstonenounUS /ˈsændstoʊn/

a sedimentary rock consisting of sand consolidated with some cement (clay or quartz etc.)

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

sensenounUS /sens/

a general conscious awareness

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

She's

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

From this reading "She's done come ter herself.

somewhereadverbUS /ˈsʌmwer/

in or at or to some place

stirredadjectiveUS /stɜːrd/

being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion

ter

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

From this reading "She's done come ter herself.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

unconsciousnessnounUS /ˌʌnˈkɑːnʃəsnɪs/

a state lacking normal awareness of the self or environment

From this reading When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.

uneasilyadverbUS /əˈniːzəli/

with anxiety or apprehension

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.

we've

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

From this reading Now we've need ter hasten."

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When the curtain of unconsciousness rolled up again Blossom was no longer in the cave, but was lying on the ground between the rocks outside.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes.

wristsnounUS /rɪsts/

plural of “wrist” — a joint between the distal end of the radius and the proximal row of carpal bones

From this reading It was dark now, but a lantern was lighted near at hand, and her wrists and ankles ached with the bite of knotted ropes.

Chapter 25 of When 'Bear Cat' Went Dry by Charles Neville Buck holds 183 sentences, grouped into 37 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 25 of When 'Bear Cat' Went Dry contain?

Chapter 25 holds 183 sentences of When 'Bear Cat' Went Dry, unabridged, divided into 37 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 25 of When 'Bear Cat' Went Dry by Charles Neville Buck exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 183 sentences, grouped into 37 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 25 of When 'Bear Cat' Went Dry?

Work through the 37 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 37 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 25 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 25 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 When 'Bear Cat' Went Dry

Common questions about reading When 'Bear Cat' Went Dry by Charles Neville Buck on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of When 'Bear Cat' Went Dry?

Yes. All 5339 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34057 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #34057, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does When 'Bear Cat' Went Dry take to read?

About 444 minutes of reading across 1068 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in When 'Bear Cat' Went Dry

Words and structures a reader meets early in When 'Bear Cat' Went Dry, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Creaking: A word that appears in the opening chapter of When 'Bear Cat' Went Dry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Complaint: A word that appears in the opening chapter of When 'Bear Cat' Went Dry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Loose: A word that appears in the opening chapter of When 'Bear Cat' Went Dry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Rattling: A word that appears in the opening chapter of When 'Bear Cat' Went Dry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XXV

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Vocabulary met early in When 'Bear Cat' Went Dry