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When Life Was Young: At the Old Farm in Maine
When Life Was Young: At the Old Farm in Maine

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of When Life Was Young: At the Old Farm in Maine is here in full — 352 sentences across 71 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By C. A. (Charles Asbury) Stephens • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for When Life Was Young: At the Old Farm in Maine
Context Illustration Reading 1/70 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
MONDAY AT THE OLD FARM "I shall expect you to work with us on the farm, 'Edmund,'" grandfather said to me after breakfast.
"But you may have this forenoon, to look about and see the place.
Enjoy yourself all you can."
The robins were singing blithely in the orchard.
I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.
0:00 / 0:00
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.

When Life Was Young: At the Old Farm in Maine

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of When Life Was Young: At the Old Farm in Maine is here in full — 352 sentences across 71 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/70 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
MONDAY AT THE OLD FARM "I shall expect you to work with us on the farm, 'Edmund,'" grandfather said to me after breakfast.
Line 2
"But you may have this forenoon, to look about and see the place.
Line 3
Enjoy yourself all you can."
/ˌenˈdʒɔɪ jərˈself ɔːl juː kæn/
Line 4
The robins were singing blithely in the orchard.
/ðə ˈrɑːbənz wɜːr ˈsɪŋɪŋ ˈblaɪθli ɪn ðə ˈɔːrtʃərd/
Line 5
I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.
/aɪ went ˈðɪθɜːr ənd aɪ θɪŋk ɪt wɑːz fɔːr ˈrɑːbənz nests wɪtʃ aɪ faʊnd ɪn æz ˈmeni ˈdɪfərənt ˈæpəl triːz wʌn wɪð θriː tuː wɪð fɔːr ənd wʌn wɪð faɪv bluː eɡz/

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.

apple noun US /ˈæpəl/

fruit with red or yellow or green skin and sweet to tart crisp whitish flesh

From this reading “I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
blithely adverb US /ˈblaɪθli/

in a joyous manner

From this reading “The robins were singing blithely in the orchard.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eggs noun US /eɡz/

oval reproductive body of a fowl (especially a hen) used as food

From this reading “I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
monday noun US /ˈmʌndi/

the second day of the week; the first working day

From this reading “MONDAY AT THE OLD FARM "I shall expect you to work with us on the farm, 'Edmund,'" grandfather said to me after breakfast.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nests noun US /nests/

plural of “nest” — a structure in which animals lay eggs or give birth to their young

From this reading “I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
orchard noun US /ˈɔːrtʃərd/

garden consisting of a small cultivated wood without undergrowth

From this reading “The robins were singing blithely in the orchard.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
robins noun US /ˈrɑːbənz/

plural of “robin” — small Old World songbird with a reddish breast

From this reading “The robins were singing blithely in the orchard.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thither adverb US /ˈðɪθɜːr/

an old word meaning “to that place”

From this reading “I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

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.

apple trees noun + noun counted as “apple tree”

any tree of the genus Malus especially those bearing firm rounded edible fruits

In this reading “I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.”

2,278 times in 426,211 chapters
went thither verb + particle counted as “go thither”

In this reading “I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.”

1,766 times in 426,211 chapters
in the orchard preposition + article + noun counted as “in … orchard”

In this reading “The robins were singing blithely in the orchard.”

1,738 times in 426,211 chapters
look about verb + particle

In this reading “"But you may have this forenoon, to look about and see the place.”

18,809 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 60

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.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading "But you may have this forenoon, to look about and see the place.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading MONDAY AT THE OLD FARM "I shall expect you to work with us on the farm, 'Edmund,'" grandfather said to me after breakfast.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Enjoy yourself all you can."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "But you may have this forenoon, to look about and see the place.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
applenounUS /ˈæpəl/

fruit with red or yellow or green skin and sweet to tart crisp whitish flesh

From this reading I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ATprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading MONDAY AT THE OLD FARM "I shall expect you to work with us on the farm, 'Edmund,'" grandfather said to me after breakfast.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
blithelyadverbUS /ˈblaɪθli/

in a joyous manner

From this reading The robins were singing blithely in the orchard.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
blueadjectiveUS /bluː/

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
breakfastverbUS /ˈbrekfəst/

eat an early morning meal

From this reading MONDAY AT THE OLD FARM "I shall expect you to work with us on the farm, 'Edmund,'" grandfather said to me after breakfast.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "But you may have this forenoon, to look about and see the place.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading Enjoy yourself all you can."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
differentadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfərənt/

unlike in nature or quality or form or degree

From this reading I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Edmund

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

From this reading MONDAY AT THE OLD FARM "I shall expect you to work with us on the farm, 'Edmund,'" grandfather said to me after breakfast.

Pending verification
eggsnounUS /eɡz/

oval reproductive body of a fowl (especially a hen) used as food

From this reading I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EnjoyverbUS /ˌenˈdʒɔɪ/

derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in

From this reading Enjoy yourself all you can."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
expectverbUS /ɪkˈspekt/

regard something as probable or likely

From this reading MONDAY AT THE OLD FARM "I shall expect you to work with us on the farm, 'Edmund,'" grandfather said to me after breakfast.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FARMverbUS /fɑːrm/

be a farmer; work as a farmer

From this reading MONDAY AT THE OLD FARM "I shall expect you to work with us on the farm, 'Edmund,'" grandfather said to me after breakfast.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fivenounUS /faɪv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forenoonnoun

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading "But you may have this forenoon, to look about and see the place.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
grandfathernounUS /ˈɡrændfɑːðər/

the father of your father or mother

From this reading MONDAY AT THE OLD FARM "I shall expect you to work with us on the farm, 'Edmund,'" grandfather said to me after breakfast.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "But you may have this forenoon, to look about and see the place.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading MONDAY AT THE OLD FARM "I shall expect you to work with us on the farm, 'Edmund,'" grandfather said to me after breakfast.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The robins were singing blithely in the orchard.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading "But you may have this forenoon, to look about and see the place.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading "But you may have this forenoon, to look about and see the place.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading MONDAY AT THE OLD FARM "I shall expect you to work with us on the farm, 'Edmund,'" grandfather said to me after breakfast.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
MONDAYnounUS /ˈmʌndi/

the second day of the week; the first working day

From this reading MONDAY AT THE OLD FARM "I shall expect you to work with us on the farm, 'Edmund,'" grandfather said to me after breakfast.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nestsnounUS /nests/

plural of “nest” — a structure in which animals lay eggs or give birth to their young

From this reading I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OLDadjectiveUS /oʊld/

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

From this reading MONDAY AT THE OLD FARM "I shall expect you to work with us on the farm, 'Edmund,'" grandfather said to me after breakfast.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading MONDAY AT THE OLD FARM "I shall expect you to work with us on the farm, 'Edmund,'" grandfather said to me after breakfast.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
orchardnounUS /ˈɔːrtʃərd/

garden consisting of a small cultivated wood without undergrowth

From this reading The robins were singing blithely in the orchard.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading "But you may have this forenoon, to look about and see the place.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
robinsnounUS /ˈrɑːbənz/

plural of “robin” — small Old World songbird with a reddish breast

From this reading The robins were singing blithely in the orchard.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading MONDAY AT THE OLD FARM "I shall expect you to work with us on the farm, 'Edmund,'" grandfather said to me after breakfast.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading "But you may have this forenoon, to look about and see the place.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading MONDAY AT THE OLD FARM "I shall expect you to work with us on the farm, 'Edmund,'" grandfather said to me after breakfast.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
singingnounUS /ˈsɪŋɪŋ/

the act of singing vocal music

From this reading The robins were singing blithely in the orchard.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading MONDAY AT THE OLD FARM "I shall expect you to work with us on the farm, 'Edmund,'" grandfather said to me after breakfast.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading "But you may have this forenoon, to look about and see the place.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thitheradverbUS /ˈðɪθɜːr/

an old word meaning “to that place”

From this reading I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading MONDAY AT THE OLD FARM "I shall expect you to work with us on the farm, 'Edmund,'" grandfather said to me after breakfast.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
treesnounUS /triːz/

plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading MONDAY AT THE OLD FARM "I shall expect you to work with us on the farm, 'Edmund,'" grandfather said to me after breakfast.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The robins were singing blithely in the orchard.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading I went thither and I think it was four robins' nests which I found in as many different apple trees, one with three, two with four and one with five blue eggs.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading MONDAY AT THE OLD FARM "I shall expect you to work with us on the farm, 'Edmund,'" grandfather said to me after breakfast.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading MONDAY AT THE OLD FARM "I shall expect you to work with us on the farm, 'Edmund,'" grandfather said to me after breakfast.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading MONDAY AT THE OLD FARM "I shall expect you to work with us on the farm, 'Edmund,'" grandfather said to me after breakfast.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
yourselfpronounUS /jərˈself/

used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action

From this reading Enjoy yourself all you can."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 4 of When Life Was Young: At the Old Farm in Maine by C. A. (Charles Asbury) Stephens holds 352 sentences, grouped into 71 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 4 of When Life Was Young: At the Old Farm in Maine contain?

Chapter 4 holds 352 sentences of When Life Was Young: At the Old Farm in Maine, unabridged, divided into 71 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of When Life Was Young: At the Old Farm in Maine by C. A. (Charles Asbury) Stephens exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 352 sentences, grouped into 71 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 4 of When Life Was Young: At the Old Farm in Maine?

Work through the 71 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 71 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Life Was Young: At the Old Farm in Maine

Common questions about reading When Life Was Young: At the Old Farm in Maine by C. A. (Charles Asbury) Stephens on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of When Life Was Young: At the Old Farm in Maine?

Yes. All 7104 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26994 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of When Life Was Young: At the Old Farm in Maine is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #26994, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 592 minutes of reading across 1421 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in When Life Was Young: At the Old Farm in Maine

Words and structures a reader meets early in When Life Was Young: At the Old Farm in Maine, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Maine
A word that appears in the opening chapter of When Life Was Young: At the Old Farm in Maine; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
State
A word that appears in the opening chapter of When Life Was Young: At the Old Farm in Maine; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Dearer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of When Life Was Young: At the Old Farm in Maine; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Heart
A word that appears in the opening chapter of When Life Was Young: At the Old Farm in Maine; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.