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Whitefoot the Wood Mouse
Whitefoot the Wood Mouse

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Whitefoot the Wood Mouse is here in full — 28 sentences across 6 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Whitefoot the Wood Mouse
Context Illustration Reading 1/5 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
In all his short life Whitefoot the Wood Mouse never had spent such a happy winter.
Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.
Whitefoot believes in getting the most from the present.
The things which are past are past, and that is all there is to it.
There is no use in thinking about them.
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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.

Whitefoot the Wood Mouse

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Whitefoot the Wood Mouse is here in full — 28 sentences across 6 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
In all his short life Whitefoot the Wood Mouse never had spent such a happy winter.
Line 2
Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.
Line 3
Whitefoot believes in getting the most from the present.
Line 4
The things which are past are past, and that is all there is to it.
/ðə θɪŋz wɪtʃ ɑːr pæst ɑːr pæst ənd ðæt ɪz ɔːl ðer ɪz tuː ɪt/
Line 5
There is no use in thinking about them.
/ðer ɪz noʊ juːs ɪn ˈθɪŋkɪŋ əˈbaʊt ðem/

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.

allow verb US /əˈlaʊ/

make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen

From this reading “Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.”

believes verb US /bɪˈliːvz/

third-person singular of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true

From this reading “Whitefoot believes in getting the most from the present.”

borrow verb US /ˈbɑːroʊ/

get temporarily

From this reading “Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.”

Mouse noun US /maʊs/

any of numerous small rodents typically resembling diminutive rats having pointed snouts and small ears on elongated bodies with slender usually hairless tails

From this reading “In all his short life Whitefoot the Wood Mouse never had spent such a happy winter.”

spoil verb US /spɔɪl/

make a mess of, destroy or ruin

From this reading “Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.”

unpleasant adjective US /ənˈplezənt/

offensive or disagreeable; causing discomfort or unhappiness

From this reading “Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.”

winter noun US /ˈwɪntər/

the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox

From this reading “In all his short life Whitefoot the Wood Mouse never had spent such a happy winter.”

wise adjective US /waɪz/

having or prompted by wisdom or discernment

From this reading “Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.”

All words in this reading · 51

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 In all his short life Whitefoot the Wood Mouse never had spent such a happy winter.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading There is no use in thinking about them.

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 In all his short life Whitefoot the Wood Mouse never had spent such a happy winter.

allowverbUS /əˈlaʊ/

make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen

From this reading Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading The things which are past are past, and that is all there is to it.

believesverbUS /bɪˈliːvz/

third-person singular of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true

From this reading Whitefoot believes in getting the most from the present.

borrowverbUS /ˈbɑːroʊ/

get temporarily

From this reading Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.

futureadjectiveUS /ˈfjuːtʃər/

yet to be or coming

From this reading Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.

gettingnounUS /ˈɡetɪŋ/

the act of acquiring something

From this reading Whitefoot believes in getting the most from the present.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading In all his short life Whitefoot the Wood Mouse never had spent such a happy winter.

happinessnounUS /ˈhæpinəs/

state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy

From this reading Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.

happyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading In all his short life Whitefoot the Wood Mouse never had spent such a happy winter.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading In all his short life Whitefoot the Wood Mouse never had spent such a happy winter.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In all his short life Whitefoot the Wood Mouse never had spent such a happy winter.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The things which are past are past, and that is all there is to it.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading In all his short life Whitefoot the Wood Mouse never had spent such a happy winter.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading Whitefoot believes in getting the most from the present.

MousenounUS /maʊs/

any of numerous small rodents typically resembling diminutive rats having pointed snouts and small ears on elongated bodies with slender usually hairless tails

From this reading In all his short life Whitefoot the Wood Mouse never had spent such a happy winter.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading In all his short life Whitefoot the Wood Mouse never had spent such a happy winter.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading There is no use in thinking about them.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.

pastnounUS /pæst/

the time that has elapsed

From this reading Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.

presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.

shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading In all his short life Whitefoot the Wood Mouse never had spent such a happy winter.

spentadjectiveUS /spent/

depleted of energy, force, or strength

From this reading In all his short life Whitefoot the Wood Mouse never had spent such a happy winter.

spoilverbUS /spɔɪl/

make a mess of, destroy or ruin

From this reading Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading In all his short life Whitefoot the Wood Mouse never had spent such a happy winter.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The things which are past are past, and that is all there is to it.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading In all his short life Whitefoot the Wood Mouse never had spent such a happy winter.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading There is no use in thinking about them.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading The things which are past are past, and that is all there is to it.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.

thinkingnounUS /ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/

the process of using your mind to consider something carefully

From this reading There is no use in thinking about them.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.

troublenounUS /ˈtrʌbəl/

a source of difficulty

From this reading Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.

unpleasantadjectiveUS /ənˈplezənt/

offensive or disagreeable; causing discomfort or unhappiness

From this reading Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.

usenounUS /juːs/

the act of using

From this reading There is no use in thinking about them.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The things which are past are past, and that is all there is to it.

Whitefoot

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

From this reading In all his short life Whitefoot the Wood Mouse never had spent such a happy winter.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.

winternounUS /ˈwɪntər/

the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox

From this reading In all his short life Whitefoot the Wood Mouse never had spent such a happy winter.

wiseadjectiveUS /waɪz/

having or prompted by wisdom or discernment

From this reading Whitefoot is one of those wise little people who never allow unpleasant things of the past to spoil their present happiness, and who never borrow trouble from the future.

WoodnounUS /wʊd/

the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees

From this reading In all his short life Whitefoot the Wood Mouse never had spent such a happy winter.

Chapter 1 of Whitefoot the Wood Mouse by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess holds 28 sentences, grouped into 6 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 1 of Whitefoot the Wood Mouse contain?

Chapter 1 holds 28 sentences of Whitefoot the Wood Mouse, unabridged, divided into 6 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Whitefoot the Wood Mouse by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 28 sentences, grouped into 6 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 1 of Whitefoot the Wood Mouse?

Work through the 6 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 6 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Whitefoot the Wood Mouse

Common questions about reading Whitefoot the Wood Mouse by Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Whitefoot the Wood Mouse?

Yes. All 1434 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4698 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Whitefoot the Wood Mouse is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4698, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Whitefoot the Wood Mouse take to read?

About 119 minutes of reading across 287 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Whitefoot the Wood Mouse section by section

How to work through Whitefoot the Wood Mouse section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 32 chapters of Whitefoot the Wood Mouse 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 Whitefoot the Wood Mouse

Words and structures a reader meets early in Whitefoot the Wood Mouse, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Short
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Whitefoot the Wood Mouse; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Whitefoot
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Whitefoot the Wood Mouse; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mouse
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Whitefoot the Wood Mouse; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Never
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Whitefoot the Wood Mouse; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.