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Little Metacomet
Little Metacomet

Chapter VI

Cover illustration for Little Metacomet
Context Illustration Reading 1/17 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
HOW THE HERMIT TAMED BIRDS William Blackstone, as we have said, was a keen lover of nature.
It made him happy to have a wild animal begin to follow him; to have the birds come to him for protection and shelter, and for food in the winter.
This feeling grew.
The ospreys used to build their great nests near his house and to repair them by sticks of wood and new sea-weed every year.
If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Little Metacomet

Chapter VI

Reading 1/17 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
HOW THE HERMIT TAMED BIRDS William Blackstone, as we have said, was a keen lover of nature.
Line 2
It made him happy to have a wild animal begin to follow him; to have the birds come to him for protection and shelter, and for food in the winter.
Line 3
This feeling grew.
Line 4
The ospreys used to build their great nests near his house and to repair them by sticks of wood and new sea-weed every year.
Line 5
If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Come noun US /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It made him happy to have a wild animal begin to follow him; to have the birds come to him for protection and shelter, and for food in the winter.”

Every determiner US /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading “The ospreys used to build their great nests near his house and to repair them by sticks of wood and new sea-weed every year.”

Feeling noun US /ˈfeeling/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “This feeling grew.”

Great noun US /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The ospreys used to build their great nests near his house and to repair them by sticks of wood and new sea-weed every year.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “HOW THE HERMIT TAMED BIRDS William Blackstone, as we have said, was a keen lover of nature.”

Help noun US /help/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.”

Over preposition US /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading “If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.”

These determiner US /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading “If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.”

All words in this reading · 75

Every word is available to listen to. 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 HOW THE HERMIT TAMED BIRDS William Blackstone, as we have said, was a keen lover of nature.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It made him happy to have a wild animal begin to follow him; to have the birds come to him for protection and shelter, and for food in the winter.

animal

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

From this reading It made him happy to have a wild animal begin to follow him; to have the birds come to him for protection and shelter, and for food in the winter.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading HOW THE HERMIT TAMED BIRDS William Blackstone, as we have said, was a keen lover of nature.

begin

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

From this reading It made him happy to have a wild animal begin to follow him; to have the birds come to him for protection and shelter, and for food in the winter.

BIRDS

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

From this reading HOW THE HERMIT TAMED BIRDS William Blackstone, as we have said, was a keen lover of nature.

Blackstone

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

From this reading HOW THE HERMIT TAMED BIRDS William Blackstone, as we have said, was a keen lover of nature.

build

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

From this reading The ospreys used to build their great nests near his house and to repair them by sticks of wood and new sea-weed every year.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The ospreys used to build their great nests near his house and to repair them by sticks of wood and new sea-weed every year.

climbed

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

From this reading If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.

comenounUS /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It made him happy to have a wild animal begin to follow him; to have the birds come to him for protection and shelter, and for food in the winter.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading The ospreys used to build their great nests near his house and to repair them by sticks of wood and new sea-weed every year.

feelingnounUS /ˈfeeling/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading This feeling grew.

follow

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

From this reading It made him happy to have a wild animal begin to follow him; to have the birds come to him for protection and shelter, and for food in the winter.

food

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

From this reading It made him happy to have a wild animal begin to follow him; to have the birds come to him for protection and shelter, and for food in the winter.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It made him happy to have a wild animal begin to follow him; to have the birds come to him for protection and shelter, and for food in the winter.

greatnounUS /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The ospreys used to build their great nests near his house and to repair them by sticks of wood and new sea-weed every year.

grew

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

From this reading This feeling grew.

happy

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

From this reading It made him happy to have a wild animal begin to follow him; to have the birds come to him for protection and shelter, and for food in the winter.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading HOW THE HERMIT TAMED BIRDS William Blackstone, as we have said, was a keen lover of nature.

helpnounUS /help/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.

HERMIT

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

From this reading HOW THE HERMIT TAMED BIRDS William Blackstone, as we have said, was a keen lover of nature.

Hill

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

From this reading If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading It made him happy to have a wild animal begin to follow him; to have the birds come to him for protection and shelter, and for food in the winter.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The ospreys used to build their great nests near his house and to repair them by sticks of wood and new sea-weed every year.

house

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

From this reading The ospreys used to build their great nests near his house and to repair them by sticks of wood and new sea-weed every year.

HOW

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

From this reading HOW THE HERMIT TAMED BIRDS William Blackstone, as we have said, was a keen lover of nature.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It made him happy to have a wild animal begin to follow him; to have the birds come to him for protection and shelter, and for food in the winter.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It made him happy to have a wild animal begin to follow him; to have the birds come to him for protection and shelter, and for food in the winter.

keen

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

From this reading HOW THE HERMIT TAMED BIRDS William Blackstone, as we have said, was a keen lover of nature.

lover

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

From this reading HOW THE HERMIT TAMED BIRDS William Blackstone, as we have said, was a keen lover of nature.

made

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

From this reading It made him happy to have a wild animal begin to follow him; to have the birds come to him for protection and shelter, and for food in the winter.

nature

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

From this reading HOW THE HERMIT TAMED BIRDS William Blackstone, as we have said, was a keen lover of nature.

near

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

From this reading The ospreys used to build their great nests near his house and to repair them by sticks of wood and new sea-weed every year.

nests

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

From this reading The ospreys used to build their great nests near his house and to repair them by sticks of wood and new sea-weed every year.

new

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

From this reading The ospreys used to build their great nests near his house and to repair them by sticks of wood and new sea-weed every year.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading HOW THE HERMIT TAMED BIRDS William Blackstone, as we have said, was a keen lover of nature.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.

ospreys

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

From this reading The ospreys used to build their great nests near his house and to repair them by sticks of wood and new sea-weed every year.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.

parent

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

From this reading If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.

protection

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

From this reading It made him happy to have a wild animal begin to follow him; to have the birds come to him for protection and shelter, and for food in the winter.

rearing

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

From this reading If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.

repair

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

From this reading The ospreys used to build their great nests near his house and to repair them by sticks of wood and new sea-weed every year.

said

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

From this reading HOW THE HERMIT TAMED BIRDS William Blackstone, as we have said, was a keen lover of nature.

scream

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

From this reading If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.

sea-weed

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

From this reading The ospreys used to build their great nests near his house and to repair them by sticks of wood and new sea-weed every year.

shelter

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

From this reading It made him happy to have a wild animal begin to follow him; to have the birds come to him for protection and shelter, and for food in the winter.

sticks

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

From this reading The ospreys used to build their great nests near his house and to repair them by sticks of wood and new sea-weed every year.

Study

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

From this reading If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.

TAMED

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

From this reading HOW THE HERMIT TAMED BIRDS William Blackstone, as we have said, was a keen lover of nature.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading HOW THE HERMIT TAMED BIRDS William Blackstone, as we have said, was a keen lover of nature.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The ospreys used to build their great nests near his house and to repair them by sticks of wood and new sea-weed every year.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The ospreys used to build their great nests near his house and to repair them by sticks of wood and new sea-weed every year.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This feeling grew.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It made him happy to have a wild animal begin to follow him; to have the birds come to him for protection and shelter, and for food in the winter.

trees

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

From this reading If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.

used

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

From this reading The ospreys used to build their great nests near his house and to repair them by sticks of wood and new sea-weed every year.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading HOW THE HERMIT TAMED BIRDS William Blackstone, as we have said, was a keen lover of nature.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading HOW THE HERMIT TAMED BIRDS William Blackstone, as we have said, was a keen lover of nature.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.

wheel

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

From this reading If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.

wild

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

From this reading It made him happy to have a wild animal begin to follow him; to have the birds come to him for protection and shelter, and for food in the winter.

William

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

From this reading HOW THE HERMIT TAMED BIRDS William Blackstone, as we have said, was a keen lover of nature.

winter

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

From this reading It made him happy to have a wild animal begin to follow him; to have the birds come to him for protection and shelter, and for food in the winter.

wood

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

From this reading The ospreys used to build their great nests near his house and to repair them by sticks of wood and new sea-weed every year.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.

year

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

From this reading The ospreys used to build their great nests near his house and to repair them by sticks of wood and new sea-weed every year.

young

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

From this reading If an animal climbed one of the trees where these nests were, when the birds were rearing their young, the parent birds would wheel over his house on Study Hill and scream for help.