The Thief Lord: Chapters 32-43

by Cornelia Funke
Translated from German by Oliver Latsch, this story follows two brothers who run away to Venice and get mixed up in a plot to steal a piece of a magical merry-go-round.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1-11, Chapters 12-21, Chapters 22-31, Chapters 32-43, Chapters 44-53
40 words 28 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. capsize
    overturn accidentally
    But Riccio clung miserably to the side, terrified that the boat might capsize if he only so much as looked at the black water beneath him.
  2. frail
    physically weak
    He didn’t look as frail as Prosper had imagined him from their encounter in the confessional.
  3. presume
    take to be the case or to be true
    “I presume you are just as cold as we are, so let us complete this transaction as quickly as possible.”
  4. din
    a loud, harsh, or strident noise
    "He's turned off the red lantern," Mosca shouted above the din of the engine, "but I can still see the boat."
  5. unintelligible
    not clearly understood or expressed
    Giaco grumbled something unintelligible.
  6. diabolical
    extremely evil or cruel
    Bo would kick up a diabolical fuss if he found out that the others were meeting the Conte, and that Hornet had lulled him to sleep with hot milk and a book so they could sneak away.
  7. lull
    make calm or still
    Bo would kick up a diabolical fuss if he found out that the others were meeting the Conte, and that Hornet had lulled him to sleep with hot milk and a book so they could sneak away.
  8. bleak
    offering little or no hope
    Scipio, however, just stared with a bleak expression at the foaming path left behind by the boat.
  9. avert
    turn away or aside
    The Thief Lord sat there, his face averted, staring up at the dark houses.
  10. rummage
    search haphazardly
    Without another word, Prosper stuffed Hornet's note into his pocket and started rummaging like mad through the pillows.
  11. hysterical
    characterized by a state of violent mental agitation
    “Our maid called me away from my reception, completely hysterical, Scipio!” Dottor Massimo called down at him.
  12. dependable
    worthy of being relied on
    He wasn't as big as him, as interesting, as disciplined, controlled, dependable, or reasonable. He wasn't like him at all.
  13. relentless
    never-ceasing
    When he vanished into a house, Victor had to stand around outside until dawn, the snow falling on him relentlessly. Victor felt as if he were made of ice from the knees downward, nothing but solid ice.
  14. meek
    humble in spirit or manner
    “How could we have known that the Conte lived on that island of all places?'' Mosca murmured meekly.
  15. forgery
    a copy that is represented as the original
    “It's all counterfeit," he asserted. “And it's not even a good forgery. Looks like someone made them with a color-copier. I'm sorry."
  16. counterfeit
    not genuine; imitating something superior
    “All for nothing," Riccio muttered. “The break-in, the trip across the lagoon. We nearly got shot, and for what? A pile of counterfeit money. Darn it!”
  17. wry
    humorously sarcastic or mocking
    “But what makes you think it's going to be that easy?'' Ida put the kitten on the floor and gave him a wry smile.
  18. astounding
    bewildering or striking dumb with wonder
    Victor followed Ida to a small room on the ground floor that contained nothing but two enormous walk-in wardrobes. While he chose a suit, he thought to himself: Quite astounding that she should also have a collection of false beards.
  19. tiff
    a petty quarrel
    “She's run away three times already because of their little tiffs," Ida explained to the nun, who was looking at Hornet with deep sympathy.
  20. promenade
    a public area set aside as a pedestrian walk
    He was standing on the promenade as if frozen solid, oblivious to the crowds passing him by.
  21. porter
    someone who guards an entrance
    “They're in there now," Prosper said, pointing up at the brightly lit windows. “I even went and asked the porter which room Esther is in, but he just told me the Hartliebs won't see anybody.”
  22. skulk
    lie in wait or behave in a sneaky and secretive manner
    What do you think the porter will do when he finds you skulking around here in the middle of the night?
  23. imploringly
    in a pleading manner
    “That’s fine then! But could you tell her that yourself?” Riccio held out his hands imploringly.
  24. boisterous
    marked by exuberance and high spirits
    The two of them were so happy and boisterous that they didn't even seem to mind anymore that the Conte had duped them.
  25. dupe
    fool or hoax
    The two of them were so happy and boisterous that they didn't even seem to mind anymore that the Conte had duped them.
  26. moor
    secure in or as if in a berth or dock
    As he unlatched it, Prosper heard the canal water slosh against the base of the wall. Ida's boat swayed, tightly moored between two painted wooden posts.
  27. sentinel
    a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
    He had looked up and there they were, standing like sentinels among the stars on their pillars.
  28. bulky
    of large size for its weight
    He thought of his bulky uncle and how he had walked next to Bo, his hand possessively on his brother's thin shoulder.
  29. thicket
    a dense growth of bushes
    In some places the wall rose straight out of the water and in others it stood behind a thicket of reeds.
  30. dinghy
    a small boat of shallow draft
    From a hatch by the steering wheel Scipio pulled out a dinghy and two oars. Prosper was amazed that a bit of rubber could be so heavy as he helped Scipio to heave it overboard.
  31. prowl
    move about in or as if in a predatory manner
    He sounded as if there was absolutely nothing remarkable about the fact that they were prowling around in someone else’s garden in the middle of the night.
  32. decrepit
    worn and broken down by hard use
    “Better do what she says, Scip!” he urged as they walked toward the stables, which looked just as decrepit as the main house.
  33. stench
    a distinctive odor that is offensively unpleasant
    “Please enter, gentlemen!’’ she said, opening the stable doors. It was pitch black inside and they were greeted by a stench that made Scipio’s face screw up in disgust.
  34. rasp
    speak in a harsh, grating voice
    “What are you doing in there?” he called out with a rasping voice when the spotlight stopped on Victor.
  35. conjure
    summon into action or bring into existence
    She looked at Victor expectantly, as if he could conjure up Prosper like he'd magicked Bo out of nowhere.
  36. indignantly
    in a manner showing anger at something unjust or wrong
    “Couldn't you have kept an eye on him? You all saw what a mess he was in."
    “What?" Mosca cried indignantly. “So we should have tied Prosper to his bed, should we?"
  37. musty
    stale and unclean smelling
    They felt the cold, musty air wafting toward them as the girl opened the door.
  38. gape
    be wide open
    A fire was burning in a hearth shaped like the gaping mouth of a lion.
  39. rendezvous
    a meeting planned at a certain time and place
    “Are you wondering how I know all this? Have you forgotten our meeting in the confessional? Or our nighttime rendezvous in the Sacca della Misericordia?”
  40. pensive
    deeply or seriously thoughtful
    “Sorry!" he muttered, staring at the broken thing as if he had just done something truly terrible. Renzo bent down and threw the pieces into the fire. Then he looked pensively at Scipio.
Created on Tue Oct 10 22:32:42 EDT 2017 (updated Tue Oct 24 11:33:38 EDT 2017)

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