The Cricket in Times Square: Chapters 11–15

by George Selden
Chester Cricket makes an unexpected journey from the fields of Connecticut to bustling New York City, where he meets several new friends but misses his rural home.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–10, Chapters 11–15
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. douse
    wet thoroughly
    He dragged what papers he could out of the newsstand and got a bucket of water to douse the rest.
  2. shuttle
    public transport plying back and forth between two points
    Paul had told the engineer that he would miss a few trips on the shuttle and was waiting for the Bellinis.
  3. asthma
    respiratory disorder characterized by wheezing
    Papa was trying to soothe Mama, who was wheezing heavily from asthma and excitement.
  4. scorch
    burn slightly and superficially so as to affect color
    When she saw the heaps of scorched magazines and newspapers, she began to moan and shake her head.
  5. grief
    intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one
    He saw that Chester was in his cage, though, and decided that it would be best to keep quiet until Mama’s outburst of grief had subsided.
  6. despair
    a state in which all hope is lost or absent
    “So—!” said Mama Bellini, all her despair changing into anger.
  7. reproach
    a mild rebuke or criticism
    He would open his mouth to defend Chester, but before he could say a thing, the words were drowned in Mama’s flood of reproaches.
  8. arson
    malicious burning to destroy property
    He eats money—he commits arson!
  9. salvage
    save from ruin, destruction, or harm
    They carted away all the hopelessly burned magazines and tried to salvage some that had only been scorched.
  10. commuter
    someone who travels regularly to and from work
    By the time they were finished, it was almost the hour for the first wave of commuters.
  11. wail
    emit long loud cries
    “Oh, Chester,” wailed Tucker Mouse, “don’t say that! You’ll make me feel like a rat. And I’m only a mouse.”
  12. melancholy
    characterized by or causing or expressing sadness
    It was so melancholy, and yet so sweet, that it fitted his mood exactly.
  13. disgrace
    a state of dishonor
    He was in such disgrace anyway, what difference could it make?
  14. dwindle
    become smaller or lose substance
    When she was loud, he was too—and then softer when she got choked up with emotion and her voice dwindled.
  15. warble
    sing or play with trills
    But now here she was crying and warbling like an Italian nightingale!
  16. consideration
    the process of giving careful thought to something
    “I have been giving the new situation my serious consideration,” said Tucker Mouse solemnly.
  17. rodent
    a mammal having two pairs of ever-growing front teeth for gnawing
    “Now wait, please, Harry, please, just listen a minute before you begin calling me a greedy rodent,” said Tucker.
  18. limber
    cause to become supple
    When breakfast was over, he had a good stretch and limbered his wings.
  19. magnificent
    characterized by grandeur
    Naturally, he couldn’t play it just as it was written without a whole orchestra to back him up, but he was magnificent, all things considered.
  20. remarkable
    unusual or striking
    After each new piece, the people applauded and congratulated the Bellinis on their remarkable cricket.
  21. sublime
    of high moral or intellectual value
    This very day, Sunday, August 28th, surely a day which will go down in musical history, it was my pleasure and privilege to be present at the most beautiful recital ever heard in a lifetime devoted to the sublime art.
  22. illustrious
    widely known and esteemed
    I urge—I implore!—every man, woman, and child who has music in his soul not to miss one of his illustrious—nay, his glorious—concerts!
  23. daze
    overcome as with astonishment or disbelief
    But she wasn’t one to be so dazed by good fortune that she missed out on such a chance.
  24. throng
    a large gathering of people
    All the announcers were talking about the remarkable insect who was delighting throngs in the Times Square subway station.
  25. encore
    an extra performance in response to audience demand
    Concerts began at 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and usually lasted an hour and a half—not including encores.
  26. appreciation
    understanding of the nature or meaning of something
    And during the intermissions—there was always an intermission of ten minutes halfway through the concert—he delivered short talks on musical appreciation to the audiences.
  27. exhaust
    wear out completely
    Two concerts a day, every day, was an exhausting program.
  28. souvenir
    something of sentimental value
    Souvenir hunters had taken his paper cup and even the pieces of mulberry leaves that were left over.
  29. amble
    walk leisurely
    Harry followed him, ambling silently along, as always.
  30. horizon
    the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet
    The days get very clear—with a little smoke on the horizon from burning leaves.
  31. summit
    the highest level or degree attainable
    At the summit of his success—that’s the same as the peak of his career, isn’t it?
  32. farewell
    an acknowledgment or expression of goodwill at parting
    So the three friends hopped, scuttled, and padded across to Tucker’s home, where a fine farewell feast was held.
  33. muffle
    deaden (a sound or noise), especially by wrapping
    Holding it tight against him to muffle the tinkle, he jumped to the stool, to the floor, and out the crack.
  34. rummage
    search haphazardly
    Tucker Mouse rummaged through the crowded corner of his home which was the pantry and found a tiny package bound with Scotch Tape.
  35. deserted
    forsaken by owner or inhabitants
    When they reached the station, Harry led the way through a maze of pipes and deserted rooms and back halls down to the level where the trains were.
Created on Thu Dec 18 19:58:53 EST 2014 (updated Wed Sep 05 14:43:05 EDT 2018)

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