The Elephant Girl: Chapters 15–30

by James Patterson, Ellen Banda-Aaku
Unwilling to fit into the expectations of her village in Kenya, twelve-year-old Jama Anyango sneaks off to spend time with elephants that need protection from poachers.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Chapter 14, Chapters 15–30, Chapters 31–51, Chapter 52–Epilogue
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. modest
    following standards of propriety in conduct or appearance
    I hoped my uniform would have time to fully dry before I got home. I thought about taking my shirt off and hanging it on a tree, but even all alone, I was too modest to do so.
  2. cue
    a stimulus that provides information about what to do
    As if hearing a silent cue, the elephants turned as one and quickly moved away from the watering hole, away from the man.
  3. sinister
    wicked, evil, or dishonorable
    The heat felt like it was trapping me, and the quiet I usually found so peaceful felt sinister. The trees towering over me were threatening.
  4. glare
    look at with a fixed or angry gaze
    “Where have you been going after school?" Kokoo Naserian glared at me as I milked our old goat.
  5. chastise
    scold or criticize severely
    I waited for Kokoo Naserian to chastise me.
  6. distraught
    deeply agitated especially from emotion
    I let out a distraught cry, and Kokoo Naserian squeezed my hand.
  7. resent
    feel bitter or indignant about
    I knew the laibon meant well, but I resented the implication that it was the elephants we must be wary of, that it was the elephants that may hurt us, when they were nothing but the victims in the situation.
  8. implication
    a meaning that is not expressly stated but can be inferred
    I knew the laibon meant well, but I resented the implication that it was the elephants we must be wary of, that it was the elephants that may hurt us, when they were nothing but the victims in the situation.
  9. khaki
    a sturdy type of cloth that is a light brown color
    He was standing just to the right of the laibon with two men on his team, who were wearing brown KWS polo shirts and khaki pants.
  10. crafty
    marked by skill in deception
    "Poachers are very crafty and tenacious people. It takes experience and intelligence to catch them. But we are succeeding at arresting them. Make no mistake, I will find whoever did this," he said, his voice booming with authority.
  11. tenacious
    stubbornly unyielding
    "Poachers are very crafty and tenacious people. It takes experience and intelligence to catch them. But we are succeeding at arresting them. Make no mistake, I will find whoever did this," he said, his voice booming with authority.
  12. disgruntled
    in a state of sulky dissatisfaction
    When Laibon Umoja nodded his head at her, a few disgruntled murmurs rippled through the crowd; he hushed them by raising his long arms.
  13. jeer
    a mocking or contemptuous remark
    "Of late I have seen strange cars driving around the reserve. Who are these people? How can you say you are protecting the elephants when you do not patrol?" Kokoo Naserian asked, to applause as well as jeers.
  14. befall
    happen or be the case in the course of events or by chance
    "You can laugh at my being old. But I see what I see. And I know what I know. Just remember, coal laughs at ashes not knowing the same fate will befall it," she hit back with another proverb.
  15. mayhem
    violent and needless disturbance
    Just then I heard Momma's voice, cutting through the mayhem. "People, people..." She clapped her hands sharply, twice.
  16. clamber
    climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
    I sprang into action, clambering down the tree trunk at top speed and jumping to the ground as soon as I was close enough to get down without breaking a leg.
  17. brunt
    the main part, especially of a force or shock
    I was breathless and my shoulder, which took the brunt of the impact, felt as if it were on fire.
  18. prompt
    urge, encourage, or motivate someone to act
    A small flock of long-tailed fiscals flew overhead, prompting Momma to hum the melody of "My Little Bird," a song she sang to me when I was little.
  19. evoke
    call forth, as an emotion, feeling, or response
    The song evoked memories as warm and sweet as honey.
  20. wary
    marked by keen caution and watchful prudence
    Momma dropped the jerricans and her basket and started plucking out dirty clothes and dunking them in the river, all the while keeping a wary eye on the elephants.
  21. sheepish
    showing a sense of shame
    My voice was quiet, sheepish, and there was no mistaking the shock and anger in Momma's eyes as she registered what I was saying.
  22. agitated
    troubled emotionally and usually deeply
    "Sshhhhhh...she's agitated," Momma said, her voice hushed.
    It made sense that Shaba was still unsettled from what happened the other night.
  23. churn
    be agitated
    The fear in Momma's voice and on her face made my belly churn.
  24. splay
    widen or spread apart
    I noticed that her tail was standing straight and her big ears were splayed out.
  25. collective
    done by or characteristic of individuals acting together
    My wailing seemed to reach me from afar, like it was echoing all around me. Then I realized that's because it wasn't only me wailing, it was other people, too, forming one loud, collective cry.
  26. punctuate
    interrupt periodically
    She spoke but her words sounded like gibberish punctuated with the name Aluna.
  27. assess
    estimate the nature, quality, ability or significance of
    "She's clearly out of control," said the man with the bandana, assessing Shaba.
  28. tranquilize
    cause to be calm or quiet as by administering a sedative to
    The men had placed the stretcher in the back of the Land Rover, and now the man with the bandana walked over to Shaba, who was lying as still as Momma had been. But she was only tranquilized; she'd get back up.
  29. flimsy
    lacking solidity or strength
    Something occurred to me in that moment that brought me the tiniest bit of comfort, flimsy as a reed.
  30. rouge
    redden by applying makeup to
    I would never again feel her rough, warm hands like I felt them as she rouged my face for the Eunoto ceremony.
  31. blare
    make a loud noise
    Then the horns blared. A village meeting.
  32. robust
    sturdy and strong in form, constitution, or construction
    The laibon stood on a robust, aged tree stump; his long robes covered most of his slender frame.
  33. somber
    serious and gloomy in character
    Everyone gathered with their kerosene lanterns to light the night and their somber faces.
  34. usher
    accompany or escort
    I was ushered to the front, where I sat on cushions made of lion skin.
  35. unintelligible
    not clearly understood or expressed
    Unintelligible mumbles escaped a few mouths.
  36. solemn
    dignified and somber in manner or character
    Everybody looked at me, a sea of solemn, dark faces and expectant eyes.
  37. bumble
    walk unsteadily
    When we got home from the memorial gathering, Kokoo Naserian bumbled around, feeling her way in the dark, to heat the kettle and make me tea.
  38. cataract
    disease that involves the clouding of the lens of the eye
    Kokoo Naserian kept her eyes on me, cloudy with cataracts, like even if she couldn't see me clearly, the force of her gaze was the only thing holding me together and I was going to break if she looked away.
  39. void
    an empty area or space
    I did not think sleep would come, and I was afraid of the nightmares it would bring, but I quickly drifted off into a dreamless void.
  40. pang
    a mental pain or distress
    The anger in his face turned to defeat, and I felt a quick pang of regret for my ugly statement.
Created on Thu Feb 22 09:28:39 EST 2024 (updated Thu Feb 22 15:09:57 EST 2024)

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