Rump: Chapters 14–17

by Liesl Shurtliff
What's in a name? Young "Rump" embarks on an heroic quest — full of magic and perils — to discover his full name, its meaning, and ultimately his destiny in life.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–6, Chapters 7–13, Chapters 14–17, Chapters 18–22, Chapter 23–Epilogue
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. ornery
    having a difficult and contrary disposition
    I didn’t want to burden Red too much, and even though Nothing was ornery and stubborn, he might be able to carry me or my things, if I could get him to move.
  2. sentiment
    tender, romantic, or nostalgic feeling or emotion
    It all sounded so big and adventurous, but my lofty sentiments were squashed before I had gotten even halfway down The Mountain.
  3. trundle
    move along on or as if on wheels or a wheeled vehicle
    The straw still covered me on the floor, and I heard the cart trundle away as the door shut.
  4. mercifully
    in a compassionate or fortunate manner
    Tired and out of breath, I finally reached the window. Mercifully, it was open.
  5. mere
    apart from anything else; without additions or modifications
    I thought of all the things I wanted—more food on The Mountain, a horse to replace Nothing, more hens, a family, my whole name. But the mere thought of asking for anything made my tongue swell and my mouth clamp shut.
  6. dwindle
    become smaller or lose substance
    Bit by bit, I worked on the pile of straw. As it dwindled, a stack of gold took its place.
  7. transfixed
    having your attention fixated as though witchcraft
    Opal watched, transfixed for a while, and then fell asleep on the floor, a skein of gold clutched in her hands.
  8. mystified
    totally perplexed and mixed up
    Opal looked around desperately. It made me nervous to watch her think. She looked so blank and mystified.
  9. whim
    a sudden desire
    This was my destiny—to spin gold at the whims of a greedy king for the rest of my life.
  10. succumb
    give in or consent reluctantly
    I thought that when you found your destiny, you were supposed to be happy about it. But maybe I was wrong. Maybe it was something you just had to accept. Succumb to. Hadn’t I seen the villagers on The Mountain succumb to their fates all my life?
  11. tapestry
    a wall hanging of heavy fabric with pictorial designs
    The straw was piling up in the corners and crawling up the walls, covering the tapestries, the paintings, and the windows.
  12. precariously
    in a manner affording no ease or reassurance
    Piles of straw reached nearly to the ceiling. They were stacked right up against the fireplace, where flames snapped precariously.
  13. ramble
    continue talking or writing in a purposeless manner
    “Of course, you will probably never be able to have any of your own. And I might have more than I can care for.” She was rambling to herself now.
  14. stalwart
    possessing or displaying courage
    “Well, Robert,” said the woman, “I’m Martha, one of the king’s cooks, and this is my son, Helmut. I named him so he could be a stalwart soldier, brave and fearless—”
  15. calamity
    an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
    Martha went on, speaking of different calamities magic had brought, and the gossip about the girl who could turn straw into gold.
Created on Sat Nov 29 14:16:20 EST 2025 (updated Mon Jan 05 11:42:06 EST 2026)

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