An Elephant in the Garden: Part Four

by Michael Morpurgo
In the midst of WWII, Lizzie, Karli, and their mother are forced to flee their home to escape the bombings. But theirs is an extraordinary trek to safety because of their two traveling companions: Marlene, an orphaned elephant, and Peter, a Canadian navigator whose plane was shot down over enemy territory.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four
15 words 18 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. refugee
    an exile who flees for safety
    They told us all about it, some of the refugees we came across later, how the planes would come flying in low over the roads, bombing and strafing.
  2. solidarity
    a union of interests or purposes among members of a group
    I found that once we had laughed together for a while, we all began to feel there was a kind of refugee solidarity among us, a camaraderie, sometimes so much so that we did not just swap stories, but food and drink as well.
  3. camaraderie
    the quality of affording easy familiarity and sociability
    I found that once we had laughed together for a while, we all began to feel there was a kind of refugee solidarity among us, a camaraderie, sometimes so much so that we did not just swap stories, but food and drink as well.
  4. cover story
    a made-up account to hide the truth or one's identity
    It was a good cover story because, of course, she knew all the symptoms rather well.
  5. symptom
    a sensation associated with a particular disease
    It was a good cover story because, of course, she knew all the symptoms rather well.
  6. larder
    a supply of food especially for a household
    He would be back an hour or so later with something: eggs from a hen house maybe, or a sausage, “liberated” he called it, from someone’s larder.
  7. mantra
    a commonly repeated word or phrase
    Sometimes, when I felt I could not take another step, I would feel Mutti’s arm around me, and she would say always the same thing, “Just put one foot in front of the other, Elizabeth, and we’ll get there.” It was her constant mantra.
  8. contentment
    happiness with one's situation in life
    When I was walking anywhere near her I could hear the hollow rumblings of contentment from inside her.
  9. talisman
    a trinket thought to be a magical protection against evil
    Far from attracting unwelcome attention to us, as Peter had thought, Marlene was turning out to be a kind of talisman.
  10. swathe
    wrap in or as if in strips of cloth
    Mutti swathed him in blankets, and for the best part of that night he rode up on Marlene as usual, but it was becoming obvious after a while that he just did not have the strength to stay up there, that he could fall off at any time.
  11. suspicion
    an impression that something might be the case
    "I shall of course tell the police that I am sure Hans’s suspicions are quite groundless."
  12. groundless
    without a basis in reason or fact
    "I shall of course tell the police that I am sure Hans’s suspicions are quite groundless."
  13. heartening
    cheerfully encouraging
    It kept their spirits up, and ours too, come to that, because it was so heartening to see the children enjoying themselves.
  14. crescendo
    a gradual increase in loudness
    We all stood there, bewildered at the terrifying crescendo of sound we were now hearing.
  15. inconsolable
    sad beyond comforting
    Mutti was inconsolable.
Created on Sat Jan 24 19:59:41 EST 2026 (updated Tue Mar 10 14:43:25 EDT 2026)

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