Mr. Popper’s Penguins: Chapters 5–8

by Florence Atwater, Richard Atwater
Mr. Popper, who dreams of exploring the polar regions, receives a penguin as a gift — and soon he training an entire penguin family to be part of Popper's Performing Penguins.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–8, Chapters 9–15, Chapters 16–20
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. eventful
    characterized by many noteworthy happenings or incidents
    The next day was quite eventful at 432 Proudfoot Avenue.
  2. ventilate
    expose to air so as to cool or freshen
    “Mister,” he said, “you don’t need no ventilating holes in that there door.”
  3. stubborn
    refusing to change one's mind or ways; difficult to convince
    He felt a little stubborn about explaining, however.
  4. sympathetic
    expressing compassion or friendly fellow feelings
    He didn’t want to discuss Captain Cook with this unsympathetic service man, who was already staring at Mr. Popper as if he thought Mr. Popper was not quite right in his head.
  5. indignantly
    in a manner showing anger at something unjust or wrong
    “Don’t get funny,” said Mr. Popper indignantly. “That is no way to talk. Believe it or not, I know what I’m doing. I mean, having you do. I want you to fix an extra handle on the inside of that box so it can be opened from the inside of the box.”
  6. intention
    a wish or design that you plan to carry out
    Mr. Popper saw that for all his words of agreement, the service man had no intention of putting on an inside handle.
  7. sensible
    showing reason or sound judgment
    “I am. That’s the first sensible thing you’ve said yet.”
  8. dignity
    the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect
    “Gook,” said Captain Cook, walking with dignity to the door, and trying to poke his beak through the screen.
  9. stern
    serious and harsh in manner or behavior
    “And what do you do for a living?” asked the policeman sternly.
  10. municipal
    of or relating to the government of a district
    “I tell you,” said the policeman, “honestly I don’t know what the municipal ordinance about penguins is, with or without a leash, on the public streets. I’ll ask my sergeant.”
  11. ordinance
    a statute enacted by a city government
    “I tell you,” said the policeman, “honestly I don’t know what the municipal ordinance about penguins is, with or without a leash, on the public streets. I’ll ask my sergeant.”
  12. outraged
    angered at something unjust or wrong
    “Then listen,” roared Mr. Popper, now completely outraged. “If you folks at the City Hall don’t even know what penguins are, I guess you haven’t any rule saying they have to be licensed. I will do without a license for Captain Cook.”
  13. reluctantly
    with a certain degree of unwillingness
    Very reluctantly, Janie and Bill had to leave Captain Cook and go to school.
  14. belated
    after the expected or usual time
    Mrs. Popper was busy in the kitchen, rather belatedly doing the breakfast dishes; and while she dimly realized that the penguin was going in and out the refrigerator pretty frequently, she thought nothing of it at first.
  15. neglected
    disregarded
    But the penguin, though thus neglected for the moment, was by no means idle.
  16. idle
    not in action or at work
    But the penguin, though thus neglected for the moment, was by no means idle.
  17. prowl
    the act of walking about in a stealthy manner
    Into the corners of every room he prowled and poked and pecked with a busy thoroughness; into every closet he stared with his white-circled eyes; under and behind all the furniture he crowded his plump figure, with little subdued cries of curiosity, surprise, and pleasure.
  18. subdued
    softened in tone
    Into the corners of every room he prowled and poked and pecked with a busy thoroughness; into every closet he stared with his white-circled eyes; under and behind all the furniture he crowded his plump figure, with little subdued cries of curiosity, surprise, and pleasure.
  19. astonishment
    the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
    Mr. Popper, himself looking rather remarkable, as Mrs. Popper noticed later, joined her in staring with astonishment into the refrigerator.
  20. slug
    a counterfeit coin
    Five hairpins, an olive, two dominoes, and a sock...A nailfile, four buttons of various sizes, a telephone slug, seven marbles, and a tiny doll’s chair...
  21. darn
    repair a garment by weaving thread across a hole
    Six beads from a child’s necklace, five building blocks, a darning egg, a bone, a small harmonica, and a partly consumed lollipop.
  22. reproach
    express criticism towards
    Mr. Popper had smoothed down his hair and shaved off his whiskers. Never again would Mrs. Popper have to reproach him for looking as wild as a lion.
  23. reasonable
    showing sound judgment
    Still, he was a very reasonable sort of bird, and when he saw that protesting did him no good, he recovered his customary dignity and decided to let Mr. Popper lead him.
  24. customary
    commonly used or practiced
    Still, he was a very reasonable sort of bird, and when he saw that protesting did him no good, he recovered his customary dignity and decided to let Mr. Popper lead him.
  25. mercy
    a disposition to be kind and forgiving
    “Heavens have mercy on us!” she exclaimed as the bird began to investigate the striped stockings under her house dress.
  26. obedient
    dutifully complying with the commands of those in authority
    Mr. Popper pulled obediently at the clothesline, while Captain Cook took a parting peck at Mrs. Callahan’s striped stockings.
  27. preserve
    keep in safety and protect from harm, loss, or destruction
    “Heaven preserve us!” said Mrs. Callahan. “I must stop in and see Mrs. Popper at once. I would never have believed it. I will be going now.”
  28. insist
    be emphatic or resolute and refuse to budge
    Here Captain Cook insisted on looking over the window display, which consisted of several open packages of shiny white boric crystals.
  29. evident
    clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
    These he evidently mistook for polar snow, for he began to peck at the window vigorously.
  30. vigorously
    in an energetic manner
    These he evidently mistook for polar snow, for he began to peck at the window vigorously.
  31. tripod
    a three-legged rack used for support
    The cameraman set up his tripod on the sidewalk. By this time a small crowd had gathered around, and two men in white coats had even come out of the drugstore to watch.
  32. elegant
    displaying effortless beauty and simplicity in execution
    “I’d think it was a dodo, only dodos are extinct. This will make an elegant picture, if I can ever get her to turn around.”
  33. bystander
    a spectator who does not participate in some event
    At the advice of one of the bystanders, the tangle was finally straightened out by Mr. Popper’s walking around the tripod three times in the opposite direction.
  34. consent
    give an affirmative reply to; respond favorably to
    At last, Captain Cook, standing still beside Mr. Popper, consented to pose.
  35. pose
    assume a bearing as for artistic purposes
    At last, Captain Cook, standing still beside Mr. Popper, consented to pose.
Created on Sat Jul 06 19:33:02 EDT 2019 (updated Mon Aug 12 09:53:50 EDT 2019)

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