The Wishing Spell: Chapters 4–7

by Chris Colfer
In the first volume of the popular The Land of Stories series, siblings Alex and Conner are magically transported into the world of fairy tales.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Chapter 3, Chapters 4–7, Chapters 8–11, Chapters 12–18, Chapters 19–24
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. oblivious
    lacking conscious awareness of
    “Can anyone tell me the technologies Mesopotamia brought into the Bronze Age?” Mrs. Peters asked, oblivious to the humming.
  2. interject
    speak abruptly, especially as an interruption
    “Oh, Conner, please!” Alex interjected.
  3. suppress
    put out of one's consciousness
    It was an idea she had managed to suppress all week.
  4. cavalcade
    a procession of people traveling by foot, horse, or vehicles
    A huge cavalcade of soldiers on white horses rode past them.
  5. obliterate
    do away with completely, without leaving a trace
    The pencils were all obliterated under the horses’ hooves.
  6. dapper
    marked by up-to-dateness in dress and manners
    He wore a dapper three-piece suit and carried a large glass jar of lily pads.
  7. petrify
    cause to become stunned or immobile, as with fear or awe
    Alex and Conner were so petrified that they were paralyzed.
  8. mantel
    a shelf that projects from the wall above a fireplace
    He placed his jar of lily pads on the mantel and immediately started a fire in the fireplace.
  9. muster
    summon up, call forth, or bring together
    The twins laughed along with the best fake laughs they could muster.
  10. appalled
    struck with dread, shock, or dismay
    “You’ve never heard of them?” Froggy asked, completely appalled.
  11. intently
    with strained or eager attention
    Froggy studied their faces even more intently for a moment.
  12. comprise
    be made of
    It’s a legendary spell comprised of a list of items, and, apparently, when you put the items together, you are granted one wish.
  13. frank
    characterized by directness in manner or speech
    “But searching for the items would mean I’d have to face the world looking like this and, frankly, children, that’s something I’m not ready to do. It’s something I don’t think I’ll ever be able to do.”
  14. earnest
    devout or heartfelt
    “No bother at all.” Froggy smiled earnestly.
  15. unnerve
    disturb the composure of
    It was very unnerving for the twins to be alone on the path now that they understood the dangers of the forest.
  16. enact
    order by virtue of superior authority; decree
    “Yes, the Happily Ever After Assembly just enacted a new law,” Alex said, thinking on the tips of her toes.
  17. bewildered
    extremely confused and uncertain what to do
    She was still bewildered by everything that had happened.
  18. clearing
    a treeless tract of land in the middle of a wooded area
    The sounds of a few twigs snapping came from across the clearing, as something approached.
  19. covert
    secret or hidden
    The woman and her horse moved covertly into the center of the clearing.
  20. matted
    tangled in a dense mass
    Their fur was jet-black and matted.
  21. vigorously
    in an energetic manner
    The wolf began sniffing vigorously in the air.
  22. muzzle
    forward projecting part of the head of certain animals
    Goldilocks swung it hard at the wolves closing in on her, leaving large gashes in their muzzles.
  23. adrenaline
    hormone secreted by the adrenal gland in response to stress
    Their adrenaline was slowly running out, and the pains in their sides were increasing with every step they took.
  24. plaque
    a tablet that commemorates a person or achievement
    A large golden plaque was displayed in the ground in front of it that said: QUEEN RAPUNZEL’S TOWER.
  25. sheepish
    showing a sense of shame
    “Oh,” Alex said sheepishly. “That would make sense.”
  26. ward
    a person who is under the protection of another
    “Apparently, since Rapunzel was the only known ward of the witch, when the witch died, Rapunzel inherited all the land from her. That’s how she became a queen,” Conner informed her.
  27. ludicrous
    inviting ridicule
    What I am about to tell you is going to sound ludicrous, but l ask that you allow me to explain. Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I would have never believed it myself.
  28. gander
    mature male goose
    "I traded two cows for a goose he told me would lay golden eggs!" the other claimed. "The goose was male! He gave me a gander!"
  29. disheveled
    in disarray; extremely disorderly
    The Traveling Tradesman was an odd, elderly disheveled man. He wore several layers of raggedy clothing, and he had a long, gray beard.
  30. swine
    stout-bodied short-legged omnivorous animals
    "Then what may l do for you, friend? Would you like a bag of magic pebbles that grow into boulders? It'll only cost you a duck! Or perhaps you'd like to trade a swine for a loaf of bread that'll make you never be hungry again?"
  31. preposterous
    inviting ridicule
    I felt like an imbecile, confessing a preposterous need to a preposterous man.
  32. proximity
    the property of being close together
    "Many men have spent their lives trying to obtain it. Legend has it that if you collect a series of objects and place them in close proximity, the collector’s one true wish will be granted."
  33. vial
    a small bottle that contains liquid medicine
    There were vials of strange liquids everywhere; some bubbled, some glistened, some steamed.
  34. sole
    the underside of the foot
    “Cinderella’s glass slipper! That covered the sole of her foot!”
    “Of course!” Alex said. “This list was spoken. Maybe Hagatha meant sole, like on a foot, but the man heard it as soul, like a person’s spirit! Conner, you’re a genius!”
  35. surmise
    imagine to be the case or true or probable
    “‘Teardrops of a maiden fairy feeling neither magical nor merry.’ I guess we’ll just have to find a fairy who has recently broken up with her boyfriend or something,” Alex surmised.
Created on Sat Aug 10 11:28:31 EDT 2019 (updated Tue Aug 13 13:36:30 EDT 2019)

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