Unit 3: Selection Vocabulary 3

As he drew near, he slackened speed, took the middle of the street, leaned far over to starboard and rounded to ponderously and with laborious pomp and circumstance—for he was personating the Big Missouri, and considered himself to be drawing nine feet of water.

Tom gave up the brush with reluctance in his face, but alacrity in his heart.

He had besides the things before mentioned, twelve marbles, part of a jews-harp, a piece of blue bottle-glass to look through, a spool cannon, a key that wouldn’t unlock anything, a fragment of chalk, a glass stopper of a decanter, a tin soldier, a couple of tadpoles, six fire-crackers, a kitten with only one eye, a brass door-knob, a dog-collar—but no dog—the handle of a knife, four pieces of orange-peel, and a dilapidated old window sash.

He had besides the things before mentioned, twelve marbles, part of a jews-harp, a piece of blue bottle-glass to look through, a spool cannon, a key that wouldn’t unlock anything, a fragment of chalk, a glass stopper of a decanter, a tin soldier, a couple of tadpoles, six fire-crackers, a kitten with only one eye, a brass door-knob, a dog-collar—but no dog—the handle of a knife, four pieces of orange-peel, and a dilapidated old window sash.

The boy mused awhile over the substantial change which had taken place in his worldly circumstances, and then wended toward headquarters to report.

His eye could measure a length of board, and his knees genuflected over flower beds and leafy gutters.

“That’s right," Arnie said, smiling a strained smile, “we know that you’re going to compensate only one of us.”

Next to it was a wire brush, a pumice stone, and some rags.

José walked away from Arnie’s jabbering.

The world is a threatening place
until
thanks
makes the rounds
from one pair of lips to another,
soft as a bright
feather
and sweet as a petal of sugar,
filling the mouth with its sound
or else a mumbled
whisper.

Thanks, you’re the medicine we take
to save us from
the bite of scorn.

Your light brightens the altar of harshness.

Or maybe
a tapestry
known
to far distant peoples.

...then spasibo
clinging to pointy
volcanoes, to fire and freezing cold