The Jumbies: Chapters 1–4

by Tracey Baptiste
Corinne fights to protect her father and her home from the jumbies, mysterious creatures that live in the woods.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–13, Chapters 14–22, Chapters 23–27, Chapters 28–44
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. protruding
    extending out above or beyond a surface or boundary
    Her bare feet stumbled over the dead leaves and protruding roots of the forest floor.
  2. dappled
    having spots or patches of color
    She strained her eyes in the dappled sunlight to keep track of the small, furry agouti that scampered away from her.
  3. cower
    crouch or curl up
    On the other side, the creature cowered against a rock and the roots of a large tree.
  4. pendant
    an adornment that hangs from a piece of jewelry
    Corinne closed her fist firmly around the stone pendant and crawled back out of the bush.
  5. alight
    settle or come to rest
    A pair of yellow-bellied birds alighted on a branch overhead, and called out, kis-ka-dee kis-ka-dee! Something small scratched through the undergrowth.
  6. undergrowth
    the brush beneath taller trees in a wood or forest
    A pair of yellow-bellied birds alighted on a branch overhead, and called out, kis-ka-dee kis-ka-dee! Something small scratched through the undergrowth.
  7. tattered
    worn to shreds; or wearing torn or ragged clothing
    Near the dried-up well, two boys in tattered, dirty clothing stood watching them.
  8. waft
    be driven or carried along, as by the air
    Fresh sea air was in his long, locked hair, and the sharp scent of saltwater wafted out of his damp sandals as he walked.
  9. gloat
    dwell on with satisfaction
    The one with the biggest ball of wax at the end of the night was declared the winner and had the right to gloat on the walk home.
  10. heft
    lift or elevate
    She looked at her friends Lucia and Laurent, who hefted lumpy wax balls larger than their hands.
  11. quicksilver
    a metallic element that is liquid at ordinary temperatures
    Corinne could only make out the woman’s face in the darkness. Her eyes reflected the moon like quicksilver.
  12. gnarled
    old and twisted and covered in lines
    Her limbs were thin and as gnarled as branches.
  13. emanate
    proceed or issue forth, as from a source
    A low rumble emanated from the jumbie's chest.
  14. outskirts
    area relatively far from the center, as of a city or town
    The jumbie crept along the outskirts of the island through the frothy sea to where the water grew calm and warm.
  15. frothy
    emitting or filled with bubbles
    The jumbie crept along the outskirts of the island through the frothy sea to where the water grew calm and warm.
  16. meander
    move or cause to move in a winding or curving course
    There the open mouth of a swamp rolled from deep inland, meandering through a thick mangrove forest with still, slick water.
  17. askew
    turned or twisted to one side
    The jumbie walked into the swamp and followed it to a muddy island. An old shack sat askew on it, its boards rotting with damp and falling away from the rusty nails that struggled to keep it together.
  18. indistinguishable
    exactly alike; incapable of being perceived as different
    It was a low, throaty sound, nearly indistinguishable from the croaking of nearby frogs—the crapaud from the children’s song—except that it pierced the air like an arrow.
  19. haggle
    wrangle, as over a price or terms of an agreement
    The hum of people haggling over prices, the chickens squawking, and the cries of goats and pigs filled the air.
  20. ashen
    pale from illness or emotion
    Pebble eyes put her hands on her heavy hips and a tall woman with dry, ashen skin stood up next to her to back her up.
  21. beckon
    summon with a wave, nod, or some other gesture
    But a little way behind them, another woman, selling peppers, smiled at Corinne and beckoned her with a quick flip of her wrist.
  22. sari
    a draped dress worn primarily by Hindu women
    Her new market neighbor was wearing a bright yellow sari and her hair draped behind her like a black silk curtain.
  23. pang
    a sudden sharp feeling
    Corinne felt a deep pang of loneliness when she realized that her neighbor had come to the market with her child.
  24. ware
    commodities offered for sale
    Vendors sang about their wares over the steady hum of negotiations.
  25. negotiation
    a discussion intended to produce an agreement
    Vendors sang about their wares over the steady hum of negotiations.
Created on Sat Nov 13 20:35:44 EST 2021 (updated Fri Nov 19 10:03:56 EST 2021)

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