Chickadee: Chapters 13–19

by Louise Erdrich
This fourth book of The Birchbark House series is set in 1866 around the Great Plains, where an eight-year-old Ojibwe boy is unhappy about being named after a bird, until he learns that small things can have great power.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Chapter 5, Chapters 6–12, Chapters 13–19, Chapters 20–25
40 words 13 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. lye
    a strong solution of sodium or potassium hydroxide
    “I’ll use some of my strong lye soap.”
  2. warily
    in a manner marked by keen caution and watchful prudence
    Chickadee saw her look of concern, and warily stepped backward.
  3. fringe
    an ornamental border of short lengths of hanging threads
    Chickadee was wearing a pair of soft skin trousers, a buckskin shirt with fringe down the sides, which his mother had decorated with porcupine quills.
  4. welt
    a raised mark on the skin
    But Mother had the scrub brush out and was sawing it across his back, leaving painful welts into which she rubbed the harsh lye soap.
  5. expedition
    a journey organized for a particular purpose
    She described the long expeditions to hunt buffalo that the two went on together, with her family.
  6. intercept
    seize, interrupt, or stop something on its way
    “Since we know who took our Chickadee,” said Omakayas, “we have agreed to intercept them here when they deliver the mail.”
  7. entreat
    ask for or request earnestly
    As the family took leave of Margaret she entreated them to think over all she had said.
  8. loom
    appear very large or occupy a commanding position
    In a bound, Two Strike reached him and loomed over him.
  9. blubber
    cry or whine with snuffling
    “If you don’t answer me right now,” said Two Strike, “all the knives come out!”
    “Oh yes, now I remember,” Babiche blubbered.
  10. restrain
    keep under control; keep in check
    Behind them, Fishtail restrained Two Strike from using at least three of her knives on Babiche right then.
  11. reluctant
    unwilling to do something contrary to your custom
    She was reluctant to live in a town but, more than anything, she wanted the return of her son.
  12. flourish
    make steady progress
    Here was an intelligent and hardworking family. He would like to have them in his church, and the children in his school. He hoped they’d flourish on the side of the hill, and come back to him.
  13. rafter
    one of several parallel sloping beams that support a roof
    That very day, the family set about making themselves a new place to live. Fishtail and Mikwam set the fallen rafters aside and straightened out the log walls.
  14. trill
    sing or play alternating with the half note above or below
    The chickadee trilled with pleasure.
  15. jaunty
    having a cheerful, lively, and self-confident air
    The little gray bird with the jaunty black cap told Chickadee that just beyond the trees, and over the next rise, he would find a fresh stream of water.
  16. grapple
    grip or seize, as in a wrestling match
    There, too, he would find a rabbit that two hawks had fought over. They had dropped the kill, but in their fury over who should have the rabbit, they had grappled together and held on so tightly that their deathly sharp claws had locked together.
  17. contempt
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    The hawks’ yellow eyes regarded Chickadee with hatred and cold contempt.
  18. elude
    escape, either physically or mentally
    “That one. He eludes us. He plays tricks on us. We pretend he is too small to bother with. But the truth is we just can’t catch him.”
  19. haughty
    having or showing arrogant superiority
    Although their yellow eyes were still cold and haughty, there was something friendlier about them once they had eaten.
  20. pelt
    the dressed hairy coat of a mammal
    Right there, he made camp and kindled a small, hot fire to roast the skinned rabbit. He kept the pelt, too.
  21. tatter
    a small shred of cloth or paper
    There were holes in Chickadee’s moccasins now, and his pants were in tatters.
  22. crane
    stretch, so as to see better
    He craned out to see down the road as far as he could.
  23. squall
    utter a sudden loud cry
    From a songlike creaking it became an off-key squealing. From a squealing it became a squalling. From a squalling it became a screeching, and grew louder. From a bawling screech it became a roaring screech.
  24. lurch
    move haltingly and unsteadily
    The cart had enormous wheels and it moved shakily but steadily along, lurching and swaying.
  25. tallow
    a hard substance used for making soap and candles
    Although bear and buffalo tallow was used on the wheels to make them turn more smoothly, the grease did nothing to keep down the noise.
  26. assortment
    a collection containing a variety of kinds of things
    There was a strange and beautiful assortment of people in the carts.
  27. checkered
    patterned with alternating squares of color
    There were checkered, calico, plaid, flannel, and wool shirts—all brightly colored.
  28. parasol
    a handheld collapsible source of shade
    Some carts were driven by women, who had open parasols tied to shelter against the sun.
  29. din
    a loud, harsh, or strident noise
    Pots, long-handled frying pans, tipi poles, extra skins, and guns were tied to the sides of some carts and added their clanking to the general din.
  30. mesmerized
    having your attention fixated as though witchcraft
    Chickadee watched each cart, mesmerized. He wanted to jump out and show himself, to beg for a handout.
  31. contemplate
    consider as a possibility
    He was so hungry that he’d contemplated eating the tadpoles he saw swimming back in some sloughs he passed.
  32. ramshackle
    in poor or broken-down condition
    He ran to the ramshackle cabin. It was anything but the cozy place Babiche had described, and Animikiins’s heart filled with fear.
  33. dejected
    affected or marked by low spirits
    The horses were dejected and skinny, and when Two Strike released them they went straight for the haystack and began to eat.
  34. disposition
    a natural or acquired habit or characteristic tendency
    They had big and heroic hearts, gentle dispositions, and stubborn allegiances.
  35. scorch
    become singed under intense heat or dry conditions
    “He knows how to live,” he said proudly, pointing at a lean-to shelter and a scorched place where his son had made a fire.
  36. calico
    coarse cloth with a bright print
    Two days later, the woman brought back a shirt of bright blue calico.
  37. dissipate
    go away, scatter, or disappear
    The flood and force of the river had dissipated, and it was a mild flow now, though broad.
  38. versatile
    competent in many areas and able to adapt with ease
    There was no way to cross it except to change their versatile carts into boats.
  39. dismantle
    take apart into its constituent pieces
    First they wrenched off the wheels and lashed them together. Then they dismantled the carts and used the poles for siding so the baggage would not slide off into the water.
  40. ford
    cross a river where it's shallow
    Uncle Quill helped Antoinette to transform her cart, too, and one after the next the little cart train forded the river.
Created on Tue May 14 16:26:14 EDT 2024 (updated Wed May 15 12:00:29 EDT 2024)

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