Chapter 4

Alessandro M.
513 words 2 learners

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words only definitions & notes
  1. poach
    hunt illegally
    ‘Do you know what is meant by poaching?’ he asked.
  2. cocoa powder
    the powdery remains of chocolate liquor after cocoa butter is removed; used in baking and in low fat and low calorie recipes and as a flavoring for ice cream
    He spooned cocoa powder and sugar into two mugs, doing it very slowly and levelling each
    spoonful as though he were measuring medicine.
  3. poaching
    cooking in simmering liquid
    ‘Do you know what is meant by poaching?’ he asked.
  4. strawberry jam
    made with strawberries
    Would you like strawberry jam on one of these?’
  5. pheasant
    a wild game bird with long narrow tail feathers
    Poachers in other places poach all sorts of different things, but around here it’s always pheasants.’
  6. pyjama
    loose-fitting nightclothes worn for sleeping or lounging
    In pyjamas and bare feet, I went down the caravan steps and crossed over to the workshop.
  7. poacher
    someone who hunts or fishes illegally
    Poachers in other places poach all sorts of different things, but around here it’s always pheasants.’
  8. splendiferous
    extraordinarily grand or impressive
    ‘Your grandad,’ he said, ‘my own dad, was a magnificent and splendiferous poacher.
  9. phoney
    fraudulent; having a misleading appearance
    ‘Let me tell you about this phoney pheasant-shooting business,’ he said.
  10. tire out
    exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress
    ‘You must be tired out,’ he said.
  11. doze off
    change from a waking to a sleeping state
    But I never
    dozed off.
  12. like kings
    in a royal manner
    Yet a few miles away in the rich man’s wood,
    thousands of pheasants were being fed like kings twice a day.
  13. grandad
    the father of your father or mother
    ‘Your grandad,’ he said, ‘my own dad, was a magnificent and splendiferous poacher.
  14. bunk
    a set of beds built one above the other
    I lay still, listening for the sound of my father’s
    breathing in the bunk above mine.
  15. caravan
    a procession traveling together in single file
    Around six o’clock my
    father and I had supper together in the caravan as usual.
  16. stoat
    the ermine in its brown summer coat with black-tipped tail
    It’s for the vermin mostly, the foxes and stoats and weasels who go
    after the pheasants.
  17. tap
    strike lightly
    I listened for the usual workshop sounds, the little clinking noises of metal against metal or the tap of
    a hammer.
  18. dad
    an informal term for a father
    ‘Dad,’ I said softly.
  19. workshop
    a place where handcrafts or manufacturing are done
    This meant
    that he had gone back to the workshop to finish a job.
  20. young bird
    a bird that is still young
    In
    the woods, the young birds hang around like flocks of chickens.
  21. half-baked
    not thoroughly cooked
    Then beaters are hired who walk
    through the woods clapping their hands and making as much noise as they can to drive the half-tame
    pheasants towards the half-baked men and their guns.
  22. switch on
    cause to operate by flipping a switch
    I
    switched on the light.
  23. beater
    an implement for beating
    Then beaters are hired who walk
    through the woods clapping their hands and making as much noise as they can to drive the half-tame
    pheasants towards the half-baked men and their guns.
  24. quirk
    a strange attitude or habit
    Grown-ups are
    complicated creatures, full of quirks and secrets.
  25. lavatory
    a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
    I ran down the field to the lavatory.
  26. footstep
    the sound of a step of someone walking
    Then, at last, from far away, I heard the faint tap-tap of footsteps on the road.
  27. breathing in
    the act of inhaling; the drawing in of air as in breathing
    I lay still, listening for the sound of my father’s
    breathing in the bunk above mine.
  28. mug
    with handle and usually cylindrical
    He spooned cocoa powder and sugar into two mugs, doing it very slowly and levelling each
    spoonful as though he were measuring medicine.
  29. Wood
    English writer of novels about murders and thefts and forgeries (1814-1887)
    ‘The truth is I was up in Hazell’s Wood.’
  30. backside
    the side of an object that is opposite its front
    ‘Many’s the night when I was a boy, Danny, I’ve gone into the kitchen
    and seen my old dad lying face down on the table and Mum standing over him digging the gunshot
    pellets out of his backside with a potato-knife.’
  31. breathe in
    draw in (air)
    I lay still, listening for the sound of my father’s
    breathing in the bunk above mine.
  32. pellet
    a small sphere
    ‘Many’s the night when I was a boy, Danny, I’ve gone into the kitchen
    and seen my old dad lying face down on the table and Mum standing over him digging the gunshot
    pellets out of his backside with a potato-knife.’
  33. hang around
    be about
    In
    the woods, the young birds hang around like flocks of chickens.
  34. clinking
    like the light sharp ringing sound of glasses being tapped
    I listened for the usual workshop sounds, the little clinking noises of metal against metal or the tap of
    a hammer.
  35. bang
    the swift release of a store of affective force
    In which case, I thought, he must have fainted suddenly from some awful illness or fallen down and
    banged his head.
  36. paraffin
    from crude petroleum
    He lit the paraffin burner and put the kettle on to boil.
  37. tuck
    make a tuck or several folds in
    He often did that after he had tucked me in.
  38. complicate
    make less simple
    Grown-ups are
    complicated creatures, full of quirks and secrets.
  39. eyelid
    either of two folds of skin that can be moved to cover or open the eye
    ‘Ah,’ my father said, and the eyelids drooped over the eyes, veiled and secretive.
  40. fade away
    become weaker
    It faded away into a misty moonlit
    darkness.
  41. gunshot
    the act of shooting a gun
    ‘Many’s the night when I was a boy, Danny, I’ve gone into the kitchen
    and seen my old dad lying face down on the table and Mum standing over him digging the gunshot
    pellets out of his backside with a potato-knife.’
  42. strawberry
    any of various low perennial herbs with many runners and bearing white flowers followed by edible fruits having many small achenes scattered on the surface of an enlarged red pulpy berry
    Would you like strawberry jam on one of these?’
  43. clink
    a short light metallic sound
    I listened for the usual workshop sounds, the little clinking noises of metal against metal or the tap of
    a hammer.
  44. jam
    press tightly together or cram
    Would you like strawberry jam on one of these?’
  45. burner
    an apparatus for burning fuel (or refuse)
    He lit the paraffin burner and put the kettle on to boil.
  46. cocoa
    powder of ground roasted cacao beans with most of the fat removed
    He spooned cocoa powder and sugar into two mugs, doing it very slowly and levelling each
    spoonful as though he were measuring medicine.
  47. wood
    the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
    ‘It means going up into the woods in the dead of night and coming back with something for the pot.
  48. keeper
    one having charge of buildings or grounds or animals
    Just
    imagine,’ he said, leaping off the bunk and waving his mug in the air, ‘just imagine for a minute that you
    are all alone up there in the dark wood, and the wood is full of keepers hiding behind the trees and the
    keepers have guns…’
    ‘Guns!’
  49. secretive
    reluctant to divulge information
    ‘Ah,’ my father said, and the eyelids drooped over the eyes, veiled and secretive.
  50. new moon
    the phase in which the moon is in conjunction with sun and is invisible or appears as a narrow waxing crescent
    There
    was a new moon in the sky and across the road the big field lay pale and deserted in the moonlight.
  51. kettle
    a metal pot with a lid for stewing or boiling
    I struck one and held it up to the funny
    old clock that hung on the wall above the kettle.
  52. fall asleep
    change from a waking to a sleeping state
    I fell asleep.
  53. yearn
    desire strongly or persistently
    ‘I know I shouldn’t have gone and I’m very, very sorry about it,
    but I had such a powerful yearning…’ His voice trailed away into nothingness.
  54. doze
    a light fitful sleep
    But I never
    dozed off.
  55. deathly
    having the physical appearance of death
    The
    silence was deathly.
  56. wick
    a loosely woven cord (in a candle or oil lamp) that draws fuel by capillary action up into the flame
    My father put a match to the wick of the lamp hanging from the ceiling and the little yellow flame
    sprang up and filled the inside of the caravan with pale light.
  57. gasp
    a short labored intake of breath with the mouth open
    Some have quirkier quirks and deeper secrets than
    others, but all of them, including one’s own parents, have two or three private habits hidden up their
    sleeves that would probably make you gasp if you knew about them.
  58. glint
    a momentary flash of light
    There was a glint and a sparkle in his eyes
    now that I had never seen before.
  59. weasel
    small carnivorous mammal with short legs and elongated body
    It’s for the vermin mostly, the foxes and stoats and weasels who go
    after the pheasants.
  60. spoonful
    as much as a spoon will hold
    He spooned cocoa powder and sugar into two mugs, doing it very slowly and levelling each
    spoonful as though he were measuring medicine.
  61. go around
    turn on or around an axis or a center
    I went around and searched behind the office and behind the workshop.
  62. wake up
    stop sleeping
    For some reason I woke up again during the night.
  63. tucked
    having tucked or being tucked
    He often did that after he had tucked me in.
  64. tire
    lose interest or become bored with something or somebody
    ‘You must be tired out,’ he said.
  65. nothingness
    the state of nonexistence
    ‘I know I shouldn’t have gone and I’m very, very sorry about it,
    but I had such a powerful yearning…’ His voice trailed away into nothingness.
  66. moonlit
    lighted by moonlight
    It faded away into a misty moonlit
    darkness.
  67. fall down
    lose an upright position suddenly
    In which case, I thought, he must have fainted suddenly from some awful illness or fallen down and
    banged his head.
  68. lose it
    lose control of one's emotions
    I caught the poaching fever from him when I was ten years old and I’ve never lost it
    since.
  69. starve
    die of food deprivation
    There was very little work to be
    had anywhere, and some families were literally starving.
  70. vermin
    any of various small animals or insects that are pests
    It’s for the vermin mostly, the foxes and stoats and weasels who go
    after the pheasants.
  71. call out
    utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
    I called out.
  72. droop
    sink or settle from pressure or loss of tautness
    ‘Ah,’ my father said, and the eyelids drooped over the eyes, veiled and secretive.
  73. starving
    suffering from lack of food
    There was very little work to be
    had anywhere, and some families were literally starving.
  74. practise
    engage in a rehearsal (of)
    ‘I was practising the art,’ he said.
  75. spring up
    come into existence; take on form or shape
    My father put a match to the wick of the lamp hanging from the ceiling and the little yellow flame
    sprang up and filled the inside of the caravan with pale light.
  76. rearing
    helping someone grow up to be an accepted member of the community
    These wealthy idiots spend huge sums of money every year buying baby pheasants
    from pheasant farms and rearing them in pens until they are big enough to be put out into the woods.
  77. hang on
    fix to; attach
    I struck one and held it up to the funny
    old clock that hung on the wall above the kettle.
  78. gun
    a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity
    Just
    imagine,’ he said, leaping off the bunk and waving his mug in the air, ‘just imagine for a minute that you
    are all alone up there in the dark wood, and the wood is full of keepers hiding behind the trees and the
    keepers have guns…’
    ‘Guns!’
  79. be full
    be sated, have enough to eat
    Just
    imagine,’ he said, leaping off the bunk and waving his mug in the air, ‘just imagine for a minute that you
    are all alone up there in the dark wood, and the wood is full of keepers hiding behind the trees and the
    keepers have guns…’
    ‘Guns!’
  80. father
    a male parent
    You will learn as you get older, just as I learned that autumn, that no father is perfect.
  81. tremendously
    extremely
    They always comforted me tremendously, those noises in the night, because they told me my
    father was close at hand.
  82. clap
    strike one's hands together
    Then beaters are hired who walk
    through the woods clapping their hands and making as much noise as they can to drive the half-tame
    pheasants towards the half-baked men and their guns.
  83. mum
    failing to speak or communicate etc when expected to
    ‘Many’s the night when I was a boy, Danny, I’ve gone into the kitchen
    and seen my old dad lying face down on the table and Mum standing over him digging the gunshot
    pellets out of his backside with a potato-knife.’
  84. filling
    any material that fills a space or container
    The filling-station was silent.
  85. shoot
    fire a shot
    ‘They could go to prison for shooting someone!’
  86. clapping
    a demonstration of approval by clapping the hands together
    Then beaters are hired who walk
    through the woods clapping their hands and making as much noise as they can to drive the half-tame
    pheasants towards the half-baked men and their guns.
  87. woods
    the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
    ‘It means going up into the woods in the dead of night and coming back with something for the pot.
  88. aghast
    struck with fear, dread, or consternation
    I said, aghast.
  89. farmhouse
    house for a farmer and family
    The filling-station was
    a long way from the nearest farmhouse.
  90. sparkle
    emit or produce sparks
    There was a glint and a sparkle in his eyes
    now that I had never seen before.
  91. joking
    characterized by jokes and good humor
    ‘Dad, you’re joking.’
  92. run on
    continue uninterrupted
    I jumped down the steps and ran on to the road to meet him.
  93. fabulous
    extremely pleasing
    Poaching is such a fabulous
    and exciting sport that once you start doing it, it gets into your blood and you can’t give it up!
  94. scar
    a mark left by the healing of injured tissue
    ‘Towards the end, he was so covered in tiny little white scars he looked exactly like it was snowing.’
  95. close at hand
    close in space; within reach
    They always comforted me tremendously, those noises in the night, because they told me my
    father was close at hand.
  96. sit up
    change to an upright sitting position
    I was sitting up in my bunk watching my father.
  97. sum of money
    a quantity of money
    These wealthy idiots spend huge sums of money every year buying baby pheasants
    from pheasant farms and rearing them in pens until they are big enough to be put out into the woods.
  98. do it
    have sexual intercourse with
    ‘I should never have done it.
  99. shooting
    the act of firing a projectile
    ‘They could go to prison for shooting someone!’
  100. run down
    injure or kill by running over, as with a vehicle
    I ran down the field to the lavatory.
  101. cheese
    a solid food prepared from the pressed curd of milk
    My father got out the bread-tin and the butter and cheese and started making sandwiches.
  102. platform
    a raised horizontal surface
    There was a small wooden platform outside the caravan door, about four feet above the ground.
  103. boil
    change from a liquid to vapor
    He lit the paraffin burner and put the kettle on to boil.
  104. rich man
    a man who is wealthy
    Yet a few miles away in the rich man’s wood,
    thousands of pheasants were being fed like kings twice a day.
  105. misty
    filled or abounding with fog
    It faded away into a misty moonlit
    darkness.
  106. grow up
    become an adult
    Only the very rich can afford to rear pheasants just for the fun of shooting them down
    when they grow up.
  107. say
    utter aloud
    It said ten past eleven.
  108. secret
    not openly made known
    My Father’s Deep Dark Secret
    Here I am at the age of nine.
  109. hang
    cause to be hanging or suspended
    I struck one and held it up to the funny
    old clock that hung on the wall above the kettle.
  110. sandwich
    two (or more) slices of bread with a filling between them
    My father got out the bread-tin and the butter and cheese and started making sandwiches.
  111. pot
    metal or earthenware cooking vessel that is usually round and deep; often has a handle and lid
    ‘It means going up into the woods in the dead of night and coming back with something for the pot.
  112. fade
    become less clearly visible or distinguishable
    It faded away into a misty moonlit
    darkness.
  113. fox
    alert omnivorous mammal with pointed muzzle and ears and a bushy tail; most are predators that do not hunt in packs
    It’s for the vermin mostly, the foxes and stoats and weasels who go
    after the pheasants.
  114. yearning
    prolonged unfulfilled desire or need
    ‘I know I shouldn’t have gone and I’m very, very sorry about it,
    but I had such a powerful yearning…’ His voice trailed away into nothingness.
  115. spoon
    a piece of cutlery with a shallow bowl-shaped container and a handle; used to stir or serve or take up food
    He spooned cocoa powder and sugar into two mugs, doing it very slowly and levelling each
    spoonful as though he were measuring medicine.
  116. potato
    an edible tuber native to South America
    ‘Many’s the night when I was a boy, Danny, I’ve gone into the kitchen
    and seen my old dad lying face down on the table and Mum standing over him digging the gunshot
    pellets out of his backside with a potato-knife.’
  117. measuring
    the act or process of assigning numbers to phenomena according to a rule
    He spooned cocoa powder and sugar into two mugs, doing it very slowly and levelling each
    spoonful as though he were measuring medicine.
  118. wake
    stop sleeping
    For some reason I woke up again during the night.
  119. hide
    prevent from being seen or discovered
    Some have quirkier quirks and deeper secrets than
    others, but all of them, including one’s own parents, have two or three private habits hidden up their
    sleeves that would probably make you gasp if you knew about them.
  120. bake
    cook and make edible by putting in a hot oven
    Then beaters are hired who walk
    through the woods clapping their hands and making as much noise as they can to drive the half-tame
    pheasants towards the half-baked men and their guns.
  121. pinch
    squeeze tightly between the fingers
    I couldn’t believe he would go creeping
    into the woods at night to pinch valuable birds belonging to somebody else.
  122. disgusted
    having a strong distaste from surfeit
    ‘A gun!’ he cried, disgusted.
  123. baked
    (bread and pastries) cooked by dry heat (as in an oven)
    Then beaters are hired who walk
    through the woods clapping their hands and making as much noise as they can to drive the half-tame
    pheasants towards the half-baked men and their guns.
  124. this night
    during the night of the present day
    But on this night, no sound came from the workshop.
  125. idiot
    a person of subnormal intelligence
    These wealthy idiots spend huge sums of money every year buying baby pheasants
    from pheasant farms and rearing them in pens until they are big enough to be put out into the woods.
  126. comforted
    made comfortable or more comfortable in a time of distress
    They always comforted me tremendously, those noises in the night, because they told me my
    father was close at hand.
  127. veiled
    having or as if having a veil or concealing cover
    ‘Ah,’ my father said, and the eyelids drooped over the eyes, veiled and secretive.
  128. thickly
    with a thick consistency
    He spread
    strawberry jam thickly on a piece of bread, taking his time.
  129. creep
    move slowly
    I couldn’t believe he would go creeping
    into the woods at night to pinch valuable birds belonging to somebody else.
  130. night
    the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
    My father told me a fine
    story and kissed me good-night.
  131. go to bed
    prepare for sleep
    Then I went to bed.
  132. torch
    a light usually carried in the hand
    I took the torch from the bench in the workshop.
  133. sit
    take a seat
    Then I went out the caravan door and sat on the platform with my feet on the top step of the ladder.
  134. listen
    hear with intention
    I lay still, listening for the sound of my father’s
    breathing in the bunk above mine.
  135. switch
    device for making or breaking the connections in a circuit
    I
    switched on the light.
  136. sleeve
    the part of a garment that is attached at the armhole and that provides a cloth covering for the arm
    Some have quirkier quirks and deeper secrets than
    others, but all of them, including one’s own parents, have two or three private habits hidden up their
    sleeves that would probably make you gasp if you knew about them.
  137. coming back
    the occurrence of a change in direction back in the opposite direction
    ‘It means going up into the woods in the dead of night and coming back with something for the pot.
  138. funny
    an account of an amusing incident
    I struck one and held it up to the funny
    old clock that hung on the wall above the kettle.
  139. tame
    brought from wildness into a domesticated state
    Then beaters are hired who walk
    through the woods clapping their hands and making as much noise as they can to drive the half-tame
    pheasants towards the half-baked men and their guns.
  140. miss
    fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
    ‘You’ve missed the point, Danny boy!
  141. digging
    the act of digging
    ‘Many’s the night when I was a boy, Danny, I’ve gone into the kitchen
    and seen my old dad lying face down on the table and Mum standing over him digging the gunshot
    pellets out of his backside with a potato-knife.’
  142. metal
    a chemical element or alloy that is usually a shiny solid
    I listened for the usual workshop sounds, the little clinking noises of metal against metal or the tap of
    a hammer.
  143. go to
    be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.
    Then I went to bed.
  144. mile
    a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet
    ‘That’s miles away!’
  145. lamp
    a piece of furniture holding one or more electric light bulbs
    Couldn’t we light the lamp for a little while?’
  146. first of all
    before anything else
    ‘First of all, it is practised
    only by the rich.
  147. leaping
    a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
    Just
    imagine,’ he said, leaping off the bunk and waving his mug in the air, ‘just imagine for a minute that you
    are all alone up there in the dark wood, and the wood is full of keepers hiding behind the trees and the
    keepers have guns…’
    ‘Guns!’
  148. get out
    move out of or depart from
    I got out of my bunk and found a box of matches by the sink.
  149. noise
    sound of any kind
    I listened for the usual workshop sounds, the little clinking noises of metal against metal or the tap of
    a hammer.
  150. start
    take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
    This picture was made just before all the excitement started and I didn’t
    have a worry in the world.
  151. just about
    (of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct
    Mind you, in those days just about every man in our village was out in the woods at night poaching
    pheasants.
  152. excite
    act as a stimulant
    Poaching is such a fabulous
    and exciting sport that once you start doing it, it gets into your blood and you can’t give it up!
  153. feed
    provide as food
    Yet a few miles away in the rich man’s wood,
    thousands of pheasants were being fed like kings twice a day.
  154. cry
    shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain
    ‘Danny!’ he cried.
  155. creeping
    a slow mode of locomotion on hands and knees or dragging the body
    I couldn’t believe he would go creeping
    into the woods at night to pinch valuable birds belonging to somebody else.
  156. closer
    (comparative of `near' or `close') within a shorter distance
    The footsteps were coming closer and closer.
  157. go out
    move out of or depart from
    Then I went out the caravan door and sat on the platform with my feet on the top step of the ladder.
  158. hammer
    a hand tool with a heavy rigid head and a handle
    I listened for the usual workshop sounds, the little clinking noises of metal against metal or the tap of
    a hammer.
  159. missed
    not caught with the senses or the mind
    ‘You’ve missed the point, Danny boy!
  160. bench
    a long seat for more than one person
    I took the torch from the bench in the workshop.
  161. bird
    warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrate with feathers and wings
    I couldn’t believe he would go creeping
    into the woods at night to pinch valuable birds belonging to somebody else.
  162. only when
    never except when
    Only when you’re trying to escape.
  163. stand in
    be a substitute
    I stood in the dark caravan and for the first time in my life I felt a touch of panic.
  164. come home
    become clear or enter one's consciousness or emotions
    So can you blame my dad for going out
    occasionally and coming home with a bird or two for the family to eat?’
  165. stealing
    the act of taking something from someone unlawfully
    ‘You mean stealing them?’
  166. every year
    without missing a year
    These wealthy idiots spend huge sums of money every year buying baby pheasants
    from pheasant farms and rearing them in pens until they are big enough to be put out into the woods.
  167. blanket
    bedding that keeps a person warm in bed
    I took the blanket from my bunk and put it round my shoulders.
  168. dig
    turn up, loosen, or remove earth
    ‘Many’s the night when I was a boy, Danny, I’ve gone into the kitchen
    and seen my old dad lying face down on the table and Mum standing over him digging the gunshot
    pellets out of his backside with a potato-knife.’
  169. panic
    an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
    I stood in the dark caravan and for the first time in my life I felt a touch of panic.
  170. hire
    engage or hire for work
    Then beaters are hired who walk
    through the woods clapping their hands and making as much noise as they can to drive the half-tame
    pheasants towards the half-baked men and their guns.
  171. rear
    the side of an object that is opposite its front
    Only the very rich can afford to rear pheasants just for the fun of shooting them down
    when they grow up.
  172. practised
    skillful after much practice
    ‘First of all, it is practised
    only by the rich.
  173. listening
    the act of hearing attentively
    I lay still, listening for the sound of my father’s
    breathing in the bunk above mine.
  174. station
    a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel
    The filling-station was silent.
  175. do in
    get rid of (someone who may be a threat) by killing
    ‘Is that actually what you were doing in Hazell’s Wood, Dad?
  176. somebody
    a human being
    Or was it somebody else?
  177. in on
    participating in or knowledgeable out
    ‘I am going to let you in on the deepest darkest secret of my
    whole life.’
  178. ceiling
    the overhead upper surface of a covered space
    My father put a match to the wick of the lamp hanging from the ceiling and the little yellow flame
    sprang up and filled the inside of the caravan with pale light.
  179. shocked
    struck with fear, dread, or surprise
    I was shocked.
  180. chicken
    a domestic bird bred for meat or eggs
    In
    the woods, the young birds hang around like flocks of chickens.
  181. disgust
    strong feelings of dislike
    ‘A gun!’ he cried, disgusted.
  182. go up
    move upward
    ‘It means going up into the woods in the dead of night and coming back with something for the pot.
  183. pepper
    climber having dark red berries when fully ripe
    They like to pepper
    you in the legs at about fifty yards.’
  184. ladder
    steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs
    Then I went out the caravan door and sat on the platform with my feet on the top step of the ladder.
  185. sport
    active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition
    And they did it not only because they loved the sport but because they needed food for their
    families.
  186. all the way
    completely
    ‘But why would you want to go all the way up to Hazell’s Wood?’
  187. complicated
    difficult to analyze or understand
    Grown-ups are
    complicated creatures, full of quirks and secrets.
  188. faint
    lacking clarity, brightness, or loudness
    In which case, I thought, he must have fainted suddenly from some awful illness or fallen down and
    banged his head.
  189. awful
    exceptionally bad or displeasing
    In which case, I thought, he must have fainted suddenly from some awful illness or fallen down and
    banged his head.
  190. flock
    a group of birds
    In
    the woods, the young birds hang around like flocks of chickens.
  191. guarded
    cautious and reserved
    They are guarded by keepers and fed
    twice a day on the best corn until they’re so fat they can hardly fly.
  192. willingly
    in an agreeable manner and without reluctance
    I was sure he would never willingly have left me alone in
    the filling-station at night.
  193. thief
    a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else
    My own father a thief!
  194. hidden
    not accessible to view
    Some have quirkier quirks and deeper secrets than
    others, but all of them, including one’s own parents, have two or three private habits hidden up their
    sleeves that would probably make you gasp if you knew about them.
  195. breathe
    draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs
    I lay still, listening for the sound of my father’s
    breathing in the bunk above mine.
  196. hiding
    the activity of keeping something secret
    Just
    imagine,’ he said, leaping off the bunk and waving his mug in the air, ‘just imagine for a minute that you
    are all alone up there in the dark wood, and the wood is full of keepers hiding behind the trees and the
    keepers have guns…’
    ‘Guns!’
  197. waving
    the act of signaling by a movement of the hand
    Just
    imagine,’ he said, leaping off the bunk and waving his mug in the air, ‘just imagine for a minute that you
    are all alone up there in the dark wood, and the wood is full of keepers hiding behind the trees and the
    keepers have guns…’
    ‘Guns!’
  198. leap
    move forward by bounds
    Just
    imagine,’ he said, leaping off the bunk and waving his mug in the air, ‘just imagine for a minute that you
    are all alone up there in the dark wood, and the wood is full of keepers hiding behind the trees and the
    keepers have guns…’
    ‘Guns!’
  199. put out
    thrust or extend out
    These wealthy idiots spend huge sums of money every year buying baby pheasants
    from pheasant farms and rearing them in pens until they are big enough to be put out into the woods.
  200. shine
    emit light; be bright, as of the sun or a light
    I shone the light into his bunk to make absolutely sure he wasn’t there.
  201. match
    a formal contest in which people or teams compete
    I got out of my bunk and found a box of matches by the sink.
  202. boiling
    the application of heat to change something from a liquid to a gas
    ‘The kettle’s boiling,’ I said.
  203. get into
    to come or go into
    Poaching is such a fabulous
    and exciting sport that once you start doing it, it gets into your blood and you can’t give it up!
  204. pistol
    a firearm that is held and fired with one hand
    You’ve only got to fire a cap-pistol up in those woods and the keepers’ll be on you.’
  205. on the road
    travelling about
    Then, at last, from far away, I heard the faint tap-tap of footsteps on the road.
  206. exciting
    creating or arousing uncontrolled emotion
    Poaching is such a fabulous
    and exciting sport that once you start doing it, it gets into your blood and you can’t give it up!
  207. faded
    having lost freshness or brilliance of color
    It faded away into a misty moonlit
    darkness.
  208. habit
    an established custom
    Some have quirkier quirks and deeper secrets than
    others, but all of them, including one’s own parents, have two or three private habits hidden up their
    sleeves that would probably make you gasp if you knew about them.
  209. literally
    without exaggeration
    There was very little work to be
    had anywhere, and some families were literally starving.
  210. work on
    to exert effort in order to do, make, or perform something
    The old car we had been working on through the day was still there, but not my
    father.
  211. moonlight
    the light of the Moon
    There
    was a new moon in the sky and across the road the big field lay pale and deserted in the moonlight.
  212. fetch
    go or come after and bring or take back
    Then he fetched his
    own and sat with it at the end of my bunk.
  213. sink
    fall or descend to a lower place or level
    I got out of my bunk and found a box of matches by the sink.
  214. Saturday
    the seventh and last day of the week
    It all started on a Saturday evening.
  215. prison
    a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment
    ‘They could go to prison for shooting someone!’
  216. tin
    a silvery malleable metallic element that resists corrosion
    My father got out the bread-tin and the butter and cheese and started making sandwiches.
  217. mist
    a thin fog with condensation near the ground
    Then out of the mist a figure appeared.
  218. imagine
    expect, believe, or suppose
    Just
    imagine,’ he said, leaping off the bunk and waving his mug in the air, ‘just imagine for a minute that you
    are all alone up there in the dark wood, and the wood is full of keepers hiding behind the trees and the
    keepers have guns…’
    ‘Guns!’
  219. parent
    a father or mother
    Some have quirkier quirks and deeper secrets than
    others, but all of them, including one’s own parents, have two or three private habits hidden up their
    sleeves that would probably make you gasp if you knew about them.
  220. step
    the act of changing location by raising the foot and setting it down
    In pyjamas and bare feet, I went down the caravan steps and crossed over to the workshop.
  221. wealthy
    having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value
    These wealthy idiots spend huge sums of money every year buying baby pheasants
    from pheasant farms and rearing them in pens until they are big enough to be put out into the woods.
  222. catch
    take hold of so as to seize or stop the motion of
    I caught the poaching fever from him when I was ten years old and I’ve never lost it
    since.
  223. hired
    having services engaged for a fee
    Then beaters are hired who walk
    through the woods clapping their hands and making as much noise as they can to drive the half-tame
    pheasants towards the half-baked men and their guns.
  224. veil
    a garment that covers the head and face
    ‘Ah,’ my father said, and the eyelids drooped over the eyes, veiled and secretive.
  225. lit
    provided with artificial light
    He lit the paraffin burner and put the kettle on to boil.
  226. go down
    move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
    In pyjamas and bare feet, I went down the caravan steps and crossed over to the workshop.
  227. village
    a settlement smaller than a town
    Mind you, in those days just about every man in our village was out in the woods at night poaching
    pheasants.
  228. buying
    the act of buying
    These wealthy idiots spend huge sums of money every year buying baby pheasants
    from pheasant farms and rearing them in pens until they are big enough to be put out into the woods.
  229. shout
    utter in a loud voice; talk in a loud voice
    I shouted into the darkness.
  230. road
    an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
    There
    was a new moon in the sky and across the road the big field lay pale and deserted in the moonlight.
  231. breathing
    the bodily process of inhalation and exhalation
    I lay still, listening for the sound of my father’s
    breathing in the bunk above mine.
  232. light
    electromagnetic radiation that can produce visual sensation
    I
    switched on the light.
  233. said
    being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
    It said ten past eleven.
  234. tell
    narrate or give a detailed account of
    My father told me a fine
    story and kissed me good-night.
  235. tired
    depleted of strength or energy
    ‘You must be tired out,’ he said.
  236. bread
    food made from dough of flour or meal and usually raised with yeast or baking powder and then baked
    My father got out the bread-tin and the butter and cheese and started making sandwiches.
  237. at hand
    close in space; within reach
    They always comforted me tremendously, those noises in the night, because they told me my
    father was close at hand.
  238. joke
    a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
    ‘Dad, you’re joking.’
  239. illness
    impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism
    In which case, I thought, he must have fainted suddenly from some awful illness or fallen down and
    banged his head.
  240. on the table
    able to be negotiated or arranged by compromise
    ‘Many’s the night when I was a boy, Danny, I’ve gone into the kitchen
    and seen my old dad lying face down on the table and Mum standing over him digging the gunshot
    pellets out of his backside with a potato-knife.’
  241. go into
    to come or go into
    ‘Many’s the night when I was a boy, Danny, I’ve gone into the kitchen
    and seen my old dad lying face down on the table and Mum standing over him digging the gunshot
    pellets out of his backside with a potato-knife.’
  242. champion
    someone who has won first place in a competition
    But my dad was the champion.
  243. powder
    a solid substance in the form of tiny loose particles
    He spooned cocoa powder and sugar into two mugs, doing it very slowly and levelling each
    spoonful as though he were measuring medicine.
  244. rich
    possessing material wealth
    Yet a few miles away in the rich man’s wood,
    thousands of pheasants were being fed like kings twice a day.
  245. watching
    the act of observing; taking a patient look
    I sat still, watching the road.
  246. reckon
    expect, believe, or suppose
    But I reckon if my father could tell
    them to me, then maybe I can tell them to you.
  247. a bit
    to a small degree; somewhat
    ‘I’m not a bit tired.
  248. dark
    devoid of or deficient in light or brightness
    My Father’s Deep Dark Secret
    Here I am at the age of nine.
  249. foot
    the pedal extremity of vertebrates other than human beings
    There was a small wooden platform outside the caravan door, about four feet above the ground.
  250. be on
    appear in a show, on T.V. or radio
    You’ve only got to fire a cap-pistol up in those woods and the keepers’ll be on you.’
  251. twice
    two times
    Yet a few miles away in the rich man’s wood,
    thousands of pheasants were being fed like kings twice a day.
  252. wave
    (physics) a movement up and down or back and forth
    Just
    imagine,’ he said, leaping off the bunk and waving his mug in the air, ‘just imagine for a minute that you
    are all alone up there in the dark wood, and the wood is full of keepers hiding behind the trees and the
    keepers have guns…’
    ‘Guns!’
  253. clock
    a timepiece that shows the time of day
    I struck one and held it up to the funny
    old clock that hung on the wall above the kettle.
  254. get to
    arrive at the point of
    You’ve only got to fire a cap-pistol up in those woods and the keepers’ll be on you.’
  255. drive
    operate or control a vehicle
    I have already told you he did not have a car of his own, so there was no question of his having gone
    for a drive.
  256. pour
    cause to run
    He poured the water into the mugs and brought mine over to me.
  257. belong to
    be a part or adjunct
    I couldn’t believe he would go creeping
    into the woods at night to pinch valuable birds belonging to somebody else.
  258. pale
    very light in color or highly diluted with white
    There
    was a new moon in the sky and across the road the big field lay pale and deserted in the moonlight.
  259. Tell
    a Swiss patriot who lived in the early 14th century and who was renowned for his skill as an archer; according to legend an Austrian governor compelled him to shoot an apple from his son's head with his crossbow (which he did successfully without mishap)
    ‘Tell me now’
  260. feast
    a ceremonial dinner party for many people
    ‘If you’re hungry we could have a midnight feast?’ he said.
  261. worry
    a strong feeling of anxiety
    This picture was made just before all the excitement started and I didn’t
    have a worry in the world.
  262. as usual
    in the usual manner
    Around six o’clock my
    father and I had supper together in the caravan as usual.
  263. sorry
    feeling or expressing regret
    ‘I’m so sorry,’ he said.
  264. around
    in the area or vicinity
    Around six o’clock my
    father and I had supper together in the caravan as usual.
  265. darkness
    absence of light or illumination
    I shouted into the darkness.
  266. mean
    denote or connote
    This meant
    that he had gone back to the workshop to finish a job.
  267. deserted
    forsaken by owner or inhabitants
    There
    was a new moon in the sky and across the road the big field lay pale and deserted in the moonlight.
  268. autumn
    the season when the leaves fall from the trees
    You will learn as you get older, just as I learned that autumn, that no father is perfect.
  269. have
    possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense
    This picture was made just before all the excitement started and I didn’t
    have a worry in the world.
  270. anyway
    in any way whatsoever
    He wouldn’t have done that anyway.
  271. car
    a motor vehicle with four wheels
    The old car we had been working on through the day was still there, but not my
    father.
  272. laugh
    produce laughter
    ‘It’s not true,’ I said, starting to laugh.
  273. actually
    in fact
    ‘Is that actually what you were doing in Hazell’s Wood, Dad?
  274. belonging
    happiness felt in a secure relationship
    I couldn’t believe he would go creeping
    into the woods at night to pinch valuable birds belonging to somebody else.
  275. in the air
    on everybody's mind
    Just
    imagine,’ he said, leaping off the bunk and waving his mug in the air, ‘just imagine for a minute that you
    are all alone up there in the dark wood, and the wood is full of keepers hiding behind the trees and the
    keepers have guns…’
    ‘Guns!’
  276. all the time
    without respite
    I wanted to keep listening all the time.
  277. adventure
    a wild and exciting undertaking
    The rest of this book is about a most private and secret habit my father had, and about the strange
    adventures it led us both into.
  278. horrible
    shockingly frightful or awful
    ‘It’s not funny, it’s horrible.’
  279. nearest
    within the shortest distance
    The filling-station was
    a long way from the nearest farmhouse.
  280. big
    above average in size or number or quantity
    There
    was a new moon in the sky and across the road the big field lay pale and deserted in the moonlight.
  281. can
    airtight sealed metal container for food or drink, etc.
    I could hear nothing.
  282. steps
    the course along which a person has walked or is walking in
    In pyjamas and bare feet, I went down the caravan steps and crossed over to the workshop.
  283. butter
    a solid yellow food made from cream
    My father got out the bread-tin and the butter and cheese and started making sandwiches.
  284. moon
    the natural satellite of the Earth
    There
    was a new moon in the sky and across the road the big field lay pale and deserted in the moonlight.
  285. stand
    be standing; be upright
    I
    stood on the platform and gazed around me.
  286. sound
    mechanical vibrations transmitted by an elastic medium
    I lay still, listening for the sound of my father’s
    breathing in the bunk above mine.
  287. jump
    move forward by leaps and bounds
    I jumped down the steps and ran on to the road to meet him.
  288. behind
    in or to or toward the rear
    I went around and searched behind the office and behind the workshop.
  289. medicine
    the profession devoted to alleviating diseases and injuries
    He spooned cocoa powder and sugar into two mugs, doing it very slowly and levelling each
    spoonful as though he were measuring medicine.
  290. hungry
    feeling a need or desire to eat food
    ‘If you’re hungry we could have a midnight feast?’ he said.
  291. flame
    combustion of materials producing heat and light and smoke
    My father put a match to the wick of the lamp hanging from the ceiling and the little yellow flame
    sprang up and filled the inside of the caravan with pale light.
  292. shock
    an unpleasant or disappointing surprise
    I was shocked.
  293. gone
    no longer retained
    This meant
    that he had gone back to the workshop to finish a job.
  294. fever
    an abnormal rise in the temperature of the body
    I caught the poaching fever from him when I was ten years old and I’ve never lost it
    since.
  295. anywhere
    at or in or to any place
    There was very little work to be
    had anywhere, and some families were literally starving.
  296. learn
    gain knowledge or skills
    You will learn as you get older, just as I learned that autumn, that no father is perfect.
  297. decide
    reach, make, or come to a conclusion about something
    ‘I have decided something,’ he said.
  298. wooden
    made or consisting of or employing wood
    There was a small wooden platform outside the caravan door, about four feet above the ground.
  299. magnificent
    characterized by grandeur
    ‘Your grandad,’ he said, ‘my own dad, was a magnificent and splendiferous poacher.
  300. midnight
    12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
    ‘If you’re hungry we could have a midnight feast?’ he said.
  301. on earth
    used with question words to convey surprise
    ‘What on earth’s the matter?’
  302. yard
    enclosed land around a house or other building
    They like to pepper
    you in the legs at about fifty yards.’
  303. finish
    come or bring to an end
    This meant
    that he had gone back to the workshop to finish a job.
  304. eleven
    the cardinal number that is the sum of ten and one
    It said ten past eleven.
  305. leg
    a human limb
    They like to pepper
    you in the legs at about fifty yards.’
  306. knife
    edge tool used as a cutting instrument
    ‘Many’s the night when I was a boy, Danny, I’ve gone into the kitchen
    and seen my old dad lying face down on the table and Mum standing over him digging the gunshot
    pellets out of his backside with a potato-knife.’
  307. gaze
    a long fixed look
    I
    stood on the platform and gazed around me.
  308. hanging
    the act of suspending something
    My father put a match to the wick of the lamp hanging from the ceiling and the little yellow flame
    sprang up and filled the inside of the caravan with pale light.
  309. snow
    water falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
    ‘Towards the end, he was so covered in tiny little white scars he looked exactly like it was snowing.’
  310. go back
    return in thought or speech to something
    This meant
    that he had gone back to the workshop to finish a job.
  311. include
    have as a part; be made up out of
    Some have quirkier quirks and deeper secrets than
    others, but all of them, including one’s own parents, have two or three private habits hidden up their
    sleeves that would probably make you gasp if you knew about them.
  312. ask
    make a request or demand for something to somebody
    ‘You asked me where I had been,’ he said.
  313. pen
    a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
    These wealthy idiots spend huge sums of money every year buying baby pheasants
    from pheasant farms and rearing them in pens until they are big enough to be put out into the woods.
  314. teach
    impart skills or knowledge to
    It was he who
    taught me all about it.
  315. belong
    be owned by; be in the possession of
    I couldn’t believe he would go creeping
    into the woods at night to pinch valuable birds belonging to somebody else.
  316. usual
    occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
    Around six o’clock my
    father and I had supper together in the caravan as usual.
  317. watch
    look attentively
    I sat still, watching the road.
  318. kiss
    touch with the lips or press the lips (against someone's mouth or other body part) as an expression of love, greeting, etc.
    My father told me a fine
    story and kissed me good-night.
  319. mostly
    in large part; mainly or chiefly
    It’s for the vermin mostly, the foxes and stoats and weasels who go
    after the pheasants.
  320. tiny
    very small
    ‘Towards the end, he was so covered in tiny little white scars he looked exactly like it was snowing.’
  321. art
    the creation of beautiful or significant things
    ‘Poaching is an art.
  322. walk
    use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
    He took my hand in his and walked me back to the caravan in silence.
  323. run
    move fast by using one's feet
    I ran down the field to the lavatory.
  324. blame
    an accusation that one is responsible for some misdeed
    So can you blame my dad for going out
    occasionally and coming home with a bird or two for the family to eat?’
  325. corn
    tall annual cereal grass bearing kernels on large ears: widely cultivated in America in many varieties; the principal cereal in Mexico and Central and South America since pre-Columbian times
    They are guarded by keepers and fed
    twice a day on the best corn until they’re so fat they can hardly fly.
  326. trail
    a path or track
    ‘I know I shouldn’t have gone and I’m very, very sorry about it,
    but I had such a powerful yearning…’ His voice trailed away into nothingness.
  327. softly
    with little weight or force
    ‘Dad,’ I said softly.
  328. fall
    descend freely under the influence of gravity
    I fell asleep.
  329. afford
    have the financial means to do something or buy something
    Only the very rich can afford to rear pheasants just for the fun of shooting them down
    when they grow up.
  330. bit
    a small piece or quantity of something
    ‘I’m not a bit tired.
  331. starting
    appropriate to the beginning or start of an event
    ‘It’s not true,’ I said, starting to laugh.
  332. fun
    activities that are enjoyable or amusing
    Only the very rich can afford to rear pheasants just for the fun of shooting them down
    when they grow up.
  333. cap
    a tight-fitting headdress
    You’ve only got to fire a cap-pistol up in those woods and the keepers’ll be on you.’
  334. bare
    lacking its natural or customary covering
    In pyjamas and bare feet, I went down the caravan steps and crossed over to the workshop.
  335. someone
    a human being
    ‘They could go to prison for shooting someone!’
  336. desert
    leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
    There
    was a new moon in the sky and across the road the big field lay pale and deserted in the moonlight.
  337. private
    confined to particular persons or groups
    Some have quirkier quirks and deeper secrets than
    others, but all of them, including one’s own parents, have two or three private habits hidden up their
    sleeves that would probably make you gasp if you knew about them.
  338. please
    give enjoyment to
    ‘Yes, please.’
  339. Father
    God when considered as the first person in the Trinity
    My Father’s Deep Dark Secret
    Here I am at the age of nine.
  340. silence
    the state of being quiet (as when no one is speaking)
    The
    silence was deathly.
  341. sugar
    a white crystalline carbohydrate used as a sweetener
    He spooned cocoa powder and sugar into two mugs, doing it very slowly and levelling each
    spoonful as though he were measuring medicine.
  342. come back
    go back to something earlier
    ‘It means going up into the woods in the dead of night and coming back with something for the pot.
  343. occasionally
    now and then or here and there
    So can you blame my dad for going out
    occasionally and coming home with a bird or two for the family to eat?’
  344. shouted
    in a vehement outcry
    I shouted into the darkness.
  345. asleep
    in a state of sleep
    I fell asleep.
  346. valuable
    having worth or merit
    I couldn’t believe he would go creeping
    into the woods at night to pinch valuable birds belonging to somebody else.
  347. kitchen
    a room equipped for preparing meals
    ‘Many’s the night when I was a boy, Danny, I’ve gone into the kitchen
    and seen my old dad lying face down on the table and Mum standing over him digging the gunshot
    pellets out of his backside with a potato-knife.’
  348. coming
    of the relatively near future
    The footsteps were coming closer and closer.
  349. artist
    person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination
    A great poacher is a great artist.’
  350. fat
    a soft greasy substance occurring in organic tissue
    They are guarded by keepers and fed
    twice a day on the best corn until they’re so fat they can hardly fly.
  351. away
    at a distance in space or time
    Then, at last, from far away, I heard the faint tap-tap of footsteps on the road.
  352. thank you
    a conversational expression of gratitude
    ‘Fine, thank you.’
  353. down
    in a lower place or position
    In pyjamas and bare feet, I went down the caravan steps and crossed over to the workshop.
  354. close
    at or within a short distance in space or time
    They always comforted me tremendously, those noises in the night, because they told me my
    father was close at hand.
  355. yes
    an affirmative
    ‘Yes, please.’
  356. sum
    a quantity obtained by the addition of a group of numbers
    These wealthy idiots spend huge sums of money every year buying baby pheasants
    from pheasant farms and rearing them in pens until they are big enough to be put out into the woods.
  357. fill
    make full, also in a metaphorical sense
    My father put a match to the wick of the lamp hanging from the ceiling and the little yellow flame
    sprang up and filled the inside of the caravan with pale light.
  358. hear
    perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
    I could hear nothing.
  359. cross
    a marking that consists of lines that intersect each other
    In pyjamas and bare feet, I went down the caravan steps and crossed over to the workshop.
  360. field
    extensive tract of level open land
    I ran down the field to the lavatory.
  361. mine
    excavation from which ores and minerals are extracted
    I lay still, listening for the sound of my father’s
    breathing in the bunk above mine.
  362. job
    a specific piece of work required to be done as a duty
    This meant
    that he had gone back to the workshop to finish a job.
  363. spend
    pass time in a specific way
    These wealthy idiots spend huge sums of money every year buying baby pheasants
    from pheasant farms and rearing them in pens until they are big enough to be put out into the woods.
  364. family
    a group of people related to one another
    And they did it not only because they loved the sport but because they needed food for their
    families.
  365. supper
    the evening meal
    Around six o’clock my
    father and I had supper together in the caravan as usual.
  366. about
    (of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct
    Some have quirkier quirks and deeper secrets than
    others, but all of them, including one’s own parents, have two or three private habits hidden up their
    sleeves that would probably make you gasp if you knew about them.
  367. deeply
    to a great depth;far down
    Some have quirkier quirks and deeper secrets than
    others, but all of them, including one’s own parents, have two or three private habits hidden up their
    sleeves that would probably make you gasp if you knew about them.
  368. laughing
    showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness
    ‘I don’t know why I’m laughing,’ I said.
  369. boy
    a youthful male person
    When I was a boy, times were bad for a lot of people in England.
  370. for the first time
    the initial time
    I stood in the dark caravan and for the first time in my life I felt a touch of panic.
  371. older
    advanced in years; (`aged' is pronounced as two syllables)
    You will learn as you get older, just as I learned that autumn, that no father is perfect.
  372. lovely
    lovable especially in a childlike or naive way
    This gentle lovely man!
  373. above
    in or to a place that is higher
    I lay still, listening for the sound of my father’s
    breathing in the bunk above mine.
  374. excitement
    the state of being emotionally worked up
    This picture was made just before all the excitement started and I didn’t
    have a worry in the world.
  375. fly
    travel through the air; be airborne
    They are guarded by keepers and fed
    twice a day on the best corn until they’re so fat they can hardly fly.
  376. absolutely
    totally and definitely; without question
    I shone the light into his bunk to make absolutely sure he wasn’t there.
  377. maybe
    by chance
    But I reckon if my father could tell
    them to me, then maybe I can tell them to you.
  378. empty
    holding or containing nothing
    It was empty.
  379. farm
    workplace or land used for growing crops or raising animals
    These wealthy idiots spend huge sums of money every year buying baby pheasants
    from pheasant farms and rearing them in pens until they are big enough to be put out into the woods.
  380. believe
    accept as true; take to be true
    I couldn’t believe he would go creeping
    into the woods at night to pinch valuable birds belonging to somebody else.
  381. crossed
    placed crosswise
    In pyjamas and bare feet, I went down the caravan steps and crossed over to the workshop.
  382. baby
    a very young mammal
    These wealthy idiots spend huge sums of money every year buying baby pheasants
    from pheasant farms and rearing them in pens until they are big enough to be put out into the woods.
  383. just
    and nothing more
    This picture was made just before all the excitement started and I didn’t
    have a worry in the world.
  384. tree
    a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
    Just
    imagine,’ he said, leaping off the bunk and waving his mug in the air, ‘just imagine for a minute that you
    are all alone up there in the dark wood, and the wood is full of keepers hiding behind the trees and the
    keepers have guns…’
    ‘Guns!’
  385. eye
    the organ of sight
    There was a glint and a sparkle in his eyes
    now that I had never seen before.
  386. legs
    staying power
    They like to pepper
    you in the legs at about fifty yards.’
  387. gentle
    soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
    This gentle lovely man!
  388. September
    the month following August and preceding October
    It was the first Saturday of September.
  389. creature
    a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
    Grown-ups are
    complicated creatures, full of quirks and secrets.
  390. get
    come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
    You will learn as you get older, just as I learned that autumn, that no father is perfect.
  391. there
    in or at that place
    He wasn’t there, I was certain of that.
  392. deep
    having great spatial extension downward or inward
    My Father’s Deep Dark Secret
    Here I am at the age of nine.
  393. grown
    (of animals) fully developed
    Grown-ups are
    complicated creatures, full of quirks and secrets.
  394. comfort
    a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain
    They always comforted me tremendously, those noises in the night, because they told me my
    father was close at hand.
  395. lie
    be prostrate; be in a horizontal position
    ‘Many’s the night when I was a boy, Danny, I’ve gone into the kitchen
    and seen my old dad lying face down on the table and Mum standing over him digging the gunshot
    pellets out of his backside with a potato-knife.’
  396. door
    a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
    I went to the door of the caravan.
  397. going
    the act of departing
    I would need a light if I was going to find him.
  398. happen
    come to pass
    ‘I thought something awful had happened to you,’ I said.
  399. office
    place of business where professional duties are performed
    I looked in the office.
  400. half
    one of two equal parts of a divisible whole
    ‘Six miles and a half,’ my father said.
  401. come
    move toward, travel toward
    But on this night, no sound came from the workshop.
  402. take
    get into one's hands
    I took the torch from the bench in the workshop.
  403. cover
    provide with a covering or cause to be covered
    ‘Towards the end, he was so covered in tiny little white scars he looked exactly like it was snowing.’
  404. very
    being the exact same one; not any other:
    If I listened very carefully I might hear something that
    would tell me where he was.
  405. shoulder
    a ball-and-socket joint between the head of the humerus and a cavity of the scapula
    I took the blanket from my bunk and put it round my shoulders.
  406. day
    time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
    The old car we had been working on through the day was still there, but not my
    father.
  407. out
    moving or appearing to move away from a place, especially one that is enclosed or hidden
    I got out of my bunk and found a box of matches by the sink.
  408. put
    cause to be in a certain state
    I took the blanket from my bunk and put it round my shoulders.
  409. then
    at that time
    Then I went to bed.
  410. fine
    free from impurities
    My father told me a fine
    story and kissed me good-night.
  411. huge
    unusually great in amount or degree or extent or scope
    These wealthy idiots spend huge sums of money every year buying baby pheasants
    from pheasant farms and rearing them in pens until they are big enough to be put out into the woods.
  412. answer
    a statement made to reply to a question or criticism
    No answer.
  413. yellow
    yellow color or pigment
    My father put a match to the wick of the lamp hanging from the ceiling and the little yellow flame
    sprang up and filled the inside of the caravan with pale light.
  414. know
    be cognizant or aware of a fact or a piece of information
    Some have quirkier quirks and deeper secrets than
    others, but all of them, including one’s own parents, have two or three private habits hidden up their
    sleeves that would probably make you gasp if you knew about them.
  415. ten
    the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one
    It said ten past eleven.
  416. old
    having lived for a long time or attained a specific age
    You will learn as you get older, just as I learned that autumn, that no father is perfect.
  417. powerful
    having great force or effect
    ‘I know I shouldn’t have gone and I’m very, very sorry about it,
    but I had such a powerful yearning…’ His voice trailed away into nothingness.
  418. level
    a relative position or degree of value in a graded group
    He spooned cocoa powder and sugar into two mugs, doing it very slowly and levelling each
    spoonful as though he were measuring medicine.
  419. grow
    increase in size by natural process
    Only the very rich can afford to rear pheasants just for the fun of shooting them down
    when they grow up.
  420. out in
    enter a harbor
    Mind you, in those days just about every man in our village was out in the woods at night poaching
    pheasants.
  421. bottom
    the lower side of anything
    ‘ “Poacher’s bottom” they used to call it,’ my father said.
  422. box
    a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
    I got out of my bunk and found a box of matches by the sink.
  423. measure
    determine the dimensions of something or somebody
    He spooned cocoa powder and sugar into two mugs, doing it very slowly and levelling each
    spoonful as though he were measuring medicine.
  424. fifty
    the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
    They like to pepper
    you in the legs at about fifty yards.’
  425. six
    the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
    Around six o’clock my
    father and I had supper together in the caravan as usual.
  426. carefully
    taking care or paying attention
    If I listened very carefully I might hear something that
    would tell me where he was.
  427. spread
    distribute or disperse widely
    He spread
    strawberry jam thickly on a piece of bread, taking his time.
  428. call
    utter a sudden loud cry
    I called out.
  429. make
    perform or carry out
    This picture was made just before all the excitement started and I didn’t
    have a worry in the world.
  430. lose
    fail to keep or to maintain
    I caught the poaching fever from him when I was ten years old and I’ve never lost it
    since.
  431. fallen
    having dropped by the force of gravity
    In which case, I thought, he must have fainted suddenly from some awful illness or fallen down and
    banged his head.
  432. a lot
    to a very great degree or extent
    When I was a boy, times were bad for a lot of people in England.
  433. lying
    the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
    ‘Many’s the night when I was a boy, Danny, I’ve gone into the kitchen
    and seen my old dad lying face down on the table and Mum standing over him digging the gunshot
    pellets out of his backside with a potato-knife.’
  434. nine
    the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
    My Father’s Deep Dark Secret
    Here I am at the age of nine.
  435. drink
    take in liquids
    ‘How about a hot drink?’ he said.
  436. guard
    watch over or shield from danger or harm
    They are guarded by keepers and fed
    twice a day on the best corn until they’re so fat they can hardly fly.
  437. search
    look or seek
    I went around and searched behind the office and behind the workshop.
  438. up to
    busy or occupied with
    I struck one and held it up to the funny
    old clock that hung on the wall above the kettle.
  439. inside
    relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space
    My father put a match to the wick of the lamp hanging from the ceiling and the little yellow flame
    sprang up and filled the inside of the caravan with pale light.
  440. own
    belonging to or on behalf of a specified person
    Some have quirkier quirks and deeper secrets than
    others, but all of them, including one’s own parents, have two or three private habits hidden up their
    sleeves that would probably make you gasp if you knew about them.
  441. whole
    all of something, including all of its elements or parts
    ‘I am going to let you in on the deepest darkest secret of my
    whole life.’
  442. needed
    necessary for relief or supply
    And they did it not only because they loved the sport but because they needed food for their
    families.
  443. lay
    put into a certain place
    I lay still, listening for the sound of my father’s
    breathing in the bunk above mine.
  444. thank
    express gratitude or show appreciation to
    ‘Fine, thank you.’
  445. buy
    obtain by purchase
    These wealthy idiots spend huge sums of money every year buying baby pheasants
    from pheasant farms and rearing them in pens until they are big enough to be put out into the woods.
  446. need
    require or want
    I would need a light if I was going to find him.
  447. never
    not ever; at no time in the past or future
    I was sure he would never willingly have left me alone in
    the filling-station at night.
  448. exactly
    indicating preciseness
    ‘Towards the end, he was so covered in tiny little white scars he looked exactly like it was snowing.’
  449. touch
    make physical contact with, come in contact with
    I stood in the dark caravan and for the first time in my life I felt a touch of panic.
  450. sky
    the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
    There
    was a new moon in the sky and across the road the big field lay pale and deserted in the moonlight.
  451. of course
    as might be expected
    ‘Of course not.
  452. man
    an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
    This gentle lovely man!
  453. making
    the act that results in something coming to be
    My father got out the bread-tin and the butter and cheese and started making sandwiches.
  454. escape
    run away from confinement
    Only when you’re trying to escape.
  455. will
    the capability of conscious choice and decision
    You will learn as you get older, just as I learned that autumn, that no father is perfect.
  456. alone
    isolated from others
    I was sure he would never willingly have left me alone in
    the filling-station at night.
  457. eat
    take in solid food
    So can you blame my dad for going out
    occasionally and coming home with a bird or two for the family to eat?’
  458. minute
    a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
    Just
    imagine,’ he said, leaping off the bunk and waving his mug in the air, ‘just imagine for a minute that you
    are all alone up there in the dark wood, and the wood is full of keepers hiding behind the trees and the
    keepers have guns…’
    ‘Guns!’
  459. earth
    the third planet from the sun
    ‘What on earth’s the matter?’
  460. sitting
    the act of assuming or maintaining a seated position
    I was sitting up in my bunk watching my father.
  461. usually
    under normal conditions
    But you don’t usually wake up, do you?’
  462. spot
    a point located with respect to surface features of some region
    But they’ll always take a pot at a poacher, too, if they spot him.’
  463. look
    perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
    I looked in the office.
  464. look at
    look at carefully; study mentally
    ‘We don’t look at it that way,’ my father said.
  465. silent
    marked by absence of sound
    The filling-station was silent.
  466. decided
    recognizable; marked
    ‘I have decided something,’ he said.
  467. still
    not in physical motion
    I lay still, listening for the sound of my father’s
    breathing in the bunk above mine.
  468. always
    at all times; all the time and on every occasion
    They always comforted me tremendously, those noises in the night, because they told me my
    father was close at hand.
  469. Here
    queen of the Olympian gods in ancient Greek mythology
    My Father’s Deep Dark Secret
    Here I am at the age of nine.
  470. like
    having the same or similar characteristics
    Yet a few miles away in the rich man’s wood,
    thousands of pheasants were being fed like kings twice a day.
  471. truth
    a factual statement
    ‘The truth is I was up in Hazell’s Wood.’
  472. lot
    anything (straws or pebbles etc.) taken or chosen at random
    When I was a boy, times were bad for a lot of people in England.
  473. but
    and nothing more
    Some have quirkier quirks and deeper secrets than
    others, but all of them, including one’s own parents, have two or three private habits hidden up their
    sleeves that would probably make you gasp if you knew about them.
  474. sure
    having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty
    I was sure he would never willingly have left me alone in
    the filling-station at night.
  475. covered
    overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form
    ‘Towards the end, he was so covered in tiny little white scars he looked exactly like it was snowing.’
  476. only
    without any others being included or involved
    And they did it not only because they loved the sport but because they needed food for their
    families.
  477. piece
    a separate part of a whole
    He spread
    strawberry jam thickly on a piece of bread, taking his time.
  478. hot
    having a high or higher than desirable temperature
    ‘How about a hot drink?’ he said.
  479. all
    entirely or completely
    This picture was made just before all the excitement started and I didn’t
    have a worry in the world.
  480. picture
    a visual representation produced on a surface
    This picture was made just before all the excitement started and I didn’t
    have a worry in the world.
  481. point
    a distinguishing or individuating characteristic
    ‘You’ve missed the point, Danny boy!
  482. perfect
    being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
    You will learn as you get older, just as I learned that autumn, that no father is perfect.
  483. working
    a mine or quarry that is being or has been worked
    The old car we had been working on through the day was still there, but not my
    father.
  484. spring
    move forward by leaps and bounds
    My father put a match to the wick of the lamp hanging from the ceiling and the little yellow flame
    sprang up and filled the inside of the caravan with pale light.
  485. loved
    held dear
    And they did it not only because they loved the sport but because they needed food for their
    families.
  486. appear
    come into sight or view
    Then out of the mist a figure appeared.
  487. back
    the posterior part of a human (or animal) body
    This meant
    that he had gone back to the workshop to finish a job.
  488. out of
    motivated by
    I got out of my bunk and found a box of matches by the sink.
  489. struck
    (used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
    I struck one and held it up to the funny
    old clock that hung on the wall above the kettle.
  490. filled
    generously supplied with
    My father put a match to the wick of the lamp hanging from the ceiling and the little yellow flame
    sprang up and filled the inside of the caravan with pale light.
  491. full
    containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
    Grown-ups are
    complicated creatures, full of quirks and secrets.
  492. learned
    having or showing profound knowledge
    You will learn as you get older, just as I learned that autumn, that no father is perfect.
  493. way
    how something is done or how it happens
    The filling-station was
    a long way from the nearest farmhouse.
  494. just as
    at the same time as
    You will learn as you get older, just as I learned that autumn, that no father is perfect.
  495. little
    limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude
    I listened for the usual workshop sounds, the little clinking noises of metal against metal or the tap of
    a hammer.
  496. hand
    the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
    They always comforted me tremendously, those noises in the night, because they told me my
    father was close at hand.
  497. lead
    take somebody somewhere
    The rest of this book is about a most private and secret habit my father had, and about the strange
    adventures it led us both into.
  498. slowly
    without speed
    He spooned cocoa powder and sugar into two mugs, doing it very slowly and levelling each
    spoonful as though he were measuring medicine.
  499. book
    an object consisting of a number of pages bound together
    The rest of this book is about a most private and secret habit my father had, and about the strange
    adventures it led us both into.
  500. figure
    alternate name for the body of a human being
    Then out of the mist a figure appeared.
  501. trying
    hard to endure
    Only when you’re trying to escape.
  502. used to
    in the habit
    ‘ “Poacher’s bottom” they used to call it,’ my father said.
  503. let
    actively cause something to happen
    ‘I am going to let you in on the deepest darkest secret of my
    whole life.’
  504. hardly
    almost not
    They are guarded by keepers and fed
    twice a day on the best corn until they’re so fat they can hardly fly.
  505. standing
    status or reputation
    ‘Many’s the night when I was a boy, Danny, I’ve gone into the kitchen
    and seen my old dad lying face down on the table and Mum standing over him digging the gunshot
    pellets out of his backside with a potato-knife.’
  506. wall
    an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
    I struck one and held it up to the funny
    old clock that hung on the wall above the kettle.
  507. outside
    the region that is outside of something
    There was a small wooden platform outside the caravan door, about four feet above the ground.
  508. are
    a unit of surface area equal to 100 square meters
    Grown-ups are
    complicated creatures, full of quirks and secrets.
  509. king
    a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
    Yet a few miles away in the rich man’s wood,
    thousands of pheasants were being fed like kings twice a day.
  510. want
    the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable
    I wanted to keep listening all the time.
  511. course
    a connected series of events or actions or developments
    ‘Of course not.
  512. food
    any substance that can be metabolized by an animal
    And they did it not only because they loved the sport but because they needed food for their
    families.
  513. end
    either extremity of something that has length
    Then he fetched his
    own and sat with it at the end of my bunk.
Created on Sun Oct 02 12:28:06 EDT 2011

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