Summer of the Monkeys: Chapters 14–19

by Wilson Rawls
When 14-year-old Jay Berry Lee learned that there was a big reward for the return of the monkeys he and his hound Rowdy had discovered in the Ozark Mountains of Oklahoma, he was determined to catch them and win the reward for his family. He learned a lot about monkeys that summer, but it was the greater lessons about life and family that mattered the most.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–2, Chapters 3–5, Chapters 6–8, Chapters 9–13, Chapters 14–19
15 words 32 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. dowry
    money brought by a woman to her husband at marriage
    “Luann and Johnnie were such a nice young couple and so well liked that people from all over the hills started making up a dowry for them.”
  2. pitiful
    deserving or inciting compassion
    For several seconds, I didn’t hear a thing. Then I heard the low, pitiful cry.
  3. telegram
    message sent by a device that communicates over a wire
    “If it would help any, I could send a telegram over there soon as I get back to town.”
  4. flabbergasted
    as if struck dumb with astonishment and surprise
    Grandpa was flabbergasted.
  5. argument
    a dispute where there is strong disagreement
    It seemed that every Bible-reading night, Daisy and I got into an argument.
  6. glossy
    reflecting light
    His coat was so glossy it glistened in the sun.
  7. tendon
    a band of tissue connecting a muscle to its bony attachment
    “I know that pony has a cut on its leg,” he said. “She got it caught in a barb-wire fence, but it’s not as bad as you think. The tendon hasn’t been hurt at all. With the right kind of doctoring, that pony will be as good as new in four or five weeks.”
  8. nicker
    make a soft sound characteristic of a horse
    She nibbled at my clothes. Once she even nickered. She seemed to be begging me to take her.
  9. kingfisher
    a colorful bird with a short tail and long, sharp bill
    From down in the bottoms I heard the shrill call of a bobwhite and the clammering cry of a kingfisher in flight.
  10. unbearable
    incapable of being put up with
    The days got longer and longer, and the nights were almost unbearable.
  11. operation
    a medical procedure involving an incision with instruments
    The doctor told Mama that he felt sure the operation had been successful.
  12. eerie
    suggestive of the supernatural; mysterious
    In one of the big red oaks, a small screech owl started his eerie twitter.
  13. bridle
    headgear for a horse
    “Daisy,” I said, “do you want me to get a bridle and put it on her? You can be the first to ride her.”
  14. wasteland
    an uninhabited wilderness that is worthless for cultivation
    I was still a boy when I left the Ozarks, only sixteen years old. Since that day, I’ve left my footprints in many lands: the frozen wastelands of the Arctic, the bush country of Old Mexico, and the steaming jungles of Yucatán.
  15. regardless
    in spite of everything
    I can truthfully say that, regardless of where I have roamed or wandered, I have always looked for the fairy ring. I have never found one, but I’ll keep looking and hoping.
Created on Fri Dec 05 18:31:35 EST 2025 (updated Fri Jan 09 18:29:30 EST 2026)

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