The Wishing Spell: Chapters 12–18

by Chris Colfer
In the first volume of the popular The Land of Stories series, siblings Alex and Conner are magically transported into the world of fairy tales.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Chapter 3, Chapters 4–7, Chapters 8–11, Chapters 12–18, Chapters 19–24
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. profusely
    in very large amounts or quantities; extremely
    They were covered in dirt and cobwebs and were breathing hard and sweating profusely; it had been so stuffy in the tunnel.
  2. manicure
    trim carefully and neatly
    All the trees and fields were perfectly manicured and inviting.
  3. provoke
    annoy continually or chronically
    “I turned his wings into prune leaves,” the fairy said, and cried some more. “It was only for a moment! I turned them back! But he was provoking me! He kept teasing me about my size!”
  4. mirage
    optical illusion in which hot air distorts distant objects
    Everything in the distance seemed to sparkle. They thought it was a mirage at first, but the closer they got, they saw that the trees, the grass, and the path all shined and shimmered in the sunlight.
  5. shabby
    showing signs of wear and tear
    “Not too shabby,” Conner said.
  6. altercation
    a noisy, angry argument or fight between people
    She was gracious but authoritative, someone the twins would definitely want in their corner during an altercation.
  7. imposing
    befitting an important, distinguished, or powerful person
    They all gasped except for Emerelda, who kept her calm and imposing demeanor.
  8. demeanor
    the way a person behaves toward other people
    They all gasped except for Emerelda, who kept her calm and imposing demeanor.
  9. outraged
    angered at something unjust or wrong
    The council continued to be outraged by this outburst. Many members didn’t want to tolerate it and tried to leave.
  10. stoic
    seeming unaffected by pleasure or pain; impassive
    Although they held their stoic expressions, the council was secretly ashamed of themselves.
  11. unscathed
    not injured
    “There are two children traveling through the kingdoms, one boy and one girl—twins. I want you to find them and bring them to me unscathed.”
  12. indisposed
    somewhat ill or prone to illness
    “I would do it myself, but I’m indisposed at the moment.”
  13. dismal
    causing dejection
    It was a surprisingly dismal land, although the twins weren’t sure what they had expected. All the fields were dry, and all the trees were bare.
  14. residue
    matter that remains after something has been removed
    When the twins looked closely, they saw the residue left from the vines that had once grown up the castle walls.
  15. oppressive
    marked by unjust severity or arbitrary behavior
    “I will not force something so oppressive on my people. Let us not forget that this isn’t their fault.”
  16. accountable
    responsible for one's actions
    “I may be awake, but being asleep for one hundred years has taken a toll on them. They shouldn’t be punished or held accountable for any of this.”
  17. stunt
    check the growth or development of
    “Never mind. I’ve been told it stunts your growth, anyway,” he said.
  18. sentimental
    marked by tender, romantic, or nostalgic emotion
    “All I’m going to ask in return is that you also return it when you’re done,” Sleeping Beauty said, and handed it to Alex. “As I’m sure you can imagine, it has sentimental value for me.”
  19. surveillance
    close observation of a person or group
    “It’s because of the Evil Queen,” Alex said. “I doubt there was this much surveillance when the man from the journal came.”
  20. parchment
    a superior paper resembling sheepskin
    Alex was going through a stack of parchments. She found interesting handwritten letters among them that she couldn’t help but read.
  21. grizzled
    having gray or partially gray hair
    Conner pulled a large portrait out from the stack. It was of a tall, grizzled man with a bushy, brown beard.
  22. distinctive
    of a feature that helps to identify a person or thing
    It was the woman they had seen in Red Riding Hood’s castle; her features and hair color were too distinctive for it not to be.
  23. digest
    arrange and integrate in the mind
    Alex sat on the ground next to her brother and cried with him. It was so much to take on, so much to digest.
  24. pry
    move or force in an effort to get something open
    He used a pick that had been left on the table to pry a few of the jewels loose from the coffin and placed them in Alex’s bag.
  25. stalactite
    a cylinder of calcium carbonate hanging from a cave roof
    The track led them through a giant cave with stalactites pointing toward stalagmites and a large pool of water at the very bottom.
  26. stalagmite
    a cylinder of calcium carbonate projecting from a cave floor
    The track led them through a giant cave with stalactites pointing toward stalagmites and a large pool of water at the very bottom.
  27. brace
    prepare for something unpleasant or difficult
    The twins ducked as low as they could in the mine cart, bracing themselves for the traumatic injuries they were about to receive.
  28. shard
    a broken piece of a brittle artifact
    She forcefully hit the slipper against the floor of the cart and broke it into three pieces. She used one of the shards to cut her and her brother loose.
  29. plummet
    drop sharply
    The twins plummeted into the ocean.
  30. repercussion
    a remote or indirect consequence of some action
    In doing so, they were breaking laws that the Happily Ever After Assembly had enacted, but then again, Goldilocks had broken so many laws she had lost count, so she doubted the soldiers would experience any repercussions for it.
  31. delicate
    marked by great skill especially in meticulous technique
    It was a beautiful bright blue gown with delicate stitching.
  32. ruffle
    fluff up
    She let her hair down and ruffled it up a bit.
  33. entity
    that which is perceived to have its own distinct existence
    She didn’t even feel human anymore; she felt like an entity made of pure anger.
  34. frothy
    emitting or filled with bubbles
    “I hope you are well,” the sea foam spirit said. She was frothy, and her foam was constantly rejuvenating itself.
  35. rejuvenate
    return to life; get or give new life or energy
    “I hope you are well,” the sea foam spirit said. She was frothy, and her foam was constantly rejuvenating itself.
Created on Sat Aug 10 11:29:35 EDT 2019 (updated Tue Aug 13 14:14:53 EDT 2019)

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