Crispin: The Cross of Lead: Chapters 1–20

by Avi
After being accused of theft, orphan Crispin is on the run in medieval England. As he crosses the country and evades his enemies, he discovers a startling secret about his true identity.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–20, Chapters 21–40, Chapters 41–58

Here is a link to our lists for Nothing But the Truth by Avi.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. steward
    someone who manages property or affairs for someone else
    No sooner did we cover my mother's remains with heavy earth than John Aycliffe, the steward of the manor, appeared outside the cemetery walls.
  2. deign
    do something that one considers to be below one's dignity
    When he deigned to look in my direction, he offered nothing but contempt. For me to pass near was to invite his scorn, his kicks, and sometimes, his blows.
  3. transgression
    the violation of a law or a duty or moral principle
    To be caught in some small transgression—missing a day of work, speaking harshly of his rule, failing to attend mass—brought an unforgiving penalty.
  4. welt
    a raised mark on the skin
    Putting a hand to my forehead, I felt a welt and a crust of hardened blood.
  5. minion
    a servile or fawning dependent
    Night was a mask for outlaws, hungry wolves, the Devil and his minions.
  6. jibe
    an aggressive remark directed at a person
    As “Asta’s son,” I was oft the butt of jests, jibes, and relentless hounding.
  7. plight
    a situation from which extrication is difficult
    There was little my mother or I could do about our plight. We were not slaves. But neither were we free.
  8. serf
    (Middle Ages) a person who is bound to the land and owned by the feudal lord
    The steward, John Aycliffe, never lost an opportunity to remind us of the fact that we were villeins—serfs—bound to Furnival, Lord of Stromford Village.
  9. mercenary
    profit oriented
    Yet this Lord Furnival had fought in France or had been off to mercenary wars for so many years that most villagers, including myself, had never set eyes on him.
  10. untoward
    not in keeping with accepted standards of what is proper
    It seemed my best course of action would be to return to my home and act as though nothing untoward had occurred.
  11. bailiff
    officer of the court employed to execute writs and processes
    I was just about to emerge from the woods and run toward our hut when I caught sight of the bailiff, Roger Kinsworthy, and the reeve, Odo Langland.
  12. meander
    move or cause to move in a winding or curving course
    To the west meandered the river Strom, glittering like a silver ribbon in the golden sun.
  13. infidel
    a person who does not acknowledge your god
    And Lord Furnival protected us from the Scots, the French, the Danes, and the wicked infidels.
  14. strident
    unpleasantly loud and harsh
    The church bell began to ring. It was not the slow, rhythmic pealing that announced the canonical hours, but a strident, urgent clamor, a call to important news.
  15. skittish
    unpredictably excitable, especially of horses
    Then he said, “Do I think that Asta’s son, a boy of thirteen—who’s as skittish as a new chick—entered the steward’s home, broke into the money chest, and ran off into the forest?
  16. tonsure
    shaving the crown of the head by priests or monks
    Frail from his many years, Father Quinel had served in Stromford his entire life. Now he was small and wizened, with sparse gray tonsured hair.
  17. tallow
    a hard substance used for making soap and candles
    Below Him—on the altar—stood the fat tallow candle, whose constant fluttering flame shed some light upon the white walls of painted lime.
  18. genuflect
    bend the knees and bow before a religious superior or image
    Near the altar the priest genuflected. I did the same. Then we knelt, facing each other.
  19. scrutinize
    look at critically or searchingly, or in minute detail
    Concerned that I had been observed, I stood still and scrutinized the place where I’d seen movement.
  20. crone
    an ugly, evil-looking old woman
    The old crone’s cottage, like most other Stromford dwellings, was built with a few timbers.
  21. implore
    beg or request earnestly and urgently
    Terrified, I made a short and desperate prayer to Saint Giles, imploring his blessings on the priest and on myself.
  22. forage
    collect or look around for, as food
    I had gone for but a short time when I realized I’d lost the sack of food Goodwife Peregrine had given me. I halted, even considered going back to find it, but knew that would be folly. I’d have to forage as I went.
  23. besiege
    cause to feel distressed or worried
    Late that day, besieged by fears, very lonely and quite famished, I fell to my knees and prayed with deep-hearted, sobbing words.
  24. distend
    cause to expand as if by internal pressure
    One eye bulged grotesquely. The other was not there. His body oozed from open wounds. Swollen legs and arms flopped with distended disjointedness.
  25. pillage
    steal goods; take as spoils
    I can give no explanation how I came to this understanding, save that I did not want to become the blighted man who dangled before me, pillaged by the birds.
  26. hamlet
    a community of people smaller than a village
    It was a cluster of cottages, and, taller than the rest, a church of stone. At first glance it seemed as if the hamlet contained fewer dwellings than my own Stromford.
  27. trepidation
    a feeling of alarm or dread
    My skin crawled with trepidation.
  28. pestilence
    any epidemic disease with a high death rate
    In Stromford there had been much talk of this devastating pestilence, “the Great Mortality,” as it was called. Our village had lost more than half its inhabitants, some by death, others by a desperate fleeing.
  29. blight
    a state or condition being devastated or run-down
    The cause of this blight was well known: God had sent it as punishment for our sins.
  30. abide
    dwell
    But when the voice sang out again—and I realized it was coming from the abandoned church—I told myself that a church was an unlikely place for evil spirits to abide.
  31. raucous
    disturbing the public peace; loud and rough
    Instead, he was singing raucously while beating a small drum with his massive hands.
  32. wily
    marked by skill in deception
    Compared to the rest of him, these eyes were small and wet. Old pig’s eyes, I thought, shrewd and wily.
  33. unkempt
    not properly maintained or cared for
    Your tunic is equal parts dirt, rags, and rents. Your face is scratched and mucked as are your naked arms and legs. Your hair is long and unkempt. I can barely count your fingers for the caked filth.
  34. treason
    a crime that undermines the offender's government
    “It sounds like . . . treason,” I said, only to instantly regret my words.
  35. tyranny
    government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator
    “So be it. I hate all tyranny. Is that treason, too?”
  36. prudence
    knowing how to avoid embarrassment or distress
    My hunger was so great that whatever prudence I might have had, I put aside.
  37. belie
    be in contradiction with
    The moment I did, his free hand shot out, and with a speed that belied his bulk, he grabbed me by my wrist and held me with the strength of stone.
  38. warily
    in a manner marked by keen caution and watchful prudence
    Fearing what sudden thing he might do next, I watched him warily.
  39. lament
    regret strongly
    Inwardly lamenting my fate, I lifted the sack and began my life as servant to the Bear.
  40. snarl
    utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
    “Don’t worry. It’s far more than any man—except the royal tax collectors—can count. And don’t call me sir,” he snarled.
Created on Wed Jan 20 19:38:51 EST 2016 (updated Thu Sep 20 12:04:18 EDT 2018)

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