Vocabulary

never; not at all

to pick at; to peck at

blunt; curt; brusque

modest; reserved; quiet; humble

to take a pinch of something (e.g. salt); to pick up in one's fingers

to be lured; to be enticed; to be drawn in; to be caught up in

briskly; quickly; promptly

confusion; disturbance; commotion; chaos; disorder

because

to make (one's heart) beat fast (with excitement, etc.); to flutter; to pound

carefully; thoroughly; fully; deliberately

asking for the moon; asking for the impossible; asking for too much; thinking the grass is greener on the other side of the fence

coil

at once; right away; promptly; quickly; right now; this instant

completely; fully; entirely

endless; ceaseless

apt to (do); liable to; prone to

thuddingly; plumping down (like a heavy weight)

noisily; with loud footsteps

gaudy; loud; garish; intense; harsh; extreme

flurried; flustered; upset; nervous; embarrassed

far from; anything but; not at all ... but rather ...; not ..., on the contrary, ...; instead of; rather than

with a thump; floppingly

heaps; a lot; plenty; oodles

anyway; either way; one way or the other; whichever; whatever

anyway; anyhow; at any rate; in any case

dark; gloomy; overcast; gray

blunt (e.g. sword); dull

to become muddy; to become slushy

to become muddy

roost; nest

going bye-byes; going beddy-byes; sleeping

nonchalantly; without a care

idly; lazily; aimlessly

idly; lazily; aimlessly

to dodge (e.g. a question); to evade; to sidestep

smart; clever; sharp; shrewd

to flutter (e.g. a flag); to wave

to splash; to splatter

granny; grandma; gran