72 words to know before reading A Little Princess

1. Tiny openings in the skin or surface of a material.
2. Microscopic holes in rocks or soil.

told—how much more really happened than there is in the book one holds in one’s hand and pores over. Stories are something like letters. When a letter is written, how often one remembers

1. Left out or excluded from something.
2. Not mentioned or taken into account.

Stories are something like letters. When a letter is written, how often one remembers things omitted and says, “Ah, why did I not tell them that?” In writing a book one relates all that one

1. A town in Cheshire, England, known for its railway history.
2. A surname of English origin.

moment she was remembering the voyage she had just made from Bombay with her father, Captain Crewe. She was thinking of the big ship, of the Lascars passing silently to and fro on it, of the

1. A small room or kitchen area for washing dishes and other dirty household work.
2. A historical term for a domestic kitchen or pantry in large houses.

a Sleeping Beauty at all. She looked only like an ugly, stunted, worn-out little scullery drudge. Sara seemed as much unlike her as if she were a creature from another world. On this

1. A female domestic servant who cleans and maintains a household.
2. A young unmarried woman (archaic or poetic).

girl whose name was Lottie, who was an amusing little person; there was a hungry scullery-maid who was Sara’s adoring friend; Ermengarde was much more entertaining than she had seemed at

1. A small, cramped room or attic, often used as a living space.
2. Historically, a watchtower or lookout post.

Ermengarde was much more entertaining than she had seemed at first; things happened in the garret which had never been hinted at in the book; and a certain gentleman whose name was Melchisedec

1. Used as a reflexive pronoun to refer to a group previously mentioned.
2. Used for emphasis to refer to a group previously mentioned.

and Lottie lived at Miss Minchin’s, and I cannot understand why they did not mention themselves to me at first. They were as real as Sara, and it was careless of them not to come out of the

1. Moving or standing in a lazy, drooping, or relaxed manner.
2. To sit, stand, or walk with a slumped or hunched posture.

say, “Hallo, what about me?” If they don’t, no one can be blamed but themselves and their slouching, idle ways. After the play of A Little Princess was produced in New York, and so many children

1. Relating to sexual or gender identities that are not heterosexual or cisgender.
2. Strange, odd, or unconventional.

her talk to them and laugh at the things she said. Principally, she was thinking of what a queer thing it was that at one time one was in India in the blazing sun, and then in the middle of the

1. Serious and dignified in manner or behavior.
2. Deeply sincere or earnest.

no one to say solemn things to me? No one else is quite as solemn as you are.” “But why do solemn things make you laugh so?” inquired Sara. “Because you are such fun when you say them,” he

1. A delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern.
2. A cord or string used to fasten shoes or clothing.

to a children’s outfitter’s shop, and measured for a wardrobe as grand as Sara’s own. She had lace frocks, too, and velvet and muslin ones, and hats and coats and beautiful lace-trimmed

1. The short hairs that grow along the edges of the eyelids.
2. Natural protective barriers for the eyes against dust and debris.

hair mingled with it, both of them had lace-ruffled nightgowns, and both had long eyelashes which lay and curled up on their cheeks. Emily looked so like a real child that Captain Crewe

1. A congenital absence of one or more limbs at birth.
2. A given name of Latin origin meaning "work" or "industrious."

was sitting by her, and she looked after it, too. When Miss Minchin sent her sister, Miss Amelia, to see what the child was doing, she found she could not open the door. “I have locked it,” said

1. A student in school or under a teacher's guidance.
2. The dark circular opening in the center of the iris of the eye.

“Silence at once!” And she began from that minute to feel rather a grudge against her show pupil.

1. Decorative edges or embellishments on clothing or fabric.
2. Unnecessary or showy additions that serve no practical purpose.

which had arrived late from some shop. “It was full of petticoats with lace frills on them—frills and frills,” she whispered to her friend Jessie as she bent over her geography. “I saw her

1. Informal term for mother.
2. (Anatomy) Milk-secreting gland in female mammals.

she learned why she had said it. She discovered that she said the same thing to each papa and mamma who brought a child to her school. Sara stood near her father and listened while he and Miss

1. Students in a school or under a teacher's guidance.
2. The dark circular openings in the center of the eyes that regulate light entry.

After Sara had sat in her seat in the schoolroom for a few minutes, being looked at by the pupils, Miss Minchin rapped in a dignified manner upon her desk. “Young ladies,” she said, “I wish to

1. A French title of respect for a man, equivalent to "Mr." or "sir."
2. Used as a polite form of address for a man in French-speaking contexts.

“the brother.” “When Monsieur Dufarge comes,” she thought, “I can make him understand.” Monsieur Dufarge arrived very shortly afterward. He was a very nice, intelligent, middle-aged Frenchman,

1. A title of respect for a woman, equivalent to "Mrs." or "Madam."
2. Used to address or refer to a woman in a formal or polite manner.

as soon as she spoke. She began to explain quite simply in pretty and fluent French. Madame had not understood. She had not learned French exactly—not out of books—but her papa and other

1. A narrow strip of fabric used for decoration or tying.
2. An award or honor in the form of a colored strip.

with a ribbon, and she had pulled this pigtail round her neck, and was biting the end of the ribbon, resting her elbows on the desk, as she stared wonderingly at the new pupil. When Monsieur

1. Used to emphasize a statement or response.
2. Truly or certainly (often expressing agreement).

her as if she was thanking a lady. “Elle a l’air d’une princesse, cette petite,” she said. Indeed, she was very much pleased with her new little mistress and liked her place greatly. After Sara

1. A person one knows slightly but not as a close friend.
2. Knowledge or experience of something.

them, she did not understand them. So it was natural that, having made Sara’s acquaintance, she should sit and stare at her with profound admiration. “You can speak French, can’t you?” she

1. A long journey involving travel by sea or in space.
2. The act or process of traveling from one place to another.

and contradictory stories. A new pupil with a carriage and a pony and a maid, and a voyage from India to discuss, was not an ordinary acquaintance. “My name’s Ermengarde St. John,” she

1. Sought knowledge or details.
2. Made a formal request or investigation.

No one else is quite as solemn as you are.” “But why do solemn things make you laugh so?” inquired Sara. “Because you are such fun when you say them,” he answered, laughing still more. And then

1. A school for training priests, ministers, or rabbis.
2. A place of education, especially for religious instruction.

a little. She knew that it would be far from behaving like a respectable child at a select seminary to say that it had never occurred to you that you could love your father, that you would do

1. The cardinal number following fifteen and preceding seventeen.
2. The age at which many individuals gain certain legal rights.

“Dear me!” said Lavinia; “how we can calculate!” In fact, it was not to be denied that sixteen and four made twenty—and twenty was an age the most daring were scarcely bold enough to dream

1. Past tense of 'howl,' meaning a loud, prolonged cry or sound, often by a dog or wolf.
2. Made a wailing noise, like wind or a siren.

screamed Miss Amelia. “Do stop, darling! Don’t cry! Please don’t!” “Oh! oh! oh!” Lottie howled tempestuously. “Haven’t—got—any—mam—ma-a!” “She ought to be whipped,” Miss Minchin

1. Loud cries or lamentations expressing grief or pain.
2. A software framework for building desktop applications using Go and web technologies.

a sitting-room, she heard both Miss Minchin and Miss Amelia trying to suppress the angry wails of some child who, evidently, refused to be silenced. She refused so strenuously indeed that Miss

1. Feeling fear or scared.
2. Afraid or alarmed by something.

than she had been when she peeped through the area railings, but she looked just as frightened. She was evidently afraid to look at the children or seem to be listening. She put on pieces of

1. Generosity in giving gifts or money.
2. The gifts or money given generously.

just as happy as if it was largess. I’ll pretend that to do things people like is scattering largess. I’ve scattered largess.”

1. Laughed lightly in a silly or nervous way.
2. Made a series of short, high-pitched sounds while laughing.

smile in spite of himself, and Lavinia and Jessie and the more fortunate girls either giggled or looked at her in wondering disdain. But Sara did not laugh. She tried to look as if she did

1. A unit of currency in Turkey, equal to 100 kuruş.
2. Informal term for "year" in some dialects or contexts.

wages. She made a sound like a big breathless sob. “Oh, miss! Oh, miss!” she stuttered. “I arst yer pardon, miss! Oh, I do, miss!” Sara jumped down, and came quite close to her. “Don’t be

1. Informal term for wife or female partner.
2. Colloquial address for a married woman.

here, I dare say she would give me some solemn, good advice. You would, wouldn’t you, little missus?” One of his many jokes had been to call her his “little missus” because she had such an

1. The space or room at the top of a house, under the roof, often used for storage.
2. Relating to Attica or Athens, especially in ancient times.

frock, climbing the stairs to the attic, was quite a different creature. When she reached the attic door and opened it, her heart gave a dreary little thump. Then she shut the door and stood

1. Barely; almost not at all.
2. Only just; by a very small margin.

left alone in his society for ten minutes. She was, indeed, greatly embarrassed. “I—I scarcely ever see him,” she stammered. “He is always in the library—reading things.” “I love mine more

1. Located on a lower floor of a building.
2. Toward or on a lower floor.

the better-natured person of the two, but she never disobeyed Miss Minchin. She went downstairs again, looking almost alarmed. “I never saw such a funny, old-fashioned child, sister,” she said.

1. A piece of fabric worn over the shoulders or head for warmth or fashion.
2. A large rectangular or square cloth draped around the body.

the floor together, Sara clasping her knees with her arms, and Ermengarde rolled up in her shawl. Ermengarde looked at the odd, big-eyed little face adoringly. “I couldn’t bear it any more,” she

1. Spoken very softly using one's breath without vocal cords.
2. Communicated in a quiet, secretive, or confidential manner.

and looking down into her face. “What is Sara thinking of?” “Is this the place?” Sara whispered, cuddling still closer to him. “Is it, papa?” “Yes, little Sara, it is. We have reached it at

1. A vertical structure for venting smoke from a fireplace or furnace.
2. A narrow opening or passage, often in rock formations.

at home there, twittered and hopped about quite without fear. Two of them perched on the chimney-top nearest and quarrelled with each other fiercely until one pecked the other and drove him

1. A small, common songbird with brown and gray plumage.
2. Any of various small birds resembling the true sparrow.

this rat if he wanted to be a rat when he was made. Nobody said, ‘Wouldn’t you rather be a sparrow?’ ” She had sat so quietly that the rat had begun to take courage. He was very much afraid of

1. Small fragments of bread, cake, or other baked goods.
2. Tiny pieces or bits of something.

whether he dare. Yes, he will! Yes, he is coming!” He flew down and hopped toward the crumbs, but stopped a few inches away from them, putting his head on one side again, as if reflecting on

1. Worn out or in poor condition from use or age.
2. Dressed in old or worn-out clothes.

and such a darling little round head covered with curls, that Sara forgot her basket and shabby cloak altogether—in fact, forgot everything but that she wanted to look at him for a moment. So

1. Having a pink or reddish color, like a rose.
2. Optimistic or hopeful; bright and positive.

know that they looked so because she was hungry for the warm, merry life his home held and his rosy face spoke of, and that she had a hungry wish to snatch him in her arms and kiss him. He only

1. A given name of Latin origin meaning "bright" or "clear."
2. A type of four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage, popular in the 19th century.

and Rosalind Gladys, in white-lace frocks and lovely sashes, had just got in, and Guy Clarence, aged five, was following them. He was such a pretty fellow and had such rosy cheeks and blue

1. A hard surface covering a road or sidewalk, typically made of concrete or asphalt.
2. The sidewalk or footpath beside a road for pedestrians.

and furs and looking very much grander than she knew, she caught sight, as she crossed the pavement, of a dingy little figure standing on the area steps, and stretching its neck so that its

1. A former British coin worth six pennies (½ of a shilling).
2. A small amount of money.

a story, and he had burned with a desire to find such a poor child and give her a certain sixpence he possessed, and thus provide for her for life. An entire sixpence, he was sure, would mean

1. Thin, flat pieces of rock used for roofing or flooring.
2. A list of candidates for election.

looked out. Anyone who has not done this does not know what a different world they saw. The slates spread out on either side of them and slanted down into the rain gutter-pipes. The sparrows,

1. A sailor or seaman from South Asia, especially India, employed on European ships.
2. A type of volcanic mudflow or debris flow.

he belonged to the Indian gentleman, and the poor man was fond of him. She turned to the Lascar, feeling glad that she remembered still some of the Hindustani she had learned when she lived

1. A respectful greeting or salutation in Islamic culture, often accompanied by a bow.
2. The act of performing this gesture as a sign of respect or reverence.

by him. He would have been made sad if his favorite had run away and been lost. Then he salaamed once more and got through the skylight and across the slates again with as much agility as the

1. The part of the face above the eyebrows and below the hairline.
2. The front or forward part of something.

have shown that I am not a nice child. I was afraid they would. Perhaps”—wrinkling her forehead wisely—“that is what they were sent for.” “I don’t see any good in them,” said Ermengarde,

1. The reflexive form of "you," referring to the person being addressed.
2. Used to emphasize the subject "you."

whispered, as they went through the hall—“is it true that you have a playroom all to yourself?” “Yes,” Sara answered. “Papa asked Miss Minchin to let me have one, because—well, it was

1. A unit of pressure in the International System of Units (SI), equal to one newton per square meter.
2. A high-level programming language designed for structured programming and named after Blaise Pascal.

am in search of. You say ‘if.’ We are not sure. There was a difference in the name.” “Madame Pascal pronounced it as if it were Carew instead of Crewe—but that might be merely a matter of

1. Short trips taken to complete tasks or deliver messages.
2. Small jobs or chores, often outside the home.

than when she was in her attic. She had no one to talk to; and when she was sent out on errands and walked through the streets, a forlorn little figure carrying a basket or a parcel, trying to

1. In a rough or harsh voice, often due to illness or strain.
2. With a grating or raspy sound.

than ever. Becky was driven like a little slave. “ ’Twarn’t for you, miss,” she said hoarsely to Sara one night when she had crept into the attic—“ ’twarn’t for you, an’ the Bastille, an’

1. Pitifully sad and abandoned or lonely.
2. Appearing hopeless or desperate.

forth into a flow of description. Ah, indeed, Mademoiselle Sara might well ask. She was a forlorn little thing who had just taken the place of scullery-maid—though, as to being scullery-maid,

1. Old or torn pieces of cloth.
2. Tattered or worn-out clothing.

the rags with which their owner was trying to cover them were not long enough. Above the rags appeared a shock head of tangled hair, and a dirty face with big, hollow, hungry eyes. Sara knew

1. Puzzled or confused by something.
2. Made something difficult to understand or explain.

to say; but, even if he had understood it all, he would probably have remained greatly mystified. The secretary, who was light and young, slipped through the skylight as noiselessly as Ram Dass

1. To run hurriedly with short, quick steps.
2. To deliberately sink a ship by opening holes in its hull.

snatched up her brush, and scrambled to her feet. She caught at the coal-box and simply scuttled out of the room like a frightened rabbit. Sara felt rather hot-tempered. “I knew she was

1. Shook or trembled violently, often due to fear or an earthquake.
2. (Informal) Felt extremely frightened or nervous.

was so much alarmed and mystified that he scuttled back to his hole and hid there, and really quaked and trembled as he peeped out furtively and with great caution to watch what was going on. The

1. A term of respect used in colonial India for a European or other person of high status.
2. In South Asia, a polite form of address for a man, similar to "sir" or "master."

and had been used to seeing many servants who made salaams to her and called her “Missee Sahib,” and gave her her own way in everything. She had had toys and pets and an ayah who worshipped

1. A woman in a position of authority or control.
2. A woman having an extramarital sexual relationship with a married man.

be polite,” she said to herself. And so when the servants, taking their tone from their mistress, were insolent and ordered her about, she would hold her head erect and reply to them with a

1. Soft, quiet speech or sounds made by speaking very softly.
2. Secretive or confidential talk, often implying gossip or rumors.

who, as he probably did not comprehend their conversation, felt their movements and whispers ominous. The young secretary seemed interested in everything. He wrote down things about the

1. A framework of metal bars used to cover an opening or hold fuel in a fireplace.
2. To shred food into small pieces using a grater.

own, with the air of a presiding goddess, and there was always a glowing fire and a polished grate. Becky saved it until the end of her afternoon’s work, because it rested her to go into it, and

1. The evening meal, typically lighter than dinner.
2. A social gathering where a light evening meal is served.

on to the lopsided footstool. “Oh, there’s Melchisedec, poor thing. He’s come to ask for his supper.” Melchisedec had come out of his hole as if he had been listening for her footstep. Sara was

1. A large formal meal for many people, often for a special occasion.
2. An elaborate feast or ceremonial dinner.

She was pale herself, but it was with rage. She looked from the frightened faces to the banquet-table, and from the banquet-table to the last flicker of the burnt paper in the grate. “I have

1. Loss of respect or honor; shame.
2. A person or thing that brings shame.

father said to Miss Minchin. Consequently Ermengarde spent the greater part of her life in disgrace or in tears. She learned things and forgot them; or, if she remembered them, she did not

1. Great pleasure or joy.
2. Things that cause happiness or enjoyment.

had such joy reigned in the nursery of the Large Family. Never had they dreamed of such delights as resulted from an intimate acquaintance with the little-girl-who-was-not-a-beggar. The mere

1. Highly pleasing or enjoyable.
2. Charming or attractive in a cheerful way.

real buds and made her a wreath to wear on her black locks. She had been learning a new, delightful dance in which she had been skimming and flying about the room, like a large rose-colored

1. Feeling or showing great pleasure or happiness.
2. Highly pleased or gratified.

things. It was a somewhat embarrassing thing to go into the midst of a room full of delighted children, and tell the giver of the feast that she had suddenly been transformed into a little

1. Small, brownish-gray songbirds with short tails and stout bills.
2. Common in urban and rural areas, often seen in flocks.

and began to eat them. As he did it he glanced every now and then at Sara, just as the sparrows had done, and his expression was so very apologetic that it touched her heart. She sat and

1. Having a twisted or spiral shape.
2. Formed into ringlets or coils.

age, and had an intense, attractive little face. Her hair was heavy and quite black and only curled at the tips; her eyes were greenish gray, it is true, but they were big, wonderful eyes with

1. A portable light source with a protective case, often with a handle.
2. A decorative or architectural structure with openings to emit light.

he had been sure of the profoundness of Sara’s wearied sleep; and then, with a dark lantern, he had crept into the room, while his companion had remained outside and handed the things to