The Story of Benjamin

Franklin and His Mouse Amos

Chapters 3-4Vocabulary

dullSlow in action; not interesting or pleasant

Ben was smart with his inventions, but sometimes he was rather dull when it came to feeding his beloved mouse!

eurekaAn exclamation of triumph meaning "I found it"“Eureka!” he exclaims, stepping back to admire his new construction that will be known as Benjamin Franklin stove.

patriotOne who is loyal to his or her country ; one who loves and defends his or her country.  

Benjamin Franklin was a true patriot. He worked tirelessly to make America independent from the British rule.

vestry

A room in a church where sacred vessels and vestments are kept, or meetings are held.  

Amos and his family lived in a vestry, which was often cold during the long winter days.

mongrelA dog of mixed breed

My dog is a mongrel. She is part dachshund, part basset hound, and part something else…

deliriousWildly excited, confused, disoriented

When they found the man on the island, he was delirious.

trotA slow pace of running

The dog trotted off with the fur cap, while Ben was panting trying to catch up with it.

furiouslyTo do something in a violent and angry

manner.The man was very angry. He stomped his feet furiously a few times.

frantically In a nervous, desperate, and anxious

manner.Ben shouted as he floundered frantically towards the shore.

coaxTo talk someone into doing something in

a gentle manner.

Ben tried to coax the dog to drop the hat. He pleaded and threatened, but to no avail.

thicketDense growth of bushes and small trees

Ben dashed through thicket and over rocks trying to catch the dog.

ludicrousFunny and ridiculous

Ben looked completely ludicrous, half dressed and with mud on his face.

discernTo be able to see something that is

hidden and not easily seen at the first glance.

I was able to discern some very important people in the crowd.

prominentImportant or easily seen

I could see some prominent people in the crowd, such as the Governor and his wife.

prominentImportant or easily seen

The most prominent feature on his face was his nose!

despondentDescribes a person who is sad,

hopeless, and inconsolable.

Despite all the cheering, Ben looked around despondently. He was sure that he lost Amos forever!

THE END