Words From The Poem     | Meanings
------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------
a) criss-crossing       | intersecting
b) coarse               | rough
c) timid                | easily frightened
d) ignorant             | not having the knowledge needed
e) prowlers            

c) whole + -ly =

d) true + -ly =

e) canoe + -ing =

a) change + -able =

b) arrange + -ment =

f) replace + -able =

g) advantage + -ous =

h) see + -able =

i) argue + -ment =

j) dare + -ing =

k) store + -age =

l) agree + -able =

m) mile + -age =

n) fame + -ous =

a) The twins did _________ homework last night.

b) Japheth asked _________ mother, “May _______ go to ________ friend’s party on Saturday night?”

c) The teacher asked the class ________ books had been stolen.

d) After the accident, Ife’s mother said the children should not worry about the damaged car, but that ________ should concentrate on getting better

e) The siblings said, “These toys are ________ and those toys are _________.”

thorn trees on their knees

bent over thorn trees

thorn trees that are not fully grown

hidden thorn tress

children’s feet that move quickly, backwards and forwards

children’s feet that make a hissing sound

feet wearing smart shoes

feet that move slowly and heavily

depressing, small, uninviting houses

houses that have no mercy on the people

houses where the people threatened passers-by

houses that are broken down

The ‘crouching thorn trees’ have not grown very much since the speaker’s childhood.

The setting of the poem is somewhere quite dry and dusty.

The speaker had three brothers

The speaker and his brothers were bad shots with their catapults.

The speaker and his brothers had a happy childhood

Getting thorns in their feet

Making catapults that exploded

Trying to shoot birds

Trying to act like grown-ups.

That we forget the hard times

That children, because they have rich imaginations, do not need much to be happy.

That living in a street of grim houses made the speaker and his brothers happy.

That growing a patch of scrub bush can satisfy young boys’ dreams.

As berries to eat

As ammunition for their catapults

As stones picked up somewhere

As music for them to sing to as they played.

dust that has been shaken around

dust that is annoying

dust mixed with a spoon

dust rising into the air

built a hunting-ground in the wood

in their imaginations, changed the wood into their hunting-ground

carved the wood into animal shapes

carved wooden guns

Because the area was very dry, with not much rain

Because the thorn trees were crouching and so they looked small.

Because things that look big when people are children do not look big when they are grown up

Because thorn trees take a long time to grow.

heedless

not

ignorant

bitter