"The frog was squatting on a low stump and she might not have noticed it, for it looked more like a mushroom than a living creature sitting there."

What does the word 'squatting' mean?

"An ancient green-plush sofa lolled alone in the center, like yet another mossy fallen log, facing a soot-streaked fireplace still deep in last winter's ashes."

What does the word 'lolled' mean?

But on reaching the shadows of the first trees, the path veered sharply, swung out in a wide arc as if, for the first time, it had reason to think where it was going, and passed around."

What does the word 'arc' mean?

"Mae Tuck's round face wrinkled in dismay. 'Dear Lord, don't cry! Please don't cry, child!' she implored."

What does the word 'implored' mean?

"Mae said soothingly, 'Why, of course you do, child. That's only natural. I'll take you home. I promised I would, soon's we've explained a bit as to why you got to promise you'll never tell about the spring."

What does the word 'soothingly' mean?

"'Look here, toad,' she said, thrusting her arms through the bars of the fence and plucking at the weeds on the other side."

What does the word 'thrusting' mean?

"The melody faltered. Another few widely spaced notes plinked, and then it stopped."

What does the word 'faltered' mean?

"Winnie revived, sniffing, and was able to ride the horse again, perched behind Mae."

What does the word 'revived' mean?

"As soon as I saw they'd arrived at their destination, I turned around and came directly back."

What does the word 'destination' mean?

"Winnie, struggling with the anguish of all these things, could only sit hunched and numb, the sound of the water rolling in her ears."

Anguish most likely means?

"And she seized Winnie's hand and turned to go back into the cottage."

Seized most likely means:

"A big brown night moth fluttered out from under the oar blades propped beside her on the seat, and wobbled off toward nowhere through the fragrant air."

Fragrant most likely means?

"Tuck began to rave now, his face stretched with horror. 'Madman!' he shouted."

Rave most likely means:

"Tuck handed up a tool and Miles began to pry at the nails securing the window frame."

Pry most likely means:

"'If you think on it, you come to see there'd be so many creatures, including people, we'd all be squeezed in right up next to each other before long.' Winnie squinted at her fishing line and tried to picture a teeming world."

Teeming most likely means:

"'Make out?' exclaimed the constable. 'You people beat all. If thus feller dies, you'll get the gallows, that's what you'll get, if thats what you mean by make out.' Tuck's face crumpled. 'The gallows?' he whispered. 'Hanging?'"

Gallows most likely means:

"She had wanted to cough as soon as it occurred to her that she mustn't, and she passed a long hour trying to swallow away the tickle that perversely constricted her throat."

Constricted most likely means:

"'Now, this is real nice,' she said, her fork poised above her plate."

Poised most likely means:

"There was a pause, and the murmur of other voices; then a match striking, the acrid smell of fresh cigar smoke."

Acrid most likely means:

"And Mae had not been found. There was no trace of her at all, or of Tuck or Miles or Jesse."

Trace most likely means:

"The tension in the parlor was immense. Winnie found that she could scarcely breathe."

Immense most likely means:

"And at last she could make it out, for the black Roman numerals were just barely visible against their white ground, the brass hands glowed faintly."

Visible more likely means:

"Winnie had sat on the cot, eyes downcast, feeling very small– and very like a criminal. In fact, he was soon shouting that if she were older, he'd have to keep her there–that it was a crime, what she had done. She was . . . and accomplice."

An accomplice most likely means: