| sly | sneaky or clever |
| sturdy | strong |
| astonishment | amazement |
| proud | feeling good about yourself |
| special | very important |
| knew | having the facts |
| borrow | temporary use something |
| enough | all that is needed |
| heard | listened to |
| dike | dam made of dirt |
| announced | said or told |
| blinding | hard to see through |
| flooded | covered with water |
| village | a small town |
| cranes | large water birds |