The Caves at Eagle Ridge

Part Five

Story Word List


diagrammed bent on elevated undertow codified
submerged in spite of elongated frenzied rampart
malevolent in concert with relentless vicious obsolete
malignant by chance determined thwart missile
victimized thrown presence assault impede
unpredictable patients oscillating torpedo nagging
apparition whole threatening route mythical
orchestrated pull exhausted still propel
undulating dull fruitless might perilous
cannonaded foil decade lead manage



The Caves at Eagle Ridge

Part Five

It was now or never. Even though my fallen tree came down to where I expected it to land, I still had to traverse the trunk of the tree over a raging torrent that was bent on causing me to slip off already treacherous footing and be submerged into its deadly undertow. Since this was my only pathway to join my friends on the other side of the river, I had to span this treacherous track by carefully scaling the tree’s trunk, in spite of the danger. The swirl of this frenzied, malevolent torrent was a vicious churning of current surges that kept reminding me that this crossing would depend on my getting safely across or my being victimized by its devilish plan. This was to be a contest of my strengths and weaknesses versus an opponent determined to foil any attempt I might make to cross. Failing this test might result in my falling into the clutches of the river’s rage as it cascaded over the crest of the falls.

As soon as I took my first step, the river seemed to surge. It was though it sensed my presence. I heard a dull gasp from my companions as the tree trunk heaved like a giant whale lunging from the sea. I was glad that I had left strong supportive branches necessary for me to thwart whatever lay ahead as I made my way to the midpoint of the tree. Looking behind, I knew at once that I couldn’t retreat. A huge clump of bush had blocked my way back forcing me forward and requiring that I use every skill I may have in order, just to survive.

I had to concentrate for each second, on every step. I tried not to look down. The swirl beneath my feet seemed to appear as some strange malignant apparition with long tentacles of elongated arms attached to a form similar to a mythical creature that I remembered from a horror movie I watched when I was in grade school. By mid-stream I felt the demon’s clutch as it grabbed at my ankles and at my feet. It was then that the demon began to orchestrate the river’s rage with an attack of undulating swirls of elevated thrusting peaks of waves that were in concert with the oscillating movement of the river’s heaving. Suddenly I heard Barry yell, “Frank lookout! There’s another log coming straight at you!” I turned my head up-stream just in time to see a log much larger than the one that almost carried the climbing rope over the falls.

This log was a missile about to torpedo the exact spot that I was standing on. Its assault cannonaded off my left foot resulting in my being thrown backward in the air. It was only by chance that I was able to grasp one of the larger limbs of the tree to avoid being captured by a foe intent on my being swept into its deathly grasp. I felt a sharp pain along my left leg. I had no time to worry about the pain that I was in. I must gain control of my footing and deny the river’s attempt to gain an advantage. I managed a firm grip on the branches on either side of me as I struggled to gain my footing over the tree’s sway. I was approaching the most narrow and perilous part of my crossing. My immediate problem wasn’t the heaving of the tree’s trunk. The further I advanced, my footing was being impeded by the tree’s narrowing. The river’s rage was relentless as it kept nagging at my feet, threatening my every step. I was almost across and I knew that my last few steps were to become a test as to whether I would live or die.

By now my companions had built up a defensive wall, a rampart to lessen the pull of the undertow. They used the part of the climbing rope with the looped end for me to attach around my ankle in case I was shaken off its slender foundation. This allowed me the full use of my arms as I lowered myself into the upriver side of the tree. I immediately felt the powerful pull of the undertow as it tried to swallow me whole. I was always a strong swimmer and with all my might I swam like never before. I used all my swimming skill and strength to propel myself toward my friends who were ready to pull me to their waiting arms. The undertow gained complete control of me as it pulled me headfirst around the rampart and into the patient arms of the undertow. I was being pulled below the surface and my trying to swim out of danger was fruitless. All of a sudden I was being pulled from the current. I felt a powerful pull on the roped end around my ankles and found myself being hauled to safety by all my companions. Free at last! My personal nightmare was over. My first few steps ashore were all I could manage as I fell to the ground exhausted, but safe.

As soon as I regained my strength, I got the group together and showed them what I found at the bottom of the cache on the outcrop. It was a diagrammed map but codified. When decoded, the map will show secret passageways through a maze of obsolete trails. Trails that were long forgotten and not traveled for decades. Following this route would lead us to the Caves at Eagle Ridge—but at what cost?





Exercise # 1: Vowel Sounds in the First Syllable

Every word to be hand-written.


ă ĕ ĭ ŏ
_________ _________ _________ _________ _________
_________ _________ _________ _________ _________
_________ _________ _________ _________
_________ _________ _________ _________
_________ _________ _________ _________
_________ _________
_________ _________
_________ _________


ā ē ī ō ŭ
_________ _________ _________ _________ _________
_________ _________ _________
_________ _________ _________
_________ _________
_________



o͞o (as in boo) o͝o (as in book) âr (air) ũr (as in er) oi (as in boy)
_________ _________ _________ _________ _________
_________ _________



Exercise # 2: Consonant Sounds of C and G



Hard Sound of C Soft Sound of C
_________ _________
_________ _________
_________ _________
_________ _________
_________ _________
_________
_________


Hard Sound of G Soft Sound of G
_________ _________
_________ _________
_________ _________
_________
_________
_________
_________



Exercise # 3: Homonyms

Words that sound the same but are spelled differently.

Place the letter of the synonym on the left in the brackets to the right and write the same homonym in the space provided.:

  1. thrown
  2. patience
  3. hole
  4. presence
  5. route
  6. lead
  7. led
  8. might
  • - This tree has a strong root system. _________
  • - He led us to safety. _________
  • - The King and his throne. _________
  • - I ate the whole thing. _________
  • - He had ten presents this year. _________
  • - I own two lead pencils. _________
  • - A dozen patients were waiting for the doctor. _________
  • - I had some mites on my clothes. _________



Exercise # 4: Synonyms

Words that mean the same or nearly the same as another word.

Find the matching synonym, then place the letter in the bracket beside its description.

  1. vicious
  2. by chance
  3. fruitless
  4. submerged
  5. malevolent
  6. codified
  7. unpredictable
  8. perilous
  9. obsolete
  10. bent on
  11. apparition
  12. still
  13. thwart
  14. oscillating
  15. rampart
  • - to foil, to keep from happening.
  • - a distillery, a place to make alcohol.
  • - evil, bad, ill, horrible thoughts.
  • - to be motionless, don’t move.
  • - set out in a cipher of symbols or pictures.
  • - determined, do it, no matter what happens.
  • - rocking back and forth, almost churning.
  • - safety because of luck.
  • - quietness, noiseless, no talking.
  • - no longer useful, outdated, old-fashioned.
  • - do you continue to remain? Are you not gone?
  • - a barrier, a wall to deflect rushing water.
  • - dangerous, treacherous, risky.
  • - brutal, savagely violent.
  • - to be kept under water, to be pulled below the surface of the water.
  • - ghost-like, phantom, spirit.
  • - no way of knowing what will happen.



Exercise # 5: Vowel Sounds in the Third Syllable

Every word to be hand-written.


ă ĕ ĭ ŭ
_________ _________ _________ _________
_________ _________ _________ _________
_________ _________
_________
_________


ā ē ī ō
_________ _________ _________ _________
_________ _________ _________
_________ _________
_________



Exercise # 6: Antonyms

Words that mean an opposite of another word.

Find the matching antonym, then place the letter in the bracket beside its description.

  1. whole
  2. foil
  3. malevolent
  4. fruitless
  5. still
  6. submerged
  7. pull
  8. dull
  9. orchestrated
  10. elevated
  11. vicious
  12. thrown
  13. relentless
  14. by chance
  15. determined
  16. lead
  17. obsolete
  18. mythical
  • - to never give up, keep working until done.
  • - disarranged, not in concert with.
  • - something true or real.
  • - push.
  • - follow.
  • - to catch and hold on to.
  • - to help to become successful.
  • - part of or a piece of.
  • - new, modern, something useful.
  • - unlucky result, bad luck.
  • - tame or not dangerous.
  • - kind, loving, friendly, compassionate.
  • - above the surface of a lake or ocean.
  • - sensible, hopeful, rewarding, worth doing.
  • - half-hearted, not caring to do your best.
  • -loud, moving about, no longer.
  • - sharp.
  • - lower, below level.



Exercise # 7: True or False?

Write either t for true or f for false in the brackets.

  • - Crossing the river would be easy.
  • - The tree was felled on the correct spot.
  • - Mary warned Frank about the second log.
  • - Frank’s companions put up a net in case Frank fell into the river.
  • - The undertow pulled Frank headfirst into the river’s current.
  • - Frank’s immediate problem in crossing the river was the log’s beginning to heave.
  • - The sharp pain Frank felt was from the sharp stick on the log.
  • - Frank felt the pull of the rope end that was tied around his waist.
  • - The wind orchestrated the river’s rage of waves.
  • - The first thing Frank did when he reached safety was to show the group what he found in the bottom of the cache.
  • - The river seemed to surge when Frank took his first step on the log.
  • - The most perilous part of the crossing occurred when Frank reached the middle of the raging current.
  • - The river’s rage was bent on causing Frank to slip and fall off into its deadly undertow.
  • - Demons began clutching around Frank’s ankles as he reached the middle of the river’s current.
  • - The map to get to The Caves at Eagle Ridge was easy to read.
  • - The demon orchestrated the river to swirl into huge waves.



Exercise # 8: Questions and Answers

Answer from reading Part 5 of the story, The Caves at Eagle Ridge must be written with complete sentences and punctuation.


  1. What did the group build to help Frank get safely across the river?




  2. Who warned Frank about the second log?




  3. Describe the apparition of demon-like creatures that Frank thought he saw as he began to cross the river.




  4. What was the only pathway for Frank to traverse to to join his friends?




  5. Who or what had a devilish plan to cause Frank to fail?




  6. What happened when Frank took his first step onto the tree trunk?




  7. What blocked Frank from going back to the safety of the outcrop?




  8. What saved Frank from being tossed into the middle of the river when it was hit by the log?




  9. What was the most perilous part of the crossing of the river?




  10. Why was the rope tied around Frank’s ankle?




  11. What caused the dull gasp from Frank’s friends?







ANSWERS: For parents for the above exercises






Exercise # 1: Vowel Sounds in the First Syllable

Every word to be hand-written.


ă ĕ ĭ ŏ
malevolent bent on in spite of missile oscillating
malignant elevated in concert with vicious obsolete
apparition presence elongated still
cannonaded threatening relentless impede
assault exhausted determined mythical
rampart decade
nagging frenzied
manage lead


ā ē ī ō ŭ
patients lead diagrammed thrown submerging
by whole unpredictable
might codified undulating
propel dull
undertow



o͞o (as in boo) o͝o (as in book) âr (air) ũr (as in er) oi (as in boy)
route pull perilous _________ foil
fruitless _________



Exercise # 2: Consonant Sounds of C and G



Hard Sound of C Soft Sound of C
victimized concert
unpredictable chance
orchestrated presence
cannonaded oscillating
decade vicious
codified
mythical


Hard Sound of G Soft Sound of G
diagrammed submerged
threatening surge
malignant manage
undulating
elongated
oscillating
nagging



Exercise # 3: Homonyms

Words that sound the same but are spelled differently.

Place the letter of the synonym on the left in the brackets to the right:

  1. thrown
  2. patience
  3. hole
  4. presence
  5. route
  6. lead
  7. led
  8. might
  • e - This tree has a strong root system. route
  • f - He led us to safety. lead
  • a - The King and his throne. thrown
  • c - I ate the whole thing. hole
  • d - He had ten presents this year. presence
  • g - I own two lead pencils. led
  • b - A dozen patients were waiting for the doctor. patience
  • h - I had some mites on my clothes. might



Exercise # 4: Synonyms

Words that mean the same or nearly the same as another word.

Find the matching synonym, then place the letter in the bracket beside its description.

  1. vicious
  2. by chance
  3. fruitless
  4. submerged
  5. malevolent
  6. codified
  7. unpredictable
  8. perilous
  9. obsolete
  10. bent on
  11. apparition
  12. still
  13. thwart
  14. oscillating
  15. rampart
  • m - to foil, to keep from happening.
  • l - a distillery, a place to make alcohol.
  • e - evil, bad, ill, horrible thoughts.
  • l - to be motionless, don’t move.
  • f - set out in a cipher of symbols or pictures.
  • j - determined, do it, no matter what happens.
  • n - rocking back and forth, almost churning.
  • b - safety because of luck.
  • l - quietness, noiseless, no talking.
  • i - no longer useful, outdated, old-fashioned.
  • - - do you continue to remain? Are you not gone?
  • o - a barrier, a wall to deflect rushing water.
  • h - dangerous, treacherous, risky.
  • a - brutal, savagely violent.
  • d - to be kept under water, to be pulled below the surface of the water.
  • k - ghost-like, phantom, spirit.
  • g - no way of knowing what will happen.



Exercise # 5: Vowel Sounds in the Third Syllable

Every word to be hand-written.


ă ĕ ĭ ŭ
diagrammed elevated unpredictable apparition
malignant relentless undulating perilous
mythical determined
threatening
exhausted

ā ē ī ō
orchestrated obsolete victimized malevolent
cannonaded codified undertow
elongated torpedo
oscillating



Exercise # 6: Antonyms

Words that mean an opposite of another word.

Find the matching antonym, then place the letter in the bracket beside its description. Write the matching antonym in the space provided.

  1. whole
  2. foil
  3. malevolent
  4. fruitless
  5. still
  6. submerged
  7. pull
  8. dull
  9. orchestrated
  10. elevated
  11. vicious
  12. thrown
  13. relentless
  14. by chance
  15. determined
  16. lead
  17. obsolete
  18. mythical
  • o - to never give up, keep working until done.
  • i - disarranged, not in concert with.
  • r - something true or real.
  • g - push.
  • p - follow.
  • l - to catch and hold on to.
  • b - to help to become successful.
  • a - part of or a piece of.
  • q - new, modern, something useful.
  • n - unlucky result, bad luck.
  • k - tame or not dangerous.
  • c - kind, loving, friendly, compassionate.
  • f - above the surface of a lake or ocean.
  • d - sensible, hopeful, rewarding, worth doing.
  • m - half-hearted, not caring to do your best.
  • e -loud, moving about, no longer.
  • h - sharp.
  • j - lower, below level.



Exercise # 7: True or False?

Write either t for true or f for false in the brackets.

  • f - Crossing the river would be easy.
  • t - The tree was felled on the correct spot.
  • f - Mary warned Frank about the second log.
  • f - Frank’s companions put up a net in case Frank fell into the river.
  • t - The undertow pulled Frank headfirst into the river’s current.
  • f - Frank’s immediate problem in crossing the river was the log’s beginning to heave.
  • f - The sharp pain Frank felt was from the sharp stick on the log.
  • f - Frank felt the pull of the roped end that was tied around his waist.
  • f - The wind orchestrated the river’s rage of waves.
  • f - The first thing Frank did when he reached safety was to show the group what he found in the bottom of the cache.
  • t - The river seemed to surge when Frank took his first step on the log.
  • f - The most perilous part of the crossing occurred when Frank reached the middle of the raging current.
  • t - The river’s rage was bent on causing Frank to slip and fall off into its deadly undertow.
  • t - Demons began clutching around Frank’s ankles as he reached the middle of the river’s current.
  • f - The map to get to The Caves at Eagle Ridge was easy to read.
  • t - The demon orchestrated the river to swirl into huge waves.



Exercise # 8: Questions and Answers

Answers from reading Part 5 of the story, The Caves at Eagle Ridge must be written with complete sentences and punctuation.


  1. What did the group build to help Frank get safely across the river?

    The group built a rampart to deflect the raging current away from Frank to lessen its pull.

  2. Who warned Frank about the second log?

    It was Barry who warned Frank about the approaching log.

  3. Describe the apparition of demon-like creatures that Frank thought he saw as he began to cross the river.

    The apparition that Frank saw was a strange, malignant apparition with elongated arms attached to a creature that he remembered from a movie when he was in grade school.

  4. What was the only pathway for Frank to traverse to to join his friends?

    The only pathway for Frank to take to join his friends was the felled tree from the outcrop.

  5. Who or what had a devilish plan to cause Frank to fail?

    The river for whatever reason had a devilish reason for Frank to fail to cross the river.

  6. What happened when Frank took his first step onto the tree trunk?

    The tree trunk heaved in the river like a huge whale leaping from the sea.

  7. What blocked Frank from going back to the safety of the outcrop?

    A clump of bushes had blocked Frank’s retreat to the safety of the outcrop.

  8. What saved Frank from being tossed into the middle of the river when it was hit by the log?

    Frank was saved from falling into the river because of the long branches he left on the tree for support.

  9. What was the most perilous part of the crossing of the river?

    The most perilous part of the crossing occurred as the trunk narrowed.

  10. Why was the rope tied around Frank’s ankle?

    The group tied a rope around Frank’s ankle so his arms would be free to swim.

  11. What caused the dull gasp from Frank’s friends?

    The group let out a dull gasp when they saw the end of the tree trunk lift out of the river like a whale jumping from the ocean.




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The Caves at Eagle Ridge

Part Six (To come)