hoghouse: (noun) a building in which hogs are housed : pigpen, sty
“Out to the hoghouse,” replied Mrs. Arable. “Some pigs were born last night.”
litter: (noun) the group of young animals born to an animal at one time
“Fern,” said Mr. Arable, “I know more about raising a litter of pigs than you do.
runt: (noun) an animal that is smaller than average, especially the smallest in a litter
“Well,” said her mother, “one of the pigs is a runt. It’s very small and weak …”
sopping: (adjective) saturated with liquid; wet through
Fern’s sneakers were sopping by the time she caught up with her father.
damp: (adjective) slightly wet
… and the room smelled of coffee, bacon, damp plaster …
carton: (noun) a light box or container
When Mr. Arable returned to the house half an hour later, he carried a carton under his arm.
plaster: (noun) a soft mixture of lime with sand or cement and water for spreading on walls, ceilings, or other structures to form a smooth hard surface when dried
wobble / wobbled: (verb) move unsteadily from side to side
As she approached her chair, the carton wobbled, and there was a scratching noise.
dagger: (noun) a short knife with a pointed and edged blade, used as a weapon
He was heavily armed—an air rifle in one hand, a wooden dagger in the other.
bliss: (noun) perfect happiness; great joy
blissful (adjective) : full of, marked by, or causing complete happiness
She just sat and stared out of the window, thinking what a blissful world it was and how lucky she was to have entire charge of a pig.
bib: (noun) a piece of cloth or plastic fastened around a person’s neck to keep their clothes clean while eating
snout: (noun) the projecting nose of a mammal, especially an animal
sythe: an implement used for mowing grass, grain, or other crops and composed of a long curving blade fastened at an angle to a long handle
trough: a long shallow often V-shaped receptacle for the drinking water or feed of domestic animals
orchard: a planting of fruit trees, nut trees, or sugar maples
thought: something formed in the mind, such as an individual act or product of thinking, an idea