"The Scarlet Ibis" by James Hurst

Careen

(v.) to rush carelessly

Doggedness

(n.) persistence; stubbornness

Exotic

(adj.) excitingly strange

Heresy

(n.) an action or opinion contrary to what is generally thought of as right

Imminent

(adj.) about to occur

Infallibility

(n.) an inability to make errors

Invalid

(adj.) too ill to live a normal life

Iridescent

(adj.) shining with shifting rainbow colors

Precariously

(adv.) insecurely; in a dangerous way

Reiterate

(v.) to repeat