How did Faintly Macabre end up in prison?

• A. She stole a clock.
• B. She began to hoard all of the words in Dictionopolis.
• C. She refused to speak.
• D. She swapped words.

Answer: (B)

In the world of Dictionopolis, words are living things that must be shared to keep communication flowing. Faintly Macabre ends up in prison because she begins to hoard all of the words for herself. This grabbing of every word disrupts the city’s balance—without words to use and trade, people can’t communicate—so the authorities remove her from the scene to restore order. The event highlights the idea that words are meant to be used and shared, not locked away. The other options don’t align with the moment in the story where hoarding the words leads to her punishment.