| 100% | TIKKI | 5 | "Rikki-___-Tavi," short story by Rudyard Kipling from 8a which is about the adventures of an Indian mongoose |
| 42% | WHITE | 5 | "The ___ Seal," 1893 short story by Rudyard Kipling which is about a rare seal's journey |
| 32% | SONGOFSOLOMON | 13 | 1977 novel by Toni Morrison which is about the life of an African-American man living in Michigan: 3 wds. |
| 31% | ORR | 3 | Author of the short story on which All About Eve was based, Mary ___ |
| 30% | FALL | 4 | "The ___ of the House of Usher," gothic short story by Edgar Allan Poe which is about two ailing siblings living in a strange mansion |
| 28% | JUNGLEBOOK | 10 | The —, 1894 volume of stories by Rudyard Kipling |
| 28% | THEBLINDSIDE | 12 | 2009 biographical sports drama based on a book which is about the story of Michael Lewis featuring Michael Oher of NFL: 3 wds. |
| 28% | CHINA | 5 | "The Adventures of ___ Iron," novel by Gabriela Cabezon Camara which was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2020 |
| 27% | ORR | 3 | Mary whose short story "The Wisdom of Eve" was the basis for 1950's "All About Eve" |
| 27% | SEPOY | 5 | — Rebellion, name by which the Indian Mutiny of 1857-58 was also known |
| 27% | LALA | 4 | "___ Land," 2016 musical starring Emma Stone which is the story of a jazz musician and an aspiring actress |
| 27% | BELGIANCONGO | 12 | Name by which the Democratic Republic of the Congo was known from 1908-60 |
| 27% | GUYS | 4 | "___ and Dolls," musical based on Damon Runyon's short stories which was released during the Golden Age of Broadway |
| 27% | BLACK | 5 | "The ___ Cat," gothic story by Edgar Allan Poe which follows the story of an unreliable narrator |
| 26% | COUNTRYBLUES | 12 | Acoustic folk style of music in which the singer is accompanied by an acoustic guitar: 2 wds. |
| 26% | HALTER | 6 | Piece of backless attire whose name comes from the Germanic for "that by which anything is held" |
| 26% | YOU | 3 | "Me Before ___," 2012 novel by Jojo Moyes which depicts the story of Louisa Clark and Will Traynor |
| 26% | DINOSAURS | 9 | One of the focuses of Paleontology which is pursued by Ross from "Friends" |
| 26% | BAND | 4 | "The Adventure of the Speckled ___," Sherlock Holmes short story by Arthur Conan Doyle |
| 26% | THELIONKING | 11 | Animated film released in 1994 which was influenced by Shakespeare's "Hamlet" and tells the story of a character named Simba: 3 wds. |
| 26% | DOLPHINTALE | 11 | 2011 American drama film starring Nathan Gamble which was inspired by the true rescue story of a marine animal named Winter: 2 wds. |
| 25% | BOOK | 4 | "The Jungle ___," collection of stories by Rudyard Kipling |
| 25% | HOME | 4 | 2012 novel by Toni Morrison which is about a young veteran of the Korean War |
| 25% | SHOWMAN | 7 | "The Greatest ___," 2017 musical starring Hugh Jackman which is inspired by the story of P.T. Barnum |
| 25% | THEPHANTOM | 10 | & 13D — and Other Eerie Tales, 1888 collection of short stories by Rudyard Kipling |
| 25% | MARYORR | 7 | Writer of the story upon which "All About Eve" is based |
| 25% | MARYORR | 7 | Writer of the story on which "All About Eve" is based |
| 24% | ALT | 3 | Height of an object from the ground, for short |
| 24% | YOUREMUTED | 10 | Comment about the silence on Zoom ... and what's spelled out by the sounds that have been removed from the starts of 10 phrases in this puzzle |
| 24% | BLUE | 4 | "The Adventure of the ___ Carbuncle," Sherlock Holmes story that is set around Christmas |