helpless

The hedgehog was engaged in a fight with another hedgehog, which seemed to Alice an excellent opportunity for croqueting one of them with the other: the only difficulty was, that her flamingo was gone across to the other side of the garden, where Alice could see it trying in a helpless sort of way to fly up into a tree.

Marilla looked at Anne and softened at sight of the child’s pale face with its look of mute misery--the misery of a helpless little creature who finds itself once more caught in the trap from which it had escaped.

Barry had engaged to stay with the children during her absence, was helpless and bewildered, quite incapable of thinking what to do, or doing it if she thought of it.

“They seem so helpless and frail.