Effervescent Water ~ Part 3

Still there's the second batch of six words left over from yesterday. Those are:
Zero 
Simple 
Clockwork 
Brain 
Study 
Size

I continue the strange story about the effervescent water. Using the words in order, only not Clockwork - I could not make it fir at all.

"I don't know anything," Hilde said. "Thora took the water and things with a curt thank you. And she closed the door very securely - or maybe she even used a soundproofing spell, because I could not hear a word from in there. Nothing, zilch, zero!"

The green team went to their normal classroom and sat down. Nobody said anything, Terje was sniffing at regular intervals due to hay fever until Hilde lost her patience with the sound and in a subdued voice cast a small healing spell on him. He smiled, but did not speak.
Susan could not stand the silence and heavy atmosphere, but she did not know what to do.

In the end Rósa broke the brooding silence: "We might as well compare notes on the lesson Thora was teaching us today. What ingredient did you write down as the wrong one? I had sea weeds as the odd man out form the list, but I think it's wrong. I could find no reason for it, and neither did I have a better suggestion."

Sanne, the girl from the Faroe Islands said: "I am sure stink beetles were wrong, why, I don't know, some stinky mushroom that I only know in Faroese is the right one."
"You forget that the language spell is still doing it's magic," Knud said with a lopsided smile. "Just say it, we'll hear it in our own languages."
"Stinkhorn," Sanne said.
"Of curse, Knud said, "that's the one."
"I agree with you as well," Susan said."Only I was in doubt that the solution could be this simple."

"But it is," Hilde said. "I know Stinkbugs are wrong because it is the stinking cloud recipe, and it calls for stinkhorn, not stinkbugs.  But I do not know why it should be wrong, only that it is wrong."
"Maybe because it was the only animal thing in the list?" Susan said. "All the others were plants or inanimates. At least that's what I wrote on my slip of paper."
"That's a good guess," Veronika said. "I think it's right."
"I think so too," Kirstin said. "I admit I had the wrong one, Sulphur, but after listening to you smart ones I think you're right."
"I had the same idea," Knud added, "only I never got to writing it down. I sort of forgot, but now I remember."
"Did you sit next to Marja?" Hilde had a cunning gleam in her watery blue eyes, and her plain face was almost beautiful from the excitement. When Knud nodded, she exclaimed: "I think I know why the Birch sisters were inattentive, and why Thora asked us to wash hands and mouths in the effervescent water."

"How do you know," Terje asked. "I only knew Stinkbugs were not right."

"I have been taught to use my brain, and I have studied hard even before I came here. Let's go to the library. I need to look in one of the books there. It is a big book, that's why I do not have it in my bag. Its size makes it very impractical."

In the library Hilde found a long, slim book. It would not fit into any school-bag. She quickly consulted the index, and found one of the dark yellow pages: "Listen here: 'Effervescent water, while normally not used for potions or philtres due to its bubbly, reactive nature, is an easy to use and efficient antidote to the effects of Deram Drops.' There we go. The Birch sisters have probably been using Dream Drops, and the effect had spread to at least Knud. That's why she asked us all to go and wash in the water."

"Erm, sorry." Knud said "what the bugger are Dream Drops?"

And the explanation for this, and Thora's lecture on the use of those
and teaching and learning at The Unicorn Farm will have to wait.

Words for Wednesday ~ Updated & IWSG ~ May 6

The original Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and eventually taken over as a moveable feast with many participants supplying the Words.
    When Delores closed her blog forever due to other problems, Elephant's Child (Sue) took over the role of coordinator.
    Now, after Sue's demise, River has taken the mantle of coordinator upon her shoulders.

No matter what, how, where or who the aim of the words is to encourage us to write. A story, a poem, whatever comes to our mind.

This month the words are to be found at Mimi's blog: Messymimi's Meanderings.

If you are posting an entry on your own blog, please leave a comment on River's blog, then we can come along and read it and add a few encouraging words.

 It is also a challenge, where the old saying "The more the merrier" holds true.

So Please, remember to follow the links, go back and read other peoples' stories. And please leave a comment after reading. Challenges like this one thrives on interaction, feedback and encouragement. And we ALL need encouragement.

And for today we were given:
Inane
Trees
Wind  
Effervescent  
Landmark  
Method
    And/Or:
Zero  
Simple  
Clockwork  
Brain  
Study  
Size

These words will probably lend themselves to a story. But not today. I only just returned home, and have to helpcooking, and after we'll have visitors. Hopefully tomorrow ...

I got to sit down for a little while and writing happened. This continues from here, using the first six words, and as usual in the order they were given.

Marja, the youngest of the birch sisters, looked at the entangling vines with an inane look in her green eyes.
"Where did they come from?" she asked her sister in a loud stage whisper. Paula woke from her own reverie and noticed the vines tying her to the chair. "Danged if I know!" she replied a tad too loudly.
Thora turned to the two sisters, and they turned as white as the tree they were called after.
"You did this!" Paula said, belligerently.
"Yes and no," Thore replied calmly, but with an undertone as cold as the howling wind  in a snowstorm. "You were both inattentive - again. The kind of inattentive that comes from disrespect and laziness. You never heard my questions, you never even tried to answer. You were both so deeply ensconced in your reveries that you did not even notice the creeping vines." They were not used to seeing Thora this angry, and everybody in the room sat quiet as mice.
"But," Marja said, "I just wanted to ..." her voice died off in mutterings.
"You just wanted to what?" Thora asked. Marja stammered and spluttered and grinded to a halt.
"What about you, Paula?" Thora asked.
"I was thinking," Paula replied, still with some spite in her voice.
"You were thinking," Thora said, "and in such deep thoughts that the vines bound you without you even noticing. Now, spill it!"
Thora turned around: "Green team! You are dismissed! You'll all go and wash out your hands and mouths in the effervescent water in the big, blue tub in the stable. And Hilde after you've done this, you'll bring me two litres of said water, two mugs and a pair of scissors."
"Yes, Thora, will do!" Hilde said, every line in her being showing the same confusion they all felt.
They did as ordered. In the stable, where all the cages and other paraphernalia for zoological and botanical lessons were kept, they found a big, blue tub filled to the brim with effervescent water, bubbling, foaming and dancing, and a nearby table held green mugs.  They rinsed their mouths in the water, spitting the sweet tasting concoction into the long white sink along the back wall, where they normally washed vases and containers. Then they poured water for one another washing their hands with the same water. Their hands and mouths felt clean and faintly tingling. None of them dared disobey Thora's orders, but there were many questions asked, and no answers given.
Hilde filled a two litre jar from the tub, grabbed two mugs and a pair of scissors from the drawers and left.
The rest of the green team, stayed in the stable, looking fascinated at the bubbling waters in the tub.
"I do not understand," Terje said slowly. "Where did those vines come from. And what was the answer to Thora's questions?"
"Dear Terje,"  Knud said, I think I speak for all of us when I say that we do not understand anything either. We're travelling unknown land with no landmarks here."
"I agree," Nicklas said quietly. "Something strange is happening. That's not like Thora to behave like that over a bit of bickering and inattention. There must be some method to this madness."
"Must be," Veronika agreed, "Even if I see no connection between a botched potions recipe, animated pincers, vines and a big, blue tub of bubbling waters, there must be."
Hilde returned and everybody stopped talking and looked expectantly at her.

 . . . . . To be continued

- - A - - B - - C - -

May 6 question - What was the most inspiring feedback you received from readers, including agents, editors, and beta readers

My answer - This qustion makes me sad, because the best inspiring feedback was not one comment from anybody. It was something I still miss, namely the unvavering enthusiasm of Elephant's Child, also known as Sue @ myjustsostory. Now sadly deceased. 

I wrote this as part of a preamble to one of my short stories: 
Sometimes I felt like I wrote my stories for her alone, when time were tough and hot in Australia. ... I still miss her gentle presence in the blogosphere ...

Not that others are not enthusiastic or supportive, because you sure are! and much of the reason I'm still a somewhat sane person and blogger THANKS!
EC was just ... I don't know how to express this the way I want to ... but you felt like a very special person when she commented.

Here's two of her wonderful comments.

Tirsdagstaknemmelighed

Thankful Tuesday

Birketræerne taber deres rakler allerede. Det betyder snart ikke mere birkepollen. Atjuu-uuraaa!

The birch trees are already beginning to drop their catkins, spelling the end of pollen season Achoo-ooraay!

Also, back to my normal Wordle words, I get my usual 4 guesses solves:
Wordle 1.781 4/6
⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜
🟨⬜⬜🟨⬜
⬜⬜⬜🟩⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

The Danish Wordle. I do worse in Danish!
Wørdle #1.578 5/6
⬛🟦⬛⬛⬛
⬛🟦⬛⬛⬛
🟦⬛⬛⬛🟦
🟩🟦⬛🟩⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Og dagens bonus-skønhed ~ And today's bonus-beauty

Kvæde ~ Quince

Poetry Monday :: Back Pack

Poetry Monday is a blogging game invented long ago. Mimi of Messymimi's Meanderings and I are keeping it alive until Diane @ On the Border returns home from her break of health and relaxation, travelling the world with her husband as far as we can tell.

We just hope she's going to take back over once she returns home.

The prompts now come from 365 Days of Drawing Prompts and other Arts group. This is a Facebook group with a prompt for each day of the year, but no worries, the prompts will still be here and at Mimi's blog.

Today's prompt is: Back pack.
An ode to my old friend it is then.

We've travelled the world, me and my back pack
We walked down roads and off beaten track.
I carried you, you carried my stuff - and a snack
A bottle of water and my sleeping bag.

You met with an accident bitter and black
The bus with us in it was hit with a smack
You bore the brunt of it and now you're a wrack
I have to find a new one that has my back.

Another true story form one of my many travels. The bus we sat in - and where the luggage was stored in compartments under us - ran into a wall or another solid object at a very low speed. Most important nobody was hurt, and almost nothing was broken apart from my poor backpack, the frame of which was twisted and bent beyond repair. It made it home with me, but not without chafing and trouble for me.

- - - - - - - - - - Coming Themes  - - - - - -

taken from the 365 Days of Drawing Prompts and other Arts group.

May 11 Futuristic Landscape
May 18 Balcony
May 25 Scooter
June 1 Blue
June 8 2 minute Sketch
June 15 Cobweb with Dewdrops
Jun 22  Lily
Jun 29  Northern light

A-Z Challenge ~ Reflections Part 2

⚠ Warning! This post contains the answer to today's Wordle ⚠
⚠ Proceed at your own risk ⚠

Today's Wordle says it for me - only the solution does not count:

This was my last year participating - at least the last year signing up. I like very much to force myself to blog almost every day for a whole month, I've found a hopefully entertaining and fun, but still easy to do challenge with the day's Wordle and some telling. I really find participating in the A-Z Challenge to be a fun thing to do.

Why then do I stop? I stop, because I find the downsides to be too many. Bear with me for some ranting.

The trouble with the master list:
When the sign-up had ended, I made my own copy of the spreadsheet. After a quick visit to most of the blogs, I had found double or triple signups, non-participants, broken links, and a blog or two where you had to sign up ... leaving me with 125 of the original 144 on the list. A bit worse than last year actually.

I still find that a wee bit of policing from The Crew would wastly improve the fun to be had from this challenge. But it's not that bad, I could totally live with it ... if the rest was fun.

The not-for-fun-any-more in Blogland.

This year the A-Z Challenge felt more like an extra job. Not the writing of the posts, even if this is a labour, it is a labour of love, as I do enjoy blogging.

As said more times already I find the challenge in itself fun, but the social media hype and the assertive and truculent challengers not so much. There's plain too many in it just to promote something, and too few in it just to tell a story, to goof around, or for plain fun.

Not taking into account the blogs I follow regularly, during the challenge in former years I've always found some blogs I looked forward to visiting every day.
    This year ... I found a couple that was really fun, and a few more that had me reading every day, but of the rest I felt that too many were promoting something, be it themselves, their books, thier products generally taken, or some spiritual well-being stuff.
    And if not, the subjects did not catch me, or the graphics were so messy that I could no read it. These two last are of course on me. 

I might just have grown old, disillusioned, bored, and bitter,

It might also be a clash of cultures. I do not know.

All I know is that I'm not going to sign up again next year

Wordle 1.780 6/6
⬜⬜⬜🟩🟩
⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜
⬜🟩⬜⬜⬜
🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟨🟨⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩