WfW - Christmas at Unicorn Farm - 4

River at Drifting through Life is supplying us with Words in September. 
From Wednesday 2nd. I still l have some unused words:  dropout - espalier - trace.
And from Wednesday 9th I sitll have:  treehouse - ferry - statue 
Those words seem enough for many days to come, as I think I used ONE of them for this next installment. At this pace, River's words will last me until next year.


As Kensuke, Teiko, Ellen, Rósa and Susan were sent from the kitchen to get dressed for the festive meal, they discovered that they had not been the only ones working hard. Knud and Kalle had been levelling the roads, Several of the Yellow team had been cleaning out the stables, polishing the statues in the niches; and the blue team had been sweeping all corridors and putting up extra tables. Of course they were also using magic, but much of the menial work went as fast, and left them not as tired in both body and mind when done by ordinary means.
  Now all the guests were somewhere else, dressing in their finery, and the apprentices gathered in the Barn by the wardrobes. On their pegs hung new, festive clothing from nicer fabric than the coarse cotton of their ordinary school uniforms. The green team found green tunics with the openings bordered by embroidery in different colours and patterns, all pleasing to the eye and well done. The tunics had vents at the bottom - also embroidered - and belts in fitting colours. The skirts and trousers, white with black and purple stripes as always, were made from some silk-like material, soft and supple, but still warm. They all washed hands and faces first and combed and brushed their hair. Then they put on the finery, which fit them just as well as the normal uniforms. Shoes or boots were supplied as well. Made from soft leather with fasteners and strings in colours to match their tunics, and they were even comfortable. Susan felt suddenly shy. She did not know where she was supposed to go, or if she should go and sit down at all. The lay out for the tables was new and unusual. She just stayed by the wardrobe, as did most of the other apprentices.
  The small door in the back of the barn was opened, and the teachers came in, each ushering a bundle of guests. 
  Tähti and Taavi were dressed in traditional Finnish dresses, in subdued colour, but still striking. Taavi gallantly held the door and a bevy of Greenlanders came through; the three men and boys in white anorak and black trousers contrasting nicely with the small, smiling lady and a girl dressed in pearl embroidered tops and white trousers. Taavi offered her arm to the lady and led her to the furthest table, Täthi and the rest of the Inuit trailing behind.
  Jon and Martine were dressed in Norwegian bunad, he looked a bit strange, but the white shirt and deep blue woollen vest and trousers with silver buttons set off his black skin nicely. They warded a small company of The Saami all dressed in their traditional tunics in primal colours and reindeer hide boots. They went to stand near the next table.
  Birgitta was dressed in something very much like Martine's bunad, but the choice of colours made her for all the world look like she just stepped from Carl Larsson's Christmas painting. Some of her guests were well known to Susan and her friends, but how different they looked! Ella was wearing a dirndl in a striking red colour, tied together with strings of some silvery material over a white blouse; while Kensuke and Teiko looked fabulous in kimonos, Teiko's were a very soft, light blue colour, almost like a starling's egg, getting paler towards the bottom of the dress and patterned with flowers in pink, golden and green. Kensuke's was simpler, dark green with a subtle pattern in darker and lighter shades, making a rippling effect when he moved. Instead of the traditional sandals, they wore ninja boots, where the big toe was separated from the other four, giving them a funny, almost reptilian look. Susan found them practical and was almost a bit jealous, even though her boots were the best, she had ever worn. They waved at Susan and she smiled timidly back at them.
  Thora, Gilvi and Torben were dressed in their normal attire, only now sparkling clean, and made from finer fabrics. Thora as always in white shirt under a dark green dress, her only concession to dressing was a silver brooch, and Gilvi looked much like the day Susan first met him. Torben wore a suit in dove grey, a white shirt and a bow tie, his festive looks. Among their guests were some that none of the apprentices recognized. A lean, dark-haired man in white shirt, black trousers and clogs caught Susan's attention. Wearing clogs to a party, she thought, really strange. Heidi noticed her looking and told her that it was a Dutch tradition. The rest were dressed in a mix of Slavic embroidered blouses, modern clothes and sombre Italian dresses.
  Thora gently levitated until she was at least a head taller than everyone else around, then she clapped her hands: "The Yellow teams will sit at the table furthest from the wardrobes with Tähti and Taavi and our honoured guests from Greenland." The  yellow apprentices looked at her, and she looked back at them. "Now, off you go," she said encouragingly, and the yellow-clad apprentices, with Sif and Edwin in front walked off.
  "And the green team will sit with Jon and Martine and our Saami guests." Thora continued. "Off you go." After a bit of jostling and nervous giggling Knud took Susan's arm in an imitation of Taavi and Tähti and led her off towards the tables. Surprisingly Terje emulated him, grasping Hilde's arm and soon all the green apprentices were seated with Jon, Martine and the joyous looking Saami.
  "And now," Thora said, "now it becomes easier. Purple team, you go and sit with Birgitta and our visitors from Japan, Austria, Germany and Switzerland." They did with Finnbogi, the only in red leading Lis. Tage quickly grasped Ingrid by the arm and followed. Heidi and Olav did the same. and the rest followed closely so as not to be left behind.
  As they sat, Thora spoke again: "Lastly blue team come and sit here with us and visitors from Eastern and Central Europe."  David and Grani, the two eldest boys on the blue team almost fought to be the first at the table, leaving the Swedes, My and Selma to follow as best they could. Still after only a short while everybody was seated.