Catch-up -- Words for Wednesday.

Ouch, it's almost a month ago since I last wrote anything for Words for Wednesday. I have written something, using some of the J words from Wisewebwoman's first batch of words, and even a few of Messymimi's older ones. I'd better just publish this before I (hopefully) continue with today's batch, which can be found HERE.

WWW's J words from May 4:
Jewel
Jigsaw
Jerboa
Jasmine (not the word, but the flower is there)
Jerrican
Jump
Jumbo
Jellyfish

Messymimi's from April 27: 
Behaviour
Comfortable
Bubble
Pluck
Share
Ton
Bear
Conversation
Line
Action
Quality
Carrot

"Now listen everybody!" Jon said. This was totally not necessary as everybody were already all ears. He held up four bags, one red, one yellow, one blue and one green. "In these bags there's one jigsaw piece for each of you apprentices. When I'm done talking, one from each team come forth and get their bag. Then you go to your classroom and there you each pick a jigsaw piece from the bag. In the bags you'll find seemingly random objects as well. You'll have to think, you'll have to work together, to do your best and to do what you're best at to solve the riddle and transform the right things into what's relevant for the completion of the task. You'll have until tomorrow just before lunch to complete the task. Tents have been put up in the meadows, and all your parents have been informed. No outside help allowed, don't ask the teachers. Don't send out letters - we'll know. And don't even think of asking the Nisser for help. Now Sif, Helge, Ingrid and Knud, come here and get the bags." Sif got the yellow bag, Helge the blue one, Ingrid purple and Knud the green one. The green team all followed Knud up the stairs and into their room. "Why was Knud chosen?" Hilde asked as soon as  the door closed behind her, "I'm better at transformation than he is."
"So are most of you," Knud answered. "But I'm the oldest of the green team, as is Sif, Helge, and Ingrid of their teams."
"I wonder if that's a clue," Kirstin said, jumping up and almost overturning table where Knud had placed the bag. "Sorry," she said, shaking her head so that all her black curls began dancing. "It just so exiting. Look, there's a piece of paper tied to the drawstring. Susan, you read it aloud. Jon told us to do what we're best at."
Susan smiled and carefully plucked the paper from the string. The paper unfolded and letters grew on it. Susan read: "Congratulations. You began the right way. Now all in order of descending age pick a jigsaw piece from the bag without looking. But first; place this paper at an empty table."  Susan quickly placed the paper at the table near the window. The paper folded itself together, shrivelled up and caught fire. "Oof!" Susan said and jumped away from the table with the burning paper.
"You begin, Knud" Hilde said, "you're the oldest."
"I know," Knud said placatingly and put his hand into the bag. He did not say a word, but his face contorted. He pulled his hand back out of the bag and looked at the piece. I featured half a red jewel.
"Terje, you're next!" Hilde said.
"Yes," Terje said and without further ado jammed his hand into the bag. "Yuck!" he said and pulled out his hand very fast, but clutching a piece too. It had some white petals on it.
"And now it's my turn!" Hilde said and with a smirch thrust her hand into the bag. Her smile diminished and turned to a frown, but she too pulled a jigsaw piece from the green bag.
She pulled herself together and looked at her hand. Her piece shoved like the others' a green backside she turned it over and looked at the fluffy ear on her piece.
"It's a teddy bear!" Kirstin said.
"No, a koala, I think." Kalle said, his blond hair almost glowing in a stray ray of sun.
"Now who's next?" Hilde asked. "Most of us are 12  just like me, But I was sure I was the oldest, as I'm going to turn 13 in a few days." 
 My birthday is in November, Veronika said.
"Oh, then I'm older, than you," Susan said. "My birthday is September 23."
"Mine is January first," Rósa said.
"That's a cool day," Kalle said, "And exactly a month before mine."
"Josta?" Hilde said and looked quizzically at the younger of the Birch sisters.
"March 23, I'm the youngest."
"Ooh!" Kirstin said, "same day as me, only you're a year older than me, no two years, I'll turn 11 the day you turn 13."
"And I won't turn 11 until almost a year from now. June 14." Marja said.
"Then you're the youngest of us," Anna said. "I was born in December, also the 14th."
Susan, your turn!" Hilde said, and Susan put her hand into the green bag. The fabric was soft and sleek, cool to the touch, but inside it ... it felt like cold porridge or mashed jellyfish. Cold, slimy and clinging. Susan's questing fingers touched an oblong object, a round stone maybe a jumbo-marble, and something wooden and slim before they finally closed upon a jigsaw piece. She clasped it and as fast as possible pulled her hand out from the bag. She looked at her hand. It looked normal, clean, or as clean as it had been when she put it into the bag. She slowly turned her hand over. Not a trace of the slimy substance adhered to it. Her jigsaw piece also had an ear on the front side.
"Does it fit Hilde's piece?" Kalle asked.
"Not now," Hilde said impatiently, "let's all get a piece before we try to fit them together."
First Veronika, then Rósa and after her Kalle, Josta, Kirstin, Anna and Marja all put their hands into the bags, and with varying expressions of displeasure pulled a jigsaw piece out of the bag.  
"What was in that bag?" Marja asked. "It was yucky!"
"Yes it was like mashed jellyfish or cold porridge," Susan said.
"More like goo or old glue," Kalle said. "Like what you use when sticking up wallpaper."
"Cold, but fresh cow pies!" Hilde said. "But no smell, and nothing clings to our hands. I bet it's some magic. Knud, please shake out what's left in the bag. Jon said there was more in it."
Knud shook the bag, and first came a small wooden object formed almost like a letter V, but with round edges and smooth, rounded ends, then a stone, looking a bi like a giant marble, all brownish grey but not totally smooth like a marble. A couple of slender, long leaves followed and then two small, carved statues. Susan picked up one of them. "Someone is making fun of us!" she said. "Look at this one. I never saw such an animal. It has a bill like Donald Duck, a tail like a beaver, giant paws and a body that's otter-like."  
Hilde had picked up the other statue,"It's the one with the ears from your piece," Kalle said. I told you it was a Koala!"
"A koala?" Marja asked. "What is that?"
"It's an animal living in trees in Australia," Kalle said, "It's a marsupial, like the kangaroos and they are totally cool and eat loads of leaves."

... to be continued - I hope.