Approbation – an act of approving formally or officially

There are times when young fairies tend to be a little wild.  They go about picking hardtack and using the gel inside it to paint leaves and rocks.  Taking the colorful puffs they fly about placing the colors all over the meadow.  They paint various animal pictures where ever they find a flat surface.  Eventually, though, they will get caught.  They are taken before the fairy courts which are full of disapproving adult fairies.  As the young fairies are brought before the courts, they have to face their parents which is never fun.  The parents tell them how disappointed they are in them and then they have to stand before the judges and face their punishment.  They usually receive approbation.  They have to go around where they painted the meadow and clean it up.  It takes several days because when hardtack hardens, it is almost impossible to remove.  They have to scrub for hours.  This takes the young fairies away from all their fun which makes them really unhappy. 

Approbation began several hundred years ago when the first disobedient fairy took off and colored up the meadow.  It was a shock to the whole fairy community.  It took the fairy leaders a long time to figure out how to punish the poor young fairies.  It was finally determined that they can clean up the mess that they made.  It did not go over too well with the ones who had to do the cleaning up, but it has been used as a punishment for the last 256 years.

Tipple - Drink

Tipple is a game that is played by fairies.  They put a pebble on a stick where it balances but barely.  They fly by it and who ever makes it fall looses.  There are sometimes tournaments for tipple.  The champions get a medal and a trophy.  Tipple is a very old game from hundreds of years ago.  An old man was bored and came up with this very fun game.  Ever since it has been a world wide sport.  If you ever walk in a meadow, you might be lucky enough to witness a game of tipple.  If so, hide or else the game ends and they all scatter.  So take care of what you are doing.  You might be lucky enough to see a fairies’ good game of tipple.

Celerity – rapidity of motion or action

Green edible tree

In fairy villages, there is a kind of tree that fairies eat as well as humans.  Fairies strip the “bark” off the tree and eat it.  Celerity is delicious and also has a festival in its honor.  The only true problem with celerity is that humans invade the villages (without knowing it) and steal the celerity while destroying the village.  Celerity is stringy and some strands are used in jewelry, furniture, nets, or as rope to hold things together.  The green color in celerity is commonly used as a die for clothes or furniture as well as art.  At the bottom of celerity is a white, hard thing used for furniture or softer tools such as utensils, cook wear, and plates and bowls.  Mainly things in the kitchen.  Celerity is not only a snack, but a drink.  Celerity juice is good and filling.  Mainly baby fairies drink it but it is used at parties or festivals, too.  So as you can celerity is used in a fairy’s everyday life.

Drubbing - To beat severely

In the world of the fairies there is always a party going on.  One of the favorite things for them to do is dance throughout the night.  There is a wonderful band that the fairies have that play really good.  One of the instruments that they use is the drubbing.  It is a large box shaped thing that has blades of grass strapped tightly over it which gives it its name.  As the expert players began tapping on the grass, a sound like “drubbing” floats across the meadow and sets the beat for the music and the dancing. 

These instruments became a source of pride for the players.  As they progress in their musical abilities, they take ownership of each drubbing and begin to change them into something belonging to them.  One will put painted pictures all around the sides of the drubbing.  Another will stick flower petals in funny designs.  There was one who painted his girlfriend all over the box.  He changed it after one party when his friends began to pick on him too much.

Drubbing has become such a popular thing.  Years before it was just a part of the music, but recently for some odd reason many of the girl fairies began to really go crazy over the ones who played on the drubbings.  They would cheer whenever they played and would follow them around the party and even later at other events.  It was downright embarrassing.  At first.  The drubbers began to walk a little differently as they were now the popular ones in the band.  For the first time in fairy history, drubbers began to be noticed and be popular.  They really enjoyed that.

Drubbing has changed over the years, but the beauty of the sound they make has not.  If you happen to be lucky to hear them, pay attention to the soft beat that directs the music.  You might be able to be this lucky if you lay in a meadow for at least an hour and tune out all other noises.  Listen closely and you will begin to hear the party strike up under the starry sky.

Forebore – to have an intuition or premonition

Forebore is a pig with four horns.  Forebores are really mean to fairies and are known to trample their villages.  They can and will eat fairies as well.  There was a time way back when a whole heard of forebores came and attacked a whole village.  That village is gone and the few survivors were moved into another close by.  There is a game played where a fairy must touch the horn of the forebore… and survive.  This is an exceptionally dangerous sport and causes much death.  The fairy counsil and most parents disapprove but they don’t stop.  Forebores are very dangerous but are also sacred.  I don’t know why.  My best guess is that fairies lack common sense.

Treacle - Molassas

Treacle is a special treat fairies eat made of sap and dandelions.  They start with a dandelion head and cover it with sap.  After the sap dries, fairies sprinkle the top with a few dandelion leaves.  This is a special treat and has a festival in its honor.  Sometimes they add chocolate or other hard to get items.  The fairies that make them are called Treaclists.  They are honored as well.  Every March 4th they celebrate Treacle Day so maybe then you could be lucky enough to stumble across their parade.

Shindy - a row, rumpus

A birthday party

    Every time a fairy-let, or baby fairy, is born they have what is called a shindy.  It lasts all day and night starting as just a normal party until sunset when the newborn fairy-let is introduced to Fairytopia.  All the fairies kiss the baby on the forehead for good luck in a long and healthy life.  After this is done, the fairies grab a partner and dance.  While the fairies dance, the proud parents sit on a throne made of birch and the fairy-let lies in a crib of birth, fold, and gems.  When all the stars are in the sky and the fire is lit, the parents dance and the god-parents watch the baby.  After the shindy, the parents and the fairy-let spend the night in the Hollow Tree Hotel.  In the morning, the shindy ends and the family goes back home.