busyA Lively Feast
Most of the time,
humans and Fifers
got along fine, but
sometimes it was
a bit of a stretch.
Feasts, for example --
humans liked to lay out
platters of food in patterns
of appetizing colors, while
Fifers put out baskets of
things that were still moving.
"What is it with them?"
asked Captain Judd,
wrinkling his nose.
"Well, erm, I don't
know for sure yet,"
said Ensign Obert.
"I'm still working on
the culinary vocabulary.
It's a bit ... unusual."
"Unusual? How?"
said Commander Hale.
"You know how we have
the color words arranged in
a spectrum?" said Ensign Obert.
"I think they do that with flavors,
only I haven't figured out all of
the categories. It's confusing."
"So give me an example,"
said Commander Hale.
"Maybe if you talk it out,
that will help you learn it."
"Some of their senses are
a bit different from ours,"
Ensign Obert explained.
"That affects descriptions."
"I can see how it would,"
Commander Hale agreed.
"I think they have words
for food that tastes like it's
still alive even if it isn't,"
Ensign Obert continued.
"Yuck," said Lieutenant Martina,
who had her hands full trying to keep
her toddling daughter Araceli
from eating the live food.
"That gives me an idea,"
said Lieutenant Rodriga,
and she hurried away.
Soon she returned with
a package of the sugar worms
that Araceli loved so much.
The toddler crowed in delight
and grabbed her favorite candy.
Soon the Fifers crowded around,
talking about the sugar worms.
Ensign Obert grinned and
began to take notes.
* * *
Notes:
Gummy worms have some interesting history. Read about how sour ones are made. You can make your own gummy worms and sour powdered sugar.