Vocabulary

prolix
abrupt
demote
saturnine
mournful
slender
lament
humid
antiquated
perplexed
rapport
futile
vicious circle

1
In a quaint, antiquated town where time seemed to move at a prolix pace, there lived a slender,
saturnine man named Edward. He worked as a clerk in the local government office, where his days
were filled with endless paperwork and monotonous tasks. Edward was a man of few words, often
perceived as aloof and distant by his colleagues.
One day, an abrupt announcement came from the office manager. Edward was being demoted due
to his perceived lack of efficiency and poor rapport with coworkers. The news left him feeling
perplexed and mournful, as he had always been diligent in his duties, even if he kept to himself.
As Edward tried to navigate his new role, the days grew increasingly humid, mirroring his internal
turmoil. He found himself caught in a vicious circle of self-doubt and frustration, lamenting his
situation but unsure how to improve it. The futile nature of his efforts weighed heavily on him, and
he began to withdraw even further into himself.
Despite his best efforts, Edward’s coworkers remained distant, and his work continued to suffer. He
felt trapped in a cycle of negativity, unable to break free. It wasn’t until he received a kind gesture
from a colleague that Edward began to see a glimmer of hope.
A coworker took the time to sit down with Edward, offering a sympathetic ear and a fresh
perspective. They spoke at length about Edward’s feelings of alienation and his struggles to adapt to
his new role. Through their conversation, Edward began to see that his isolation was partly self-
imposed and that he had the power to change his situation.
With renewed determination, Edward set out to improve his relationships with his coworkers. He
made an effort to be more open and approachable, and slowly but surely, he began to build bridges.
Over time, Edward’s colleagues began to see him in a new light, appreciating his quiet dedication
and unique perspective.
As the days passed, Edward found himself embracing his new role with a newfound sense of
purpose. The once-mournful clerk had transformed into a valued member of the team, his saturnine
demeanour giving way to a more open and optimistic outlook. And though the road had been long
and difficult, Edward had learned that even in the most challenging of circumstances, there is
always room for growth and change.
2
In a small, quaint, provincial town nestled among rolling hills, there lived a man who was never
happy. His name was Felix, and he thought that he was cursed by that name. Felix was a tall slender
man with large humid eyes and a saturnine smile. Everyone around him seemed content with life,
but he was perplexed by the fact that they found it tolerable.
Felix was a good speaker, although his speeches tended to be prolix, so he had a job as a tour guide.
A lot of tourists came to his home town because it had a medieval castle, a Gothic cathedral and
picturesque antiquated streets. People liked listening to Felix and savoured his gloomy jokes but
once he stopped abruptly in the middle of his speech and said: “It’s all futile! You guys should just
go home.”
He was demoted after that and had to work as a receptionist in the same tourist agency. He would
often lament the futility of existence in a very poetic way, and there was quickly a rapport between
him and another receptionist, a lady who also felt miserable about life. Her name was Allegra.
Felix and Allegra would go for long walks together, sharing long mournful conversations. After two
months of saturnine courtship, Felix asked her if she wanted to enter into the vicious circle of
marriage with him. She said bitterly that she did.
They married in the town’s macabre cathedral and lived unhappily ever after in a little quaint town
nestled among gloomy hills.

3
In the humid air of the ancient library, where antiquated books lined the walls like sentinels of
knowledge, there was a slender figure known as Eliot. He was the keeper of stories, a man whose
saturnine demeanour often gave way to prolix lectures on history and mythology. His rapport with
the written word was unmatched, yet his interactions with people were often abrupt and
misunderstood.
Eliot’s assistant, a young woman with a mournful look that seemed permanently etched on her face,
had been demoted recently. The reason was a mystery wrapped in a riddle, leaving her perplexed
and searching for answers in the dusty tomes that surrounded her. She would often lament her
situation to Eliot, who, in his own way, tried to offer solace.
Their world was a vicious circle of seeking and never finding, of questions and elusive answers.
Eliot warned her that some pursuits were futile, that not all stories had a happy ending, and that
sometimes, the quest for understanding could lead to more sorrow than satisfaction.
Yet, amidst the silence of the stacks and the whisper of turning pages, there was a connection, a
rapport that transcended words. They were united in their search for meaning, even if it meant
facing the vicious circle of their existence head-on.