The organizer wanted an ebullient herald whose animated welcome would enhance the festive mood. (ebullient: exuberant, buoyant, enthusiastic; animated: lively, spirited, vivacious; enhance: improve, augment, heighten; festive: celebratory, merry, joyous) The actor who came first was dour and almost impassive. (dour: morose, grim, severe; impassive: expressionless, unemotional, stolid) The vivacious second candidate was elated to get the part. (vivacious: lively, animated, vibrant; elated: delighted, jubilant, joyful) The first took the role of Winter and prepared to leave the stage on cue.
Rain turned the opening cheer into a febrile scramble for shelter. (febrile: feverish, agitated, heated) Spring was skittish about wet stilts. (skittish: nervous, jumpy, jittery) Winter, inured to bad weather after years of selling newspapers, offered him an arm. (inured: hardened, habituated, accustomed) For the herald, who had expected to come down hard on the cobbles, walking safely through the gate was a moment of pure felicity. (felicity: happiness, bliss, joy)
The organizer had planned a fervid speech to mark the changing of the seasons. (fervid: ardent, fervent, impassioned) Instead he handed both actors towels and let the applause prevail. (prevail: predominate, dominate, hold sway) His weather forecast for the following year was a temperate one: bring a coat. (temperate: moderate, restrained, measured)