The triumvirate had ruled the playground for a week. (triumvirate: ruling trio, governing threesome, troika) A fourth player announced that a kingdom of three betrayed an insufficiency of imagination. (insufficiency: inadequacy, deficiency, shortage) The oldest called him a jackanapes. (jackanapes: imp, cheeky upstart, insolent fellow) Such an uncouth greeting was unusual even by their permissive rules. (uncouth: boorish, coarse, unrefined; permissive: lenient, indulgent, tolerant) What precisely did he want?
An advisory role, he said. When they disagreed he would provide sagacity. (sagacity: wisdom, discernment, judgment) His solemn claim to be a sage made one king choke on an apple. (solemn: grave, serious, sober; sage: wise person, philosopher) Why should anyone consider a fourth-grader especially sapient? (sapient: wise, sagacious, discerning) The newcomer admitted his qualifications were thin, but he had brought a second apple.
That was the most commendable proposal anybody had heard all week. (commendable: laudable, praiseworthy, admirable) They divided the fruit, then the kingdom. The fourth child got the tree and declared that climbing it would be free.