Truce — A Vocabulary Story
The Thermostat Treaty
The thermostat war for the home's temperature had raged in the Danes house for eleven days.
Dad liked the living room "like a butcher's freezer." Sola, his daughter, preferred it "like a proper human being's home" — which meant cranking the dial up the second he left the room. He'd sneak back and knock it down. She'd nudge it up. Down, up, down, up. The little plastic numbers were practically dizzy.
"This is ridiculous," Mum announced, planting herself between them like a referee. "You two are behaving like toddlers fighting over a toy."
"He starts it," said Sola.
"She should accept my decision," said Dad.
Mum folded her arms. "Right. We need a truce."
A truce means an agreement between enemies or opponents to stop fighting or arguing for a certain time.
Mum set out the rules of the truce, "the dial stays at twenty. Whoever touches it loses washing-up duty rights for a month."
Sola and Dad eyed each other suspiciously, like two cowboys at high noon.
"Fine," they muttered together.
For three glorious days, peace reigned. Then Sola caught Dad reaching for the dial — and froze, hand hovering an inch from it herself.
They both burst out laughing.
"Truce holds?" he grinned.
"Truce holds," she sighed, pulling on an extra jumper instead of cranking up the heat.
The thermostat, for once, stayed gloriously, peacefully still.
Word Definition
truce
meaning
an agreement between enemies or opponents to stop fighting or arguing for a certain time
synonyms
amnesty · moratorium · peace · reconciliation · reprieve
antonyms
conflict · war · persistence
example sentence
The two countries agreed to a truce to allow for humanitarian aid.