Diana and Diedra. I was having a hard time following their story. One sister would start part of the story then the other would finish it. I decided that they are twins, because how else would they be able to read each other's mind.
The three of us walked along a path and I heard more music. But it was different from that at the White Butterfly's soiree. This was more like a rave I had been to before. As we walked closer to the music I could see the lights from the party. "What is going on up there?" I asked.
"Oh that, that is the Hatter's place," said Diana.
"She has all the best parties," said Diedra.
"Sometimes even the King shows up," said Diana.
"When he is in a particularly good mood that is," said Diedra.
"It sounds like a rave. You're telling me that your King goes to raves?" I asked the sisters surprised.
"What is a, rave?" The sisters asked in unison looking at one another. I explained what a rave was as we continued walking.
The three girls arrive at the Hatter's house. Under a large tree in front of the house was a large dance floor with several intimate seating areas around the edge of the floor. "For throwing the best parties, you would think there would be more people here," I said.
"Well time is stuck at six o'clock here at the Hatter's," said Diedra.
"Since she and Time got into an argument last year," said Diana as they sat down beside the Hatter.
facing the DJ booth where there was a Dormouse and a March Hare playing music. I pulled out my phone to take a picture of what was in front of me, then sat down in a large arm-chair. The young girl was about my age. She turned around and stared at me like she knew her from somewhere.
"Your hair wants to be cut darling," she said "by the way I am Tinsley Hatter. But everyone calls me Hatter."
"I'm Ali, and that was rather blunt about my hair." I continued, "why do they call you the Hatter?"
"My father was THE Hatter of the whole kingdom. I dabble in hat making but I prefer the parties that everyone wears them too," said Tinsley.
"My Grandmother told me stories about a Hatter when I was younger. Can you take a selfie with me so I can show her when I return home?" Ali asked.
"Sure but only if you can solve my riddle," said Tinsley with a wild grin on her face. "Why is a raven like a writing desk?"
"Oh! I love this song. Shall we dance?" said the Tweedle sisters in unison. As soon as the words were out of their mouths the two sisters pulled everyone to the dance floor. After what felt like an eternity dancing, the dance floor became crowded with people.
"Ali! Tea?! I want to know if you solved the riddle yet?" yelled Tinsley over the music pointing towards a seating section.
"So?!" asked Tinsley as soon as they sat down. Her eyes opened wide waiting for an answer.
I thought hard about the stories my Grandmother Alice told me when she was little. "I haven't the slightest idea why a raven is like a writing desk," she said giving up on the riddle.
"Me either!" Laughed Tinsley. She agreed to take a selfie with me even though she was confused by the whole thing and the small device in my pocket. The Tweedle sisters sat down beside Tinsley.
"My dearest Tweedles I absolutely love your Muchness. Please do not ever lose it," said Tinsley taking a drink of her tea.
"Now why would we want to lose our Muchness," said Diedra
"That would be such an awful thing if we did," continued Diana laughing as she took a bite of her cupcake.
"Tinsley, tell me is it true that your King raves?" I asked
"Of course he does! Would you like to meet him?" before I had a chance to answer Tinsley said, "Come. This way is a short cut to his castle."
"Oh you must meet him!" said Diana excitedly.
"He is a delight!" said Diedra as she jumped up and down.
"Tweedles, shhh! You know he doesn't like surprises," Tinsley said about the King as she led them through a small door in a tree. [Read on...]
Author's Note:
In Carroll's version when Alice meets the Mad Hatter, the Tweedles are not there and Alice, the March Hare, the Dormouse, and the Hatter are rather rude to each other. Time is stuck at six o'clock at the Hatters because the Queen said he was "murdering time" so that is why there is a large number of tea settings out in Carroll's novel. In my version of Wonderland, the characters are the next generation of the original characters. I left out the Dormouse and the March Hare, besides mentioning them, to save space and try to keep this story shorter. The Dormouse brings up muchness in the story he tells about the three sisters in a well. The riddle is from Carroll's version, the Hatter reveals the answer of "I haven't the slightest idea." I decided to have Ali say it in a way that she had given up on the riddle. In Carroll's version, Alice finds the tea-party to be stupid and doesn't want to return to that party again when she is leaving. Alice sees a door in a tree that has a long hallway, with a table and a key like when she first fell down the rabbit hole.
Story Source: story source: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865) The Mad-Tea Party
Images:
Banner Macro view of lights Photo by Andrew Knechel on Unsplash
Two girls in stripe shirts Photo by Grizzly Hn on Unsplash
Girl in a hat, Photo by Rodolfo Sanches Carvalho on Unsplash
ceramic cup and saucer, Photo by Anita Austvika on Unsplash