The dancing was beautiful. It almost always was. It was nearly as stunning as the land it originated from. From the music to the steps, from the mountains to the lakes. Everyone was graceful and smiling while they danced.
Two dancers were taking a break and looking over the balcony. There was a table and two chairs, which was convenient. They had tea brought over so they could relax while giving their feet a rest.
Alice leaned back in her seat, staring out at their view, letting the Hatter explain to her what his next idea was. They were both at ease with themselves, a perfect feeling.
"…and the white will look especially good with the fabric and- Alice?" the Hatter asked, looking over at Alice. She had that look in her eyes again; the look that showed she was thinking deeply.
"Hmm?" Alice was doing this more and more, letting her mind wander wherever it went. This happened to the Hatter also, but of course he was usually saying it out loud.
"What have you been thinking about now?" The Hatter said, not sounding like his half-mad-insane self at all.
"I'm thinking of why a raven is like a writing desk," Alice answered softly. She still stared out at the open, never blinking once. Quite unusual.
"Why is a raven like a writing desk? Have you figured it out? Because I haven't the slightest idea," the Hatter said. He was eager to find the answer to this maddening riddle. Though it was fun to ponder, it was nice to know the answer also.
Alice sat up, ready to answer. The Hatter leaned over to listen, his tall hat never sliding off his head. Alice had a hat of her own, one that Tarrant had made for her the night she had come back to Wonderland, to Underland. As his was green, hers was a deep blue with a long, yellow sash made into a ribbon; it often mixed in with her hair. But these two had their minds not on hats, but on ravens and writing desks.
"A raven is like a writing desk because… the few notes it can make are very flat and never has its wrong end in front." Not a very reasonable answer, but still an answer at that.
"I am confused," the Hatter said flat out. Alice snickered under her breath.
"As am I, Hatter, as am I," Alice said.
"Well, that's all right," The Hatter said. He took a sip of his tea. She followed the gesture.
"I have another riddle, dear Hatter, for us to wonder about," Alice said, not going on, waiting for him to respond. Realizing this, Tarrant put down his cup of tea and cleared his throat and asked for it.
"Why does one shrink when meant to grow, sleep when meant to eat, and sit when meant to dance?" She let him ponder it for a minute.
"I haven't the slightest idea," He answered finally. Alice's smiled, letting the silent laughter sink into her eyes.
"Nor do I."
A little thing I came up with. I wanted the Hatter to show a little of his madness but didn't know where and how to put it. Oh well. Hope you guys enjoy. For the answer to the riddle, I did NOT MAKE IT UP. Lewis Carrol actually did. Though he wrote it nowhere in the books, in the book I have it has a little Author's Note before it and he explains it.
Here's an excerpt:
"....what seems to me to be a fairly appropriate answer, viz. 'Because it can produce a few notes, though they are very flat; and it is never put with the wrong end in front!' This, however, is merely an afterthought: the Riddle, as originally invented, had no answer at all.
Christmas, 1896"
That's part of what's in my book. I tried not to copy it down word for word, something I hate to do. People have said "'Cause Poe wrote on both!", and that is a very, VERY good, awesome answer, but somehow, I like Lewis Carroll's (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) answer more. It just seems more... fit, though a little strange. I'm not trying to critisize the Poe Answer, I swear! But I like Carroll's answer all the better.
Hope you guys liked it!