Feliciano headed towards the forest that lied ahead of the beach. It was very dark and a little unsettling, but Feliciano was so filled with determination to find Mr. Roderich that he didn't notice. He did notice though the feeling like he was being watched. However, every time he turned around to look behind him, he saw no trace of people. He continued to walk through the forest, but then he began to hear voices.
"Do you think we should say hi, Tweedle bro?" one voice said. The voice was whispering, but you can tell it was owned by a loud person.
"He seems like a nice boy. I don't see why not." said another, quieter voice, barely audible.
"Should we wait a bit longer?" the first voice asked.
"It's up to you." The second voice replied.
Feliciano finally decided to speak up to the semi-creepy voices. "Who's there? Hello?"
"Great job, he knows we are here." The second voice whispered.
"Then we might as well come out." said the first voice. Out from behind the trees came two men that looked almost exactly alike. Each wore suspenders with wacky colors and propeller hats that didn't hide their distinctive stray hairs. The key differences were the men's eye colors and hair length. "Well hello there!" said the loud twin. His distinctive features were blue eyes, short hair, and a cowlick. "My name is Tweedle Dum. How do you do?" He put out his hand to Feliciano and flashed a goofy grin.
Feliciano was surprised by the odd pair, but tried to remain cordial. "My name is Feliciano and I'm doing quite well, thank you." He shook Tweedle Dum's hand happily and then looked at the other twin whose distinctive features were purple eyes, longer hair, and a stray curl on the top of his head. "And you are?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, where are my manners," the quieter one stuttered. "I'm Tweedle Dee; it's very nice to meet you Feliciano."
"So where are you heading off to, Feli?" Tweedle Dum asked while patting Feliciano in the back, almost toppling him over.
"I was looking for Mr. Roderich. Maybe you've seen him." Feliciano replied.
"Nope not at all." said Tweedle Dum.
"Then I must be going. Goodbye." Feliciano tried to leave, but Tweedle Dum stepped in front of him.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where are you going bro? The visit has just started."
"I really must be going," Feliciano repeated while trying to find an escape. "I really need to find Mr. Roderich."
"Why do you need to find him, Feli?" Tweedle Dee asked.
"Because I need to…." This question did put a dent in Feliciano's thinking. Why did he need to find Roderich-bunny? He didn't need anything from him and he couldn't give anything in return. Feliciano could only think of one answer. "Because….I'm curious to know where he is going."
"Oh, you're curious," Tweedle Dee said with a plan forming in his head. "The oysters were curious too, but they will never be able to make up for their mistakes." Tweedle Dee nudged Tweedle Dum with his elbow and gave him a look that hinted at his goal.
"Oh yes, indeed. Poor things." Tweedle Dum added twisting his face into a sorrowful expression and taking off his hat in mourning. Feliciano's curiosity was piqued by these gestures and he came closer to the pair.
"What did happen to the oysters?" he asked. Tweedle Dee and Dum didn't answer, but began to walk away and whistle. "Please come back and tell me," Feliciano called. "I can stay for a little while."
The twins turned around eagerly. "You can! Great!" they said in unison and pushed Feliciano on a nearby log. The twins went up to a big rock that rested close by and drew a picture. The setting was a beach and in the middle stood two men. One man had a hood and a mask on, but he was dressed like a bumbling walrus. The other man had long chocolate tresses and a flyaway that twisted into two opposite spirals; he was dressed as a carpenter of some sort. Oyster shells surrounded them. Once the picture was completed, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum stood tall next to each other, took a deep breath, and began their tale.
"The Walrus and the Carpenter." Tweedle Dee said as loud as he could, which wasn't that loud.
"Or The Story of the Curious Oysters." said Tweedle Dum, much louder.
The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright-
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:
"If this were only cleared away,"
They said, "it would be grand!"
"O Oysters, come and walk with us!"
The Walrus did beseech.
"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach:
We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hand to each."
The eldest Oyster looked at him,
But never a word he said:
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head-
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the oyster-bed.
But four young Oysters hurried up,
All eager for the treat:
Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their shoes were clean and neat-
And this was odd, because, you know,
They hadn't any feet.
Four other Oysters followed them,
And yet another four;
And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more-
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Walked on a mile or so,
And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently low:
And all the little Oysters stood
And waited in a row.
"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes-and ships-and sealing-wax-
Of cabbages-and kings-
And why the sea is boiling hot-
And whether pigs have wings."
"But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,
"Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!"
"No hurry!" said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.
"A loaf of bread," the Walrus said,
"Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed-
Now if you're ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed."
"But not on us!" the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue.
"After such kindness, that would be
A dismal thing to do!"
"The night is fine," the Walrus said.
"Do you admire the view?
"It seems a shame," the Walrus said,
"To play them such a trick,
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"The butter's spread too thick!"
"I weep for you," the Walrus said:
"I deeply sympathize."
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.
"O Oysters," said the Carpenter,
"You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?'
But answer came there none-
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one.
The tale was done and the twins took a bow while removing their odd hats. Feliciano applauded giddily, but sadness shone in his eyes. Tweedle Dee noticed this. "Is there something wrong, Feli? Did you not like the story?"
"Of course he liked the story! We told it awesomely!" blared Tweedle Dum in protest.
"No, it was a wonderful story," said Feliciano trying to calm the two down. "It just had a very sad ending."
"But it had a good moral to it." Tweedle Dum said to Feliciano.
"Yes a very good moral," agreed Tweedle Dee. "If you happen to be an oyster that is.
"Come on! You know humans can use the moral too."
"No human is going to be eaten anytime soon, Dum."
"I told you not to call me that! It makes me feel stupid."
"That's why you have the name in the first place; I was always the smarter one."
Feliciano already made the connection between the twins and his twin frenemies, Alfred and Matthew (he likes the two, but Ludwig always told him that they are the enemy), but these twins bicker more than the real pair. And Matthew would never talk back to Alfred in that manner. Why do the people down here look like his friends, but act different?
"Why didn't the oysters call for help when they figured out the walrus' plan?" Feliciano asked, breaking the fight. The two doubles looked at each other and finally answered in unison.
"Because there was no one to call for help."
This answer frightened Feliciano, but it also angered him. "There has to be someone to call! There must be a good person around that area that would have helped them!" He got up and looked the storytellers' faces for answers. "Right?"
Tweedle Dee was the first that came to comfort him. "There is not always someone kind enough to help you when you need them; it's just how it is." he said in a calming tone.
"The oysters could have helped themselves," Tweedle Dum chimed in. "But they let their doom come to them."
Feliciano thought about this, but he just wouldn't accept this. "You're wrong! I don't believe it!"
"No one says you have to." the twins countered. Feliciano quieted down, but his mind was still vexed by the idea
"Let's change the subject," Tweedle Dum suggested. "Where do you live, Feli?"
"I live far away from here. I actually…stumbled here." he said sheepishly.
"How? Tell us the story."
Feliciano recounted his tale starting from the very beginning of the day with Grandpa Romulus's two lessons.
"So that's why you're so fervent about the oysters." Tweedle Dee said after the story.
"Yeah, I guess our story hit a nerve," Tweedle Dum said. "Well it was really nice to meet you Feli, but we must be off." The pair began to walk deeper into the forest.
"Where are you off too?" Feliciano asked quickly.
"More people to meet, more stories to collect," Tweedle Dee replied. "That's what we do. Hear stories and spread them like a match on a puddle of gasoline."
"So the story you told me was true."
"Absolutely!" they look-alikes said.
"Your story will be spread too," Tweedle Dum said. "We hope it will give people happiness and new ideas."
"Before you go, can you tell me which way to go?" Feliciano inquired.
"Just follow your path," they said in unison. "And let your story guide you to the end." With that, they walked furthermore into the darkness and left Feliciano alone in his own thoughts.
"Follow my path?" he asked to himself. "But where does my path even begin." Feliciano tried out this theory by closing his eyes and turning around for direction. He opened his eyes and saw that he was facing a path that led out of the forest. "Maybe this will work after all." He said and began to walk in his new direction.
