MARCH 10: The Tick-Tock Twins
“Hello, twin Tock,” said Tick, and Tock answered, just as quickly as anything:
“Hello, Tick.”
They never got tired of saying to each other “Tick” and “Tock.”They were the two clock twins, as you may have guessed, but sometimes between their words to each other, sometimes between saying to each other “Tick” and “Tock,” they talked.
Of course they would only say a few words at a time and those would be said so very quickly we could not understand them, and anyway Tick and Tock only talk for each other.
They just speak to each other all day long, as the time goes on.
And they don’t stop at night, but as it would be very hard to understand their story without leaving out all the ticks and the tocks we will hear it with those left out.
Really it was like this.
“Hello, Tick.”
“Hello, Tock,” and the “Hello” would be said very quickly so no one else could hear it.
“Nice-Tick.”
“Nice-Tock.”
“Day-Tick.”
“Day-Tock,” and so on and on, never forgetting the tick and the tock.
“We’re such happy twins,” said Tick.
“Yes,” said Tock, “and we never forsake each other. If one of us can’t go on, the other won’t go alone. There is never a tick without a tock following right on behind.”
“Ah, you’re so loyal, Tock,” said Tick.
“And so are you,” said Tock.
“There are many clock twins,” said Tick.
“Many,” agreed Tock.
“Every clock has us,” said Tick.
“Every one,” said Tock.
“And if the clock stops, they stop too.”
“Of course,” said Tock.
“One would never go without the other,” said Tick.
“Of course not,” said Tock.
“It’s nice,” said Tick, “to be so loyal, very nice and very unusual. Think of how we can always wait for the other, and then follow after!”
“We’re each always following the other,” said Tock.
“I’m glad,” said Tick, “I’m not a boy and you’re not a girl. Then when we grew up we’d be sent to different schools, and one of us would go into business and the other might marry and keep house. Dear me, it’s much nicer to be the clock twins. We’ll never be separated.”