"Tweedle, the rest of their name, is on the back of their collars," Alice explained. "As it's the same for both, they didn't need it in front."
Then the fat boys turned around, like tops slowly spinning, and, surely enough, on the back of the white collar of each were letters spelling TWEEDLE.
"I'm glad to see you," spoke Uncle Wiggily. "I heard you--sort of--er--well, you know," he went on, diffident-like, not wishing to say he had heard the brothers quarreling.
"Oh, it's all right, we do that every day," said Tweedledee.
"And, contrariwise, twice on Sunday," added Tweedledum. "We have to for the verse about us says:
"'Tweedledum and Tweedledee Agreed to have a battle; For Tweedledum said Tweedledee Had spoiled his nice new rattle.
"'Just then down flew a monstrous crow, As black as a tar barrel, Which frightened both the heroes so, They quite forgot their quarrel.'"
"Only we weren't really frightened," said Tweedledee. "We just made believe so, and laughed at the crow. And I didn't really spoil Tweedledum's nice new rattle, for here it is now," and taking his arm down from around his brother's neck he took the rattle from his pocket and shook it, making a noise like a drum.
And, just as he did that, all of a sudden, out from behind a big stump came--not a monstrous crow, but the bad old skillery-scalery alligator, who cried:
"Ah, ha! At last I have him! Now I'll get that Uncle Wiggily Longears chap! Ah, ha!" and he made a grab for the gentleman bunny.
"Oh, dear!" exclaimed Alice. "Please don't hurt Uncle Wiggily!"
"Yes, I shall!" snapped the 'gator. "I'll bumble him and mumble him, that's what I'll do."
"Oh, no you won't!" exclaimed Tweedledum, wabbling toward the alligator as Jimmie Wibblewobble, the boy duck, waddled when he walked.
"You won't bumble or mumble Uncle Wiggily. First you have to catch me!"
"Pooh! That's easily done," snapped the alligator. "You are so fat that you can't run any more than a rubber ball."
"Will you promise to let Uncle Wiggily alone until you catch me?" asked Tweedledum, eagerly.
"I promise," said the alligator smiling to himself, for he thought he could easily catch the fat twin, and his promise wouldn't count.
"Then here I go! Catch me!" suddenly cried Tweedledum. And with that he stretched out on the ground and began to roll down hill in the woods.