The Journey of Ezra and Thomas

The Journey of Ezra and Thomas

Ezra and Thomas went on a walk, just the two of them together. Now Ezra the Tiger was a tiger, and as tigers go, he was one of the very fiercest variety. Thomas the Elf was an elf, and not a tiger at all. And as elves go, Thomas was not one of the very tallest. So Ezra and Thomas walked, as friends do, until presently they found themselves in a forest. And as forests go, this was of the most forestial variety.
"We may get lost," Thomas commented, wishing he were taller. Ezra made no reply, and the forest, too, said nothing. It was a dim trail they traveled, and dimmer it grew as they walked deeper into the forest.
"I wish we had not come," said Thomas in a small voice.
"Not come, we gits nowhere's," growled Ezra. The forest only watched as they tread a careful log, which lay across a cheerful brook.
"Careful," spoke the log.
"Careful!" cried Thomas, who wasn't used to logs speaking.
"Whelst name be, name be?” Ezra growled to the log, for Ezra didn't wish to speak with any log which lacked a name.
"Call us Tumble," said Tumble the Log, which satisfied Ezra, but made Thomas uneasy. And so they tread carefully, and as logs go, Tumble was found to be of the steadfast variety, for they crossed the brook in good fashion. Thomas felt better reaching the other side without wet feet.
"Walk well," spoke Tumble, and Ezra and Thomas walked on.
"How will we find our way back?" Thomas soon wanted to know.
"What's back for us?" growled Ezra.
"You know, home and all that," said Thomas, standing up as tall as he could.
"Where's to say is home?" was Ezra's reply, for Ezra found the forest an interesting place. But Thomas only shivered, for he did not think the forest so very interesting.
Presently Thomas spoke up and said, "You lost a shoe."
"I'se wears no shoes," growled Ezra.
"But whose shoe is this then?" Thomas had indeed found a shoe.
Ezra stopped, looked, and picked up the shoe in his teeth and looked around for its owner. "Whose shoe be this? Is to speak up elst I clobbers you silly," Ezra growled to the owner of the shoe, who was nowhere to be seen.
"Someone was here . . . but now gone," spoke the forest around them.
"Evidently," said Thomas, who wasn't at all used to forests speaking.
"Whelst Name be? Name be?" growled Ezra, who didn't like talking with a forest which didn't have a name.
"Shadows, we are called," spoke the forest, which satisfied Ezra.
“How do,” said Thomas to Shadows the forest, while not wishing the shadows to become any deeper, for elves prefer bright meadows to deep shadows.
"Whose edry's shoe be tuh speak, elst I casts it away," growled Ezra. But no one spoke up about the shoe, so Ezra cast it away, and there was no owner of the shoe for Ezra to clobber silly.
"You talk funny," Thomas commented to Ezra.
"Funnier does you," growled Ezra, who did talk funny, or rather he growled funny, since Ezra wasn't much for talking, but could growl very well indeed.
So Shadows the Forest led Ezra and Thomas ever deeper and farther, and so deep was the forest that their walk took several days. Yet, it was but a moment, for presently they came to a cave, deep within the shadows of Shadows the Forest. And the cave noticed Ezra and Thomas approaching.
"Come in, come in, come in," spoke the cave, the cave, the cave.
Thomas, who wasn't used the deep and echoing sound of a cave speaking, stayed behind Ezra at the mouth of the cave.
"Whelst name be, name be, name be?" Ezra’s growl echoed deep as he spoke to the cave. Ezra didn't like echoing with any cave which was without a name.
"We are called Swallow, Swallow, Swallow," echoed the cave, which satisfied Ezra, but which caused Thomas to swallow, or rather, to gulp.
"I'm not very sure I like this," spoke Thomas who didn't much care for the name of Swallow, for a cave.
"We'se gots look deeper," said Ezra.
"Not so, not so!” cried Thomas in protest. "Elves do not see well at all in caves."
"So's my tail to grab," offered Ezra, who, being a tiger, could easily see in the cave. And so, with Thomas holding fast to Ezra's tail they stepped into the large mouth of Swallow the Cave, which brought another swallow, or rather a gulp from Thomas.
"Travel deep and travel well," called Shadows the Forest behind them, in parting. Thomas wasn't sure how deeply he wished to travel within an echoing cave called Swallow but nonetheless deeper they walked, as Ezra had said they should, and Swallow the Cave said nothing, said nothing, said nothing.
"Even nothing echoes when the cave says it," complained Thomas, still holding fast to Ezra's tail. But Ezra said nothing, and that, too, echoed in the cave, and as caves go, Swallow the Cave was a most cavernous and echoing cave. So Ezra and Thomas went on, and the cave led downhill, which made Ezra's steps longer.
"Slow, slow, slow down, down, down," cried Thomas, beginning to echo like Swallow. So, Ezra slowed his tiger steps. Now Swallow the Cave, as we said, was a most cavernous cave, and their walk took many days. And yet, it was but a moment, for presently they came upon a beautiful shore, which lay wide before them. And the sun shone brightly on the shore, which nonetheless was deep within Swallow the Cave, which was deep within Shadows the Forest.
And the sun saw them and spoke, "Welcome, my friends."
"Whelst name be? Name be," growled Ezra to the sun, for he preferred not to speak with any sun that had no name.
"Call us Bright Eye," spoke the sun, giving them a very bright look indeed.
"Thank you and it's good to be here," said Thomas, who felt a little taller there on the shore with Bright Eye the Sun high overhead. And he let go Ezra's tail. But Ezra, whose tiger’s eyes smarted in the bright light, growled to Bright Eye the Sun, "Dim you-self elst I clobbers you silly." Yet Bright Eye the Sun shone on as bright as ever. So Ezra and Thomas stood there together on the shore, Ezra to let his eyes grow accustomed to the bright light, Thomas to warm himself from the chill of the cave. And Ezra the Tiger did not clobber Bright Eye the Sun silly, for Bright Eye was far too high overhead, and Ezra was only a tiger.
But they had not stood long when a boat came toward them upon the water. Now this particular boat had come from the wide sea beyond and it brought itself right to the shore where Ezra and Thomas stood.
"We'se gits onboard," growled Ezra.
"Not so, not so!" cried Thomas. "Who is to say where the boat came from or where it is going?"
"Plain’se be is good boat," replied Ezra, "As'll carrys us well."
"That I will, that I will," spoke the boat, plainly a good boat, as boats go.
But Ezra growled, "Whelst Name be, name be?” for he did not wish to speak with a boat which did not have a name.
"Call me Twinkletoes," replied the boat, which satisfied Ezra, and he climbed aboard. Thomas followed with caution, for he was more than a bit uneasy with a boat with the name Twinkletoes.
And so, with Ezra and Thomas aboard, Twinkletoes the Boat began to sail, leaving the wide and beautiful shore. Swallow the Cave called out to them, "Fare well, fare well, fare well."
"F-fare well yourself," said Thomas, who wasn't sure which was better, to be deep in an echoing cave called Swallow, or upon the wide, wide sea in a boat called Twinkletoes. And so, they left the beautiful shore, which lay deep within Swallow the cave who was so cavernous, which was deep within Shadows the Forest who was so very forestial. And Twinkletoes the Boat carried them well, as Ezra had said, or rather had growled that it would. And they traveled far out upon the sea, which, as seas go, was a particularly deep, wide and oceanic sea, and Twinkletoes the Boat swayed and rocked and lifted and fell with the waves, which, needless to say, caused Thomas unease.
"Elves prefer quiet meadows rather than boat trips," spoke Thomas.
"Good for you and me it is," replied Ezra.
"Goood," agreed Twinkletoes the Boat.
Then from beneath them came the deep, wide voice of the deep, deep sea. And it said, “Go far. . go wide . . go wide,” which startled Thomas and caused him to wonder if this was an echoing sea. But Ezra did not wish to speak with a wide or a deep sea which was without a name, and so he growled, “Whelst name be, name be?”
“We . . are called . . Remember,” replied the sea in its deep and watery voice, which satisfied Ezra, while Thomas noted that Remember the Sea did not always echo.
Now so deep and so wide was Remember the Sea that their journey took many days. And yet it was but a moment, for presently they came upon an island, which lay upon the wide, wide sea called Remember. And the island noticed them and called to them, saying, “Come ashore, come ashore.” Thomas wondered if this might be an echoing island, but Ezra growled, “Whelst name be, name be?”
"We are called Float," replied the island, which satisfied Ezra, but made Thomas most uneasy, as islands are not supposed to float, but rather should sit quite still.
And so, Twinkletoes the Boat carried Ezra and Thomas to where the edge of Remember the Sea met the shore of the Float the Island. And as Ezra and Thomas stepped ashore, Twinkletoes the Boat called out, "Good bye, and good speed."
"So's to you," Ezra replied in a growl.
And Thomas, who didn't feel quite so badly about boat trips as he had before, gave Twinkletoes a little wave, for at least boats do not echo like caves and are not filled with deep shadows like a forest. And behind them also spoke Remember the Sea, in his wide and oceanic voice, "Travel . . well."
And so, Ezra and Thomas turned to the North, or perhaps it was to the South. At any rate, it was toward the center of the island, which of course was the only direction in which to go. And they walked through broad fields and through bright meadows, which delighted Thomas the Elf, as elves always prefer cheerful meadows to dense, shadowy forests or dark, echoing caves, or wide, deep seas. So great and so many were the fields and meadows that they walked for days and days. And yet it was only a moment, for presently, some distance ahead, at the very center of the island called Float, rose a tall mountain¯the tallest, commented Thomas, that he had seen.
"Taller than is you," agreed Ezra.
Thomas, who had perhaps been feeling a little taller as they journeyed, felt short again as he gazed up at the mountain. And the mountain spied them as it looked down from its height, and it rumbled in a great voice, “Come up, come up.”
Ezra of course did not wish to talk with any mountain, no matter how tall, which did not have a name. And so he growled, “Whelst name be, name be?”
“We are called Alone,” rumbled the mountain in his deep and lonely voice.
"What do we do now?" wondered Thomas.
"We'se clumbs," growled Ezra the Tiger.
And so they clumb, or rather, they climbed, as it was the only thing to do.
"Fare well," spoke Float the Island as they left the cheerful meadows for the steep slopes. "Climb well."
Now, the trees and the rocks noted their climb, and soft clouds swam by in the cool air, winking at them in passing. Bright Eye the sun shone warmly upon them, and even the winds knew of their climb, and sang softly to them, which caused Ezra to growl, "Whelst name be, name be?" for Ezra never liked speaking with winds which had no name. "Call us Scatter," replied the winds, which satisfied Ezra. Thomas, however, thought that winds should have a more dignified name, and was uneasy.
Now Thomas had had a long and tiring journey, and his short elf’s legs wearied with the long walk through the shadowy forest, and through the echoing cave, and through the broad fields and bright meadows, and now the climb upon the tall mountain, which stood in the center of the island.
"I'm tired," spoke Thomas.
"You’se be to clumb on my back," growled Ezra, whose tiger legs never grew weary. And so Thomas clumb, or rather he climbed upon Ezra's striped back, which caused him to feel quite taller than before, though Ezra caused him unease with his swaying way of walking. Thomas though, decided not to complain, as he began somewhat to enjoy the ride, as swaying rides on tiger's backs go. And anyway he doubted it would do any good to complain.
And so they clumb, or climbed, rather, and Alone the Mountain rumbled beneath them, "Climb well," with his deep and lonely rumble. So, Ezra kept climbing, and swayed as he climbed, while Thomas held fast to Ezra’s tiger fur.
Now Alone was a very high mountain as mountains go, and they climbed for many days. Yet, the time went by in but a moment, and so it was that presently Ezra stopped climbing.
"Why are we stopping?" asked Thomas.
"We'ze can clumb no more," growled Ezra. And indeed, they had reached the very top of the mountain. Thomas slid down from Ezra’s back, and here, upon the high peak top of Alone the Mountain, he felt very tall indeed. They could see a long long way, and Thomas noted that Alone was indeed the only mountain on the little island, which floated, or rather, he hoped, which sat quite still in the wide, wide sea which, as Thomas remembered, was called Remember.
And then they spied among the winking clouds an airyplane flying. And the airyplane noticed them and came and landed close by saying, "Come aboard my friends."
"Not so, not so," cried Thomas. "Elves don't fly in airyplanes!"
"Whelst name be, name be?" growled Ezra, not wanting to board any airyplane who did not have a name.
"Spill, we are called," spoke the plane.
"Carrys us well, it will,” growled Ezra. And this he growled close to Thomas' ear, for the noise of Spill the Airyplane's engine made hearing difficult.
"I will. I will indeed," said the airyplane, also close to Thomas' ear."
Needless to say, Ezra and Thomas did board the airyplane, for it was the only thing to do, even though Thomas was not at all used to airyplanes speaking, and moreover was very uneasy with a plane with the name Spill. Now Spill was a small airyplane as airyplanes go, so they had to sit where they could, and close together. Thomas felt a bit better, and taller, sitting close to Ezra.
"Go high, go well," rumbled Alone the Mountain, as Spill the Airyplane lifted off. "F-farewell, Alone," Thomas managed to call out, though he wasn’t at all sure just how high he wished to go, for elves prefer bright meadows to airyplane rides.
And so Spill rose up and up through the winking clouds, carrying the two friends, Ezra the Tiger and Thomas the Elf. And they rose high, and higher, and higher still, until Thomas was sure they must be closer to the sun than to the earth, which made him very uneasy indeed.
"Are we spilled yet?" Thomas asked, with eyes closed tight.
"You’se be tuh move off my tail,” growled Ezra in reply, "Elst I clobbers you silly."
"Higher,” Spill called out, over the noise of the engine.
And so, Spill the Airyplane carried them, always far and always high. They flew for many days, yet it was but a moment, for presently they came upon . . .

Suddenly, Thomas sat bolt upright, for he had slept, and Ezra’s whiskery nose had nuzzled him awake. And then, Thomas smelled the green of his own home meadow, heard the light breezes stirring in familiar trees nearby, and recognized the chattering voice of his old neighbor Quarrel the Squirrel, scolding anyone who came near. Thomas seemed to be home, and he had slept.
Where was Spill the Airyplane? Where were Bright Eyes, and Scatter, and Alone, and Float, and Remember, and Twinkletoes, and Swallow, and Tumble, and Shadows the Forest? There was only Ezra the Tiger, and here they were, it seemed, in Thomas’ own home meadow. Thomas rubbed his eyes and looked around. It was indeed his own bright, cheerful meadow, the very kind that elves prefer.
Then Ezra growled in his tiger voice, “We’se goes for a walk.”
Thomas thought of Shadows the Forest, and Tumble the Log, and Swallow the Cave, and Bright Eye the Sun, and Twinkletoes the Boat, and Remember the Sea, and Float the Island, and Alone the Mountain, and Scatter the Clouds, and even Spill the Airyplane. And he stood, feeling, for once, just a little taller.

“Yes, I believe I’d like a walk, indeed,” spoke Thomas the Elf. And so, they started.