We're all mad here.

The Dodo

A caucus race has been suggested, where everyone has to run around in circles with no clear winner. Create a blog entry (or static item) where you are in such a race with ten other participants. Who are these fine folks and why would you put them in this meaningless race?

“What are we to do with her?” said the White Rabbit. He was wringing his gloves into a twisted snarl that kind of looked like a thoroughly used handkerchief. “She's going to be so upset. Heads will roll.”

“We'll certainly not tell Her,” said the Cheshire Cat.

“Today's the caucus race. We'll lose Her in the crowd,” said the Hatter. He stood and took Fia by the hand and helped her across the hedge between the meadow where she'd woken up to the lane that led into town. In the center of town was a crowd of people and animals and other various things that seemed more animate than Fia was used to.

“What's going on?” she asked.

A rather pompous looking bird ignored her question (or perhaps didn't understand it) and stood at the top of the town fountain. “Welcome to Wonderland's Semi-Diurnal Caucus Race! As the current champion, I, of course, will choose the ten beings who will run with me this morning. We will run around the fountain, past the white house, around the fountain, past the yellow house, around the fountain and past the blue house. Remember that route. All who fail to follow the correct order will, of course, be forced to run seventy-two point six additional laps.”

The crowd muttered at this and a few started edging away. The Dodo closed his eyes turned around six and a half times and pointed into the crowd.
1. “You,” (the Mock Turtle who couldn't get away in time),
2. “you,” (the Dormouse who had slipped off the hat to sleep at the edge of the fountain),
3. “you,” (the White Rabbit, who drew himself up in a dignified attention as if to indicate that he did not run and he resented the inference),
4. “you,” (the Gnome King, who happened to be visiting the wrong story land at this very moment)
5. “you,” (Reia, who licked her right fore paw in disgust),
6. “you,” (the Walrus, who had his handkerchief tucked into his shirt, a knife and fork in his hands, and his eyes on several young and curious oysters),
7. “you,” (the March Hare, who was standing on his head with mad looking eyes),
8. “you,” (Bill, the lizard, who started shaking immediately and had to put down his step ladder),
9. “you,” (the Hatter, who sighed and rolled his eyes),
10. “and you.” (although the Dodo was pointing to the Cheshire Cat, he promptly faded away, leaving a smile that lingered under the finger that was now pointing at Fia).

Fia sighed. If there was any common thread among the participants it seemed to be that none of them were very fast.

“Must I really run a race?” she asked the Hatter, who seemed to be the only semi-sensible being around. “I love to run (and climb and play with Reia) but it's not as though I can run far without falling, and I don't have any kind of shoes.”

He nodded. “Don't worry about it. It's never long before the Dodo disqualifies everyone else and proclaims himself the winner.”

“Ah.” Fia shook her head. Grown-ups were strange.

word count: 540