‘The Squashbuckler Diaries’ are the daily tales of Joy Shelley’s Life in the Dream. The ‘Lost in Dreams’ books will tell the story of what happens to her at ages 6, 9, 12, 15, and so on. The diaries tell us what happens before, after, and between the books.

#77: Tweedle-Weedle-Dee Again

“Dad! He’s kidnapping me! Help! Tweedle-weedle-dee!”

It was another Tweedle Weedle Dee day for my favorite pirates.

It was a day of adventure, battling Captain Badass. Towards the end of their adventure, Captain Badass stood on his wooden peg leg on his own flying pirate ship, victorious, facing Dragon Little. Ten other pirates surrounded her, helping him, so that the dangerous five year old pirate could not escape. They had dispatched of Dragon Father a while ago, tying him to the mast of his own ship and leaving him there to flail. 

“Surrender!” Captain Badass bellowed at her. 

Dragon Little looked around at her surroundings, then told him with calm. “I’ll surrender,” she said. “If you say it right. Tweedle-weedle-dee!”

“What do you mean ‘if I say it right’? Surrender!” He ended with his familiar bellow. 

“What’s the magic word? Tweedle-weedle-dee.” 

“Surrender, girl!” he screamed at the top of his voice and aimed his sword at her face. 

“You know what you have to say, Captain Badass!” she said, at all flustered by the threat. “Tweedle weedle dee!”

He hesitated. He looked around at his pirates. He probably suspected her of using some kind of ploy, but was comforted by the numbers. “Eh…. Surrender… Please?

She shook her head. “That’s not the magic word. Tweedle-weedle-dee.”

“That is the magic word!”

“That’s not the magic word. Tweedle-weedle-dee. You know what it is. Tweedle-weedle-dee.”

He straightened. “Oh,” he said. 

She nodded. “Say it and I’ll surrender.”

His lips curled, and he spat through gritted teeth, “Surrender, little girl… Tweedle-weedle-dee!”

She nodded and smiled. 

“That was very good!” she clapped. “Thank you! And… I don’t think I will. NOW!” She shouted. 

Her father jumped out from behind them and into the air, back-flipping in the air, a big sword in one hand and a small one in the other. 

“Joy! Catch!” He threw the small sword at her while in the air. “Tweedle-weedle-dee!”

And the fight was back on!

It was a magical adventure. I enjoyed watching it very much. Tweedle-weedle-dee!

—Told by The Red Dragon

#78: Sleeping Beauty

#76: Dying a Glorious Death