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A · Chapter at a Glance
Chapter 14: Tweedledee and Tweedledum
Class 5 English · Lewis Carroll
About this chapter
AuthorLewis Carroll (real name Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, 1832 to 1898)
SourceAn extract from the book Through the Looking-Glass
TypeFantasy story (an extract from a novel)
Main themeStaying polite and patient when people around you are silly or unhelpful
Study timeAbout 60 to 75 minutes

What you will learn

  • Tell what happens in the story in your own words.
  • Describe Alice, Tweedledum and Tweedledee.
  • Learn 15 new words with Hindi and Marathi meanings.
  • Use contractions, speech punctuation and collocations correctly.
  • Answer exam-style questions and write a short dialogue.
Before you start
Read the story in your textbook (pages 105 to 109) first. Then use this lesson to understand it better.
SectionWhat you do there
B · Before you readWarm-up questions
C · Watch & LearnVideo and 3 things to notice
D · Word PowerWords, synonyms, antonyms, phrases
E · Understand the StoryPart-by-part explanation
F · Characters and MoralPeople, place, theme, moral
G · SummaryShort summaries
H · GrammarContractions, speech marks, collocations
I · Questions & AnswersExam practice
J · Writing SkillsWrite a dialogue
K · Speak & Read AloudPronunciation and speaking
L · Quick Quiz10 questions
M · Revision CardOne-page revision
B · Before You Read

Think and talk about these before you read. There are no wrong answers.

  1. Have you ever lost your way in a market, a mela or a new place? What did you do?
  2. Do you know two friends or twins who look alike or say the same things? What is funny about them?
  3. Do you like stories where strange things happen and people talk in funny ways? Name one such story.
Warm-up from your book
Lewis Carroll also wrote Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Tell your class what you know about that book.
C · Watch & Learn

Watch the video of this story. It also plays at the top of this lesson.

▶ Watch on YouTube

3 things to notice while watching

  1. How do Tweedledum and Tweedledee look and how do they talk to each other?
  2. How does Alice behave? Is she polite or rude?
  3. Does Alice get an answer to her question about the road? What happens instead?
Tap to see what to look for
1. They look exactly alike, stand arm in arm and love to argue in a funny way. 2. Alice is polite, even when she is worried. 3. She does not get her answer. The brothers talk about poems, dancing and shaking hands instead.
D · Word Power
WordSimple meaningHindiMarathiExample
fawna baby deerहिरन का बच्चाहरिणाचे पाडसThe fawn ran into the forest.
companiona friend who is with youसाथीसोबतीMy dog is my best companion.
signposta board that shows the wayदिशा बताने वाला बोर्डदिशा दाखवणारा फलकFollow the signpost to the station.
ventureddared to say or do somethingसाहस कियाधाडस केलेAlice ventured to ask the way.
startledsuddenly surprised or frightenedचौंक गईदचकलीThe loud noise startled the baby.
embroidereddecorated with stitched designsकढ़ाई किया हुआभरतकाम केलेलेHer dupatta was embroidered with flowers.
wax-workslife-size figures made of waxमोम के पुतलेमेणाचे पुतळेWe saw wax-works of famous people.
contrariwiseon the other hand; the oppositeइसके उलटयाउलटHe said yes; contrariwise, she said no.
rattlea toy that makes a noiseझुनझुनाखुळखुळाThe baby shook the rattle.
grinnedsmiled widelyमुस्कुराएहसलेThe boys grinned at each other.
affectionateloving and kindप्यार भराप्रेमळThe mother gave an affectionate hug.
awkwarduncomfortable and not easyअसहजअवघडलेलाThere was an awkward silence.
obligedthankfulआभारीआभारीI am much obliged for your help.
solemnseriousगंभीरगंभीरThe teacher had a solemn face.
pantedbreathed fast after runningहाँफने लगाधापा टाकू लागलाHe panted after the race.

5 synonyms (words with the same meaning)

WordSynonym
wanderedroamed
startledsurprised
grinnedsmiled
solemnserious
awkwarduncomfortable

5 antonyms (words with the opposite meaning)

WordAntonym
difficulteasy
darkbright
politerude
fatthin
longshort

3 phrases from the chapter

PhraseMeaning
out of breathbreathing hard after running or dancing
as black as a tar-barrelvery black (this is a simile: it compares two things using ‘as’)
like the ticking of a clockagain and again, in a steady way (a simile)
E · Understand the Story

Read each part. Then answer the Think Check question.

Part 1: Alice and the signposts

Alice is sad because her little fawn friend has run away. But she is happy that she can now remember her own name. She wants to know which signpost to follow. The question is easy because there is only one road, and both signposts point along it. One signpost says “to Tweedledum’s house” and the other “to Tweedledee’s house”.

Think Check: Why was it easy to choose a signpost?
There was only one road through the wood, and both signposts pointed along it.

Part 2: The same house?

At every place where the road divided, the two signposts still pointed the same way. So Alice guesses that the two brothers live in the same house. She decides to say hello and ask them the way out of the wood.

Think Check: Why did Alice think that Tweedledum and Tweedledee lived in the same house?
Both signposts always pointed the same way, so she thought they led to one house.

Part 3: Meeting the brothers

Alice turns a sharp corner and suddenly sees two fat little men under a tree, with their arms around each other’s necks. She can tell them apart because one collar has DUM on it and the other has DEE. They stand so still that she forgets they are alive. Then Dum says she must pay if she thinks they are wax-works. Dee says she must speak if she thinks they are alive.

Think Check: How did Alice know which brother was which?
One collar had DUM stitched on it and the other had DEE.

Part 4: The old rhyme and the funny talk

Alice remembers an old rhyme about the two brothers who quarrelled over a spoiled rattle. A huge black crow scared them, so they forgot the quarrel. The brothers then say funny, twisted things and use the word “contrariwise”. Alice politely asks the best way out of the wood because it is getting dark. They only look at each other and grin.

Think Check: What did Alice want to know? Did they help her?
She wanted to know the best way out of the wood. No, they did not help. They only grinned.

Part 5: The handshake and the dance

Dum says a visit must begin with a handshake. Alice does not want to hurt anyone’s feelings by choosing one brother first. So she takes both their hands at once. At once all three are dancing in a ring. Music seems to come from the tree, and Alice finds herself singing “Here we go round the mulberry bush”.

Think Check: How did Alice solve the handshake problem?
She held both brothers’ hands at the same time.

Part 6: Tired dancers and a long poem

The brothers are fat and soon out of breath. Dum says four rounds are enough, and they stop. There is an awkward silence. Alice politely asks if they are tired. Dee asks if she likes poetry. Alice asks again for the way. Dee does not answer. He asks Dum what to recite, and Dum says that “The Walrus and the Carpenter” is the longest.

Think Check: Why did the brothers not tell Alice the way?
They did not listen to her question. They only wanted to play, talk and recite. (We cannot be sure they knew the way. Give your own idea too.)

Part 7: The poem begins

Dee starts the poem: “The sun was shining…”. Alice interrupts, very politely, to ask the road first. Dee only smiles gently and starts again. The extract ends here, and Alice still does not know the way out.

Think Check: What did Dee do when Alice interrupted?
He smiled gently and began the poem again.
F · Characters, Setting, Theme and Moral

Characters

CharacterWhat we learn
AlicePolite, kind, curious and patient. She stays calm and keeps asking nicely.
TweedledumRound and funny. Looks just like his brother. Loves to argue and says “nohow”.
TweedledeeRound and funny. Says “contrariwise”. Loves poems and hugs his brother.
Setting
Time: Evening, and it is getting dark.
Place: A wood with one road, two signposts and a big tree where the brothers stand.
Theme
Being polite and patient, even when others are silly or do not help. The story also shows the fun of playing with words.
Moral
Stay polite and calm, even when people do not help you. (The chapter does not state a moral; this is the usual lesson.)
Lines to write in the exam
Alice: Alice is a polite and curious girl who stays calm even when the two brothers ignore her question.
The brothers: Tweedledum and Tweedledee are twins who look alike and speak in silly ways.
Setting: The story is set in a dark, magical wood.
Theme: The theme is politeness and patience when others are silly.
Moral: We should stay calm and polite even when people do not help us.
G · Summary

5-line summary

  1. Alice is lost in a wood and sad that her fawn friend has gone.
  2. She sees two signposts pointing the same way and guesses that Tweedledum and Tweedledee live together.
  3. She meets the two round brothers, who talk in a funny way.
  4. They shake hands, dance in a ring, and then get tired.
  5. Alice keeps asking the way, but they only want to recite a long poem.
Super summary (1 line)
A polite girl asks two silly brothers the way out of a wood, but they never answer.

Remember this

  • Author: Lewis Carroll, from Through the Looking-Glass.
  • Alice knows the brothers by DUM and DEE on their collars.
  • Alice takes both hands to avoid hurting feelings.
  • The brothers dance, get out of breath and offer a poem.
  • Alice stays polite but never gets her answer.
H · Grammar from the Chapter

1. Apostrophes in contractions

Rule
A contraction joins two words into one. An apostrophe (‘) takes the place of the missing letters. We use contractions in speech, not in formal writing. Note: will not = won’t.
Examples from the chapter
“I’ll settle it” (I will) · “I won’t forget” (will not) · “weren’t made” (were not) · “it isn’t so” (is not) · “I’m sure” (I am).
Common mistake
Writing the apostrophe in the wrong place, like do’nt. It goes where the letter is missing: don’t.
Do not mix up its and it’s. It’s means it is: It’s getting dark.

1. Write as a contraction: She did not know the way.

Tap to see the answer
She didn’t know the way.

2. Write as a contraction: They are standing under a tree.

Tap to see the answer
They’re standing under a tree.

3. Write as a contraction: I will ask them.

Tap to see the answer
I’ll ask them.

4. Write as a contraction: We have lost the road.

Tap to see the answer
We’ve lost the road.

2. Punctuating speech

Rule
Put spoken words inside speech marks (” “). Put a comma before them, start with a capital letter, and end with ! ? or . inside the marks.
Examples in the style of the chapter
Alice said, “Next Boy!” Tweedledum cried, “Nohow!”
Common mistake
Forgetting the question mark when the speaker asks a question.

5. Punctuate: Dee said you are late

Tap to see the answer
Dee said, “You are late.”

6. Punctuate: Alice asked which road is this

Tap to see the answer
Alice asked, “Which road is this?”

7. Punctuate: Dum shouted nohow

Tap to see the answer
Dum shouted, “Nohow!”

3. Collocations

Rule
A collocation is a pair of words that often go together, like heavy rain and high temperature.
Common mistake
We say heavy rain, not strong rain. We say run swiftly, not run heavily.

8. Choose: She laughed ____ (joyfully / handsomely).

Tap to see the answer
joyfully

9. Choose: The tailor was paid ____ (swiftly / handsomely).

Tap to see the answer
handsomely

10. Choose: The rabbit ran ____ (legibly / swiftly).

Tap to see the answer
swiftly
I · Q&A
How to write an answer: Start with the main point. Use full sentences. Use words from the story. Underline the key words in your notebook.

1. Multiple choice (tap to see the answer)

1. Who wrote this story?
(a) Edward Lear (b) Lewis Carroll (c) Ruskin Bond (d) Roald Dahl

Tap to see the answer
(b) Lewis Carroll

2. Alice was sad because she had lost her ____.
(a) hat (b) bag (c) fawn friend (d) map

Tap to see the answer
(c) fawn friend

3. How many roads went through the wood at first?
(a) one (b) two (c) three (d) four

Tap to see the answer
(a) one

4. What was written on the collars?
(a) Alice and Dee (b) Dum and Dee (c) Tweedle and Alice (d) Sun and Moon

Tap to see the answer
(b) Dum and Dee

5. What did Alice do about the handshake?
(a) ran away (b) shook one hand (c) held both hands (d) said no

Tap to see the answer
(c) held both hands

6. Why did the brothers stop dancing?
(a) it rained (b) they were out of breath (c) Alice left (d) the crow came

Tap to see the answer
(b) they were out of breath

7. The longest poem the brothers offered was ____.
(a) The Sun Was Shining (b) The Mulberry Bush (c) The Walrus and the Carpenter (d) The Old Man in a Tree

Tap to see the answer
(c) The Walrus and the Carpenter

8. What was Alice’s real-life model called?
(a) Alice Liddell (b) Alice Brown (c) Alice Lear (d) Alice Dee

Tap to see the answer
(a) Alice Liddell

2. Fill in the blanks

1. Alice knew the brothers by the words ____ and ____ on their collars.

Tap to see the answer
DUM, DEE

2. The brothers danced in a ____.

Tap to see the answer
ring

3. Music seemed to come from the ____ above them.

Tap to see the answer
tree (branches)

4. Tweedledee wanted to recite a ____.

Tap to see the answer
poem

5. Alice took ____ hands at once.

Tap to see the answer
both

3. True or false

1. Alice felt happy because the fawn stayed with her.

Tap to see the answer
False. She was sad that it ran away.

2. Both signposts pointed the same way.

Tap to see the answer
True.

3. The brothers told Alice the way out of the wood.

Tap to see the answer
False. They never told her.

4. Tweedledee said that Alice should pay if she thought they were wax-works.

Tap to see the answer
False. Tweedledum said this. Tweedledee said she should speak if she thought they were alive.

5. Alice was polite to the brothers.

Tap to see the answer
True.

4. Very short answers (1 mark)

1. Who wrote Through the Looking-Glass?

Tap to see the answer
Lewis Carroll.

2. Which song did Alice sing while dancing?

Tap to see the answer
“Here we go round the mulberry bush”.

3. What was Alice looking for?

Tap to see the answer
The way out of the wood.

4. Why did Alice stop shaking hands one by one?

Tap to see the answer
She did not want to hurt either brother’s feelings.

5. Which poem did Tweedledum say was the longest?

Tap to see the answer
The Walrus and the Carpenter.

5. Short answers (2 to 3 marks)

Tip: Write 2 or 3 full sentences. Answer the question in the first sentence.

1. Where was Alice? Why did she feel sad?

Tap to see the answer
Alice was in a wood. She felt sad because her little fawn friend had suddenly run away.

2. Why was Alice confused about the road?

Tap to see the answer
There was only one road, but the two signposts always pointed the same way. So she could not tell which one to follow.

3. How did Alice find herself dancing and singing with the brothers?

Tap to see the answer
She took both brothers’ hands at once. Then all three danced in a ring. Music played from the tree, and she began to sing the mulberry bush song without noticing.

4. What did Tweedledee offer to do for Alice?

Tap to see the answer
He offered to recite a poem to her. It was The Walrus and the Carpenter.

5. What did Tweedledum suggest? What was his reason?

Tap to see the answer
He said four rounds of dancing were enough. He said it because he and his brother were fat and out of breath.

6. Long answers (4 to 5 marks)

Tip: Write 5 or 6 sentences: start with the main point, give 3 details from the story, end with one line of your own.

1. Why did Alice decide to visit Tweedledum and Tweedledee? Describe them.

Tap to see the answer
Alice was lost in a wood and wanted the way out. She saw two signposts, one for each brother’s house, and both pointed the same way. So she guessed they lived together and decided to ask them. When she met them, they were two fat little men with arms round each other’s necks. One collar had DUM and the other had DEE. They looked like schoolboys and talked in funny ways.

2. Describe the dance in the wood.

Tap to see the answer
Alice took both brothers’ hands so that nobody felt left out. The three began to dance in a ring. Music seemed to come from the tree, as if branches were fiddles. Alice sang the mulberry bush song and felt she had sung it for a long time. The brothers were fat and soon out of breath, so the dance stopped.

3. Why do you think the brothers ignored Alice when she asked the way?

Tap to see the answer
I think the brothers did not listen because they only cared about their own talk, hugs and poems. Maybe they did not know the way. Every time Alice asked, they changed the subject. This made the story funny, but it also shows how important it is to listen to others.

7. Reference to the context

Extract 1: “I suppose they’ve each got ‘TWEEDLE’ round at the back of the collar.”

a. Who is I in this line? Whose collars are these?

Tap to see the answer
I is Alice. The collars belong to the two brothers, Tweedledum and Tweedledee.

b. Why did she think the collars had TWEEDLE at the back?

Tap to see the answer
The front of one collar said DUM and the other said DEE. So she thought TWEEDLE must be at the back to make the full names.

Extract 2: Alice said, “If it’s VERY long, would you please tell me first which road…”

a. Whom did Alice interrupt? What was he about to do?

Tap to see the answer
She interrupted Tweedledee. He was about to recite the poem The Walrus and the Carpenter.

b. What did she think might be very long? Why did she interrupt?

Tap to see the answer
She thought the poem might be very long. She interrupted because she wanted to know the way first, as it was getting dark.

8. Value-based questions

1. Alice stayed polite even when the brothers ignored her. Why is it good to be polite?

Tap to see the answer
Being polite makes people feel respected and helps us stay calm. It is good to be polite even when others are not helpful.

2. Alice took both hands so that no one felt left out. What does this show?

Tap to see the answer
It shows she is kind and thinks about other people’s feelings. We should treat everyone fairly.
J · Writing Skills
Task
Imagine you are Alice. Write a dialogue between you and the two brothers (6 to 8 lines).

Model answer

Alice: Good evening! Could you please tell me the way out of the wood?
Tweedledum: First you must shake hands with us.
Alice: Of course. I will shake hands with both of you together.
Tweedledee: Do you like poems? I know a very long one.
Alice: I like some poems. But it is getting dark. Please show me the road first.
Tweedledum: Contrariwise, poems come before roads!
Alice: Thank you for the poem offer. I will wait politely.

Checklist

  • Did I write the name of each speaker before the words?
  • Did I use a new line for each speaker?
  • Did I keep Alice polite and the brothers funny?
  • Did I use full stops, question marks and capital letters?
  • Did I use at least two contractions in speech?
K · Speak & Read Aloud

5 tricky words

WordSay it like this
TweedledumTWEE-dul-DUM
contrariwisekun-TRAIR-ee-wise
embroideredim-BROY-derd
solemnSOL-um (the n is silent)
awkwardAWK-werd

Rising and falling tone

Rule
Yes/no questions have a rising tone ↗. Wh-questions (what, where, which, why) have a falling tone ↘.

Say these aloud. Does your voice go up or down?

  1. Do you like poems?
  2. Which road leads out of the wood?
  3. Is it getting dark?
Tap to see the answer
1. Rising. 2. Falling. 3. Rising.

Read aloud (4 lines)

Alice was lost in a dark wood.
She met two round little men who looked just alike.
They danced, they hugged and they talked in funny ways.
But they never told her the way out!

Tips: Read slowly. Raise your voice a little for questions that need yes or no. Let your voice fall at the end of a full stop.

3 speaking prompts

  1. Tell your partner in 3 sentences what happened in the story.
  2. What would you say if two people kept ignoring your question?
  3. Which of the brothers do you find funnier? Why?

✅ Section L: Quick Quiz

Answer 10 questions. You will see the correct answer and why after each one.

Start the quiz ➜
M · Revision Card & Exam Tips

Key words

fawn · companion · signpost · ventured · startled · embroidered · wax-works · contrariwise · rattle · grinned · affectionate · awkward · obliged · solemn · panted

Characters and moral

  • Alice: polite, curious, kind.
  • Tweedledum and Tweedledee: round, funny, look alike, ignore her question.
  • Moral: stay polite and calm.

Grammar rules

  • Contractions use an apostrophe for missing letters: do not = don’t; will not = won’t.
  • Spoken words go inside speech marks, with a comma before them.
  • Collocations are word pairs that go together: heavy rain, run swiftly, pay handsomely.
  • Yes/no questions have a rising tone. Wh-questions have a falling tone.

5 likely exam questions

  1. Why did Alice decide to visit the two brothers? Describe them.
  2. How did Alice come to dance and sing with the brothers?
  3. Why did the brothers ignore Alice’s question? What do you think?
  4. Explain the extract: “I suppose they’ve each got ‘TWEEDLE’ round at the back of the collar.”
  5. Write a dialogue between Alice and the brothers.
🎉 Well done! You finished the chapter. Keep reading and keep being polite like Alice!
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