Willy spent his all of his time looking through his telescope. Through its lens he saw giant numbers of humungous things and huge amounts of ginormous things, but only he could tell you the difference between the two. Everyone who knew Willy, people who were always extremely busy and important, told him: “Willy, you should look at these documents, and you should have more portfolios for more schedules and more files. Then you can be very busy and important. If you work hard at it, then you could be extremely busy and important like me.”
When they said things like this, Willy nodded in disagreement and increased the magnification on his telescope until he could see the billions of gargantuan things that would never fit into any folder of theirs.
Nilly was always looking through her microscope. Through its lens she saw teeny-tiny things and itty-bitty things, but only she could tell you the difference between the two. Nilly was surrounded by people who were always engaged. Engaged to be appointed or engaged to be arranged or even just engaged to be engaged. Everyone who knew Nilly was always trying to engage her in their engagements, they told her: “Nilly, have you ever thought of having an engagement? A meeting or a rendez-vous perhaps? Maybe even a session?”
At these sort of remarks Nilly nodded in disagreement and increased the magnification on her microscope until she could see the zillions of minuscule things that were far too small to be discussed at any conference of theirs.
It was while gazing through his telescope that Willy realized that there were wheels within wheels. It was quite separately, while gazing through her microscope that Nilly recognized that there were worlds within worlds. It was quite separately as well, that everyone who knew Willy agreed that he was going nowhere, and everyone who knew Nilly agreed that she was going nowhere too.
Now, dear reader, here I will ask you to pay close attention, because then something strange happened. Right in the middle of this splendid intermediate level that lies between Willy’s telescope and Nilly’s microscope, Willy met Nilly, and at exactly the same time, Nilly met Willy.
Nilly looked him up and down then said, “You are an interesting entanglement of matter, I have never seen anything quite like you through my microscope. How inconceivable it is, how wonderful it is, what is, that is, the nature of nature.”
Willy looked her front and back then said, “You are an interesting constellation of matter, I have never seen anything quite like you through my telescope. How unimaginable it is, how wonderful it is, what is, that is, the notion of notion.”
After Willy met Nilly and Nilly met Willy, they were truly inseparable. All of those who knew Willy and all of those who knew Nilly held an important meeting and after little discussion agreed that for all intensive porpoises, Willy and Nilly were going nowhere, together. Willy didn’t mind this, and neither did Nilly, not one bit.
Knick and Knack were twins who owned a tinker shop. When one was flippant, the other was floppant, and whether they were being wry or glib or terse, they only and ever and always spoke in verse. They spent their time tinkering on innocuous little knickknacks for harmless little porpoises. To Willy and Nilly they gave a kaleidoscope. When Willy and Nilly looked through it they both thought to say the same thing: “How marvellous it is, how wonderful it is, what is, that is, the wonder of wonder.”
Willy and Nilly took turns each day, one of them improving the world and the other enjoying it. That way they always needed each other. That way they need not ever be parted. Over time, something strange happened. The turns disappeared. After that, nobody could tell which of them was enjoying the world and which was improving it, and vice versa. This raised some concerns. This raised so many concerns that everyone who knew Willy and everyone who knew Nilly sent their two best, in order to do their worst.
Tick and Tock were clock makers. Tick was never late, and Tock was never early. Always together, they were always on time.
“How are we to know which of you is improving the world and which is enjoying it if you don’t even take turns?” Tick said to Willy. “We have a timetable for you, this way one of you will definitely be improving the world and the other will definitely be enjoying it. You must decide.” Tock said to Nilly. Tick looked at Nilly, and Nilly looked at Tock, and Tock looked at Willy, and Willy looked at Tick. Then Nilly looked at Tick, and Tick looked at Willy, and Willy looked at Tock, and Tock looked at Nilly. At last Nilly said “Tick and Tock, we will strike a wager with your punctuality.”
From Knick and Knack, Willy and Nilly had another knickknack designed especially for this porpoise. It was a die with only two sides. In order to decide, Willy cast the die and when it fell Tick said. “One of you will work and one of you will play. Which one of you is it?”
“Yes.” Responded Willy, and Tick became confused.
“One of you will go and one of you will stay. Which one of you shall it be?” Tock said.
“No.” Responded Nilly, and Tock became confused.
For Willy and Nilly were truly inseparable. Tick looked at his watch, and Tock looked at his watch – then both looked at the others watch, and both were confused. Then something strange happened, the time of day disappeared. When this happened Tick and Tock began to laugh. They retired as clock makers and became comedians. They had impeccable timing.
After that, nobody who knew Willy and nobody who knew Nilly bothered them anymore. Willy and Nilly were left to be. Almost.
At first it sounded as if it came from a great distance. The sound of ten thousand crows cawing and the sound of ten thousand babies crying. Then it sounded as if it were coming from everywhere, louder than city bus brakes and airplane engines. Then it sounded as if it was coming from nowhere. From exactly the place where everyone who knew Willy and everyone who knew Nilly had agreed that they were going, and was louder still. Then everything was silent. From within a black cloak, not of any fabric, but of wreathing plumes of black smoke and spiralling writhes of night time – came a horrible breath, a creeping frost, and Death. Death itself took solid form, and had come to look upon Willy and Nilly. From within the billowing shroud they could see Death’s face. From within the swirling cloud they could see Death’s hand, and it held a scythe.
Death spoke evenly but horribly. “Willy and Nilly, you will now be rent by my scythe.”
Willy spoke to Death in return. “It will be me that you will take today. It will not be Nilly.” At this Nilly spoke. “I am yours Death, but you will not be having Willy today.”
Such an impasse was not uncommon. “I will be reaping one of you today, one of you will live and one of you will die. You must decide.” Death breathed airily, but not impatiently, for Death is never impatient.
Willy looked to Nilly and Nilly looked to Willy. Finally Willy said. “Death, we will strike a wager with your ubiquity.”
Death is always a gambler and he nodded fatefully in concord. Nilly cast their two-sided die for the last time. As the die fell they hugged each other very tightly and held each other very close.
“Which of you will be coming with me?” Death said with the tone of finality which is so typical of Death.
Willy and Nilly answered both at once with complete silence. For they were truly inseparable, and other then Willy, only Nilly knew. Even Death itself could not extort it from them, even Death itself could not know.
Death did not like to be fooled but knew very well when to accept defeat. Death bowed gracefully and said. “You are on your way.”
What happened as Willy and Nilly ran off together was the strangest thing yet: Death laughed. A horrible, aching laugh and terrible to hear, but laughter none the less. The last that Willy and Nilly saw, Death was laughing still, and then disappeared. For when enjoying the world or improving it, never the twain shall part. For Willy and Nilly were truly inseparable.
Now, dear reader, I will ask you to read closer still, in order to understand that in this way Willy and Nilly were left to wage peace, to remain inconsolably happy, and as always, to run around Willy Nilly.
Matthew Cameron 
Willy spent his all of his time looking through his telescope. Through its lens he saw giant numbers of humungous things and huge amounts of ginormous things, but only he could tell you the difference between the two. Everyone who knew Willy, people who were always extremely busy and important, told him: “Willy, you should look at these documents, and you should have more portfolios for more schedules and more files. Then you can be very busy and important. If you work hard at it, then you could be extremely busy and important like me.”
When they said things like this, Willy nodded in disagreement and increased the magnification on his telescope until he could see the billions of gargantuan things that would never fit into any folder of theirs.
Nilly was always looking through her microscope. Through its lens she saw teeny-tiny things and itty-bitty things, but only she could tell you the difference between the two. Nilly was surrounded by people who were always engaged. Engaged to be appointed or engaged to be arranged or even just engaged to be engaged. Everyone who knew Nilly was always trying to engage her in their engagements, they told her: “Nilly, have you ever thought of having an engagement? A meeting or a rendez-vous perhaps? Maybe even a session?”
At these sort of remarks Nilly nodded in disagreement and increased the magnification on her microscope until she could see the zillions of minuscule things that were far too small to be discussed at any conference of theirs.
It was while gazing through his telescope that Willy realized that there were wheels within wheels. It was quite separately, while gazing through her microscope that Nilly recognized that there were worlds within worlds. It was quite separately as well, that everyone who knew Willy agreed that he was going nowhere, and everyone who knew Nilly agreed that she was going nowhere too.
Now, dear reader, here I will ask you to pay close attention, because then something strange happened. Right in the middle of this splendid intermediate level that lies between Willy’s telescope and Nilly’s microscope, Willy met Nilly, and at exactly the same time, Nilly met Willy.
Nilly looked him up and down then said, “You are an interesting entanglement of matter, I have never seen anything quite like you through my microscope. How inconceivable it is, how wonderful it is, what is, that is, the nature of nature.”
Willy looked her front and back then said, “You are an interesting constellation of matter, I have never seen anything quite like you through my telescope. How unimaginable it is, how wonderful it is, what is, that is, the notion of notion.”
After Willy met Nilly and Nilly met Willy, they were truly inseparable. All of those who knew Willy and all of those who knew Nilly held an important meeting and after little discussion agreed that for all intensive porpoises, Willy and Nilly were going nowhere, together. Willy didn’t mind this, and neither did Nilly, not one bit.
Knick and Knack were twins who owned a tinker shop. When one was flippant, the other was floppant, and whether they were being wry or glib or terse, they only and ever and always spoke in verse. They spent their time tinkering on innocuous little knickknacks for harmless little porpoises. To Willy and Nilly they gave a kaleidoscope. When Willy and Nilly looked through it they both thought to say the same thing: “How marvellous it is, how wonderful it is, what is, that is, the wonder of wonder.”
Willy and Nilly took turns each day, one of them improving the world and the other enjoying it. That way they always needed each other. That way they need not ever be parted. Over time, something strange happened. The turns disappeared. After that, nobody could tell which of them was enjoying the world and which was improving it, and vice versa. This raised some concerns. This raised so many concerns that everyone who knew Willy and everyone who knew Nilly sent their two best, in order to do their worst.
Tick and Tock were clock makers. Tick was never late, and Tock was never early. Always together, they were always on time.
“How are we to know which of you is improving the world and which is enjoying it if you don’t even take turns?” Tick said to Willy. “We have a timetable for you, this way one of you will definitely be improving the world and the other will definitely be enjoying it. You must decide.” Tock said to Nilly. Tick looked at Nilly, and Nilly looked at Tock, and Tock looked at Willy, and Willy looked at Tick. Then Nilly looked at Tick, and Tick looked at Willy, and Willy looked at Tock, and Tock looked at Nilly. At last Nilly said “Tick and Tock, we will strike a wager with your punctuality.”
From Knick and Knack, Willy and Nilly had another knickknack designed especially for this porpoise. It was a die with only two sides. In order to decide, Willy cast the die and when it fell Tick said. “One of you will work and one of you will play. Which one of you is it?”
“Yes.” Responded Willy, and Tick became confused.
“One of you will go and one of you will stay. Which one of you shall it be?” Tock said.
“No.” Responded Nilly, and Tock became confused.
For Willy and Nilly were truly inseparable. Tick looked at his watch, and Tock looked at his watch – then both looked at the others watch, and both were confused. Then something strange happened, the time of day disappeared. When this happened Tick and Tock began to laugh. They retired as clock makers and became comedians. They had impeccable timing.
After that, nobody who knew Willy and nobody who knew Nilly bothered them anymore. Willy and Nilly were left to be. Almost.
At first it sounded as if it came from a great distance. The sound of ten thousand crows cawing and the sound of ten thousand babies crying. Then it sounded as if it were coming from everywhere, louder than city bus brakes and airplane engines. Then it sounded as if it was coming from nowhere. From exactly the place where everyone who knew Willy and everyone who knew Nilly had agreed that they were going, and was louder still. Then everything was silent. From within a black cloak, not of any fabric, but of wreathing plumes of black smoke and spiralling writhes of night time – came a horrible breath, a creeping frost, and Death. Death itself took solid form, and had come to look upon Willy and Nilly. From within the billowing shroud they could see Death’s face. From within the swirling cloud they could see Death’s hand, and it held a scythe.
Death spoke evenly but horribly. “Willy and Nilly, you will now be rent by my scythe.”
Willy spoke to Death in return. “It will be me that you will take today. It will not be Nilly.” At this Nilly spoke. “I am yours Death, but you will not be having Willy today.”
Such an impasse was not uncommon. “I will be reaping one of you today, one of you will live and one of you will die. You must decide.” Death breathed airily, but not impatiently, for Death is never impatient.
Willy looked to Nilly and Nilly looked to Willy. Finally Willy said. “Death, we will strike a wager with your ubiquity.”
Death is always a gambler and he nodded fatefully in concord. Nilly cast their two-sided die for the last time. As the die fell they hugged each other very tightly and held each other very close.
“Which of you will be coming with me?” Death said with the tone of finality which is so typical of Death.
Willy and Nilly answered both at once with complete silence. For they were truly inseparable, and other then Willy, only Nilly knew. Even Death itself could not extort it from them, even Death itself could not know.
Death did not like to be fooled but knew very well when to accept defeat. Death bowed gracefully and said. “You are on your way.”
What happened as Willy and Nilly ran off together was the strangest thing yet: Death laughed. A horrible, aching laugh and terrible to hear, but laughter none the less. The last that Willy and Nilly saw, Death was laughing still, and then disappeared. For when enjoying the world or improving it, never the twain shall part. For Willy and Nilly were truly inseparable.
Now, dear reader, I will ask you to read closer still, in order to understand that in this way Willy and Nilly were left to wage peace, to remain inconsolably happy, and as always, to run around Willy Nilly.
Share this: