The Twins

THE TWINS

CHILDREN'S STORIES

Miri and Mere were twins. They were more twins than any twins I have seen. And more twins than twins can be. Their voice was the same, their speech was the same, their height was the same, and their clothes were the same. Even their hair was exactly the same. In fact, they had the same mother, father and birthday. You could not tell them apart whether you stood near or whether you stood far.

 

Miri and Mere loved to play that is the only way you could tell them apart. Their mother was a teacher who loved them very much and wanted them to grow up into responsible young girls so she always gave them enough work to do in the kitchen.

 

The kitchen was always bright and clean whenever they worked in it. Unless you were present, you could never tell how they did it. They washed and scrubbed. They rubbed and wiped, they cooked and dusted and did everything to keep the home clean.

 

Their mother gave them things to make and they made them very well. They made their beds and made the sheets too. They made things for the house and outside the house. You could never tell whether it was Miri or Mere, who made anything, because they always turned out the same.

 

But people are never really the same. At least, not exactly the same, though they may look the same, walk the same, talk the same and get the same results in school.

 

Miri knew exactly what to do, but never did it when she had time to. She always rushed to finish her work on time. She waited and waited and waited until she knew that her mother was on the way home. Then, she worked like a bee to see that everything was done. You could see it in her play, you could see it in her work and you could feel it in the things she made. But somehow nobody really cared so long as the work was done.

 

Mere took her time and worked with thoughtful care and always tried to finish what she had begun with time to spare. She never started anything new before what she had begun was done. She always did what her mother would say and finish it before the end of the day. You could watch it in her play, you could see it in her work and you could feel it in the things she made. But it really did not matter because her mother only checked that the work was done.

 

Soon Miri began to tease Mere because she worked so hard and carefully when there was really no need to waste so much time when they still got the same marks in all the tests they sat in school. Mere never complained though she had to work twice as hard to get the same grade.

 

Their mother was so proud of her girls that she went to the market and told everyone how good, beautiful and well prepared they were to be teachers and mothers. She even announced that her girls were so good that only a prince could marry them.

 

In the land of princes, it takes many years to prepare a bride and only well prepared daughters ever make it to that land. However, news travels fast and soon the announcement by the mother of the twins reached the kingdom of princes. Soon one prince set off to find himself a bride.

 

Sure enough one bright Saturday morning The prince came to the house of Miri and Mere. He looked, listened and learned of the beauty of the girls. But even he, charming as he was, was so confused by the twins that he could not make up his mind whom he would choose. Finally, he said to the mother of the girls, "I cannot decide whom it shall be, but tell the girls I will be back in a week to take my bride".

 

The week begun and as usual, Mere began to prepare. On Monday Mere made her dress and pressed it clean. On Tuesday, Mere made her hair and by Wednesday everything was ready. On Monday, Miri went to the market to announce her marriage on Saturday. On Tuesday, Miri sat on a chair and on Wednesday Miri began to wonder what she would wear.

 

Then, on Thursday at noon, the prince returned. Miri opened the door and began to scream. She screamed and screamed "the prince is here, O what shall I do! O what shall I do the prince is here and I am not ready". The prince replied with all his charm; "I'm sorry madam, though at first you did seem very nice, I had to think twice. I had no way of telling, but to use a small test, because even your mother could not tell me who was the best".  With that, Mere stepped out in her full wedding dress and rode off with the Prince to the land of Princess.  It is better to be ready than to rush.

 

Allan Bukusi, 2007