Intro to Jabberwocky
by Gregory Weir (2004)
Genres: Literary

In this story, based on the Lewis Carroll poem "Jabberwocky", you play as a farmer's child, sent out before brillig to deal with the family's animals. You also find a tablet with a pattern of lines and letters; as you complete your chores, the blank lines of the tablet are replaced with words, forming the first stanza of the poem.

action: %
response: What a bother. Father says that some thing has happened to all of your family's animals, all at the same time, and he's sent you out to care for them, almost before brillig. Oh, well. It should be a quick job, and then you can eat breakfast and relax.

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From far off to the west you can hear the toves calling, a sad, lonely sound, punctuated only by their happy cries of greeting when they encounter one another. The pink mist of the wabe quietly drifts by, occasionally lapping up on shore in billows of sweet-smelling fog. Above, the suns gently glow. Along the shore to the north is a chicken-wire enclosure, and to the south is a small wooden structure. The sand gives way to grass along the path back to your house in the east.

A worn tablet lies here, half-buried in the sand.
action: You take the tablet
response: You pull the tablet from the sand, shaking the fine white grains from its stony surface.
action: You examine the tablet
response: The tablet is made of some sort of worn stone, pitted and etched by the elements. In the upper left corner is the Roman numeral I. Below, there is a pattern of lines and letters, like so:

'Twas brillig, ___ ___  
___ ____ ___  __ ___ ____:
___  ____ ___ ,
___ ___ ____  .
action: You examine wabe
response: The wabe could be called a sea, except that instead of being composed of water, it's composed of a rose-colored mist. The mist is quite dense, and almost acts like a liquid. Instead of forming waves, however, it forms tiny clouds of fog that slowly drift back into the main body of mist.
action: You examine the structure
response: The tove corral lies to the south.
action: You listen to the toves
response: The toves are making their sad cries.
action: You go to the west
response: That wouldn't be a good idea. It's not that you can't swim, it's just that the wabe isn't made up of water, but of mist that's mildly poisonous to humans.
action: You go north
response: They call it "chicken wire," but you don't get many chickens around here. You and your dad use it to keep in your borogoves. The wire is stretched between sturdy wooden posts sunk deep into the sand of the shore. Inside the wire, the borogoves skitter around, looking very agitated.

The tablet shivers in your hands.
action: You look at the suns
response: The suns have recently risen in the west, and they're at the point called "brillig," where they're level with each other in the sky. Soon, the smaller, faster sun will pull ahead of the larger.
action: You look at the tablet
response: The tablet is made of some sort of worn stone, pitted and etched by the elements. In the upper left corner is the Roman numeral I. Below, there is a pattern of lines and letters, like so:

'Twas brillig, ___ ___  
___ ____ ___  __ ___ ____:
___  were the borogoves,
___ ___ ____  .
action: You examine the borogroves
response: (assuming you mean "borogoves")
Borogoves are very odd creatures. Their meat is surprisingly tasty, considering their appearance: their body is spherical, perhaps as large as a beach ball, and six long, thin, insectile legs protrude from the equator of their body. They have two small, stubby, antennae, and a dish-shaped organ at the top of their head that allows them to "see" the world around them using a type of echolocation called mimsing. However, at the moment they are in a panic, not at all mimsy. They blindly bump against the wire fence around the pen. The cause of their disturbance is obvious: one of them seems to be badly hurt, and lies motionless in the center of the pen. Beware, though; they can still smell you, and in their confusion, they seem to classify you as a threat. You'll have to get rid of the wounded animal or else they'll never calm down.
action: You check your inventory
response: You are carrying:
a worn tablet
action: About yourself
response: Young, polite, and capable, or at least you like to think so.
action: You look at the wounded borogove
response: Borogove blood could more accurately be called "ichor." It's slick, black stuff, and it coats the exoskeleton of this borogove. The creature seems to have been ripped apart by huge claws. It still twitches, but the movement is most likely a reflex. If the creature isn't dead now, it will be soon. You'd better get it out of the enclosure, or the rest of the borogoves will hurt themselves in the panic.
action: You take the wounded borogove
response: It's too far away to reach.
action: Look around
response: They call it "chicken wire," but you don't get many chickens around here. You and your dad use it to keep in your borogoves. The wire is stretched between sturdy wooden posts sunk deep into the sand of the shore. Inside the wire, the borogoves skitter around, looking very agitated.

There is a hurt borogove inside the enclosure.
action: You go south
response: From far off to the west you can hear the toves calling, a sad, lonely sound, punctuated only by their happy cries of greeting when they encounter one another. The pink mist of the wabe quietly drifts by, occasionally lapping up on shore in billows of sweet-smelling fog. Above, the suns gently glow. Along the shore to the north is a chicken-wire enclosure, and to the south is a small wooden structure. The sand gives way to grass along the path back to your house in the east.
action: Go south
response: It took you and your father an entire week to build this enclosure, but it was worth the effort: not one of your family's toves has ever been attacked in the night. The corral has four sturdy walls and a slate roof, but the bottom is open. This allows the rose-colored mist from the wabe in, which in turn keeps your toves alive. During the night, they're kept in by the half-submerged door, which is held closed by a nice secure latch. You stand on a catwalk affixed to one wall, and little tendrils of fog waft up between the catwalk's metal bars.

Your family's toves drift around aimlessly. For some reason, they're not in very good health.

You can also see a skimmer here.

The tablet shivers in your hands.
action: You examine the tablet
response: The tablet is made of some sort of worn stone, pitted and etched by the elements. In the upper left corner is the Roman numeral I. Below, there is a pattern of lines and letters, like so:

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
___ ____ ___  __ ___ ____:
___  were the borogoves,
___ ___ ____  .
action: You look at the toves
response: Toves are strange creatures, diaphanous and billowing. Their bodies are hollow and tube-shaped, with long, thin tentacles arranged in a ring around their "mouth". These toves, of course, are tame, but a wild tove could latch on to your arm and dissolve it to the bone. Usually, they'd be gyring and gimbling, but they seem sick. They just drift aimlessly around the pen, their tentacles limp. They seem to be having trouble breathing the mist inside the corral.
action: You take skimmer
response: Taken.
action: You examine the skimmer
response: This tool allows you to skim insects and debris from the tove corral. It's a detachable net attached to a threaded metal pole.
action: You look at the pole
response: This long metal pole has a specially threaded socket in the end to allow you to affix various attachments.
action: You examine the net
response: This is a net, with one end specially threaded to fit into its pole.
action: You go north
response: From far off to the west you can hear the toves calling, a sad, lonely sound, punctuated only by their happy cries of greeting when they encounter one another. The pink mist of the wabe quietly drifts by, occasionally lapping up on shore in billows of sweet-smelling fog. Above, the suns gently glow. Along the shore to the north is a chicken-wire enclosure, and to the south is a small wooden structure. The sand gives way to grass along the path back to your house in the east.
action: Go north
response: They call it "chicken wire," but you don't get many chickens around here. You and your dad use it to keep in your borogoves. The wire is stretched between sturdy wooden posts sunk deep into the sand of the shore. Inside the wire, the borogoves skitter around, looking very agitated.

There is a hurt borogove inside the enclosure.
action: You take wounded with the skimmer
response: The net on the skimmer is too small to fit around the wounded borogove, and if you caught on to any of its legs, they'd just pull off.
action: S then east
response: From far off to the west you can hear the toves calling, a sad, lonely sound, punctuated only by their happy cries of greeting when they encounter one another. The pink mist of the wabe quietly drifts by, occasionally lapping up on shore in billows of sweet-smelling fog. Above, the suns gently glow. Along the shore to the north is a chicken-wire enclosure, and to the south is a small wooden structure. The sand gives way to grass along the path back to your house in the east.

You feel happy here in front of your house. The coat of white paint on the house was recently retouched, and your father has planted flowers in the window boxes. You can hear the mournful calling of the toves in the wabe to the west, and there are bare paths worn into the dirt around the corners of the house to the northeast and southeast.
action: You look at the flowers
response: The windowboxes are filled with wildflowers.
action: You look at the house
response: Your house is a bit large for just you and your father. It's two stories tall, plus an attic and a basement, and your father just repainted it last week.
action: You look at grass
response: To the west, a path leads down to the beach. There are also paths leading around the house to the northeast and southeast.
action: You examine the door
response: It's the front door to your house.
action: Enter
response: You'd better finish all your chores before you go inside.
action: You look around
response: You feel happy here in front of your house. The coat of white paint on the house was recently retouched, and your father has planted flowers in the window boxes. You can hear the mournful calling of the toves in the wabe to the west, and there are bare paths worn into the dirt around the corners of the house to the northeast and southeast.
action: You go northeast
response: This is a small grassy area, mostly occupied by the pen for your family's raths. The pen is made of wickerwork, widely spaced, allowing light and air to pass through while keeping the raths in.

The pen is closed. You can see something inside.
action: You examine pen
response: The pen is carefully woven from strips of wood to form a cage large enough for a man to stand in. This allows the raths to exercise their wings without any danger of them escaping. Strangely enough, the cage seems to have scratches on the outside.

The pen is closed.
action: You look in the pen
response: In the rath pen are a blue mome rath, a red mome rath and a rope hanging from the ceiling.
action: You examine the scratches
response: The wickerwork of the pen seems to have been gouged by some sort of blade... or perhaps enormous claws.
action: You examine the rope
response: It's the rope that is used to hold up Red's favorite toy. The raths love playing with it.
On the rope is a hook, on which is Red's toy.
action: You look at hook then x toy
response: This hook is used to hold Red's favorite toy. It's originally a tool for removing debris from the tove corral, so it has a threaded end to allow it to attach to a metal pole.
On the hook is Red's toy.
The mome rath Red's favorite toy is a fuzzy stuffed egg. All you have to do is show it to him and he'll cuddle it for hours. It's hanging on its hook.
action: You look at Red then X blue
response: Mome raths are generally friendly birds, and Red's no exception. He's always nice to you, unlike his sister Blue. At the moment, he's panicking, flying around in a blind panic, bumping into the wicker walls of the pen. He's so panicked, he's not even outgribing.
Mome raths are generally friendly birds, but Blue's always been a bit wary of humans. Sure, she'll accept food, but she's nowhere near as affectionate as her brother Red; you usually have to treat her a bit rougher. At the moment, she's panicking, flying around in a blind panic, bumping into the wicker walls of the pen. She's so panicked, she's not even outgribing.
action: You open it
response: You open the rath pen.
action: You enter it
response: You get into the rath pen.

North of House (in the rath pen)
This is a small grassy area, mostly occupied by the pen for your family's raths. The pen is made of wickerwork, widely spaced, allowing light and air to pass through while keeping the raths in.

Light filters in through the holes in the woven walls. Twin perches hang opposite each other in the pen. The door stands wide open.

The mome rath named Blue flaps wildly inside the pen.

The mome rath named Red flutters around the pen in a panic.

Inside the pen is a rope hanging from the ceiling, on which is a hook, on which is Red's toy.

The tablet shivers in your hands.
action: You examine the tablet
response: The tablet is made of some sort of worn stone, pitted and etched by the elements. In the upper left corner is the Roman numeral I. Below, there is a pattern of lines and letters, like so:

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
___ ____ ___  __ ___ ____:
___  were the borogoves,
and the mome raths .
action: Close pen
response: You close the rath pen.
action: You examine the perches
response: There are two wooden perches hanging from the ceiling of the pen.
action: You get the toy
response: Taken.
action: You give the toy to Red
response: You wave the toy in front of Red, and he swoops down and snatches it out of your hands. He lands on his perch and plays with it. He begins to outgribe, making the cooing noises that the birds use to communicate over long distances.
action: You take the rope
response: That's fixed in place.
action: You look at Blue
response: Mome raths are generally friendly birds, but Blue's always been a bit wary of humans. Sure, she'll accept food, but she's nowhere near as affectionate as her brother Red; you usually have to treat her a bit rougher. At the moment, she's panicking, flying around in a blind panic, bumping into the wicker walls of the pen. She's so panicked, she's not even outgribing.
action: Look around
response: North of House (in the rath pen)
This is a small grassy area, mostly occupied by the pen for your family's raths. The pen is made of wickerwork, widely spaced, allowing light and air to pass through while keeping the raths in.

Light filters in through the holes in the woven walls. Twin perches hang opposite each other in the pen. The door is latched shut.

The mome rath named Blue flaps wildly inside the pen.

The mome rath named Red sits on his perch, almost smiling at you.

Inside the pen is a rope hanging from the ceiling.
action: You examine Red
response: Mome raths are generally friendly birds, and Red's no exception. He's always nice to you, unlike his sister Blue. Right now, he's calm, cuddling his toy.
action: Go south
response: You'll have to get out of the rath pen first.
action: You open the gate then out then close the gate
response: You open the rath pen.
You get out of the rath pen.

This is a small grassy area, mostly occupied by the pen for your family's raths. The pen is made of wickerwork, widely spaced, allowing light and air to pass through while keeping the raths in.

The pen stands open. Luckily, even while they're panicking your raths are well-trained enough that they don't try to escape.
You close the rath pen.
action: You go west
response: The only exit is southwest to the front of your house.
action: You go to the southwest
response: You feel happy here in front of your house. The coat of white paint on the house was recently retouched, and your father has planted flowers in the window boxes. You can hear the mournful calling of the toves in the wabe to the west, and there are bare paths worn into the dirt around the corners of the house to the northeast and southeast.
action: Go south
response: It took you and your father an entire week to build this enclosure, but it was worth the effort: not one of your family's toves has ever been attacked in the night. The corral has four sturdy walls and a slate roof, but the bottom is open. This allows the rose-colored mist from the wabe in, which in turn keeps your toves alive. During the night, they're kept in by the half-submerged door, which is held closed by a nice secure latch. You stand on a catwalk affixed to one wall, and little tendrils of fog waft up between the catwalk's metal bars.

Your family's toves drift around aimlessly. For some reason, they're not in very good health.
action: You remove the net
response: (first taking the net attachment)
You remove the net attachment from the pole.
action: You fix the hook to the pole
response: You screw the hook attachment onto the pole, making a gaff.
action: You remove the mist
response: (first taking the the wabe)
That's hardly portable.
action: You look at the hook
response: This hook is used to hold Red's favorite toy. It's originally a tool for removing debris from the tove corral, so it has a threaded end to allow it to attach to a metal pole.
action: You look at tove
response: (the toves)
Toves are strange creatures, diaphanous and billowing. Their bodies are hollow and tube-shaped, with long, thin tentacles arranged in a ring around their "mouth". These toves, of course, are tame, but a wild tove could latch on to your arm and dissolve it to the bone. Usually, they'd be gyring and gimbling, but they seem sick. They just drift aimlessly around the pen, their tentacles limp. They seem to be having trouble breathing the mist inside the corral.
action: You examine the mist
response: The wabe could be called a sea, except that instead of being composed of water, it's composed of a rose-colored mist. The mist is quite dense, and almost acts like a liquid. Instead of forming waves, however, it forms tiny clouds of fog that slowly drift back into the main body of mist. However, the wabe here inside the corral is discolored brown. The stain seems to be coming from under the catwalk.
action: You examine the catwalk
response: You can smell the rust on this catwalk, slightly corroded from exposure to the fog of the wabe. It runs the length of one wall, allowing for the feeding and care of the toves. You can see the wabe through the metal grid of the catwalk; it seems somewhat discolored.
action: You look under catwalk
response: You can barely see what looks like a clump of scales stuck to the underside of the catwalk. They seem to be the source of the stain tinting the wabe brown.
action: You examine the scales
response: Several rather large reptilian scales, silver in color, covered with a disgusting and foul-smelling slime. You can't help but notice that their edge is razor-sharp.
action: You take the scales
response: You carefully reach down and pull on the disgusting scales. After a few tries, they pull free from the catwalk, and you take them. A few moments later, the mist inside the corral returns to its normal rose color. The toves perk up almost instantly, and soon begin to gyre and gimble. They look well enough for you to let them out into the wabe.

The tablet shivers in your hands.
action: You look at the tablet
response: The tablet is made of some sort of worn stone, pitted and etched by the elements. In the upper left corner is the Roman numeral I. Below, there is a pattern of lines and letters, like so:

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble __ ___ ____:
___  were the borogoves,
and the mome raths .
action: You remove the scales with the gaff
response: You are carrying:
some strange scales
a gaff
a net attachment
a worn tablet

You can't see any such thing.
action: You open it
response: You carefully open the door, and the toves gimble out into the wabe. Soon, they are too far away to be seen with the naked eye. No need to worry, though. They'll be back by feeding time.

The tablet shivers in your hands.
action: You check your inventory
response: The tablet is made of some sort of worn stone, pitted and etched by the elements. In the upper left corner is the Roman numeral I. Below, there is a pattern of lines and letters, like so:

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
___  were the borogoves,
and the mome raths .

You are carrying:
some strange scales
a gaff
a net attachment
a worn tablet
action: N then north
response: From far off to the west you can hear the toves calling, a sad, lonely sound, punctuated only by their happy cries of greeting when they encounter one another. The pink mist of the wabe quietly drifts by, occasionally lapping up on shore in billows of sweet-smelling fog. Above, the suns gently glow. Along the shore to the north is a chicken-wire enclosure, and to the south is a small wooden structure. The sand gives way to grass along the path back to your house in the east.

They call it "chicken wire," but you don't get many chickens around here. You and your dad use it to keep in your borogoves. The wire is stretched between sturdy wooden posts sunk deep into the sand of the shore. Inside the wire, the borogoves skitter around, looking very agitated.

There is a hurt borogove inside the enclosure.
action: You take the borogove with hook
response: (first taking the hook attachment)
You remove the hook attachment from the pole.
action: You fix the hook to the pole
response: You screw the hook attachment onto the pole, making a gaff.
action: You take borogove with the gaff
response: You reach out with the hook and snag the hurt animal, pulling it toward you. As its body reaches the fence, it slips off your hook, and falls onto the ground just in front of the fence. You'll never get it with that unwieldy pole. You could reach in and take it out with your bare hands, but the other borogoves would bite you.
action: You look at the hurt borogove
response: Borogove blood could more accurately be called "ichor." It's slick, black stuff, and it coats the exoskeleton of this borogove. The creature seems to have been ripped apart by huge claws. It still twitches, but the movement is most likely a reflex. If the creature isn't dead now, it will be soon. You'd better get it out of the enclosure, or the rest of the borogoves will hurt themselves in the panic.
action: You put the net on the pole
response: You screw the net attachment onto the pole, making a skimmer.
action: You take the borogove with the skimmer
response: The net on the skimmer is too small to fit around the wounded borogove, and if you caught on to any of its legs, they'd just pull off.
action: You get the borogove
response: If you reach in there, the panicked borogoves will most likely bite you all over your hand. And borogove bites hurt.
action: Go southeast
response: A rickety old shed without a door is leaning against the house here. You use it to store tools and feed for your family's animals. There's not much else around here except weeds and a closed cellar window in the house wall at ground level.
action: You examine the window
response: It's a grimy, closed window that allows light into the cellar. It's much too small for you to fit through.
action: You open it
response: It seems to be locked.
action: You examine the weeds
response: Just some weeds.
action: You examine the shed
response: An old shed made from sheets of corrugated aluminum and planks of wood. You're not that worried about theft, so it doesn't even have a door. The shed's purely to keep the rain off of the tools and feed.
action: You enter the shed
response: You walk into the shed.

South of House (in the old shed)
A rickety old shed without a door is leaning against the house here. You use it to store tools and feed for your family's animals. There's not much else around here except weeds and a closed cellar window in the house wall at ground level.

It's dim inside the shed, the only light coming through the doorway from outside.

In the old shed you can see a tool box (which is closed) and a bag of borogove feed (which is closed).
action: You examine the tool box
response: A metal box, used for storing tools. It's shut.
action: You open it
response: You open the tool box, revealing four tools (a screwdriver, a hammer, a pipe wrench and a file).
action: Examine feed
response: This is a burlap bag of borogove feed, basically dried moss with some nutritional supplements. It's still unopened.
action: You close the tool box
response: You close the tool box.
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying:
a tool box (which is closed)
a bag of borogove feed
a skimmer
a hook attachment
some strange scales
a worn tablet
action: Look around
response: South of House (in the old shed)
A rickety old shed without a door is leaning against the house here. You use it to store tools and feed for your family's animals. There's not much else around here except weeds and a closed cellar window in the house wall at ground level.

It's dim inside the shed, the only light coming through the doorway from outside.
action: You go outside
response: You get out of the old shed.

A rickety old shed without a door is leaning against the house here. You use it to store tools and feed for your family's animals. There's not much else around here except weeds and a closed cellar window in the house wall at ground level.
action: NW then W then S
response: You feel happy here in front of your house. The coat of white paint on the house was recently retouched, and your father has planted flowers in the window boxes. You can hear the mournful calling of the toves in the wabe to the west, and there are bare paths worn into the dirt around the corners of the house to the northeast and southeast.

From far off to the west you can hear the toves calling, a sad, lonely sound, punctuated only by their happy cries of greeting when they encounter one another. The pink mist of the wabe quietly drifts by, occasionally lapping up on shore in billows of sweet-smelling fog. Above, the suns gently glow. Along the shore to the north is a chicken-wire enclosure, and to the south is a small wooden structure. The sand gives way to grass along the path back to your house in the east.

It took you and your father an entire week to build this enclosure, but it was worth the effort: not one of your family's toves has ever been attacked in the night. The corral has four sturdy walls and a slate roof, but the bottom is open. This allows the rose-colored mist from the wabe in, which in turn keeps your toves alive. During the night, they're kept in by the half-submerged door, but it's open to allow the toves to gimble in the wabe. However, it does have a nice secure latch. You stand on a catwalk affixed to one wall, and little tendrils of fog waft up between the catwalk's metal bars.
action: Examine feed
response: This is a burlap bag of borogove feed, basically dried moss with some nutritional supplements. It's still unopened.
action: You open the feed
response: You tug at the bag, but it doesn't open. You'll need to slice open the burlap.
action: You open the tool box
response: You open the tool box, revealing four tools (a screwdriver, a hammer, a pipe wrench and a file).
action: You put the skimmer in the tool box
response: The toolbox is made to hold tools. Nothing else.
action: You open the burlap with the scale
response: You cut open the bag, revealing powdery borogove food.
action: You feed borogoves with the food
response: You scatter the food into the far side of the borogove enclosure. The creatures instantly smell it, and race over, eating it in a feeding frenzy.
action: You take the hurt borogove
response: While the rest of the borogoves are distracted by their feeding frenzy, you grab the wounded insect. Seconds later, they finish the food, and spread out again, once again in a panic. You toss the body of the now-dead borogove into the wabe, and the others calm down as soon as the scent fades away.

The tablet shivers in your hands.
action: You examine the tablet
response: The tablet is made of some sort of worn stone, pitted and etched by the elements. In the upper left corner is the Roman numeral I. Below, there is a pattern of lines and letters, like so:

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
and the mome raths .
action: S then east
response: From far off to the west you can hear the toves calling, a sad, lonely sound, punctuated only by their happy cries of greeting when they encounter one another. The pink mist of the wabe quietly drifts by, occasionally lapping up on shore in billows of sweet-smelling fog. Above, the suns gently glow. Along the shore to the north is a chicken-wire enclosure, and to the south is a small wooden structure. The sand gives way to grass along the path back to your house in the east.

You feel happy here in front of your house. The coat of white paint on the house was recently retouched, and your father has planted flowers in the window boxes. You can hear the mournful calling of the toves in the wabe to the west, and there are bare paths worn into the dirt around the corners of the house to the northeast and southeast.
action: You open the pen then enter the pen then close the pen
response: You open the rath pen.
You get into the rath pen.

North of House (in the rath pen)
This is a small grassy area, mostly occupied by the pen for your family's raths. The pen is made of wickerwork, widely spaced, allowing light and air to pass through while keeping the raths in.

Light filters in through the holes in the woven walls. Twin perches hang opposite each other in the pen. The door stands wide open.

The mome rath named Blue flaps wildly inside the pen.

The mome rath named Red sits on his perch, almost smiling at you.

Inside the pen is a rope hanging from the ceiling.
You close the rath pen.
action: You check your inventory
response: You are carrying:
a tool box (which is open)
four tools:
a screwdriver
a hammer
a pipe wrench
a file
a bag of borogove feed
a skimmer
a hook attachment
some strange scales
a worn tablet
action: Look around
response: North of House (in the rath pen)
This is a small grassy area, mostly occupied by the pen for your family's raths. The pen is made of wickerwork, widely spaced, allowing light and air to pass through while keeping the raths in.

Light filters in through the holes in the woven walls. Twin perches hang opposite each other in the pen. The door is latched shut.

The mome rath named Blue flaps wildly inside the pen.

The mome rath named Red sits on his perch, almost smiling at you.

Inside the pen is a rope hanging from the ceiling.
action: You feed Blue
response: (with the rath pen)
The blue mome rath isn't interested in eating the rath pen.
action: You look in the bag
response: The bag of borogove feed is empty.
action: You take Blue with the net
response: What do you want to catch the blue mome rath with?

(first taking the net attachment)
You remove the net attachment from the pole.
action: You take Blue with the skimmer
response: She's flying slowly enough, but that's not the best tool for the job. Too long.
action: You take Blue with the net
response: You aim carefully, and swing the net. You catch Blue with ease. She calms down as she realizes that she's both trapped and not in immediate danger, so you carefully release her onto a perch, where she begins to sullenly outgribe, cooing to communicate with far off raths.

The tablet shivers in your hands.

You hear the faint sound of a pen scratching on paper, and the stone tablet shivers in your hands once more. You look down to discover that it seems to have switched to the next stanza of the poem, and is once again filled with blank lines.
action: You look at the tablet
response: The tablet is made of some sort of worn stone, pitted and etched by the elements. In the upper left corner is the Roman numeral II. Below, there is a pattern of lines and letters, like so:

" ___ , __ ___!
___ ____ ____ ____, ___  ____ !
 ___  ____, ___ ____
___  !
action: You look at Blue
response: Mome raths are generally friendly birds, but Blue's always been a bit wary of humans. Sure, she'll accept food, but she's nowhere near as affectionate as her brother Red; you usually have to treat her a bit rougher. Right now, she's calm, or at least as calm as Blue ever gets. However, she still eyes you a bit suspiciously.
action: Enter
response: You enter the house, where you will encounter your father, a cat, a bird, and a beast, then begin your journey into the forest, where you will meet three aspects of Lewis Carroll and defeat the Jabberwock.