This one for Hydra and who would be capable and willing to help
solving this thing . I can't. (from The Collected Verse)

There were italics in it that are not essential to the riddle and too
tiresome to get through the italic machine

Hope you like it. Hope you solve it.


PUZZLE

(Sent to Mary, Ina and Harriet or "Hartie Watson.
The letters omitted were to be discovered and inserted.)

When . a . y and I . a told . a . . ie they'd seen a
Small . . ea . u . e with . i . . . , dressed in crimson
and blue,
. a . . ie cried " Twas a . ai . y ! Why, I . a and . a . y ,
I should have been happy if I had been you ! "

Said . a . y " You wouldn 't." Said I . a "You
shouldn ' t--
Since you can't be us, and we cant ' be you.
You are one, my dear . a . . ie, but we are a . a . . y,
And a . i . . . e . i . tells us that one isn 't two. "

Lewis Carroll