Miro & Moro the Twin Otters

Miro and Moro are two little river otters, and they are twins. Not almost-the-same. Exactly the same. Same sleek brown fur, same whiskery smile, same little paws. When you meet Miro, you have nearly met Moro too - because Moro looks just like Miro.

The twins live on Tila’s quilt, where the big square is being made. And in that big square there are two ribbons - two long strips of patches. Miro sits on one ribbon. Moro sits on the other. And here is the wonderful thing the twins love to show: the two ribbons are exactly the same size.

One ribbon lies down, long and flat, like a little sleeping stripe. The other ribbon stands up, tall, like a little standing stripe. They look turned different ways. But if you slide the standing one down and turn it - it fits right on top of the lying one, perfectly. Same length. Same width. Twins.

Miro and Moro have one gentle idea together, and they say it as one: “Two ribbons, exactly the same. If you found one, you found two!”

So whenever a child finds one ribbon on the quilt, Moro pops up and giggles, “And here is my twin!” Because a big square never has just one ribbon. It always has two, and they match. One down, one up. A pair.

That is the twins’ whole gentle teaching.

Two ribbons, exactly the same - so there are always two.

If you see only one ribbon, don’t stop - look for its twin. Miro points one way; Moro points the other. “Over here!” When both ribbons are laid in, the big square is coming together, and the twins do a happy little otter-wiggle, side by side, matching even in their dance.

A grown-up can play too! You can find twins. Cut two paper strips exactly the same, or use two blocks the same. Lay one down flat. Stand the other one up tall. They look different! Now slide the standing one over and turn it onto the lying one - see? They match! Say it together: “Two ribbons, one down, one up, exactly the same - twins!” Then find twin things all around the room: two spoons, two shoes, two cushions.

That is two of the same. When there is one ribbon, there is always its twin - so you count not one, but two.

When both ribbons finally lie in the big square, matching perfectly, Miro and Moro feel a warm, tickly gladness - the cozy joy of finding your match, your twin, your other half. They bump noses. “Same,” says Miro. “Same,” says Moro. “Two of us. Always two.”

And side by side, exactly alike, the twins help the big square grow whole.