66. The Fourth Version.

According to this version, Alice met on a weekday (not on Saturday and not on Sunday) two little brothers (at least by appearance, the two little men could not be distinguished from Trololo and Tralala) and asked: "Does Trulululu really exist?" They answered her as follows:

First. Trulululu exists.

Second. I exist.

What conclusions can you draw from this version?

## Epilogue

What is the real situation? Does Trulululu exist or not? I have presented you with four conflicting versions of events that took place in the Forgetful Forest. Where did they come from? I must admit that I did not make them up. I heard all four stories from the mouth of the Barmaflot. The conversation between Alice and Shaltai-Boltai really did happen - Alice told me about it, and she always tells the truth. But the four versions of events that followed the conversation were told to me by Barmaflot. He lies on the same days of the week as the Lion (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday), and he told me his stories over four consecutive days. (I distinctly remember that none of these four days fell on a Sunday or a Saturday. The fact is that I am a notorious sluggard and on Saturdays and Sundays I like to sleep from morning till night.) Barmaflot told me all the stories in the same order in which I have recounted them to the readers.

Armed with such extensive information, the reader will easily determine whether Trulululu really exists or whether Shaltai-Boltai lied to Alice. Does Alice know whether Trulululu really exists or not?
66. Whoever the second brother might be, his statement is necessarily true. (It seems that Descartes noted: “Anyone who asserts that he exists utters a true statement.” I have never met anyone who did not exist.) Since the second statement is true and the day of the meeting was not Sunday, the first statement must be false. From this we conclude that if this version is correct, then Trululu does not exist.

Solution to the epilogue. The third version of the story is necessarily false. Therefore, none of the versions were told on Saturday or Sunday. This means that the versions could be told on four consecutive days only if the third version fell on Wednesday. Then the last version was told on Thursday and therefore must be true. Thus, Trululu does not actually exist! (By the way, I have no doubt about the existence of Trululu. Lewis Carroll should have known this.)

As for Alice, since the fourth version was the only one based on reality, it was not difficult for her to understand the groundlessness of the fears caused by the “Trululu ghost.”