We’ve seen these two Tweedledum and Tweedledee-like fellows before. Maybe not these identical fellows, but we’ve seen similar folks.
Here they are, minutes before they begin their performance, while they are still bendable, putting the finishing touches on their costumes.
Soon they will begin their street-side mime routines, becoming frozen and unmoving on the sidewalk, mimicking metallic sculptures stiffly locked in place, awaiting the monetary incentive from a passerby to grind into action. Until then, they will remain still and silent.
While in their static position, these two will appear to have been in the company of King Midas, who turned everything he touched into precious but lifeless metal by virtue of the magical gift he received, fulfilling his insatiable greed.
An uncertain child bearing a small gratuity for the street performers will eventually approach them hesitantly on tip-toe, coaxed on by an encouraging parent. At the moment the child’s meager coin reaches the performers’ basket, the frozen sculptures will leap into action, gyrating through a crazy series of excited moves, brought spontaneously, and briefly, to life.
Gradually, the robots will appear to run out of power and again hibernate, stiffly awaiting their next coin-induced spasmodic flurry of movement.
Other children’s touches will again break the Midas spell over the characters, periodically unfreezing them. During these moments, the children’s innocent, Un-Midas Touches will briefly assuage the urgent need and greed displayed by the metallic figures.
For a few moments, they, like ourselves, will shake off isolating temporal concerns and, once again, remember what it is to be fully alive.