+
−Project Gutenberg's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll
+
−
+
−This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+
−almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+
−re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+
−with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
+
−
+
−
+
−Title: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
+
−       Illustrated by Arthur Rackham. With a Proem by Austin Dobson
+
−
+
−Author: Lewis Carroll
+
−
+
−Illustrator: Arthur Rackham
+
−
+
−Release Date: May 19, 2009 [EBook #28885]
+
−
+
−Language: English
+
−
+
−Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
−
+
−*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND ***
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−
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−
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−
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−
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−Produced by Jana Srna, Emmy and the Online Distributed
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−Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+
−produced from images generously made available by the
+
−University of Florida Digital Collections.)
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−
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−
+
−
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−
+
−
+
−
+
−ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND
+
−
+
−[Illustration: "Alice"]
+
−
+
−[Illustration:
+
−
+
−          ALICE'S�ADVENTURES
+
−          IN�WONDERLAND
+
−          BY�LEWIS�CARROLL
+
−          ILLUSTRATED�BY
+
−          ARTHUR�RACKHAM
+
−
+
−          WITH A PROEM BY AUSTIN DOBSON
+
−
+
−          LONDON�WILLIAM�HEINEMANN
+
−          NEW�YORK�DOUBLEDAY�PAGE�&�Co]
+
−
+
−          PRINTED IN ENGLAND
+
−
+
−          _'Tis two score years since CARROLL'S art,
+
−             With topsy-turvy magic,
+
−           Sent ALICE wondering through a part
+
−             Half-comic and half-tragic._
+
−
+
−          _Enchanting ALICE! Black-and-white
+
−             Has made your deeds perennial;
+
−           And naught save "Chaos and old Night"
+
−             Can part you now from TENNIEL;_
+
−
+
−          _But still you are a Type, and based
+
−             In Truth, like LEAR and HAMLET;
+
−           And Types may be re-draped to taste
+
−             In cloth-of-gold or camlet._
+
−
+
−          _Here comes afresh Costumier, then;
+
−             That Taste may gain a wrinkle
+
−           From him who drew with such deft pen
+
−             The rags of RIP VAN WINKLE!_
+
−
+
−                                   _AUSTIN DOBSON._
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−          All in the golden afternoon
+
−            Full leisurely we glide;
+
−          For both our oars, with little skill,
+
−            By little arms are plied,
+
−          While little hands make vain pretence
+
−            Our wanderings to guide.
+
−
+
−          Ah, cruel Three! In such an hour,
+
−            Beneath such dreamy weather,
+
−          To beg a tale of breath too weak
+
−            To stir the tiniest feather!
+
−          Yet what can one poor voice avail
+
−            Against three tongues together?
+
−
+
−          Imperious Prima flashes forth
+
−            Her edict "to begin it"--
+
−          In gentler tone Secunda hopes
+
−            "There will be nonsense in it!"--
+
−          While Tertia interrupts the tale
+
−            Not _more_ than once a minute.
+
−
+
−          Anon, to sudden silence won,
+
−            In fancy they pursue
+
−          The dream-child moving through a land
+
−            Of wonders wild and new,
+
−          In friendly chat with bird or beast--
+
−            And half believe it true.
+
−
+
−          And ever, as the story drained
+
−            The wells of fancy dry.
+
−          And faintly strove that weary one
+
−            To put the subject by,
+
−          "The rest next time--" "It _is_ next time!"
+
−            The happy voices cry.
+
−
+
−          Thus grew the tale of Wonderland:
+
−            Thus slowly, one by one,
+
−          Its quaint events were hammered out--
+
−            And now the tale is done,
+
−          And home we steer, a merry crew,
+
−            Beneath the setting sun.
+
−
+
−          Alice! a childish story take,
+
−            And with a gentle hand
+
−          Lay it where Childhood's dreams are twined
+
−            In Memory's mystic band,
+
−          Like pilgrim's wither'd wreath of flowers
+
−            Pluck'd in a far-off land.
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−CONTENTS
+
−
+
−
+
−                                                      PAGE
+
−
+
−             I. DOWN THE RABBIT-HOLE                     1
+
−
+
−            II. THE POOL OF TEARS                       13
+
−
+
−           III. A CAUCUS-RACE AND A LONG TALE           24
+
−
+
−            IV. THE RABBIT SENDS IN A LITTLE BILL       35
+
−
+
−             V. ADVICE FROM A CATERPILLAR               49
+
−
+
−            VI. PIG AND PEPPER                          64
+
−
+
−           VII. A MAD TEA-PARTY                         82
+
−
+
−          VIII. THE QUEEN'S CROQUET-GROUND              96
+
−
+
−            IX. THE MOCK TURTLE'S STORY                111
+
−
+
−             X. THE LOBSTER QUADRILLE                  126
+
−
+
−            XI. WHO STOLE THE TARTS?                   139
+
−
+
−           XII. ALICE'S EVIDENCE                       150
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−LIST OF THE PLATES
+
−
+
−
+
−                                            _To face page_
+
−
+
−          Alice                             _Frontispiece_
+
−
+
−          The Pool of Tears                             22
+
−
+
−          They all crowded round it panting and
+
−             asking, "But who has won?"                 28
+
−
+
−          "Why, Mary Ann, what are you doing out
+
−             here?"                                     36
+
−
+
−          Advice from a Caterpillar                     50
+
−
+
−          An unusually large saucepan flew close
+
−             by it, and very nearly carried it off      70
+
−
+
−          It grunted again so violently that she
+
−             looked down into its face in some alarm    74
+
−
+
−          A Mad Tea-Party                               84
+
−
+
−          The Queen turned angrily away from him
+
−             and said to the Knave, "Turn them over"   100
+
−
+
−          The Queen never left off quarrelling
+
−             with the other players, and shouting
+
−             "Off with his head!" or, "Off with her
+
−             head!"                                    116
+
−
+
−          The Mock Turtle drew a long breath and
+
−             said, "That's very curious"               132
+
−
+
−          Who stole the Tarts?                         140
+
−
+
−          At this the whole pack rose up into the
+
−             air, and came flying down upon her        158
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−CHAPTER I
+
−
+
−
+
−[Sidenote: _Down the Rabbit-Hole_]
+
−
+
−ALICE was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her
+
−sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had
+
−peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or
+
−conversations in it, "and what is the use of a book," thought Alice,
+
−"without pictures or conversations?"
+
−
+
−So she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could, for the
+
−hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid) whether the pleasure of
+
−making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and
+
−picking the daisies, when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran
+
−close by her.
+
−
+
−There was nothing so _very_ remarkable in that; nor did Alice think it
+
−so _very_ much out of the way to hear the Rabbit say to itself, "Oh
+
−dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!" (when she thought it over
+
−afterwards, it occurred to her that she ought to have wondered at this,
+
−but at the time it all seemed quite natural); but when the Rabbit
+
−actually _took a watch out of its waistcoat-pocket_, and looked at it,
+
−and then hurried on, Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across
+
−her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with either a
+
−waistcoat-pocket, or a watch to take out of it, and burning with
+
−curiosity, she ran across the field after it, and was just in time to
+
−see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge.
+
−
+
−In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how
+
−in the world she was to get out again.
+
−
+
−The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then
+
−dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think
+
−about stopping herself before she found herself falling down what seemed
+
−to be a very deep well.
+
−
+
−[Illustration]
+
−
+
−Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had
+
−plenty of time as she went down to look about her, and to wonder what
+
−was going to happen next. First, she tried to look down and make out
+
−what she was coming to, but it was too dark to see anything; then she
+
−looked at the sides of the well and noticed that they were filled with
+
−cupboards and book-shelves: here and there she saw maps and pictures
+
−hung upon pegs. She took down a jar from one of the shelves as she
+
−passed; it was labelled "ORANGE MARMALADE," but to her disappointment it
+
−was empty; she did not like to drop the jar for fear of killing
+
−somebody underneath, so managed to put it into one of the cupboards as
+
−she fell past it.
+
−
+
−"Well!" thought Alice to herself. "After such a fall as this, I shall
+
−think nothing of tumbling down stairs! How brave they'll all think me at
+
−home! Why, I wouldn't say anything about it, even if I fell off the top
+
−of the house!" (Which was very likely true.)
+
−
+
−Down, down, down. Would the fall _never_ come to an end? "I wonder how
+
−many miles I've fallen by this time?" she said aloud. "I must be getting
+
−somewhere near the centre of the earth. Let me see: that would be four
+
−thousand miles down. I think--" (for, you see, Alice had learnt several
+
−things of this sort in her lessons in the schoolroom, and though this
+
−was not a _very_ good opportunity for showing off her knowledge, as
+
−there was no one to listen to her, still it was good practice to say it
+
−over) "--yes, that's about the right distance--but then I wonder what
+
−Latitude or Longitude I've got to?" (Alice had no idea what Latitude
+
−was, or Longitude either, but thought they were nice grand words to
+
−say.)
+
−
+
−Presently she began again. "I wonder if I shall fall right _through_ the
+
−earth! How funny it'll seem to come out among the people that walk with
+
−their heads downwards! The Antipathies, I think--" (she was rather glad
+
−there _was_ no one listening, this time, as it didn't sound at all the
+
−right word) "--but I shall have to ask them what the name of the country
+
−is, you know. Please, Ma'am, is this New Zealand or Australia?" (and she
+
−tried to curtsey as she spoke--fancy _curtseying_ as you're falling
+
−through the air! Do you think you could manage it?) "And what an
+
−ignorant little girl she'll think me! No, it'll never do to ask: perhaps
+
−I shall see it written up somewhere."
+
−
+
−Down, down, down. There was nothing else to do, so Alice soon began
+
−talking again. "Dinah'll miss me very much to-night, I should think!"
+
−(Dinah was the cat.) "I hope they'll remember her saucer of milk at
+
−tea-time. Dinah, my dear, I wish you were down here with me! There are
+
−no mice in the air, I'm afraid, but you might catch a bat, and that's
+
−very like a mouse, you know. But do cats eat bats, I wonder?" And here
+
−Alice began to get rather sleepy, and went on saying to herself, in a
+
−dreamy sort of way, "Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats?" and sometimes,
+
−"Do bats eat cats?" for, you see, as she couldn't answer either
+
−question, it didn't much matter which way she put it. She felt that she
+
−was dozing off, and had just begun to dream that she was walking hand in
+
−hand with Dinah, and saying to her very earnestly, "Now, Dinah, tell me
+
−the truth: did you ever eat a bat?" when suddenly, thump! thump! down
+
−she came upon a heap of sticks and dry leaves, and the fall was over.
+
−
+
−Alice was not a bit hurt, and she jumped up on to her feet in a moment:
+
−she looked up, but it was all dark overhead; before her was another long
+
−passage, and the White Rabbit was still in sight, hurrying down it.
+
−There was not a moment to be lost: away went Alice like the wind, and
+
−was just in time to hear it say, as it turned a corner, "Oh my ears and
+
−whiskers, how late it's getting!" She was close behind it when she
+
−turned the corner, but the Rabbit was no longer to be seen: she found
+
−herself in a long, low hall, which was lit up by a row of lamps hanging
+
−from the roof.
+
−
+
−There were doors all round the hall, but they were all locked; and when
+
−Alice had been all the way down one side and up the other, trying every
+
−door, she walked sadly down the middle, wondering how she was ever to
+
−get out again.
+
−
+
−Suddenly she came upon a little three-legged table, all made of solid
+
−glass; there was nothing on it but a tiny golden key, and Alice's first
+
−idea was that this might belong to one of the doors of the hall; but,
+
−alas! either the locks were too large, or the key was too small, but at
+
−any rate it would not open any of them. However, on the second time
+
−round, she came upon a low curtain she had not noticed before, and
+
−behind it was a little door about fifteen inches high: she tried the
+
−little golden key in the lock, and to her great delight it fitted!
+
−
+
−Alice opened the door and found that it led into a small passage, not
+
−much larger than a rat-hole: she knelt down and looked along the passage
+
−into the loveliest garden you ever saw. How she longed to get out of
+
−that dark hall, and wander about among those beds of bright flowers and
+
−those cool fountains, but she could not even get her head through the
+
−doorway; "and even if my head would go through," thought poor Alice, "it
+
−would be of very little use without my shoulders. Oh, how I wish I could
+
−shut up like a telescope! I think I could, if I only knew how to begin."
+
−For, you see, so many out-of-the-way things had happened lately, that
+
−Alice had begun to think that very few things indeed were really
+
−impossible.
+
−
+
−There seemed to be no use in waiting by the little door, so she went
+
−back to the table, half hoping she might find another key on it, or at
+
−any rate a book of rules for shutting people up like telescopes: this
+
−time she found a little bottle on it ("which certainly was not here
+
−before," said Alice,) and tied round the neck of the bottle was a paper
+
−label, with the words "DRINK ME" beautifully printed on it in large
+
−letters.
+
−
+
−It was all very well to say "Drink me," but the wise little Alice was
+
−not going to do _that_ in a hurry. "No, I'll look first," she said, "and
+
−see whether it's marked '_poison_' or not;" for she had read several
+
−nice little stories about children who had got burnt, and eaten up by
+
−wild beasts, and other unpleasant things, all because they _would_ not
+
−remember the simple rules their friends had taught them: such as, that a
+
−red-hot poker will burn you if you hold it too long; and that, if you
+
−cut your finger _very_ deeply with a knife, it usually bleeds; and she
+
−had never forgotten that, if you drink much from a bottle marked
+
−"poison," it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later.
+
−
+
−However, this bottle was _not_ marked "poison," so Alice ventured to
+
−taste it, and finding it very nice (it had, in fact, a sort of mixed
+
−flavour of cherry-tart, custard, pineapple, roast turkey, coffee, and
+
−hot buttered toast,) she very soon finished it off.
+
−
+
−       *       *       *       *       *
+
−
+
−"What a curious feeling!" said Alice. "I must be shutting up like a
+
−telescope."
+
−
+
−And so it was indeed: she was now only ten inches high, and her face
+
−brightened up at the thought that she was now the right size for going
+
−through that little door into that lovely garden. First, however, she
+
−waited for a few minutes to see if she was going to shrink any further:
+
−she felt a little nervous about this: "for it might end, you know," said
+
−Alice to herself, "in my going out altogether, like a candle. I wonder
+
−what I should be like then?" And she tried to fancy what the flame of a
+
−candle looks like after the candle is blown out, for she could not
+
−remember ever having seen such a thing.
+
−
+
−After a while, finding that nothing more happened, she decided on going
+
−into the garden at once; but, alas for poor Alice! when she got to the
+
−door, she found she had forgotten the little golden key, and when she
+
−went back to the table for it, she found she could not possibly reach
+
−it: she could see it quite plainly through the glass, and she tried her
+
−best to climb up one of the legs of the table, but it was too slippery;
+
−and when she had tired herself out with trying, the poor little thing
+
−sat down and cried.
+
−
+
−"Come, there's no use in crying like that!" said Alice to herself,
+
−rather sharply. "I advise you to leave off this minute!" She generally
+
−gave herself very good advice (though she very seldom followed it), and
+
−sometimes she scolded herself so severely as to bring tears into her
+
−eyes; and once she remembered trying to box her own ears for having
+
−cheated herself in a game of croquet she was playing against herself,
+
−for this curious child was very fond of pretending to be two people.
+
−"But it's no use now," thought poor Alice, "to pretend to be two people!
+
−Why there's hardly enough of me left to make _one_ respectable person!"
+
−
+
−Soon her eye fell on a little glass box that was lying under the table:
+
−she opened it, and found in it a very small cake, on which the words
+
−"EAT ME" were beautifully marked in currants. "Well, I'll eat it," said
+
−Alice, "and if it makes me grow larger, I can reach the key; and if it
+
−makes me grow smaller, I can creep under the door; so either way I'll
+
−get into the garden, and I don't care which happens!"
+
−
+
−She ate a little bit, and said anxiously to herself, "Which way? Which
+
−way?" holding her hand on the top of her head to feel which way it was
+
−growing, and she was quite surprised to find that she remained the same
+
−size; to be sure, this is what generally happens when one eats cake,
+
−but Alice had got so much into the way of expecting nothing but
+
−out-of-the-way things to happen, that it seemed quite dull and stupid
+
−for life to go on in the common way.
+
−
+
−So she set to work, and very soon finished off the cake.
+
−
+
−       *       *       *       *       *
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−CHAPTER II
+
−
+
−
+
−[Sidenote: _Pool of Tears_]
+
−
+
−"CURIOUSER and curiouser!" cried Alice (she was so much
+
−surprised, that for a moment she quite forgot how to speak good
+
−English); "now I'm opening out like the largest telescope that ever was!
+
−Good-bye, feet!" (for when she looked down at her feet, they seemed to
+
−be almost out of sight, they were getting so far off). "Oh, my poor
+
−little feet, I wonder who will put on your shoes and stockings for you
+
−now, dears? I'm sure _I_ sha'n't be able! I shall be a great deal too
+
−far off to trouble myself about you: you must manage the best way you
+
−can--but I must be kind to them," thought Alice, "or perhaps they won't
+
−walk the way I want to go! Let me see: I'll give them a new pair of
+
−boots every Christmas."
+
−
+
−And she went on planning to herself how she would manage it. "They must
+
−go by the carrier," she thought; "and how funny it'll seem, sending
+
−presents to one's own feet! And how odd the directions will look!
+
−
+
−          Alice's Right Foot, Esq.
+
−              Hearthrug,
+
−                  near the Fender,
+
−                      (with Alice's love).
+
−
+
−Oh dear, what nonsense I'm talking!"
+
−
+
−Just then her head struck against the roof of the hall: in fact she was
+
−now rather more than nine feet high, and she at once took up the little
+
−golden key and hurried off to the garden door.
+
−
+
−Poor Alice! It was as much as she could do, lying down on one side, to
+
−look through into the garden with one eye; but to get through was more
+
−hopeless than ever: she sat down and began to cry again.
+
−
+
−"You ought to be ashamed of yourself," said Alice, "a great girl like
+
−you" (she might well say this), "to go on crying in this way! Stop this
+
−moment, I tell you!" But she went on all the same, shedding gallons of
+
−tears, until there was a large pool all round her, about four inches
+
−deep and reaching half down the hall.
+
−
+
−[Illustration: CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER]
+
−
+
−After a time she heard a little pattering of feet in the distance, and
+
−she hastily dried her eyes to see what was coming. It was the White
+
−Rabbit returning, splendidly dressed, with a pair of white kid gloves in
+
−one hand and a large fan in the other: he came trotting along in a great
+
−hurry, muttering to himself as he came, "Oh! the Duchess, the Duchess!
+
−Oh! won't she be savage if I've kept her waiting!" Alice felt so
+
−desperate that she was ready to ask help of any one; so, when the
+
−Rabbit came near her, she began, in a low, timid voice, "If you please,
+
−sir----" The Rabbit started violently, dropped the white kid gloves and
+
−the fan, and scurried away into the darkness as hard as he could go.
+
−
+
−Alice took up the fan and gloves, and, as the hall was very hot, she
+
−kept fanning herself all the time she went on talking! "Dear, dear! How
+
−queer everything is to-day! And yesterday things went on just as usual.
+
−I wonder if I've been changed during the night? Let me think: _was_ I
+
−the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember
+
−feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question
+
−is, who in the world am I? Ah, _that's_ the great puzzle!" And she began
+
−thinking over all the children she knew that were of the same age as
+
−herself, to see if she could have been changed for any of them.
+
−
+
−"I'm sure I'm not Ada," she said, "for her hair goes in such long
+
−ringlets, and mine doesn't go in ringlets at all; and I'm sure I can't
+
−be Mabel, for I know all sorts of things, and she, oh! she knows such a
+
−very little! Besides, _she's_ she, and _I'm_ I, and--oh dear, how
+
−puzzling it all is! I'll try if I know all the things I used to know.
+
−Let me see: four times five is twelve, and four times six is thirteen,
+
−and four times seven is--oh dear! I shall never get to twenty at that
+
−rate! However, the Multiplication Table doesn't signify: let's try
+
−Geography. London is the capital of Paris, and Paris is the capital of
+
−Rome, and Rome--no, _that's_ all wrong, I'm certain! I must have been
+
−changed for Mabel! I'll try and say '_How doth the little----_'" and she
+
−crossed her hands on her lap as if she were saying lessons, and began to
+
−repeat it, but her voice sounded hoarse and strange, and the words did
+
−not come the same as they used to do:--
+
−
+
−          "How doth the little crocodile
+
−             Improve his shining tail,
+
−           And pour the waters of the Nile
+
−             On every golden scale!
+
−
+
−          "How cheerfully he seems to grin,
+
−             How neatly spreads his claws,
+
−           And welcomes little fishes in,
+
−             With gently smiling jaws!"
+
−
+
−"I'm sure those are not the right words," said poor Alice, and her eyes
+
−filled with tears again as she went on. "I must be Mabel, after all, and
+
−I shall have to go and live in that poky little house, and have next to
+
−no toys to play with, and oh! ever so many lessons to learn! No, I've
+
−made up my mind about it; if I'm Mabel, I'll stay down here! It'll be no
+
−use their putting their heads down and saying, 'Come up again, dear!' I
+
−shall only look up and say, 'Who am I then? Tell me that first, and
+
−then, if I like being that person, I'll come up: if not, I'll stay down
+
−here till I'm somebody else'--but, oh dear!" cried Alice with a sudden
+
−burst of tears, "I do wish they _would_ put their heads down! I am so
+
−_very_ tired of being all alone here!"
+
−
+
−As she said this she looked down at her hands, and was surprised to see
+
−that she had put on one of the Rabbit's little white kid gloves while
+
−she was talking. "How _can_ I have done that?" she thought. "I must be
+
−growing small again." She got up and went to the table to measure
+
−herself by it, and found that, as nearly as she could guess, she was now
+
−about two feet high, and was going on shrinking rapidly: she soon found
+
−out that the cause of this was the fan she was holding, and she dropped
+
−it hastily, just in time to avoid shrinking away altogether.
+
−
+
−"That _was_ a narrow escape!" said Alice, a good deal frightened at the
+
−sudden change, but very glad to find herself still in existence; "and
+
−now for the garden!" and she ran with all speed back to the little door:
+
−but alas! the little door was shut again, and the little golden key was
+
−lying on the glass table as before, "and things are worse than ever,"
+
−thought the poor child, "for I never was so small as this before, never!
+
−And I declare it's too bad, that it is!"
+
−
+
−As she said these words her foot slipped, and in another moment, splash!
+
−she was up to her chin in salt water. Her first idea was that she had
+
−somehow fallen into the sea, "and in that case I can go back by
+
−railway," she said to herself. (Alice had been to the seaside once in
+
−her life, and had come to the general conclusion, that wherever you go
+
−to on the English coast you find a number of bathing machines in the
+
−sea, some children digging in the sand with wooden spades, then a row
+
−of lodging houses, and behind them a railway station.) However, she soon
+
−made out that she was in the pool of tears which she had wept when she
+
−was nine feet high.
+
−
+
−"I wish I hadn't cried so much!" said Alice, as she swam about, trying
+
−to find her way out. "I shall be punished for it now, I suppose, by
+
−being drowned in my own tears! That _will_ be a queer thing, to be sure!
+
−However, everything is queer to-day."
+
−
+
−Just then she heard something splashing about in the pool a little way
+
−off, and she swam nearer to make out what it was: at first she thought
+
−it must be a walrus or hippopotamus, but then she remembered how small
+
−she was now, and she soon made out that it was only a mouse that had
+
−slipped in like herself.
+
−
+
−"Would it be of any use now," thought Alice, "to speak to this mouse?
+
−Everything is so out-of-the-way down here, that I should think very
+
−likely it can talk: at any rate, there's no harm in trying." So she
+
−began: "O Mouse, do you know the way out of this pool? I am very tired
+
−of swimming about here, O Mouse!" (Alice thought this must be the right
+
−way of speaking to a mouse; she had never done such a thing before, but
+
−she remembered having seen in her brother's Latin Grammar, "A mouse--of
+
−a mouse--to a mouse--a mouse--O mouse!") The Mouse looked at her rather
+
−inquisitively, and seemed to her to wink with one of its little eyes,
+
−but it said nothing.
+
−
+
−"Perhaps it doesn't understand English," thought Alice; "I daresay it's
+
−a French mouse, come over with William the Conqueror." (For, with all
+
−her knowledge of history, Alice had no very clear notion how long ago
+
−anything had happened.) So she began again: "O� est ma chatte?" which
+
−was the first sentence in her French lesson-book. The Mouse gave a
+
−sudden leap out of the water, and seemed to quiver all over with fright.
+
−"Oh, I beg your pardon!" cried Alice hastily, afraid that she had hurt
+
−the poor animal's feelings. "I quite forgot you didn't like cats."
+
−
+
−"Not like cats!" cried the Mouse, in a shrill, passionate voice. "Would
+
−_you_ like cats if you were me?"
+
−
+
−"Well, perhaps not," said Alice in a soothing tone: "don't be angry
+
−about it. And yet I wish I could show you our cat Dinah: I think you'd
+
−take a fancy to cats if you could only see her. She is such a dear quiet
+
−thing," Alice went on, half to herself, as she swam lazily about in the
+
−pool, "and she sits purring so nicely by the fire, licking her paws and
+
−washing her face--and she is such a nice soft thing to nurse--and she's
+
−such a capital one for catching mice----oh, I beg your pardon!" cried
+
−Alice again, for this time the Mouse was bristling all over, and she
+
−felt certain it must be really offended. "We won't talk about her any
+
−more if you'd rather not."
+
−
+
−"We, indeed!" cried the Mouse, who was trembling down to the end of his
+
−tail. "As if _I_ would talk on such a subject! Our family always _hated_
+
−cats: nasty, low, vulgar things! Don't let me hear the name again!"
+
−
+
−[Illustration: _The Pool of Tears_]
+
−
+
−"I won't indeed!" said Alice, in a great hurry to change the subject of
+
−conversation. "Are you--are you fond--of--of dogs?" The Mouse did not
+
−answer, so Alice went on eagerly: "There is such a nice little dog near
+
−our house I should like to show you! A little bright-eyed terrier, you
+
−know, with oh, such long curly brown hair! And it'll fetch things
+
−when you throw them, and it'll sit up and beg for its dinner, and all
+
−sorts of things--I can't remember half of them--and it belongs to a
+
−farmer, you know, and he says it's so useful, it's worth a hundred
+
−pounds! He says it kills all the rats and--oh dear!" cried Alice in a
+
−sorrowful tone, "I'm afraid I've offended it again!" For the Mouse was
+
−swimming away from her as hard as it could go, and making quite a
+
−commotion in the pool as it went.
+
−
+
−So she called softly after it, "Mouse dear! Do come back again, and we
+
−won't talk about cats or dogs either, if you don't like them!"
+
−
+
−When the Mouse heard this, it turned round and swam slowly back to her:
+
−its face was quite pale (with passion, Alice thought), and it said in a
+
−low trembling voice, "Let us get to the shore, and then I'll tell you my
+
−history, and you'll understand why it is I hate cats and dogs."
+
−
+
−It was high time to go, for the pool was getting quite crowded with the
+
−birds and animals that had fallen into it: there were a Duck and a Dodo,
+
−a Lory and an Eaglet, and several other curious creatures. Alice led the
+
−way, and the whole party swam to the shore.
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−CHAPTER III
+
−
+
−
+
−[Sidenote: _A Caucus-race and a Long Tale_]
+
−
+
−THEY were indeed a queer-looking party that assembled on
+
−the bank--the birds with draggled feathers, the animals with their fur
+
−clinging close to them, and all dripping wet, cross, and uncomfortable.
+
−
+
−The first question of course was, how to get dry again: they had a
+
−consultation about this, and after a few minutes it seemed quite natural
+
−to Alice to find herself talking familiarly with them, as if she had
+
−known them all her life. Indeed, she had quite a long argument with the
+
−Lory, who at last turned sulky, and would only say, "I am older than
+
−you, and must know better;" and this Alice would not allow without
+
−knowing how old it was, and, as the Lory positively refused to tell its
+
−age, there was no more to be said.
+
−
+
−At last the Mouse, who seemed to be a person of authority among them,
+
−called out "Sit down, all of you, and listen to me! _I'll_ soon make you
+
−dry enough!" They all sat down at once, in a large ring, with the Mouse
+
−in the middle. Alice kept her eyes anxiously fixed on it, for she felt
+
−sure she would catch a bad cold if she did not get dry very soon.
+
−
+
−"Ahem!" said the Mouse with an important air. "Are you all ready? This
+
−is the driest thing I know. Silence all round, if you please! 'William
+
−the Conqueror, whose cause was favoured by the pope, was soon submitted
+
−to by the English, who wanted leaders, and had been of late much
+
−accustomed to usurpation and conquest. Edwin and Morcar, the earls of
+
−Mercia and Northumbria--'"
+
−
+
−"Ugh!" said the Lory, with a shiver.
+
−
+
−"I beg your pardon!" said the Mouse, frowning, but very politely. "Did
+
−you speak?"
+
−
+
−"Not I!" said the Lory hastily.
+
−
+
−"I thought you did," said the Mouse, "--I proceed. 'Edwin and Morcar,
+
−the earls of Mercia and Northumbria, declared for him: and even
+
−Stigand, the patriotic Archbishop of Canterbury, found it advisable--'"
+
−
+
−"Found _what_?" said the Duck.
+
−
+
−"Found _it_," the Mouse replied rather crossly: "of course you know what
+
−'it' means."
+
−
+
−"I know what 'it' means well enough, when _I_ find a thing," said the
+
−Duck; "it's generally a frog or a worm. The question is, what did the
+
−archbishop find?"
+
−
+
−The Mouse did not notice this question, but hurriedly went on, "'--found
+
−it advisable to go with Edgar Atheling to meet William and offer him the
+
−crown. William's conduct at first was moderate. But the insolence of his
+
−Normans--' How are you getting on now, my dear?" it continued, turning
+
−to Alice as it spoke.
+
−
+
−"As wet as ever," said Alice in a melancholy tone; "doesn't seem to dry
+
−me at all."
+
−
+
−"In that case," said the Dodo solemnly, rising to its feet, "I move that
+
−the meeting adjourn, for the immediate adoption of more energetic
+
−remedies----"
+
−
+
−"Speak English!" said the Eaglet. "I don't know the meaning of half
+
−those long words, and, what's more, I don't believe you do either!" And
+
−the Eaglet bent down its head to hide a smile: some of the other birds
+
−tittered audibly.
+
−
+
−"What I was going to say," said the Dodo in an offended tone, "was that
+
−the best thing to get us dry would be a Caucus-race."
+
−
+
−"What _is_ a Caucus-race?" said Alice; not that she much wanted to know,
+
−but the Dodo had paused as if it thought that _somebody_ ought to speak,
+
−and no one else seemed inclined to say anything.
+
−
+
−"Why," said the Dodo, "the best way to explain it is to do it." (And, as
+
−you might like to try the thing yourself some winter day, I will tell
+
−you how the Dodo managed it.)
+
−
+
−First it marked out a race-course, in a sort of circle, ("the exact
+
−shape doesn't matter," it said,) and then all the party were placed
+
−along the course, here and there. There was no "One, two, three, and
+
−away," but they began running when they liked, and left off when they
+
−liked, so that it was not easy to know when the race was over. However,
+
−when they had been running half an hour or so, and were quite dry again,
+
−the Dodo suddenly called "The race is over!" and they all crowded round
+
−it, panting, and asking "But who has won?"
+
−
+
−This question the Dodo could not answer without a great deal of thought,
+
−and it stood for a long time with one finger pressed upon its forehead
+
−(the position in which you usually see Shakespeare, in the pictures of
+
−him), while the rest waited in silence. At last the Dodo said
+
−"_Everybody_ has won, and _all_ must have prizes."
+
−
+
−"But who is to give the prizes?" quite a chorus of voices asked.
+
−
+
−"Why, _she_, of course," said the Dodo, pointing to Alice with one
+
−finger; and the whole party at once crowded round her, calling out in a
+
−confused way, "Prizes! Prizes!"
+
−
+
−Alice had no idea what to do, and in despair she put her hand in her
+
−pocket, and pulled out a box of comfits (luckily the salt water had not
+
−got into it), and handed them round as prizes. There was exactly one
+
−apiece all round.
+
−
+
−          _They all crowded round it panting and asking,
+
−          "But who has won?"_
+
−
+
−[Illustration]
+
−
+
−"But she must have a prize herself, you know," said the Mouse.
+
−
+
−"Of course," the Dodo replied very gravely.
+
−
+
−"What else have you got in your pocket?" it went on, turning to Alice.
+
−
+
−"Only a thimble," said Alice sadly.
+
−
+
−"Hand it over here," said the Dodo.
+
−
+
−Then they all crowded round her once more, while the Dodo solemnly
+
−presented the thimble, saying "We beg your acceptance of this elegant
+
−thimble;" and, when it had finished this short speech, they all cheered.
+
−
+
−Alice thought the whole thing very absurd, but they all looked so grave
+
−that she did not dare to laugh; and, as she could not think of anything
+
−to say, she simply bowed, and took the thimble, looking as solemn as she
+
−could.
+
−
+
−The next thing was to eat the comfits; this caused some noise and
+
−confusion, as the large birds complained that they could not taste
+
−theirs, and the small ones choked and had to be patted on the back.
+
−However, it was over at last, and they sat down again in a ring, and
+
−begged the Mouse to tell them something more.
+
−
+
−"You promised to tell me your history, you know," said Alice, "and why
+
−it is you hate--C and D," she added in a whisper, half afraid that it
+
−would be offended again.
+
−
+
−[Illustration]
+
−
+
−"Mine is a long and sad tale!" said the Mouse, turning to Alice and
+
−sighing.
+
−
+
−"It _is_ a long tail, certainly," said Alice, looking down with wonder
+
−at the Mouse's tail; "but why do you call it sad?" And she kept on
+
−puzzling about it while the Mouse was speaking, so that her idea of the
+
−tale was something like this:--
+
−
+
−          "Fury said to
+
−              a mouse, That
+
−                  he met in the
+
−                      house, 'Let
+
−                        us both go
+
−                          to law: _I_
+
−                             will prose-
+
−                              cute _you_.--
+
−                             Come, I'll
+
−                           take no de-
+
−                         nial: We
+
−                     must have
+
−                 the trial;
+
−              For really
+
−             this morn-
+
−           ing I've
+
−          nothing
+
−           to do.'
+
−            Said the
+
−             mouse to
+
−              the cur,
+
−               'Such a
+
−                trial, dear
+
−                  sir, With
+
−                   no jury
+
−                     or judge,
+
−                       would
+
−                        be wast-
+
−                       ing our
+
−                      breath.'
+
−                    'I'll be
+
−                   judge,
+
−                 I'll be
+
−               jury,'
+
−             said
+
−           cun-
+
−          ning
+
−           old
+
−            Fury:
+
−             'I'll
+
−                try
+
−                 the
+
−                  whole
+
−                   cause,
+
−                       and
+
−                     con-
+
−                  demn
+
−              you to
+
−            death.'
+
−
+
−"You are not attending!" said the Mouse to Alice severely. "What are you
+
−thinking of?"
+
−
+
−"I beg your pardon," said Alice very humbly: "you had got to the fifth
+
−bend, I think?"
+
−
+
−"I had _not_!" cried the Mouse, angrily.
+
−
+
−"A knot!" said Alice, always ready to make herself useful, and looking
+
−anxiously about her. "Oh, do let me help to undo it!"
+
−
+
−"I shall do nothing of the sort," said the Mouse, getting up and walking
+
−away. "You insult me by talking such nonsense!"
+
−
+
−"I didn't mean it!" pleaded poor Alice. "But you're so easily offended,
+
−you know!"
+
−
+
−The Mouse only growled in reply.
+
−
+
−"Please come back and finish your story!" Alice called after it. And the
+
−others all joined in chorus, "Yes, please do!" but the Mouse only shook
+
−its head impatiently and walked a little quicker.
+
−
+
−"What a pity it wouldn't stay!" sighed the Lory, as soon as it was quite
+
−out of sight; and an old Crab took the opportunity of saying to her
+
−daughter, "Ah, my dear! Let this be a lesson to you never to lose
+
−_your_ temper!" "Hold your tongue, Ma!" said the young Crab, a little
+
−snappishly. "You're enough to try the patience of an oyster!"
+
−
+
−"I wish I had our Dinah here, I know I do!" said Alice aloud, addressing
+
−nobody in particular. "She'd soon fetch it back!"
+
−
+
−"And who is Dinah, if I might venture to ask the question?" said the
+
−Lory.
+
−
+
−Alice replied eagerly, for she was always ready to talk about her pet:
+
−"Dinah's our cat. And she's such a capital one for catching mice, you
+
−ca'n't think! And oh, I wish you could see her after the birds! Why,
+
−she'll eat a little bird as soon as look at it!"
+
−
+
−This speech caused a remarkable sensation among the party. Some of the
+
−birds hurried off at once; one old Magpie began wrapping itself up very
+
−carefully, remarking "I really must be getting home; the night-air
+
−doesn't suit my throat!" and a Canary called out in a trembling voice to
+
−its children "Come away, my dears! It's high time you were all in bed!"
+
−On various pretexts they all moved off, and Alice was soon left alone.
+
−
+
−"I wish I hadn't mentioned Dinah!" she said to herself in a melancholy
+
−tone. "Nobody seems to like her, down here, and I'm sure she's the best
+
−cat in the world! Oh, my dear Dinah! I wonder if I shall ever see you
+
−any more!" And here poor Alice began to cry again, for she felt very
+
−lonely and low-spirited. In a little while, however, she again heard a
+
−little pattering of footsteps in the distance, and she looked up
+
−eagerly, half hoping that the Mouse had changed his mind, and was coming
+
−back to finish his story.
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−CHAPTER IV
+
−
+
−
+
−[Sidenote: _The Rabbit sends in a Little Bill_]
+
−
+
−IT was the White Rabbit, trotting slowly back again, and
+
−looking anxiously about as it went, as if it had lost something; and she
+
−heard it muttering to itself, "The Duchess! The Duchess! Oh my dear
+
−paws! Oh my fur and whiskers! She'll get me executed, as sure as ferrets
+
−are ferrets! Where _can_ I have dropped them, I wonder?" Alice guessed
+
−in a moment that it was looking for the fan and the pair of white kid
+
−gloves, and she very good-naturedly began hunting about for them, but
+
−they were nowhere to be seen--everything seemed to have changed since
+
−her swim in the pool, and the great hall, with the glass table and the
+
−little door, had vanished completely.
+
−
+
−Very soon the Rabbit noticed Alice, as she went hunting about, and
+
−called out to her in an angry tone, "Why, Mary Ann, what _are_ you
+
−doing out here? Run home this moment, and fetch me a pair of gloves and
+
−a fan! Quick, now!" And Alice was so much frightened that she ran off at
+
−once in the direction it pointed to, without trying to explain the
+
−mistake it had made.
+
−
+
−"He took me for his housemaid," she said to herself as she ran. "How
+
−surprised he'll be when he finds out who I am! But I'd better take him
+
−his fan and gloves--that is, if I can find them." As she said this, she
+
−came upon a neat little house, on the door of which was a bright brass
+
−plate with the name "W. RABBIT" engraved upon it. She went in without
+
−knocking, and hurried up stairs, in great fear lest she should meet the
+
−real Mary Ann, and be turned out of the house before she had found the
+
−fan and gloves.
+
−
+
−[Illustration: "_Why, Mary Ann, what are you doing out here?_"]
+
−
+
−"How queer it seems," Alice said to herself, "to be going messages for a
+
−rabbit! I suppose Dinah'll be sending me on messages next!" And she
+
−began fancying the sort of thing that would happen: "'Miss Alice! Come
+
−here directly, and get ready for your walk!' 'Coming in a minute, nurse!
+
−But I've got to watch this mouse-hole till Dinah comes back, and see
+
−that the mouse doesn't get out.' Only I don't think," Alice went on,
+
−"that they'd let Dinah stop in the house if it began ordering people
+
−about like that!"
+
−
+
−By this time she had found her way into a tidy little room with a table
+
−in the window, and on it (as she had hoped) a fan and two or three pairs
+
−of tiny white kid gloves: she took up the fan and a pair of the gloves,
+
−and was just going to leave the room, when her eye fell upon a little
+
−bottle that stood near the looking-glass. There was no label this time
+
−with the words "DRINK ME," but nevertheless she uncorked it and put it
+
−to her lips. "I know _something_ interesting is sure to happen," she
+
−said to herself, "whenever I eat or drink anything; so I'll just see
+
−what this bottle does. I do hope it will make me grow large again, for
+
−really I'm quite tired of being such a tiny little thing!"
+
−
+
−It did so indeed, and much sooner than she had expected: before she had
+
−drunk half the bottle, she found her head pressing against the ceiling,
+
−and had to stoop to save her neck from being broken. She hastily put
+
−down the bottle, saying to herself "That's quite enough--I hope I
+
−sha'n't grow any more--As it is, I can't get out at the door--I do wish
+
−I hadn't drunk quite so much!"
+
−
+
−Alas! it was too late to wish that! She went on growing, and growing,
+
−and very soon had to kneel down on the floor: in another minute there
+
−was not even room for this, and she tried the effect of lying down with
+
−one elbow against the door, and the other arm curled round her head.
+
−Still she went on growing, and, as a last resource, she put one arm out
+
−of the window, and one foot up the chimney, and said to herself "Now I
+
−can do no more, whatever happens. What _will_ become of me?"
+
−
+
−Luckily for Alice, the little magic bottle had now had its full effect,
+
−and she grew no larger: still it was very uncomfortable, and, as there
+
−seemed to be no sort of chance of her ever getting out of the room
+
−again, no wonder she felt unhappy.
+
−
+
−"It was much pleasanter at home," thought poor Alice, "when one wasn't
+
−always growing larger and smaller, and being ordered about by mice and
+
−rabbits. I almost wish I hadn't gone down that rabbit-hole--and
+
−yet--and yet--it's rather curious, you know, this sort of life! I do
+
−wonder what _can_ have happened to me! When I used to read fairy-tales,
+
−I fancied that kind of thing never happened, and now here I am in the
+
−middle of one! There ought to be a book written about me, that there
+
−ought! And when I grow up, I'll write one--but I'm grown up now," she
+
−added in a sorrowful tone; "at least there's no room to grow up any more
+
−_here_."
+
−
+
−"But then," thought Alice, "shall I _never_ get any older than I am now?
+
−That'll be a comfort, one way--never to be an old woman--but
+
−then--always to have lessons to learn! Oh, I shouldn't like _that_!"
+
−
+
−"Oh, you foolish Alice!" she answered herself. "How can you learn
+
−lessons in here? Why, there's hardly room for _you_, and no room at all
+
−for any lesson-books!"
+
−
+
−And so she went on, taking first one side and then the other, and making
+
−quite a conversation of it altogether; but after a few minutes she heard
+
−a voice outside, and stopped to listen.
+
−
+
−"Mary Ann! Mary Ann!" said the voice. "Fetch me my gloves this moment!"
+
−Then came a little pattering of feet on the stairs. Alice knew it was
+
−the Rabbit coming to look for her, and she trembled till she shook the
+
−house, quite forgetting that she was now about a thousand times as large
+
−as the Rabbit, and had no reason to be afraid of it.
+
−
+
−Presently the Rabbit came up to the door, and tried to open it; but, as
+
−the door opened inwards, and Alice's elbow was pressed hard against it,
+
−that attempt proved a failure. Alice heard it say to itself "Then I'll
+
−go round and get in at the window."
+
−
+
−"_That_ you won't" thought Alice, and, after waiting till she fancied
+
−she heard the Rabbit just under the window, she suddenly spread out her
+
−hand, and made a snatch in the air. She did not get hold of anything,
+
−but she heard a little shriek and a fall, and a crash of broken glass,
+
−from which she concluded that it was just possible it had fallen into a
+
−cucumber-frame, or something of the sort.
+
−
+
−Next came an angry voice--the Rabbit's--"Pat! Pat! Where are you?" And
+
−then a voice she had never heard before, "Sure then I'm here! Digging
+
−for apples, yer honour!"
+
−
+
−"Digging for apples, indeed!" said the Rabbit angrily. "Here! Come and
+
−help me out of _this_!" (Sounds of more broken glass.)
+
−
+
−"Now tell me, Pat, what's that in the window?"
+
−
+
−"Sure, it's an arm, yer honour." (He pronounced it "arrum.")
+
−
+
−"An arm, you goose! Who ever saw one that size? Why, it fills the whole
+
−window!"
+
−
+
−"Sure, it does, yer honour? but it's an arm for all that."
+
−
+
−"Well, it's got no business there, at any rate: go and take it away!"
+
−
+
−There was a long silence after this, and Alice could only hear whispers
+
−now and then; such as, "Sure, I don't like it, yer honour, at all, at
+
−all!" "Do as I tell you, you coward!" and at last she spread out her
+
−hand again, and made another snatch in the air. This time there were
+
−_two_ little shrieks, and more sounds of broken glass. "What a number of
+
−cucumber-frames there must be!" thought Alice. "I wonder what they'll do
+
−next! As for pulling me out of the window, I only wish they _could_!
+
−I'm sure _I_ don't want to stay in here any longer!"
+
−
+
−She waited for some time without hearing anything more: at last came a
+
−rumbling of little cart-wheels, and the sound of a good many voices all
+
−talking together: she made out the words: "Where's the other
+
−ladder?--Why I hadn't to bring but one; Bill's got the other--Bill!
+
−Fetch it here, lad!--Here, put 'em up at this corner--No, tie 'em
+
−together first--they don't reach half high enough yet--Oh! they'll do
+
−well enough; don't be particular--Here, Bill! catch hold of this
+
−rope--Will the roof bear?--Mind that loose slate--Oh, it's coming down!
+
−Heads below!" (a loud crash)--"Now, who did that?--It was Bill, I
+
−fancy--Who's to go down the chimney?--Nay, _I_ sha'n't! _You_ do
+
−it!--_That_ I won't, then! Bill's to go down--Here, Bill! the master
+
−says you've to go down the chimney!"
+
−
+
−"Oh! So Bill's got to come down the chimney, has he?" said Alice to
+
−herself. "Why, they seem to put everything upon Bill! I wouldn't be in
+
−Bill's place for a good deal: this fireplace is narrow, to be sure; but
+
−I _think_ I can kick a little!"
+
−
+
−She drew her foot as far down the chimney as she could, and waited till
+
−she heard a little animal (she couldn't guess of what sort it was)
+
−scratching and scrambling about in the chimney close above her: then,
+
−saying to herself "This is Bill," she gave one sharp kick, and waited to
+
−see what would happen next.
+
−
+
−The first thing she heard was a general chorus of "There goes Bill!"
+
−then the Rabbit's voice alone--"Catch him, you by the hedge!" then
+
−silence, and then another confusion of voices--"Hold up his head--Brandy
+
−now--Don't choke him--How was it, old fellow? What happened to you? Tell
+
−us all about it!"
+
−
+
−At last came a little feeble, squeaking voice, ("That's Bill," thought
+
−Alice,) "Well, I hardly know--No more, thank ye; I'm better now--but I'm
+
−a deal too flustered to tell you--all I know is, something comes at me
+
−like a Jack-in-the-box, and up I goes like a sky-rocket!"
+
−
+
−"So you did, old fellow!" said the others.
+
−
+
−"We must burn the house down!" said the Rabbit's voice. And Alice
+
−called out as loud as she could, "If you do, I'll set Dinah at you!"
+
−
+
−There was a dead silence instantly, and Alice thought to herself "I
+
−wonder what they _will_ do next! If they had any sense, they'd take the
+
−roof off." After a minute or two they began moving about again, and
+
−Alice heard the Rabbit say "A barrowful will do, to begin with."
+
−
+
−"A barrowful of _what_?" thought Alice. But she had not long to doubt,
+
−for the next moment a shower of little pebbles came rattling in at the
+
−window, and some of them hit her in the face. "I'll put a stop to this,"
+
−she said to herself, and shouted out "You'd better not do that again!"
+
−which produced another dead silence.
+
−
+
−Alice noticed with some surprise that the pebbles were all turning into
+
−little cakes as they lay on the floor, and a bright idea came into her
+
−head. "If I eat one of these cakes," she thought, "it's sure to make
+
−_some_ change in my size; and, as it can't possibly make me larger, it
+
−must make me smaller, I suppose."
+
−
+
−So she swallowed one of the cakes, and was delighted to find that she
+
−began shrinking directly. As soon as she was small enough to get through
+
−the door, she ran out of the house, and found quite a crowd of little
+
−animals and birds waiting outside. The poor little Lizard, Bill, was in
+
−the middle, being held up by two guinea-pigs, who were giving it
+
−something out of a bottle. They all made a rush at Alice the moment she
+
−appeared; but she ran off as hard as she could, and soon found herself
+
−safe in a thick wood.
+
−
+
−"The first thing I've got to do," said Alice to herself, as she wandered
+
−about in the wood, "is to grow to my right size again; and the second
+
−thing is to find my way into that lovely garden. I think that will be
+
−the best plan."
+
−
+
−It sounded an excellent plan, no doubt, and very neatly and simply
+
−arranged; the only difficulty was, that she had not the smallest idea
+
−how to set about it; and, while she was peering about anxiously among
+
−the trees, a little sharp bark just over her head made her look up in a
+
−great hurry.
+
−
+
−An enormous puppy was looking down at her with large round eyes, and
+
−feebly stretching out one paw, trying to touch her. "Poor little
+
−thing!" said Alice, in a coaxing tone, and she tried hard to whistle to
+
−it; but she was terribly frightened all the time at the thought that it
+
−might be hungry, in which case it would be very likely to eat her up in
+
−spite of all her coaxing.
+
−
+
−Hardly knowing what she did, she picked up a little bit of stick, and
+
−held it out to the puppy; whereupon the puppy jumped into the air off
+
−all its feet at once, with a yelp of delight, and rushed at the stick,
+
−and made believe to worry it; then Alice dodged behind a great thistle,
+
−to keep herself from being run over; and, the moment she appeared on the
+
−other side, the puppy made another rush at the stick, and tumbled head
+
−over heels in its hurry to get hold of it; then Alice, thinking it was
+
−very like having a game of play with a cart-horse, and expecting every
+
−moment to be trampled under its feet, ran round the thistle again; then
+
−the puppy began a series of short charges at the stick, running a little
+
−way forwards each time and a long way back, and barking hoarsely all the
+
−while, till at last it sat down a good way off, panting, with its
+
−tongue hanging out of its mouth, and its great eyes half shut.
+
−
+
−This seemed to Alice a good opportunity for making her escape; so she
+
−set off at once, and ran till she was quite tired and out of breath, and
+
−till the puppy's bark sounded quite faint in the distance.
+
−
+
−"And yet what a dear little puppy it was!" said Alice, as she leant
+
−against a buttercup to rest herself, and fanned herself with one of the
+
−leaves. "I should have liked teaching it tricks very much, if--if I'd
+
−only been the right size to do it! Oh, dear! I'd nearly forgotten that
+
−I've got to grow up again! Let me see--how _is_ it to be managed? I
+
−suppose I ought to eat or drink something or other; but the great
+
−question is, what?"
+
−
+
−The great question certainly was, what? Alice looked all round her at
+
−the flowers and the blades of grass, but she could not see anything that
+
−looked like the right thing to eat or drink under the circumstances.
+
−There was a large mushroom growing near her, about the same height as
+
−herself; and, when she had looked under it, and on both sides of it, and
+
−behind it, it occurred to her that she might as well look and see what
+
−was on the top of it.
+
−
+
−She stretched herself up on tiptoe, and peeped over the edge of the
+
−mushroom, and her eyes immediately met those of a large blue
+
−caterpillar, that was sitting on the top with its arms folded, quietly
+
−smoking a long hookah, and taking not the smallest notice of her or of
+
−anything else.
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−CHAPTER V
+
−
+
−
+
−[Sidenote: _Advice from a Caterpillar_]
+
−
+
−THE Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some
+
−time in silence: at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its
+
−mouth, and addressed her in a languid, sleepy voice.
+
−
+
−"Who are _you_?" said the Caterpillar.
+
−
+
−This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied,
+
−rather shyly, "I hardly know, sir, just at present--at least I know who
+
−I _was_ when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed
+
−several times since then."
+
−
+
−"What do you mean by that?" said the Caterpillar sternly. "Explain
+
−yourself!"
+
−
+
−"I can't explain _myself_, I'm afraid, sir," said Alice, "because I'm
+
−not myself, you see."
+
−
+
−"I don't see," said the Caterpillar.
+
−
+
−"I'm afraid I can't put it more clearly," Alice replied very politely,
+
−"for I can't understand it myself to begin with; and being so many
+
−different sizes in a day is very confusing."
+
−
+
−"It isn't," said the Caterpillar.
+
−
+
−"Well, perhaps you haven't found it so yet," said Alice, "but when you
+
−have to turn into a chrysalis--you will some day, you know--and then
+
−after that into a butterfly, I should think you'll feel it a little
+
−queer, won't you?"
+
−
+
−"Not a bit," said the Caterpillar.
+
−
+
−"Well, perhaps your feelings may be different," said Alice; "all I know
+
−is, it would feel very queer to _me_."
+
−
+
−"You!" said the Caterpillar contemptuously. "Who are _you_?"
+
−
+
−Which brought them back again to the beginning of the conversation.
+
−Alice felt a little irritated at the Caterpillar's making such _very_
+
−short remarks, and she drew herself up and said, very gravely, "I think
+
−you ought to tell me who _you_ are, first."
+
−
+
−"Why?" said the Caterpillar.
+
−
+
−[Illustration: _Advice from a Caterpillar_]
+
−
+
−Here was another puzzling question; and as Alice could not think of any
+
−good reason, and as the Caterpillar seemed to be in a _very_
+
−unpleasant state of mind, she turned away.
+
−
+
−"Come back!" the Caterpillar called after her. "I've something important
+
−to say!"
+
−
+
−This sounded promising, certainly: Alice turned and came back again.
+
−
+
−"Keep your temper," said the Caterpillar.
+
−
+
−"Is that all?" said Alice, swallowing down her anger as well as she
+
−could.
+
−
+
−"No," said the Caterpillar.
+
−
+
−Alice thought she might as well wait, as she had nothing else to do, and
+
−perhaps after all it might tell her something worth hearing. For some
+
−minutes it puffed away without speaking, but at last it unfolded its
+
−arms, took the hookah out of its mouth again, and said, "So you think
+
−you're changed, do you?"
+
−
+
−"I'm afraid I am, sir," said Alice; "I can't remember things as I
+
−used--and I don't keep the same size for ten minutes together!"
+
−
+
−"Can't remember _what_ things?" said the Caterpillar.
+
−
+
−"Well, I've tried to say '_How doth the little busy bee_,' but it all
+
−came different!" Alice replied in a very melancholy voice.
+
−
+
−"Repeat '_You are old, Father William_,'" said the Caterpillar.
+
−
+
−Alice folded her hands, and began:--
+
−
+
−          "You are old, Father William," the young man said,
+
−            "And your hair has become very white;
+
−          And yet you incessantly stand on your head--
+
−            Do you think, at your age, it is right?"
+
−
+
−          "In my youth," Father William replied to his son,
+
−            "I feared it might injure the brain;
+
−          But, now that I'm perfectly sure I have none,
+
−            Why, I do it again and again."
+
−
+
−          "You are old," said the youth, "as I mentioned before,
+
−            And have grown most uncommonly fat;
+
−          Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door--
+
−            Pray, what is the reason of that?"
+
−
+
−          "In my youth," said the sage, as he shook his grey locks,
+
−            "I kept all my limbs very supple
+
−          By the use of this ointment--one shilling the box--
+
−            Allow me to sell you a couple?"
+
−
+
−          "You are old," said the youth, "and your jaws are too weak
+
−            For anything tougher than suet;
+
−          Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak--
+
−            Pray, how did you manage to do it?"
+
−
+
−          "In my youth," said his father, "I took to the law
+
−            And argued each case with my wife;
+
−          And the muscular strength, which it gave to my jaw,
+
−            Has lasted the rest of my life."
+
−
+
−          "You are old," said the youth, "one would hardly suppose
+
−            That your eye was as steady as ever;
+
−          Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose--
+
−            What made you so awfully clever?"
+
−
+
−          "I have answered three questions, and that is enough,"
+
−            Said his father; "don't give yourself airs!
+
−          Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff?
+
−            Be off, or I'll kick you down stairs!"
+
−
+
−"That is not said right," said the Caterpillar.
+
−
+
−"Not _quite_ right, I'm afraid," said Alice, timidly; "some of the
+
−words have got altered."
+
−
+
−"It is wrong from beginning to end," said the Caterpillar, decidedly,
+
−and there was silence for some minutes.
+
−
+
−The Caterpillar was the first to speak.
+
−
+
−"What size do you want to be?" it asked.
+
−
+
−"Oh, I'm not particular as to size," Alice hastily replied; "only one
+
−doesn't like changing so often, you know."
+
−
+
−"I _don't_ know," said the Caterpillar.
+
−
+
−Alice said nothing: she had never been so much contradicted in all her
+
−life before, and she felt that she was losing her temper.
+
−
+
−"Are you content now?" said the Caterpillar.
+
−
+
−"Well, I should like to be a _little_ larger, sir, if you wouldn't
+
−mind," said Alice: "three inches is such a wretched height to be."
+
−
+
−"It is a very good height indeed!" said the Caterpillar angrily, rearing
+
−itself upright as it spoke (it was exactly three inches high).
+
−
+
−"But I'm not used to it!" pleaded poor Alice in a piteous tone. And she
+
−thought to herself, "I wish the creatures wouldn't be so easily
+
−offended!"
+
−
+
−"You'll get used to it in time," said the Caterpillar; and it put its
+
−hookah into its mouth and began smoking again.
+
−
+
−This time Alice waited patiently until it chose to speak again. In a
+
−minute or two the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth and
+
−yawned once or twice, and shook itself. Then it got down off the
+
−mushroom, and crawled away into the grass, merely remarking as it went,
+
−"One side will make you grow taller, and the other side will make you
+
−grow shorter."
+
−
+
−"One side of _what_? The other side of _what_?" thought Alice to
+
−herself.
+
−
+
−"Of the mushroom," said the Caterpillar, just as if she had asked it
+
−aloud; and in another moment it was out of sight.
+
−
+
−Alice remained looking thoughtfully at the mushroom for a minute, trying
+
−to make out which were the two sides of it; and as it was perfectly
+
−round, she found this a very difficult question. However, at last she
+
−stretched her arms round it as far as they would go, and broke off a bit
+
−of the edge with each hand.
+
−
+
−"And now which is which?" she said to herself, and nibbled a little of
+
−the right-hand bit to try the effect: the next moment she felt a violent
+
−blow underneath her chin: it had struck her foot!
+
−
+
−[Illustration]
+
−
+
−She was a good deal frightened by this very sudden change, but she felt
+
−that there was no time to be lost, as she was shrinking rapidly; so she
+
−set to work at once to eat some of the other bit. Her chin was pressed
+
−so closely against her foot that there was hardly room to open her
+
−mouth; but she did it at last, and managed to swallow a morsel of the
+
−left-hand bit.
+
−
+
−       *       *       *       *       *
+
−
+
−"Come, my head's free at last!" said Alice in a tone of delight, which
+
−changed into alarm in another moment, when she found that her shoulders
+
−were nowhere to be found: all she could see, when she looked down, was
+
−an immense length of neck, which seemed to rise like a stalk out of a
+
−sea of green leaves that lay far below her.
+
−
+
−"What _can_ all that green stuff be?" said Alice. "And where have my
+
−shoulders got to? And oh, my poor hands, how is it I ca'n't see you?"
+
−She was moving them about as she spoke, but no result seemed to follow,
+
−except a little shaking among the distant green leaves.
+
−
+
−As there seemed to be no chance of getting her hands up to her head, she
+
−tried to get her head down to them, and was delighted to find that her
+
−neck would bend about easily in any direction, like a serpent. She had
+
−just succeeded in curving it down into a graceful zigzag, and was going
+
−to dive in among the leaves, which she found to be nothing but the tops
+
−of the trees under which she had been wandering, when a sharp hiss made
+
−her draw back in a hurry: a large pigeon had flown into her face, and
+
−was beating her violently with its wings.
+
−
+
−"Serpent!" screamed the Pigeon.
+
−
+
−"I'm _not_ a serpent!" said Alice indignantly. "Let me alone!"
+
−
+
−"Serpent, I say again!" repeated the Pigeon, but in a more subdued tone,
+
−and added with a kind of a sob, "I've tried every way, and nothing seems
+
−to suit them!"
+
−
+
−"I haven't the least idea what you're talking about," said Alice.
+
−
+
−"I've tried the roots of trees, and I've tried banks, and I've tried
+
−hedges," the Pigeon went on, without attending to her; "but those
+
−serpents! There's no pleasing them!"
+
−
+
−Alice was more and more puzzled, but she thought there was no use in
+
−saying anything more till the Pigeon had finished.
+
−
+
−"As if it wasn't trouble enough hatching the eggs," said the Pigeon;
+
−"but I must be on the look-out for serpents night and day! Why, I
+
−haven't had a wink of sleep these three weeks!"
+
−
+
−"I'm very sorry you've been annoyed," said Alice, who was beginning to
+
−see its meaning.
+
−
+
−[Illustration]
+
−
+
−"And just as I'd taken the highest tree in the wood," continued the
+
−Pigeon, raising its voice to a shriek, "and just as I was thinking I
+
−should be free of them at last, they must needs come wriggling down from
+
−the sky! Ugh, Serpent!"
+
−
+
−"But I'm _not_ a serpent, I tell you!" said Alice. "I'm a---- I'm a
+
−----"
+
−
+
−"Well! _What_ are you?" said the Pigeon. "I can see you're trying to
+
−invent something!"
+
−
+
−"I--I'm a little girl," said Alice, rather doubtfully, as she remembered
+
−the number of changes she had gone through that day.
+
−
+
−"A likely story indeed!" said the Pigeon in a tone of the deepest
+
−contempt. "I've seen a good many little girls in my time, but never
+
−_one_ with such a neck as that! No, no! You're a serpent; and there's no
+
−use denying it. I suppose you'll be telling me next that you never
+
−tasted an egg!"
+
−
+
−"I _have_ tasted eggs, certainly," said Alice, who was a very truthful
+
−child; "but little girls eat eggs quite as much as serpents do, you
+
−know."
+
−
+
−"I don't believe it," said the Pigeon; "but if they do, why then
+
−they're a kind of serpent, that's all I can say."
+
−
+
−This was such a new idea to Alice, that she was quite silent for a
+
−minute or two, which gave the Pigeon the opportunity of adding, "You're
+
−looking for eggs, I know _that_ well enough; and what does it matter to
+
−me whether you're a little girl or a serpent?"
+
−
+
−"It matters a good deal to _me_," said Alice hastily; "but I'm not
+
−looking for eggs, as it happens; and if I was, I shouldn't want _yours_:
+
−I don't like them raw."
+
−
+
−"Well, be off, then!" said the Pigeon in a sulky tone, as it settled
+
−down again into its nest. Alice crouched down among the trees as well as
+
−she could, for her neck kept getting entangled among the branches, and
+
−every now and then she had to stop and untwist it. After a while she
+
−remembered that she still held the pieces of mushroom in her hands, and
+
−she set to work very carefully, nibbling first at one and then at the
+
−other, and growing sometimes taller and sometimes shorter, until she had
+
−succeeded in bringing herself down to her usual height.
+
−
+
−It was so long since she had been anything near the right size, that it
+
−felt quite strange at first; but she got used to it in a few minutes,
+
−and began talking to herself, as usual. "Come, there's half my plan done
+
−now! How puzzling all these changes are! I'm never sure what I'm going
+
−to be, from one minute to another! However, I've got back to my right
+
−size: the next thing is, to get into that beautiful garden--how _is_
+
−that to be done, I wonder?" As she said this, she came suddenly upon an
+
−open place, with a little house in it about four feet high. "Whoever
+
−lives there," thought Alice, "it'll never do to come upon them _this_
+
−size: why, I should frighten them out of their wits!" So she began
+
−nibbling at the right-hand bit again, and did not venture to go near the
+
−house till she had brought herself down to nine inches high.
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−CHAPTER VI
+
−
+
−
+
−[Sidenote: _Pig and Pepper_]
+
−
+
−FOR a minute or two she stood looking at the house, and
+
−wondering what to do next, when suddenly a footman in livery came
+
−running out of the wood--(she considered him to be a footman because he
+
−was in livery: otherwise, judging by his face only, she would have
+
−called him a fish)--and rapped loudly at the door with his knuckles. It
+
−was opened by another footman in livery, with a round face and large
+
−eyes like a frog; and both footmen, Alice noticed, had powdered hair
+
−that curled all over their heads. She felt very curious to know what it
+
−was all about, and crept a little way out of the wood to listen.
+
−
+
−The Fish-Footman began by producing from under his arm a great letter,
+
−nearly as large as himself, and this he handed over to the other,
+
−saying, in a solemn tone, "For the Duchess. An invitation from the
+
−Queen to play croquet." The Frog-Footman repeated, in the same solemn
+
−tone, only changing the order of the words a little, "From the Queen. An
+
−invitation for the Duchess to play croquet."
+
−
+
−Then they both bowed low, and their curls got entangled together.
+
−
+
−Alice laughed so much at this, that she had to run back into the wood
+
−for fear of their hearing her; and, when she next peeped out, the
+
−Fish-Footman was gone, and the other was sitting on the ground near the
+
−door, staring stupidly up into the sky.
+
−
+
−Alice went timidly up to the door and knocked.
+
−
+
−"There's no use in knocking," said the Footman, "and that for two
+
−reasons. First, because I'm on the same side of the door as you are;
+
−secondly, because they're making such a noise inside, no one could
+
−possibly hear you." And certainly there was a most extraordinary noise
+
−going on within--a constant howling and sneezing, and every now and then
+
−a great crash, as if a dish or kettle had been broken to pieces.
+
−
+
−"Please, then," said Alice, "how am I to get in?"
+
−
+
−"There might be some sense in your knocking," the Footman went on
+
−without attending to her, "if we had the door between us. For instance,
+
−if you were _inside_, you might knock, and I could let you out, you
+
−know." He was looking up into the sky all the time he was speaking, and
+
−this Alice thought decidedly uncivil. "But perhaps he can't help it,"
+
−she said to herself: "his eyes are so _very_ nearly at the top of his
+
−head. But at any rate he might answer questions. How am I to get in?"
+
−she repeated aloud.
+
−
+
−"I shall sit here," the Footman remarked, "till to-morrow----"
+
−
+
−At this moment the door of the house opened, and a large plate came
+
−skimming out, straight at the Footman's head: it just grazed his nose,
+
−and broke to pieces against one of the trees behind him.
+
−
+
−"----or next day, maybe," the Footman continued in the same tone,
+
−exactly as if nothing had happened.
+
−
+
−"How am I to get in?" asked Alice again in a louder tone.
+
−
+
−"_Are_ you to get in at all?" said the Footman. "That's the first
+
−question, you know."
+
−
+
−[Illustration]
+
−
+
−It was, no doubt: only Alice did not like to be told so. "It's really
+
−dreadful," she muttered to herself, "the way all the creatures argue.
+
−It's enough to drive one crazy!"
+
−
+
−The Footman seemed to consider this a good opportunity for repeating his
+
−remark, with variations. "I shall sit here," he said, "on and off, for
+
−days and days."
+
−
+
−"But what am _I_ to do?" said Alice.
+
−
+
−"Anything you like," said the Footman, and began whistling.
+
−
+
−"Oh, there's no use in talking to him," said Alice desperately: "he's
+
−perfectly idiotic!" And she opened the door and went in.
+
−
+
−The door led right into a large kitchen, which was full of smoke from
+
−one end to the other: the Duchess was sitting on a three-legged stool in
+
−the middle, nursing a baby, the cook was leaning over the fire, stirring
+
−a large cauldron which seemed to be full of soup.
+
−
+
−"There's certainly too much pepper in that soup!" Alice said to herself,
+
−as well as she could for sneezing.
+
−
+
−There was certainly too much of it in the air. Even the Duchess sneezed
+
−occasionally; and the baby was sneezing and howling alternately without
+
−a moment's pause. The only things in the kitchen that did not sneeze,
+
−were the cook, and a large cat which was sitting on the hearth and
+
−grinning from ear to ear.
+
−
+
−"Please would you tell me," said Alice a little timidly, for she was not
+
−quite sure whether it was good manners for her to speak first, "why your
+
−cat grins like that?"
+
−
+
−"It's a Cheshire cat," said the Duchess, "and that's why. Pig!"
+
−
+
−She said the last word with such sudden violence that Alice quite
+
−jumped; but she saw in another moment that it was addressed to the baby,
+
−and not to her, so she took courage, and went on again:
+
−
+
−"I didn't know that Cheshire cats always grinned; in fact, I didn't know
+
−that cats _could_ grin."
+
−
+
−"They all can," said the Duchess; "and most of 'em do."
+
−
+
−"I don't know of any that do," Alice said very politely, feeling quite
+
−pleased to have got into a conversation.
+
−
+
−"You don't know much," said the Duchess; "and that's a fact."
+
−
+
−Alice did not at all like the tone of this remark, and thought it would
+
−be as well to introduce some other subject of conversation. While she
+
−was trying to fix on one, the cook took the cauldron of soup off the
+
−fire, and at once set to work throwing everything within her reach at
+
−the Duchess and the baby--the fire-irons came first; then followed a
+
−shower of saucepans, plates, and dishes. The Duchess took no notice of
+
−them even when they hit her; and the baby was howling so much already,
+
−that it was quite impossible to say whether the blows hurt it or not.
+
−
+
−"Oh, _please_ mind what you're doing!" cried Alice, jumping up and down
+
−in an agony of terror. "Oh, there goes his _precious_ nose"; as an
+
−unusually large saucepan flew close by it, and very nearly carried it
+
−off.
+
−
+
−"If everybody minded their own business," the Duchess said in a hoarse
+
−growl, "the world would go round a deal faster than it does."
+
−
+
−[Illustration: _An unusually large saucepan flew close by it, and very
+
−nearly carried it off_]
+
−
+
−"Which would _not_ be an advantage," said Alice, who felt very glad to
+
−get an opportunity of showing off a little of her knowledge. "Just think
+
−what work it would make with the day and night! You see the earth
+
−takes twenty-four hours to turn round on its axis----"
+
−
+
−"Talking of axes," said the Duchess, "chop off her head."
+
−
+
−Alice glanced rather anxiously at the cook, to see if she meant to take
+
−the hint; but the cook was busily engaged in stirring the soup, and did
+
−not seem to be listening, so she ventured to go on again: "Twenty-four
+
−hours, I _think_; or is it twelve? I----"
+
−
+
−"Oh, don't bother _me_," said the Duchess; "I never could abide
+
−figures!" And with that she began nursing her child again, singing a
+
−sort of lullaby to it as she did so, and giving it a violent shake at
+
−the end of every line:
+
−
+
−          "Speak roughly to your little boy,
+
−            And beat him when he sneezes:
+
−          He only does it to annoy,
+
−            Because he knows it teases."
+
−
+
−CHORUS
+
−
+
−          (In which the cook and the baby joined):
+
−          "Wow! wow! wow!"
+
−
+
−While the Duchess sang the second verse of the song, she kept tossing
+
−the baby violently up and down, and the poor little thing howled so,
+
−that Alice could hardly hear the words:
+
−
+
−          "I speak severely to my boy,
+
−            I beat him when he sneezes;
+
−          For he can thoroughly enjoy
+
−            The pepper when he pleases!"
+
−
+
−          CHORUS.
+
−
+
−          "Wow! wow! wow!"
+
−
+
−"Here! you may nurse it a bit if you like!" the Duchess said to Alice,
+
−flinging the baby at her as she spoke. "I must go and get ready to play
+
−croquet with the Queen," and she hurried out of the room. The cook threw
+
−a frying-pan after her as she went out, but it just missed her.
+
−
+
−Alice caught the baby with some difficulty, as it was a queer-shaped
+
−little creature, and held out its arms and legs in all directions, "just
+
−like a star-fish," thought Alice. The poor little thing was snorting
+
−like a steam-engine when she caught it, and kept doubling itself up and
+
−straightening itself out again, so that altogether, for the first minute
+
−or two, it was as much as she could do to hold it.
+
−
+
−As soon as she had made out the proper way of nursing it, (which was to
+
−twist it up into a knot, and then keep tight hold of its right ear and
+
−left foot, so as to prevent its undoing itself,) she carried it out into
+
−the open air. "If I don't take this child away with me," thought Alice,
+
−"they're sure to kill it in a day or two: wouldn't it be murder to leave
+
−it behind?" She said the last words out loud, and the little thing
+
−grunted in reply (it had left off sneezing by this time). "Don't grunt,"
+
−said Alice; "that's not at all a proper way of expressing yourself."
+
−
+
−The baby grunted again, and Alice looked very anxiously into its face to
+
−see what was the matter with it. There could be no doubt that it had a
+
−_very_ turn-up nose, much more like a snout than a real nose; also its
+
−eyes were getting extremely small for a baby: altogether Alice did not
+
−like the look of the thing at all. "But perhaps it was only sobbing,"
+
−she thought, and looked into its eyes again, to see if there were any
+
−tears.
+
−
+
−No, there were no tears. "If you're going to turn into a pig, my dear,"
+
−said Alice, seriously, "I'll have nothing more to do with you. Mind
+
−now!" The poor little thing sobbed again (or grunted, it was impossible
+
−to say which), and they went on for some while in silence.
+
−
+
−Alice was just beginning to think to herself, "Now, what am I to do with
+
−this creature when I get it home?" when it grunted again, so violently,
+
−that she looked down into its face in some alarm. This time there could
+
−be _no_ mistake about it: it was neither more nor less than a pig, and
+
−she felt that it would be quite absurd for her to carry it any further.
+
−
+
−So she set the little creature down, and felt quite relieved to see it
+
−trot quietly away into the wood. "If it had grown up," she said to
+
−herself, "it would have made a dreadfully ugly child: but it makes
+
−rather a handsome pig, I think." And she began thinking over other
+
−children she knew, who might do very well as pigs, and was just saying
+
−to herself, "if one only knew the right way to change them----" when she
+
−was a little startled by seeing the Cheshire Cat sitting on a bough of a
+
−tree a few yards off.
+
−
+
−[Illustration: _It grunted again so violently that she looked down into
+
−its face in some alarm_]
+
−
+
−The Cat only grinned when it saw Alice. It looked good-natured, she
+
−thought: still it had _very_ long claws and a great many teeth, so she
+
−felt that it ought to be treated with respect.
+
−
+
−[Illustration]
+
−
+
−"Cheshire Puss," she began, rather timidly, as she did not at all know
+
−whether it would like the name: however, it only grinned a little wider.
+
−"Come, it's pleased so far," thought Alice, and she went on. "Would you
+
−tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
+
−
+
−"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.
+
−
+
−"I don't much care where----" said Alice.
+
−
+
−"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.
+
−
+
−"---- so long as I get _somewhere_," Alice added as an explanation.
+
−
+
−"Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long
+
−enough."
+
−
+
−Alice felt that this could not be denied, so she tried another question.
+
−"What sort of people live about here?"
+
−
+
−"In _that_ direction," the Cat said, waving its right paw round, "lives
+
−a Hatter: and in _that_ direction," waving the other paw, "lives a March
+
−Hare. Visit either you like: they're both mad."
+
−
+
−"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.
+
−
+
−"Oh, you ca'n't help that," said the Cat: "we're all mad here. I'm mad.
+
−You're mad."
+
−
+
−"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
+
−
+
−"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn't have come here."
+
−
+
−Alice didn't think that proved it at all; however, she went on. "And how
+
−do you know that you're mad?"
+
−
+
−"To begin with," said the Cat, "a dog's not mad. You grant that?"
+
−
+
−"I suppose so," said Alice.
+
−
+
−"Well, then," the Cat went on, "you see a dog growls when it's angry,
+
−and wags its tail when it's pleased. Now _I_ growl when I'm pleased, and
+
−wag my tail when I'm angry. Therefore I'm mad."
+
−
+
−"_I_ call it purring, not growling," said Alice.
+
−
+
−"Call it what you like," said the Cat. "Do you play croquet with the
+
−Queen to-day?"
+
−
+
−"I should like it very much," said Alice, "but I haven't been invited
+
−yet."
+
−
+
−"You'll see me there," said the Cat and vanished.
+
−
+
−Alice was not much surprised at this, she was getting so used to queer
+
−things happening. While she was looking at the place where it had been,
+
−it suddenly appeared again.
+
−
+
−"By-the-bye, what became of the baby?" said the Cat. "I'd nearly
+
−forgotten to ask."
+
−
+
−"It turned into a pig," Alice quietly said, just as if it had come back
+
−in a natural way.
+
−
+
−"I thought it would," said the Cat, and vanished again.
+
−
+
−Alice waited a little, half expecting to see it again, but it did not
+
−appear, and after a minute or two she walked on in the direction in
+
−which the March Hare was said to live. "I've seen hatters before," she
+
−said to herself; "the March Hare will be much the most interesting, and
+
−perhaps as this is May, it won't be raving mad--at least not so mad as
+
−it was in March." As she said this, she looked up, and there was the Cat
+
−again, sitting on the branch of a tree.
+
−
+
−"Did you say pig, or fig?" said the Cat.
+
−
+
−"I said pig," replied Alice; "and I wish you wouldn't keep appearing and
+
−vanishing so suddenly: you make one quite giddy."
+
−
+
−"All right," said the Cat; and this time it vanished quite slowly,
+
−beginning with the end of the tail, and ending with the grin, which
+
−remained some time after the rest of it had gone.
+
−
+
−"Well! I've often seen a cat without a grin," thought Alice; "but a grin
+
−without a cat! It's the most curious thing I ever saw in all my life."
+
−
+
−[Illustration]
+
−
+
−She had not gone much farther before she came in sight of the house of
+
−the March Hare: she thought it must be the right house, because the
+
−chimneys were shaped like ears and the roof was thatched with fur. It
+
−was so large a house, that she did not like to go nearer till she had
+
−nibbled some more of the left-hand bit of mushroom, and raised herself,
+
−to about two feet high: even then she walked up towards it rather
+
−timidly, saying to herself, "Suppose it should be raving mad after all!
+
−I almost wish I'd gone to see the Hatter instead!"
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−CHAPTER VII
+
−
+
−
+
−[Sidenote: _A Mad Tea-party_]
+
−
+
−THERE was a table set out under a tree in front of the
+
−house, and the March Hare and the Hatter were having tea at it: a
+
−Dormouse was sitting between them, fast asleep, and the other two were
+
−using it as a cushion resting their elbows on it, and talking over its
+
−head. "Very uncomfortable for the Dormouse," thought Alice; "only as
+
−it's asleep, suppose it doesn't mind."
+
−
+
−The table was a large one, but the three were all crowded together at
+
−one corner of it. "No room! No room!" they cried out when they saw Alice
+
−coming. "There's _plenty_ of room!" said Alice indignantly, and she sat
+
−down in a large arm-chair at one end of the table.
+
−
+
−"Have some wine," the March Hare said in an encouraging tone.
+
−
+
−Alice looked all round the table, but there was nothing on it but tea.
+
−"I don't see any wine," she remarked.
+
−
+
−"There isn't any," said the March Hare.
+
−
+
−"Then it wasn't very civil of you to offer it," said Alice angrily.
+
−
+
−"It wasn't very civil of you to sit down without being invited," said
+
−the March Hare.
+
−
+
−"I didn't know it was _your_ table," said Alice; "it's laid for a great
+
−many more than three."
+
−
+
−"Your hair wants cutting," said the Hatter. He had been looking at Alice
+
−for some time with great curiosity, and this was his first speech.
+
−
+
−"You should learn not to make personal remarks," Alice said with some
+
−severity; "it's very rude."
+
−
+
−The Hatter opened his eyes very wide on hearing this; but all he _said_
+
−was "Why is a raven like a writing-desk?"
+
−
+
−"Come, we shall have some fun now!" thought Alice. "I'm glad they've
+
−begun asking riddles.--I believe I can guess that," she added aloud.
+
−
+
−"Do you mean that you think you can find out the answer to it?" said
+
−the March Hare.
+
−
+
−"Exactly so," said Alice.
+
−
+
−"Then you should say what you mean," the March Hare went on.
+
−
+
−"I do," Alice hastily replied; "at least--at least I mean what I
+
−say--that's the same thing, you know."
+
−
+
−"Not the same thing a bit!" said the Hatter. "Why, you might just as
+
−well say that 'I see what I eat' is the same thing as 'I eat what I
+
−see'!"
+
−
+
−"You might just as well say," added the March Hare, "that 'I like what I
+
−get' is the same thing as 'I get what I like'!"
+
−
+
−"You might just as well say," added the Dormouse, which seemed to be
+
−talking in his sleep, "that 'I breathe when I sleep' is the same thing
+
−as 'I sleep when I breathe'!"
+
−
+
−"It _is_ the same thing with you," said the Hatter; and here the
+
−conversation dropped, and the party sat silent for a minute, while Alice
+
−thought over all she could remember about ravens and writing-desks,
+
−which wasn't much.
+
−
+
−[Illustration: _A Mad Tea Party_]
+
−
+
−The Hatter was the first to break the silence. "What day of the month
+
−is it?" he said, turning to Alice: he had taken his watch out of his
+
−pocket, and was looking at it uneasily, shaking it every now and then,
+
−and holding it to his ear.
+
−
+
−Alice considered a little, and then said "The fourth."
+
−
+
−"Two days wrong!" sighed the Hatter. "I told you butter would not suit
+
−the works!" he added, looking angrily at the March Hare.
+
−
+
−"It was the _best_ butter," the March Hare meekly replied.
+
−
+
−"Yes, but some crumbs must have got in as well," the Hatter grumbled:
+
−"you shouldn't have put it in with the bread-knife."
+
−
+
−The March Hare took the watch and looked at it gloomily: then he dipped
+
−it into his cup of tea, and looked at it again: but he could think of
+
−nothing better to say than his first remark, "It was the _best_ butter,
+
−you know."
+
−
+
−Alice had been looking over his shoulder with some curiosity. "What a
+
−funny watch!" she remarked. "It tells the day of the month, and doesn't
+
−tell what o'clock it is!"
+
−
+
−"Why should it?" muttered the Hatter. "Does _your_ watch tell you what
+
−year it is?"
+
−
+
−"Of course not," Alice replied very readily: "but that's because it
+
−stays the same year for such a long time together."
+
−
+
−"Which is just the case with _mine_," said the Hatter.
+
−
+
−Alice felt dreadfully puzzled. The Hatter's remark seemed to have no
+
−meaning in it, and yet it was certainly English. "I don't quite
+
−understand," she said, as politely as she could.
+
−
+
−"The Dormouse is asleep again," said the Hatter, and he poured a little
+
−hot tea upon its nose.
+
−
+
−The Dormouse shook its head impatiently, and said, without opening its
+
−eyes, "Of course, of course; just what I was going to remark myself."
+
−
+
−"Have you guessed the riddle yet?" the Hatter said, turning to Alice
+
−again.
+
−
+
−"No, I give it up," Alice replied: "what's the answer?"
+
−
+
−"I haven't the slightest idea," said the Hatter.
+
−
+
−"Nor I," said the March Hare.
+
−
+
−Alice sighed wearily. "I think you might do something better with the
+
−time," she said, "than wasting it asking riddles with no answers."
+
−
+
−"If you knew Time as well as I do," said the Hatter, "you wouldn't talk
+
−about wasting _it_. It's _him_."
+
−
+
−"I don't know what you mean," said Alice.
+
−
+
−"Of course you don't!" the Hatter said, tossing his head contemptuously.
+
−"I daresay you never spoke to Time!"
+
−
+
−"Perhaps not," Alice cautiously replied: "but I know I have to beat time
+
−when I learn music."
+
−
+
−"Ah! that accounts for it," said the Hatter. "He won't stand beating.
+
−Now, if you only kept on good terms with him, he'd do almost anything
+
−you liked with the clock. For instance, suppose it were nine o'clock in
+
−the morning, just time to begin lessons: you'd only have to whisper a
+
−hint to Time, and round goes the clock in a twinkling! Half-past one,
+
−time for dinner!"
+
−
+
−("I only wish it was," the March Hare said to itself in a whisper.)
+
−
+
−"That would be grand, certainly," said Alice thoughtfully: "but then--I
+
−shouldn't be hungry for it, you know."
+
−
+
−"Not at first, perhaps," said the Hatter: "but you could keep it to
+
−half-past one as long as you liked."
+
−
+
−"Is that the way _you_ manage?" Alice asked.
+
−
+
−The Hatter shook his head mournfully. "Not I!" he replied. "We
+
−quarrelled last March----just before _he_ went mad, you know----"
+
−(pointing with his teaspoon to the March Hare), "it was at the great
+
−concert given by the Queen of Hearts, and I had to sing
+
−
+
−          'Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!
+
−          How I wonder what you're at!'
+
−
+
−You know that song, perhaps?"
+
−
+
−"I've heard something like it," said Alice.
+
−
+
−"It goes on, you know," the Hatter continued, "in this way:--
+
−
+
−          'Up above the world you fly,
+
−          Like a tea-tray in the sky.
+
−                      Twinkle, twinkle----'"
+
−
+
−Here the Dormouse shook itself, and began singing in its sleep
+
−"_Twinkle, twinkle, twinkle, twinkle_----" and went on so long that they
+
−had to pinch it to make it stop.
+
−
+
−"Well, I'd hardly finished the first verse," said the Hatter, "when the
+
−Queen jumped up and bawled out 'He's murdering the time! Off with his
+
−head!'"
+
−
+
−"How dreadfully savage!" exclaimed Alice.
+
−
+
−"And ever since that," the Hatter went on in a mournful tone, "he won't
+
−do a thing I ask! It's always six o'clock now."
+
−
+
−A bright idea came into Alice's head. "Is that the reason so many
+
−tea-things are put out here?" she asked.
+
−
+
−"Yes, that's it," said the Hatter with a sigh: "it's always tea-time,
+
−and we've no time to wash the things between whiles."
+
−
+
−"Then you keep moving round, I suppose?" said Alice.
+
−
+
−"Exactly so," said the Hatter: "as the things get used up."
+
−
+
−"But what happens when you come to the beginning again?" Alice ventured
+
−to ask.
+
−
+
−"Suppose we change the subject," the March Hare interrupted, yawning.
+
−"I'm getting tired of this. I vote the young lady tells us a story."
+
−
+
−"I'm afraid I don't know one," said Alice, rather alarmed at the
+
−proposal.
+
−
+
−"Then the Dormouse shall!" they both cried. "Wake up, Dormouse!" And
+
−they pinched it on both sides at once.
+
−
+
−The Dormouse slowly opened his eyes. "I wasn't asleep," he said in a
+
−hoarse, feeble voice: "I heard every word you fellows were saying."
+
−
+
−"Tell us a story!" said the March Hare.
+
−
+
−"Yes, please do!" pleaded Alice.
+
−
+
−"And be quick about it," added the Hatter, "or you'll be asleep again
+
−before it's done."
+
−
+
−"Once upon a time there were three little sisters," the Dormouse began
+
−in a great hurry; "and their names were Elsie, Lacie, and Tillie; and
+
−they lived at the bottom of a well----"
+
−
+
−"What did they live on?" said Alice, who always took a great interest in
+
−questions of eating and drinking.
+
−
+
−"They lived on treacle," said the Dormouse, after thinking a minute or
+
−two.
+
−
+
−"They couldn't have done that, you know," Alice gently remarked; "they'd
+
−have been ill."
+
−
+
−"So they were," said the Dormouse; "_very_ ill."
+
−
+
−Alice tried a little to fancy to herself what such an extraordinary way
+
−of living would be like, but it puzzled her too much, so she went on:
+
−"But why did they live at the bottom of a well?"
+
−
+
−"Take some more tea," the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.
+
−
+
−"I've had nothing yet," Alice replied in an offended tone, "so I can't
+
−take more."
+
−
+
−"You mean you can't take _less_," said the Hatter; "it's very easy to
+
−take _more_ than nothing."
+
−
+
−"Nobody asked _your_ opinion," said Alice.
+
−
+
−"Who's making personal remarks now?" the Hatter asked triumphantly.
+
−
+
−Alice did not quite know what to say to this: so she helped herself to
+
−some tea and bread-and-butter, and then turned to the Dormouse, and
+
−repeated her question. "Why did they live at the bottom of a well?"
+
−
+
−The Dormouse again took a minute or two to think about it, and then
+
−said, "It was a treacle-well."
+
−
+
−"There's no such thing!" Alice was beginning very angrily, but the
+
−Hatter and the March Hare went "Sh! sh!" and the Dormouse sulkily
+
−remarked: "If you can't be civil, you'd better finish the story for
+
−yourself."
+
−
+
−"No, please go on!" Alice said very humbly. "I won't interrupt you
+
−again. I dare say there may be _one_."
+
−
+
−"One, indeed!" said the Dormouse indignantly. However, he consented to
+
−go on. "And so these three little sisters--they were learning to draw,
+
−you know----"
+
−
+
−"What did they draw?" said Alice, quite forgetting her promise.
+
−
+
−"Treacle," said the Dormouse, without considering at all this time.
+
−
+
−"I want a clean cup," interrupted the Hatter: "let's all move one place
+
−on."
+
−
+
−He moved as he spoke, and the Dormouse followed him: the March Hare
+
−moved into the Dormouse's place, and Alice rather unwillingly took the
+
−place of the March Hare. The Hatter was the only one who got any
+
−advantage from the change: and Alice was a good deal worse off than
+
−before, as the March Hare had just upset the milk-jug into his plate.
+
−
+
−Alice did not wish to offend the Dormouse again, so she began very
+
−cautiously: "But I don't understand. Where did they draw the treacle
+
−from?"
+
−
+
−"You can draw water out of a water-well," said the Hatter; "so I should
+
−think you could draw treacle out of a treacle-well--eh, stupid!"
+
−
+
−"But they were _in_ the well," Alice said to the Dormouse, not choosing
+
−to notice this last remark.
+
−
+
−"Of course they were," said the Dormouse; "----well in."
+
−
+
−This answer so confused poor Alice that she let the Dormouse go on for
+
−some time without interrupting it.
+
−
+
−"They were learning to draw," the Dormouse went on, yawning and rubbing
+
−its eyes, for it was getting very sleepy; "and they drew all manner of
+
−things--everything that begins with an M----"
+
−
+
−"Why with an M?" said Alice.
+
−
+
−"Why not?" said the March Hare.
+
−
+
−Alice was silent.
+
−
+
−The Dormouse had closed its eyes by this time, and was going off into a
+
−dose; but, on being pinched by the Hatter, it woke up again with a
+
−little shriek, and went on: "----that begins with an M, such as
+
−mouse-traps, and the moon, and memory, and muchness--you know you say
+
−things are 'much of a muchness'--did you ever see such a thing as a
+
−drawing of a muchness?"
+
−
+
−"Really, now you ask me," said Alice, very much confused, "I don't
+
−think----"
+
−
+
−"Then you shouldn't talk," said the Hatter.
+
−
+
−This piece of rudeness was more than Alice could bear: she got up in
+
−great disgust and walked off; the Dormouse fell asleep instantly, and
+
−neither of the others took the least notice of her going, though she
+
−looked back once or twice, half hoping that they would call after her:
+
−the last time she saw them, they were trying to put the Dormouse into
+
−the teapot.
+
−
+
−"At any rate I'll never go _there_ again!" said Alice as she picked her
+
−way through the wood. "It's the stupidest tea-party I ever was at in all
+
−my life!"
+
−
+
−Just as she said this, she noticed that one of the trees had a door
+
−leading right into it. "That's very curious!" she thought. "But
+
−everything's curious to-day. I think I may as well go in at once." And
+
−in she went.
+
−
+
−Once more she found herself in the long hall, and close to the little
+
−glass table. "Now I'll manage better this time," she said to herself,
+
−and began by taking the little golden key, and unlocking the door that
+
−led into the garden. Then she set to work nibbling at the mushroom (she
+
−had kept a piece of it in her pocket) till she was about a foot high:
+
−then she walked down the little passage: and _then_--she found herself
+
−at last in the beautiful garden, among the bright flower-beds and the
+
−cool fountains.
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−CHAPTER VIII
+
−
+
−
+
−[Sidenote: _The Queen's Croquet-Ground_]
+
−
+
−A LARGE rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden:
+
−the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at
+
−it, busily painting them red. Alice thought this a very curious thing,
+
−and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she
+
−heard one of them say "Look out now, Five! Don't go splashing paint over
+
−me like that!"
+
−
+
−"I couldn't help it," said Five, in a sulky tone. "Seven jogged my
+
−elbow."
+
−
+
−On which Seven looked up and said, "That's right, Five! Always lay the
+
−blame on others!"
+
−
+
−"_You'd_ better not talk!" said Five. "I heard the Queen say only
+
−yesterday you deserved to be beheaded!"
+
−
+
−"What for?" said the one who had first spoken.
+
−
+
−"That's none of _your_ business, Two!" said Seven.
+
−
+
−"Yes, it _is_ his business!" said Five. "And I'll tell him--it was for
+
−bringing the cook tulip-roots instead of onions."
+
−
+
−Seven flung down his brush, and had just begun "Well, of all the unjust
+
−things----" when his eye chanced to fall upon Alice, as she stood
+
−watching them, and he checked himself suddenly: the others looked round
+
−also, and all of them bowed low.
+
−
+
−"Would you tell me," said Alice, a little timidly, "why you are painting
+
−those roses?"
+
−
+
−Five and Seven said nothing, but looked at Two. Two began in a low
+
−voice, "Why, the fact is, you see, Miss, this here ought to have been a
+
−_red_ rose-tree, and we put a white one in by mistake; and if the Queen
+
−was to find it out, we should all have our heads cut off, you know. So
+
−you see, Miss, we're doing our best, afore she comes, to----" At this
+
−moment, Five, who had been anxiously looking across the garden, called
+
−out "The Queen! The Queen!" and the three gardeners instantly threw
+
−themselves flat upon their faces. There was a sound of many footsteps,
+
−and Alice looked round, eager to see the Queen.
+
−
+
−First came ten soldiers carrying clubs; these were all shaped like the
+
−three gardeners, oblong and flat, with their hands and feet at the
+
−corners: next the ten courtiers; these were ornamented all over with
+
−diamonds, and walked two and two, as the soldiers did. After these came
+
−the royal children; there were ten of them, and the little dears came
+
−jumping merrily along hand in hand, in couples; they were all ornamented
+
−with hearts. Next came the guests, mostly Kings and Queens, and among
+
−them Alice recognised the White Rabbit: it was talking in a hurried,
+
−nervous manner, smiling at everything that was said, and went by without
+
−noticing her. Then followed the Knave of Hearts, carrying the King's
+
−crown on a crimson velvet cushion; and last of all this grand
+
−procession, came THE KING AND QUEEN OF HEARTS.
+
−
+
−Alice was rather doubtful whether she ought not to lie down on her face
+
−like the three gardeners, but she could not remember ever having heard
+
−of such a rule at processions; "and besides, what would be the use of a
+
−procession," thought she, "if people had to lie down upon their faces,
+
−so that they couldn't see it?" So she stood still where she was, and
+
−waited.
+
−
+
−When the procession came opposite to Alice, they all stopped and looked
+
−at her, and the Queen said severely, "Who is this?" She said it to the
+
−Knave of Hearts, who only bowed and smiled in reply.
+
−
+
−"Idiot!" said the Queen, tossing her head impatiently; and turning to
+
−Alice, she went on, "What's your name, child?"
+
−
+
−"My name is Alice, so please your Majesty," said Alice very politely;
+
−but she added, to herself, "Why, they're only a pack of cards, after
+
−all. I needn't be afraid of them!"
+
−
+
−"And who are _these_?" said the Queen, pointing to the three gardeners
+
−who were lying round the rose-tree; for, you see, as they were lying on
+
−their faces, and the pattern on their backs was the same as the rest of
+
−the pack, she could not tell whether they were gardeners, or soldiers,
+
−or courtiers, or three of her own children.
+
−
+
−"How should _I_ know?" said Alice, surprised at her own courage. "It's
+
−no business of _mine_."
+
−
+
−The Queen turned crimson with fury, and, after glaring at her for a
+
−moment like a wild beast, screamed "Off with her head! Off----"
+
−
+
−"Nonsense!" said Alice, very loudly and decidedly, and the Queen was
+
−silent.
+
−
+
−The King laid his hand upon her arm, and timidly said "Consider my dear:
+
−she is only a child!"
+
−
+
−The Queen turned angrily away from him, and said to the Knave "Turn them
+
−over!"
+
−
+
−The Knave did so, very carefully, with one foot.
+
−
+
−"Get up!" said the Queen, in a shrill, loud voice, and the three
+
−gardeners instantly jumped up, and began bowing to the King, the Queen,
+
−the royal children, and everybody else.
+
−
+
−"Leave off that!" screamed the Queen. "You make me giddy." And then,
+
−turning to the rose-tree, she went on, "What _have_ you been doing
+
−here?"
+
−
+
−"May it please your Majesty," said Two, in a very humble tone, going
+
−down on one knee as he spoke, "we were trying----"
+
−
+
−[Illustration: _The Queen turned angrily away from him and said to the
+
−Knave, "Turn them over"_]
+
−
+
−"_I_ see!" said the Queen, who had meanwhile been examining the roses.
+
−"Off with their heads!" and the procession moved on, three of the
+
−soldiers remaining behind to execute the unfortunate gardeners, who ran
+
−to Alice for protection.
+
−
+
−"You shan't be beheaded!" said Alice, and she put them into a large
+
−flower-pot that stood near. The three soldiers wandered about for a
+
−minute or two, looking for them, and then quietly marched off after the
+
−others.
+
−
+
−"Are their heads off?" shouted the Queen.
+
−
+
−"Their heads are gone, if it please your Majesty!" the soldiers shouted
+
−in reply.
+
−
+
−"That's right!" shouted the Queen. "Can you play croquet?"
+
−
+
−The soldiers were silent, and looked at Alice, as the question was
+
−evidently meant for her.
+
−
+
−"Yes!" shouted Alice.
+
−
+
−"Come on, then!" roared the Queen, and Alice joined the procession,
+
−wondering very much what would happen next.
+
−
+
−"It's--it's a very fine day!" said a timid voice at her side. She was
+
−walking by the White Rabbit, who was peeping anxiously into her face.
+
−
+
−"Very," said Alice: "----where's the Duchess?"
+
−
+
−"Hush! Hush!" said the Rabbit in a low hurried tone. He looked anxiously
+
−over his shoulder as he spoke, and then raised himself upon tiptoe, put
+
−his mouth close to her ear, and whispered "She's under sentence of
+
−execution."
+
−
+
−"What for?" said Alice.
+
−
+
−"Did you say 'What a pity!'?" the Rabbit asked.
+
−
+
−"No, I didn't," said Alice: "I don't think it's at all a pity. I said
+
−'What for?'"
+
−
+
−"She boxed the Queen's ears--" the Rabbit began. Alice gave a little
+
−scream of laughter. "Oh, hush!" the Rabbit whispered in a frightened
+
−tone. "The Queen will hear you! You see she came rather late, and the
+
−Queen said----"
+
−
+
−"Get to your places!" shouted the Queen in a voice of thunder, and
+
−people began running about in all directions, tumbling up against each
+
−other; however, they got settled down in a minute or two, and the game
+
−began. Alice thought she had never seen such a curious croquet-ground in
+
−all her life; it was all ridges and furrows; the balls were live
+
−hedgehogs, the mallets live flamingoes, and the soldiers had to double
+
−themselves up and to stand upon their hands and feet, to make the
+
−arches.
+
−
+
−[Illustration]
+
−
+
−The chief difficulty Alice found at first was in managing her flamingo;
+
−she succeeded in getting its body tucked away, comfortably enough, under
+
−her arm, with its legs hanging down, but generally, just as she had got
+
−its neck nicely straightened out, and was going to give the hedgehog a
+
−blow with its head, it _would_ twist itself round and look up in her
+
−face, with such a puzzled expression that she could not help bursting
+
−out laughing: and when she had got its head down, and was going to
+
−begin again, it was very provoking to find that the hedgehog had
+
−unrolled itself and was in the act of crawling away: besides all this,
+
−there was generally a ridge or a furrow in the way wherever she wanted
+
−to send the hedgehog to, and, as the doubled-up soldiers were always
+
−getting up and walking off to other parts of the ground, Alice soon came
+
−to the conclusion that it was a very difficult game indeed.
+
−
+
−The players all played at once without waiting for turns, quarrelling
+
−all the while, and fighting for the hedgehogs; and in a very short time
+
−the Queen was in a furious passion, and went stamping about, and
+
−shouting "Off with his head!" or "Off with her head!" about once in a
+
−minute.
+
−
+
−Alice began to feel very uneasy: to be sure she had not as yet had any
+
−dispute with the Queen, but she knew that it might happen any minute,
+
−"and then," thought she, "what would become of me? They're dreadfully
+
−fond of beheading people here: the great wonder is that there's any one
+
−left alive!"
+
−
+
−She was looking about for some way of escape, and wondering whether she
+
−could get away without being seen, when she noticed a curious
+
−appearance in the air: it puzzled her very much at first, but, after
+
−watching it a minute or two, she made it out to be a grin, and she said
+
−to herself "It's the Cheshire Cat: now I shall have somebody to talk
+
−to."
+
−
+
−"How are you getting on?" said the Cat, as soon as there was mouth
+
−enough for it to speak with.
+
−
+
−Alice waited till the eyes appeared, and then nodded. "It's no use
+
−speaking to it," she thought, "till its ears have come, or at least one
+
−of them." In another minute the whole head appeared, and then Alice put
+
−down her flamingo, and began an account of the game, feeling very glad
+
−she had some one to listen to her. The Cat seemed to think that there
+
−was enough of it now in sight, and no more of it appeared.
+
−
+
−"I don't think they play at all fairly," Alice began, in rather a
+
−complaining tone, "and they all quarrel so dreadfully one can't hear
+
−oneself speak--and they don't seem to have any rules in particular; at
+
−least, if there are, nobody attends to them--and you've no idea how
+
−confusing it is all the things being alive; for instance, there's the
+
−arch I've got to go through next walking about at the other end of the
+
−ground--and I should have croqueted the Queen's hedgehog just now, only
+
−it ran away when it saw mine coming!"
+
−
+
−[Illustration]
+
−
+
−"How do you like the Queen?" said the Cat in a low voice.
+
−
+
−"Not at all," said Alice: "she's so extremely----" Just then she noticed
+
−that the Queen was close behind her listening: so she went on,
+
−"----likely to win, that it's hardly worth while finishing the game."
+
−
+
−The Queen smiled and passed on.
+
−
+
−"Who _are_ you talking to?" said the King, coming up to Alice, and
+
−looking at the Cat's head with great curiosity.
+
−
+
−"It's a friend of mine--a Cheshire Cat," said Alice: "allow me to
+
−introduce it."
+
−
+
−"I don't like the look of it at all," said the King: "however, it may
+
−kiss my hand if it likes."
+
−
+
−"I'd rather not," the Cat remarked.
+
−
+
−"Don't be impertinent," said the King, "and don't look at me like that!"
+
−He got behind Alice as he spoke.
+
−
+
−"A cat may look at a king," said Alice. "I've read that in some book,
+
−but I don't remember where."
+
−
+
−"Well, it must be removed," said the King very decidedly, and he called
+
−to the Queen, who was passing at the moment, "My dear! I wish you would
+
−have this cat removed!"
+
−
+
−The Queen had only one way of settling all difficulties, great or small.
+
−"Off with his head!" she said, without even looking round.
+
−
+
−"I'll fetch the executioner myself," said the King eagerly, and he
+
−hurried off.
+
−
+
−Alice thought she might as well go back and see how the game was going
+
−on, as she heard the Queen's voice in the distance, screaming with
+
−passion. She had already heard her sentence three of the players to be
+
−executed for having missed their turns, and she did not like the look of
+
−things at all, as the game was in such confusion that she never knew
+
−whether it was her turn or not. So she went in search of her hedgehog.
+
−
+
−The hedgehog was engaged in a fight with another hedgehog, which seemed
+
−to Alice an excellent opportunity for croqueting one of them with the
+
−other: the only difficulty was, that her flamingo was gone across to the
+
−other side of the garden, where Alice could see it trying in a helpless
+
−sort of way to fly up into one of the trees.
+
−
+
−By the time she had caught the flamingo and brought it back, the fight
+
−was over, and both the hedgehogs were out of sight: "but it doesn't
+
−matter much," thought Alice, "as all the arches are gone from this side
+
−of the ground." So she tucked it under her arm, that it might not escape
+
−again, and went back for a little more conversation with her friend.
+
−
+
−When she got back to the Cheshire Cat, she was surprised to find quite a
+
−large crowd collected round it: there was a dispute going on between the
+
−executioner, the King, and the Queen, who were all talking at once,
+
−while all the rest were quite silent, and looked very uncomfortable.
+
−
+
−The moment Alice appeared, she was appealed to by all three to settle
+
−the question, and they repeated their arguments to her, though, as they
+
−all spoke at once, she found it very hard indeed to make out exactly
+
−what they said.
+
−
+
−[Illustration]
+
−
+
−The executioner's argument was, that you couldn't cut off a head unless
+
−there was a body to cut it off from: that he had never had to do such a
+
−thing before, and he wasn't going to begin at _his_ time of life.
+
−
+
−The King's argument was, that anything that had a head could be
+
−beheaded, and that you weren't to talk nonsense.
+
−
+
−The Queen's argument was, that if something wasn't done about it in less
+
−than no time, she'd have everybody executed all round. (It was this last
+
−remark that had made the whole party look so grave and anxious.)
+
−
+
−Alice could think of nothing else to say but "It belongs to the Duchess:
+
−you'd better ask _her_ about it."
+
−
+
−"She's in prison," the Queen said to the executioner; "fetch her here."
+
−And the executioner went off like an arrow.
+
−
+
−The Cat's head began fading away the moment he was gone, and by the time
+
−he had come back with the Duchess, it had entirely disappeared; so the
+
−King and the executioner ran wildly up and down looking for it, while
+
−the rest of the party went back to the game.
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−CHAPTER IX
+
−
+
−
+
−[Sidenote: _The Mock Turtle's Story_]
+
−
+
−"YOU can't think how glad I am to see you again, you
+
−dear old thing!" said the Duchess, as she tucked her arm affectionately
+
−into Alice's, and they walked off together.
+
−
+
−Alice was very glad to find her in such a pleasant temper, and thought
+
−to herself that perhaps it was only the pepper that had made her so
+
−savage when they met in the kitchen.
+
−
+
−"When _I'm_ a Duchess," she said to herself (not in a very hopeful tone
+
−though), "I won't have any pepper in my kitchen _at all_. Soup does very
+
−well without--Maybe it's always pepper that makes people hot-tempered,"
+
−she went on, very much pleased at having found out a new kind of rule,
+
−"and vinegar that makes them sour--and camomile that makes them
+
−bitter--and--barley-sugar and such things that make children
+
−sweet-tempered. I only wish people knew _that_: then they wouldn't be
+
−so stingy about it, you know----"
+
−
+
−She had quite forgotten the Duchess by this time, and was a little
+
−startled when she heard her voice close to her ear. "You're thinking
+
−about something, my dear, and that makes you forget to talk. I can't
+
−tell you just now what the moral of that is, but I shall remember it in
+
−a bit."
+
−
+
−"Perhaps it hasn't one," Alice ventured to remark.
+
−
+
−"Tut, tut, child!" said the Duchess. "Every thing's got a moral, if only
+
−you can find it." And she squeezed herself up closer to Alice's side as
+
−she spoke.
+
−
+
−Alice did not much like her keeping so close to her: first, because the
+
−Duchess was _very_ ugly; and secondly, because she was exactly the right
+
−height to rest her chin on Alice's shoulder, and it was an uncomfortably
+
−sharp chin. However, she did not like to be rude, so she bore it as well
+
−as she could. "The game's going on rather better now," she said, by way
+
−of keeping up the conversation a little.
+
−
+
−"'Tis so," said the Duchess: "and the moral of that is--'Oh, 'tis love,
+
−'tis love, that makes the world go round!'"
+
−
+
−"Somebody said," Alice whispered, "that it's done by everybody minding
+
−their own business!"
+
−
+
−"Ah, well! It means much the same thing," said the Duchess, digging her
+
−sharp little chin into Alice's shoulder as she added, "and the moral of
+
−_that_ is--'Take care of the sense, and the sounds will take care of
+
−themselves.'"
+
−
+
−"How fond she is of finding morals in things!" Alice thought to herself.
+
−
+
−"I dare say you're wondering why I don't put my arm round your waist,"
+
−the Duchess said after a pause: "the reason is, that I'm doubtful about
+
−the temper of your flamingo. Shall I try the experiment?"
+
−
+
−"He might bite," Alice cautiously replied, not feeling at all anxious to
+
−have the experiment tried.
+
−
+
−"Very true," said the Duchess: "flamingoes and mustard both bite. And
+
−the moral of that is--'Birds of a feather flock together.'"
+
−
+
−"Only mustard isn't a bird," Alice remarked.
+
−
+
−"Right, as usual," said the Duchess: "what a clear way you have of
+
−putting things!"
+
−
+
−"It's a mineral, I _think_," said Alice.
+
−
+
−"Of course it is," said the Duchess, who seemed ready to agree to
+
−everything that Alice said: "there's a large mustard-mine near here. And
+
−the moral of that is--'The more there is of mine, the less there is of
+
−yours.'"
+
−
+
−"Oh, I know!" exclaimed Alice, who had not attended to this last remark.
+
−"It's a vegetable. It doesn't look like one, but it is."
+
−
+
−"I quite agree with you," said the Duchess; "and the moral of that
+
−is--'Be what you would seem to be'--or if you'd like it put more
+
−simply--'Never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might
+
−appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise
+
−than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise.'"
+
−
+
−"I think I should understand that better," Alice said very politely, "if
+
−I had it written down: but I can't quite follow it as you say it."
+
−
+
−"That's nothing to what I could say if I chose," the Duchess replied, in
+
−a pleased tone.
+
−
+
−"Pray don't trouble yourself to say it any longer than that," said
+
−Alice.
+
−
+
−"Oh, don't talk about trouble!" said the Duchess. "I make you a present
+
−of everything I've said as yet."
+
−
+
−"A cheap sort of present!" thought Alice. "I'm glad they don't give
+
−birthday presents like that!" But she did not venture to say it out
+
−loud.
+
−
+
−"Thinking again?" the Duchess asked with another dig of her sharp little
+
−chin.
+
−
+
−"I've a right to think," said Alice sharply, for she was beginning to
+
−feel a little worried.
+
−
+
−"Just about as much right," said the Duchess, "as pigs have to fly; and
+
−the m----"
+
−
+
−But here, to Alice's great surprise, the Duchess's voice died away, even
+
−in the middle of her favourite word "moral," and the arm that was linked
+
−into hers began to tremble. Alice looked up, and there stood the Queen
+
−in front of them, with her arms folded, frowning like a thunderstorm.
+
−
+
−"A fine day, your Majesty!" the Duchess began in a low, weak voice.
+
−
+
−"Now, I give you fair warning," shouted the Queen, stamping on the
+
−ground as she spoke; "either you or your head must be off, and that in
+
−about half no time! Take your choice!"
+
−
+
−The Duchess took her choice, and was gone in a moment.
+
−
+
−"Let's go on with the game," the Queen said to Alice; and Alice was too
+
−much frightened to say a word, but slowly followed her back to the
+
−croquet-ground.
+
−
+
−The other guests had taken advantage of the Queen's absence, and were
+
−resting in the shade: however, the moment they saw her, they hurried
+
−back to the game, the Queen merely remarking that a moment's delay would
+
−cost them their lives.
+
−
+
−[Illustration: _The Queen never left off quarrelling with the other
+
−players, and shouting "Off with his head!" or, "Off with her head!"_]
+
−
+
−All the time they were playing the Queen never left off quarrelling with
+
−the other players, and shouting "Off with his head!" or "Off with her
+
−head!" Those whom she sentenced were taken into custody by the soldiers,
+
−who of course had to leave off being arches to do this, so that by the
+
−end of half an hour or so there were no arches left, and all the
+
−players, except the King, the Queen, and Alice, were in custody and
+
−under sentence of execution.
+
−
+
−Then the Queen left off, quite out of breath, and said to Alice, "Have
+
−you seen the Mock Turtle yet?"
+
−
+
−"No," said Alice. "I don't even know what a Mock Turtle is."
+
−
+
−"It's the thing Mock Turtle Soup is made from," said the Queen.
+
−
+
−"I never saw one, or heard of one," said Alice.
+
−
+
−"Come on then," said the Queen, "and he shall tell you his history."
+
−
+
−As they walked off together, Alice heard the King say in a low voice, to
+
−the company generally, "You are all pardoned." "Come, _that's_ a good
+
−thing!" she said to herself, for she had felt quite unhappy at the
+
−number of executions the Queen had ordered.
+
−
+
−They very soon came upon a Gryphon, lying fast asleep in the sun. (If
+
−you don't know what a Gryphon is, look at the picture.) "Up, lazy
+
−thing!" said the Queen, "and take this young lady to see the Mock
+
−Turtle, and to hear his history. I must go back and see after some
+
−executions I have ordered," and she walked off, leaving Alice alone
+
−with the Gryphon. Alice did not quite like the look of the creature, but
+
−on the whole she thought it would be quite as safe to stay with it as to
+
−go after that savage Queen: so she waited.
+
−
+
−The Gryphon sat up and rubbed its eyes: then it watched the Queen till
+
−she was out of sight: then it chuckled. "What fun!" said the Gryphon,
+
−half to itself, half to Alice.
+
−
+
−"What _is_ the fun?" said Alice.
+
−
+
−"Why, _she_," said the Gryphon. "It's all her fancy, that: they never
+
−executes nobody, you know. Come on!"
+
−
+
−"Everybody says 'come on!' here," thought Alice, as she went slowly
+
−after it: "I never was so ordered about in my life, never!"
+
−
+
−[Illustration]
+
−
+
−They had not gone far before they saw the Mock Turtle in the distance,
+
−sitting sad and lonely on a little ledge of rock, and, as they came
+
−nearer, Alice could hear him sighing as if his heart would break. She
+
−pitied him deeply. "What is his sorrow?" she asked the Gryphon, and the
+
−Gryphon answered, very nearly in the same words as before, "It's all
+
−his fancy, that: he hasn't got no sorrow, you know. Come on!"
+
−
+
−So they went up to the Mock Turtle, who looked at them with large eyes
+
−full of tears, but said nothing.
+
−
+
−"This here young lady," said the Gryphon, "she wants to know your
+
−history, she do."
+
−
+
−"I'll tell it her," said the Mock Turtle in a deep, hollow tone; "sit
+
−down, both of you, and don't speak a word till I've finished."
+
−
+
−So they sat down, and nobody spoke for some minutes. Alice thought to
+
−herself, "I don't see how he can _ever_ finish, if he doesn't begin."
+
−But she waited patiently.
+
−
+
−"Once," said the Mock Turtle at last, with a deep sigh, "I was a real
+
−Turtle."
+
−
+
−These words were followed by a very long silence, broken only by an
+
−occasional exclamation of "Hjckrrh!" from the Gryphon, and the constant
+
−heavy sobbing of the Mock Turtle. Alice was very nearly getting up and
+
−saying "Thank you, sir, for your interesting story," but she could not
+
−help thinking there _must_ be more to come, so she sat still and said
+
−nothing.
+
−
+
−"When we were little," the Mock Turtle went on at last, more calmly,
+
−though still sobbing a little now and then, "we went to school in the
+
−sea. The master was an old Turtle--we used to call him Tortoise----"
+
−
+
−"Why did you call him Tortoise, if he wasn't one?" Alice asked.
+
−
+
−"We called him Tortoise because he taught us," said the Mock Turtle
+
−angrily: "really you are very dull!"
+
−
+
−"You ought to be ashamed of yourself for asking such a simple question,"
+
−added the Gryphon; and then they both sat silent and looked at poor
+
−Alice, who felt ready to sink into the earth. At last the Gryphon said
+
−to the Mock Turtle, "Drive on, old fellow. Don't be all day about it!"
+
−and he went on in these words:
+
−
+
−"Yes, we went to school in the sea, though you mayn't believe it----"
+
−
+
−"I never said I didn't!" interrupted Alice.
+
−
+
−"You did," said the Mock Turtle.
+
−
+
−"Hold your tongue!" added the Gryphon, before Alice could speak again.
+
−The Mock Turtle went on:--
+
−
+
−"We had the best of educations--in fact, we went to school every
+
−day----"
+
−
+
−"_I've_ been to a day-school, too," said Alice; "you needn't be so proud
+
−as all that."
+
−
+
−"With extras?" asked the Mock Turtle a little anxiously.
+
−
+
−"Yes," said Alice, "we learned French and music."
+
−
+
−"And washing?" said the Mock Turtle.
+
−
+
−"Certainly not!" said Alice indignantly.
+
−
+
−"Ah! then yours wasn't a really good school," said the Mock Turtle in a
+
−tone of relief. "Now at _ours_ they had at the end of the bill, 'French,
+
−music, _and washing_--extra.'"
+
−
+
−"You couldn't have wanted it much," said Alice; "living at the bottom of
+
−the sea."
+
−
+
−"I couldn't afford to learn it," said the Mock Turtle with a sigh. "I
+
−only took the regular course."
+
−
+
−"What was that?" inquired Alice.
+
−
+
−"Reeling and Writhing, of course, to begin with," the Mock Turtle
+
−replied; "and then the different branches of Arithmetic--Ambition,
+
−Distraction, Uglification, and Derision."
+
−
+
−"I never heard of 'Uglification,'" Alice ventured to say. "What is it?"
+
−
+
−The Gryphon lifted up both its paws in surprise. "Never heard of
+
−uglifying!" it exclaimed. "You know what to beautify is, I suppose?"
+
−
+
−"Yes," said Alice doubtfully: "it means--to--make--anything--prettier."
+
−
+
−"Well, then," the Gryphon went on, "if you don't know what to uglify is,
+
−you are a simpleton."
+
−
+
−Alice did not feel encouraged to ask any more questions about it, so she
+
−turned to the Mock Turtle and said, "What else had you to learn?"
+
−
+
−"Well, there was Mystery," the Mock Turtle replied, counting off the
+
−subjects on his flappers, "--Mystery, ancient and modern, with
+
−Seaography: then Drawling--the Drawling-master was an old conger-eel,
+
−that used to come once a week: _he_ taught us Drawling, Stretching, and
+
−Fainting in Coils."
+
−
+
−"What was _that_ like?" said Alice.
+
−
+
−"Well, I can't show it you myself," the Mock Turtle said: "I'm too
+
−stiff. And the Gryphon never learnt it."
+
−
+
−"Hadn't time," said the Gryphon: "I went to the Classical master,
+
−though. He was an old crab, _he_ was."
+
−
+
−"I never went to him," the Mock Turtle said with a sigh: "he taught
+
−Laughing and Grief, they used to say."
+
−
+
−"So he did, so he did," said the Gryphon, sighing in his turn; and both
+
−creatures hid their faces in their paws.
+
−
+
−"And how many hours a day did you do lessons?" said Alice, in a hurry to
+
−change the subject.
+
−
+
−"Ten hours the first day," said the Mock Turtle: "nine the next, and so
+
−on."
+
−
+
−"What a curious plan!" exclaimed Alice.
+
−
+
−"That's the reason they're called lessons," the Gryphon remarked:
+
−"because they lessen from day to day."
+
−
+
−This was quite a new idea to Alice, and she thought over it a little
+
−before she made her next remark. "Then the eleventh day must have been a
+
−holiday."
+
−
+
−"Of course it was," said the Mock Turtle.
+
−
+
−"And how did you manage on the twelfth?" Alice went on eagerly.
+
−
+
−"That's enough about lessons," the Gryphon interrupted in a very decided
+
−tone: "tell her something about the games now."
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−CHAPTER X
+
−
+
−
+
−[Sidenote: _The Lobster Quadrille_]
+
−
+
−THE Mock Turtle sighed deeply, and drew the back of one
+
−flapper across his eyes. He looked at Alice, and tried to speak, but,
+
−for a minute or two, sobs choked his voice. "Same as if he had a bone in
+
−his throat," said the Gryphon: and it set to work shaking him and
+
−punching him in the back. At last the Mock Turtle recovered his voice,
+
−and, with tears running down his cheeks, went on again:
+
−
+
−"You may not have lived much under the sea--" ("I haven't," said Alice)
+
−"and perhaps you were never even introduced to a lobster--" (Alice began
+
−to say "I once tasted----" but checked herself hastily, and said "No,
+
−never") "--so you can have no idea what a delightful thing a Lobster
+
−Quadrille is!"
+
−
+
−"No, indeed," said Alice. "What sort of a dance is it?"
+
−
+
−"Why," said the Gryphon, "you first form into a line along the
+
−sea-shore----"
+
−
+
−"Two lines!" cried the Mock Turtle. "Seals, turtles, and so on; then,
+
−when you've cleared the jelly-fish out of the way----"
+
−
+
−"_That_ generally takes some time," interrupted the Gryphon.
+
−
+
−"--you advance twice----"
+
−
+
−"Each with a lobster as a partner!" cried the Gryphon.
+
−
+
−"Of course," the Mock Turtle said: "advance twice, set to partners----"
+
−
+
−"--change lobsters, and retire in same order," continued the Gryphon.
+
−
+
−"Then, you know," the Mock Turtle went on, "you throw the----"
+
−
+
−"The lobsters!" shouted the Gryphon, with a bound into the air.
+
−
+
−"--as far out to sea as you can----"
+
−
+
−"Swim, after them!" screamed the Gryphon.
+
−
+
−"Turn a somersault in the sea!" cried the Mock Turtle, capering wildly
+
−about.
+
−
+
−"Change lobsters again!" yelled the Gryphon.
+
−
+
−"Back to land again, and--that's all the first figure," said the Mock
+
−Turtle, suddenly dropping his voice; and the two creatures, who had been
+
−jumping about like mad things all this time, sat down again very sadly
+
−and quietly, and looked at Alice.
+
−
+
−"It must be a very pretty dance," said Alice, timidly.
+
−
+
−"Would you like to see a little of it?" said the Mock Turtle.
+
−
+
−"Very much indeed," said Alice.
+
−
+
−"Come, let's try the first figure!" said the Mock Turtle to the Gryphon.
+
−"We can do it without lobsters, you know. Which shall sing?"
+
−
+
−"Oh, _you_ sing," said the Gryphon. "I've forgotten the words."
+
−
+
−So they began solemnly dancing round and round Alice, every now and then
+
−treading on her toes when they passed too close, and waving their
+
−forepaws to mark the time, while the Mock Turtle sang this, very slowly
+
−and sadly:--
+
−
+
−  "Will you walk a little faster?" said a whiting to a snail,
+
−  "There's a porpoise close behind us, and he's treading on my tail.
+
−  See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
+
−  They are waiting on the shingle--will you come and join the dance?
+
−    Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?
+
−    Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join the dance?
+
−
+
−  "You can really have no notion how delightful it will be,
+
−  When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!"
+
−  But the snail replied: "Too far, too far!" and gave a look askance--
+
−  Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the dance.
+
−    Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance.
+
−    Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join the dance.
+
−
+
−  "What matters it how far we go?" his scaly friend replied;
+
−  "There is another shore, you know, upon the other side.
+
−  The further off from England the nearer is to France--
+
−  Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance.
+
−    Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?
+
−    Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join the dance?"
+
−
+
−"Thank you, it's a very interesting dance to watch," said Alice, feeling
+
−very glad that it was over at last: "and I do so like that curious song
+
−about the whiting!"
+
−
+
−"Oh, as to the whiting," said the Mock Turtle, "they--you've seen them,
+
−of course?"
+
−
+
−"Yes," said Alice, "I've often seen them at dinn----" she checked
+
−herself hastily.
+
−
+
−"I don't know where Dinn may be," said the Mock Turtle, "but if you've
+
−seen them so often, of course you know what they're like."
+
−
+
−"I believe so," Alice replied thoughtfully. "They have their tails in
+
−their mouths--and they're all over crumbs."
+
−
+
−"You're wrong about the crumbs," said the Mock Turtle: "crumbs would all
+
−wash off in the sea. But they _have_ their tails in their mouths; and
+
−the reason is--" here the Mock Turtle yawned and shut his eyes. "Tell
+
−her about the reason and all that," he said to the Gryphon.
+
−
+
−"The reason is," said the Gryphon, "that they _would_ go with the
+
−lobsters to the dance. So they got thrown out to sea. So they had to
+
−fall a long way. So they got their tails fast in their mouths. So they
+
−couldn't get them out again. That's all."
+
−
+
−"Thank you," said Alice. "It's very interesting. I never knew so much
+
−about a whiting before."
+
−
+
−"I can tell you more than that, if you like," said the Gryphon. "Do you
+
−know why it's called a whiting?"
+
−
+
−"I never thought about it," said Alice. "Why?"
+
−
+
−"_It does the boots and shoes_," the Gryphon replied very solemnly.
+
−
+
−Alice was thoroughly puzzled. "Does the boots and shoes!" she repeated
+
−in a wondering tone.
+
−
+
−"Why, what are _your_ shoes done with?" said the Gryphon. "I mean, what
+
−makes them so shiny?"
+
−
+
−Alice looked down at them, and considered a little before she gave her
+
−answer. "They're done with blacking, I believe."
+
−
+
−"Boots and shoes under the sea," the Gryphon went on in a deep voice,
+
−"are done with whiting. Now you know."
+
−
+
−"And what are they made of?" Alice asked in a tone of great curiosity.
+
−
+
−"Soles and eels, of course," the Gryphon replied rather impatiently:
+
−"any shrimp could have told you that."
+
−
+
−"If I'd been the whiting," said Alice, whose thoughts were still running
+
−on the song, "I'd have said to the porpoise, 'Keep back, please: we
+
−don't want _you_ with us!'"
+
−
+
−"They were obliged to have him with them," the Mock Turtle said: "no
+
−wise fish would go anywhere without a porpoise."
+
−
+
−"Wouldn't it really?" said Alice in a tone of great surprise.
+
−
+
−"Of course not," said the Mock Turtle: "why, if a fish came to _me_, and
+
−told me he was going a journey, I should say, 'With what porpoise?'"
+
−
+
−"Don't you mean 'purpose'?" said Alice.
+
−
+
−"I mean what I say," the Mock Turtle replied in an offended tone. And
+
−the Gryphon added, "Come, let's hear some of _your_ adventures."
+
−
+
−[Illustration: _The Mock Turtle drew a long breath and said, "That's
+
−very curious"_]
+
−
+
−"I could tell you my adventures--beginning from this morning," said
+
−Alice a little timidly: "but it's no use going back to yesterday,
+
−because I was a different person then."
+
−
+
−"Explain all that," said the Mock Turtle.
+
−
+
−"No, no! The adventures first," said the Gryphon in an impatient tone:
+
−"explanations take such a dreadful time."
+
−
+
−So Alice began telling them her adventures from the time when she first
+
−saw the White Rabbit. She was a little nervous about it just at first,
+
−the two creatures got so close to her, one on each side, and opened
+
−their eyes and mouths so _very_ wide, but she gained courage as she went
+
−on. Her listeners were perfectly quiet till she got to the part about
+
−her repeating "_You are old, Father William_," to the Caterpillar, and
+
−the words all coming different, and then the Mock Turtle drew a long
+
−breath, and said, "That's very curious."
+
−
+
−"It's all about as curious as it can be," said the Gryphon.
+
−
+
−"It all came different!" the Mock Turtle repeated thoughtfully. "I
+
−should like to hear her repeat something now. Tell her to begin." He
+
−looked at the Gryphon as if he thought it had some kind of authority
+
−over Alice.
+
−
+
−"Stand up and repeat '_'Tis the voice of the sluggard_,'" said the
+
−Gryphon.
+
−
+
−"How the creatures order one about, and make one repeat lessons!"
+
−thought Alice. "I might as well be at school at once." However, she got
+
−up, and began to repeat it, but her head was so full of the Lobster
+
−Quadrille, that she hardly knew what she was saying, and the words came
+
−very queer indeed:--
+
−
+
−          "'Tis the voice of the Lobster; I heard him declare,
+
−          'You have baked me too brown, I must sugar my hair.'
+
−          As a duck with its eyelids, so he with his nose
+
−          Trims his belt and his buttons, and turns out his toes.
+
−          When the sands are all dry, he is gay as a lark,
+
−          And will talk in contemptuous tones of the Shark:
+
−          But, when the tide rises and sharks are around,
+
−          His voice has a timid and tremulous sound."
+
−
+
−"That's different from what _I_ used to say when I was a child," said
+
−the Gryphon.
+
−
+
−"Well, _I_ never heard it before," said the Mock Turtle: "but it sounds
+
−uncommon nonsense."
+
−
+
−Alice said nothing; she had sat down with her face in her hands,
+
−wondering if anything would _ever_ happen in a natural way again.
+
−
+
−"I should like to have it explained," said the Mock Turtle.
+
−
+
−"She ca'n't explain it," hastily said the Gryphon. "Go on with the next
+
−verse."
+
−
+
−"But about his toes?" the Mock Turtle persisted. "How _could_ he turn
+
−them out with his nose, you know?"
+
−
+
−"It's the first position in dancing," Alice said; but was dreadfully
+
−puzzled by the whole thing, and longed to change the subject.
+
−
+
−"Go on with the next verse," the Gryphon repeated: "it begins '_I passed
+
−by his garden_.'"
+
−
+
−Alice did not dare to disobey, though she felt sure it would all come
+
−wrong, and she went on in a trembling voice:
+
−
+
−          "I passed by his garden, and marked, with one eye,
+
−          How the Owl and the Panther were sharing a pie:
+
−          The Panther took pie-crust, and gravy, and meat,
+
−          While the Owl had the dish as its share of the treat.
+
−          When the pie was all finished, the Owl, as a boon,
+
−          Was kindly permitted to pocket the spoon:
+
−          While the Panther received knife and fork with a growl,
+
−          And concluded the banquet by----"
+
−
+
−"What _is_ the use of repeating all that stuff," the Mock Turtle
+
−interrupted, "if you don't explain it as you go on? It's by far the most
+
−confusing thing _I_ ever heard!"
+
−
+
−[Illustration]
+
−
+
−"Yes, I think you'd better leave off," said the Gryphon: and Alice was
+
−only too glad to do so.
+
−
+
−"Shall we try another figure of the Lobster Quadrille?" the Gryphon went
+
−on. "Or would you like the Mock Turtle to sing you another song?"
+
−
+
−"Oh, a song, please, if the Mock Turtle would be so kind," Alice
+
−replied, so eagerly that the Gryphon said, in a rather offended tone,
+
−"H'm! No accounting for tastes! Sing her '_Turtle Soup_,' will you, old
+
−fellow?"
+
−
+
−The Mock Turtle sighed deeply, and began, in a voice choked with sobs,
+
−to sing this:--
+
−
+
−          "Beautiful Soup, so rich and green,
+
−          Waiting in a hot tureen!
+
−          Who for such dainties would not stoop?
+
−          Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
+
−          Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
+
−              Beau--ootiful Soo--oop!
+
−              Beau--ootiful Soo--oop!
+
−          Soo--oop of the e--e--evening,
+
−              Beautiful, beautiful Soup!
+
−
+
−          "Beautiful Soup! Who cares for fish,
+
−          Game, or any other dish?
+
−          Who would not give all else for two
+
−          Pennyworth only of beautiful Soup?
+
−          Pennyworth only of beautiful Soup?
+
−              Beau--ootiful Soo--oop!
+
−              Beau--ootiful Soo--oop!
+
−          Soo--oop of the e--e--evening,
+
−              Beautiful, beauti--FUL SOUP!"
+
−
+
−"Chorus again!" cried the Gryphon, and the Mock Turtle had just begun
+
−to repeat it, when a cry of "The trial's beginning!" was heard in the
+
−distance.
+
−
+
−"Come on!" cried the Gryphon, and, taking Alice by the hand, it hurried
+
−off, without waiting for the end of the song.
+
−
+
−"What trial is it?" Alice panted as she ran; but the Gryphon only
+
−answered "Come on!" and ran the faster, while more and more faintly
+
−came, carried on the breeze that followed them, the melancholy words:--
+
−
+
−          "Soo--oop of the e--e--evening,
+
−              Beautiful, beautiful Soup!"
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−CHAPTER XI
+
−
+
−
+
−[Sidenote: _Who Stole the Tarts?_]
+
−
+
−THE King and Queen of Hearts were seated on their throne
+
−when they arrived, with a great crowd assembled about them--all sorts of
+
−little birds and beasts, as well as the whole pack of cards: the Knave
+
−was standing before them, in chains, with a soldier on each side to
+
−guard him; and near the King was the White Rabbit, with a trumpet in one
+
−hand, and a scroll of parchment in the other. In the very middle of the
+
−court was a table, with a large dish of tarts upon it: they looked so
+
−good, that it made Alice quite hungry to look at them--"I wish they'd
+
−get the trial done," she thought, "and hand round the refreshments!" But
+
−there seemed to be no chance of this, so she began looking about her, to
+
−pass away the time.
+
−
+
−Alice had never been in a court of justice before, but she had read
+
−about them in books, and she was quite pleased to find that she knew the
+
−name of nearly everything there. "That's the judge," she said to
+
−herself, "because of his great wig."
+
−
+
−The judge, by the way, was the King; and as he wore his crown over the
+
−wig, he did not look at all comfortable, and it was certainly not
+
−becoming.
+
−
+
−"And that's the jury-box," thought Alice, "and those twelve creatures,"
+
−(she was obliged to say "creatures," you see, because some of them were
+
−animals, and some were birds,) "I suppose they are the jurors." She said
+
−this last word two or three times over to herself, being rather proud of
+
−it: for she thought, and rightly too, that very few little girls of her
+
−age knew the meaning of it at all. However, "jurymen" would have done
+
−just as well.
+
−
+
−The twelve jurors were all writing very busily on slates. "What are they
+
−all doing?" Alice whispered to the Gryphon. "They can't have anything to
+
−put down yet, before the trial's begun."
+
−
+
−[Illustration: _Who stole the tarts?_]
+
−
+
−"They're putting down their names," the Gryphon whispered in reply,
+
−"for fear they should forget them before the end of the trial."
+
−
+
−"Stupid things!" Alice began in a loud, indignant voice, but she stopped
+
−hastily, for the White Rabbit cried out "Silence in the court!" and the
+
−King put on his spectacles and looked anxiously round, to see who was
+
−talking.
+
−
+
−Alice could see, as well as if she were looking over their shoulders,
+
−that all the jurors were writing down "stupid things!" on their slates,
+
−and she could even make out that one of them didn't know how to spell
+
−"stupid," and that he had to ask his neighbour to tell him. "A nice
+
−muddle their slates will be in before the trial's over!" thought Alice.
+
−
+
−One of the jurors had a pencil that squeaked. This, of course, Alice
+
−could _not_ stand, and she went round the court and got behind him, and
+
−very soon found an opportunity of taking it away. She did it so quickly
+
−that the poor little juror (it was Bill, the Lizard) could not make out
+
−at all what had become of it; so, after hunting all about for it, he
+
−was obliged to write with one finger for the rest of the day; and this
+
−was of very little use, as it left no mark on the slate.
+
−
+
−"Herald, read the accusation!" said the King.
+
−
+
−On this the White Rabbit blew three blasts on the trumpet, and then
+
−unrolled the parchment scroll, and read as follows:
+
−
+
−          "The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts,
+
−              All on a summer day:
+
−          The Knave of Hearts, he stole those tarts,
+
−              And took them quite away!"
+
−
+
−"Consider your verdict," the King said to the jury.
+
−
+
−"Not yet, not yet!" the Rabbit hastily interrupted. "There's a great
+
−deal to come before that!"
+
−
+
−"Call the first witness," said the King; and the Rabbit blew three
+
−blasts on the trumpet, and called out "First witness!"
+
−
+
−The first witness was the Hatter. He came in with a teacup in one hand
+
−and a piece of bread-and-butter in the other. "I beg pardon, your
+
−Majesty," he began, "for bringing these in; but I hadn't quite finished
+
−my tea when I was sent for."
+
−
+
−"You ought to have finished," said the King. "When did you begin?"
+
−
+
−The Hatter looked at the March Hare, who had followed him into the
+
−court, arm-in-arm with the Dormouse. "Fourteenth of March, I _think_ it
+
−was," he said.
+
−
+
−"Fifteenth," said the March Hare.
+
−
+
−"Sixteenth," said the Dormouse.
+
−
+
−"Write that down," the King said to the jury, and the jury eagerly wrote
+
−down all three dates on their slates, and then added them up, and
+
−reduced the answer to shillings and pence.
+
−
+
−"Take off your hat," the King said to the Hatter.
+
−
+
−"It isn't mine," said the Hatter.
+
−
+
−"_Stolen!_" the King exclaimed, turning to the jury, who instantly made
+
−a memorandum of the fact.
+
−
+
−"I keep them to sell," the Hatter added as an explanation: "I've none of
+
−my own. I'm a hatter."
+
−
+
−Here the Queen put on her spectacles, and began staring hard at the
+
−Hatter, who turned pale and fidgeted.
+
−
+
−"Give your evidence," said the King; "and don't be nervous, or I'll have
+
−you executed on the spot."
+
−
+
−This did not seem to encourage the witness at all: he kept shifting from
+
−one foot to the other, looking uneasily at the Queen, and in his
+
−confusion he bit a large piece out of his teacup instead of the
+
−bread-and-butter.
+
−
+
−Just at this moment Alice felt a very curious sensation, which puzzled
+
−her a good deal until she made out what it was: she was beginning to
+
−grow larger again, and she thought at first she would get up and leave
+
−the court; but on second thoughts she decided to remain where she was as
+
−long as there was room for her.
+
−
+
−"I wish you wouldn't squeeze so," said the Dormouse, who was sitting
+
−next to her. "I can hardly breathe."
+
−
+
−"I can't help it," said Alice very meekly: "I'm growing."
+
−
+
−"You've no right to grow _here_," said the Dormouse.
+
−
+
−"Don't talk nonsense," said Alice more boldly: "you know you're growing
+
−too."
+
−
+
−"Yes, but _I_ grow at a reasonable pace," said the Dormouse; "not in
+
−that ridiculous fashion." And he got up very sulkily and crossed over to
+
−the other side of the court.
+
−
+
−All this time the Queen had never left off staring at the Hatter, and,
+
−just as the Dormouse crossed the court, she said to one of the officers
+
−of the court, "Bring me the list of the singers in the last concert!" on
+
−which the wretched Hatter trembled so, that he shook off both his shoes.
+
−
+
−"Give your evidence," the King repeated angrily, "or I'll have you
+
−executed, whether you're nervous or not."
+
−
+
−"I'm a poor man, your Majesty," the Hatter began, in a trembling voice,
+
−"--and I hadn't begun my tea--not above a week or so--and what with the
+
−bread-and-butter getting so thin--and the twinkling of the tea----"
+
−
+
−"The twinkling of _what_?" said the King.
+
−
+
−"It _began_ with the tea," the Hatter replied.
+
−
+
−"Of course twinkling _begins_ with a T!" said the King sharply. "Do you
+
−take me for a dunce? Go on!"
+
−
+
−"I'm a poor man," the Hatter went on, "and most things twinkled after
+
−that--only the March Hare said----"
+
−
+
−"I didn't!" the March Hare interrupted in a great hurry.
+
−
+
−"You did!" said the Hatter.
+
−
+
−"I deny it!" said the March Hare.
+
−
+
−"He denies it," said the King: "leave out that part."
+
−
+
−"Well, at any rate, the Dormouse said----" the Hatter went on, looking
+
−anxiously round to see if he would deny it too: but the Dormouse denied
+
−nothing, being fast asleep.
+
−
+
−"After that," continued the Hatter, "I cut some more
+
−bread-and-butter----"
+
−
+
−"But what did the Dormouse say?" one of the jury asked.
+
−
+
−"That I can't remember," said the Hatter.
+
−
+
−"You _must_ remember," remarked the King, "or I'll have you executed."
+
−
+
−The miserable Hatter dropped his teacup and bread-and-butter, and went
+
−down on one knee. "I'm a poor man, your Majesty," he began.
+
−
+
−"You're a _very_ poor _speaker_," said the King.
+
−
+
−Here one of the guinea-pigs cheered, and was immediately suppressed by
+
−the officers of the court. (As that is rather a hard word, I will just
+
−explain to you how it was done. They had a large canvas bag, which tied
+
−up at the mouth with strings: into this they slipped the guinea-pig,
+
−head first, and then sat upon it.)
+
−
+
−"I'm glad I've seen that done," thought Alice. "I've so often read in
+
−the newspapers, at the end of trials, 'There was some attempt at
+
−applause, which was immediately suppressed by the officers of the
+
−court,' and I never understood what it meant till now."
+
−
+
−"If that's all you know about it, you may stand down," continued the
+
−King.
+
−
+
−"I can't go no lower," said the Hatter: "I'm on the floor, as it is."
+
−
+
−"Then you may _sit_ down," the King replied.
+
−
+
−Here the other guinea-pig cheered, and was suppressed.
+
−
+
−"Come, that finishes the guinea-pigs!" thought Alice. "Now we shall get
+
−on better."
+
−
+
−"I'd rather finish my tea," said the Hatter, with an anxious look at
+
−the Queen, who was reading the list of singers.
+
−
+
−"You may go," said the King; and the Hatter hurriedly left the court,
+
−without even waiting to put his shoes on.
+
−
+
−"--and just take his head off outside," the Queen added to one of the
+
−officers; but the Hatter was out of sight before the officer could get
+
−to the door.
+
−
+
−"Call the next witness!" said the King.
+
−
+
−The next witness was the Duchess's cook. She carried the pepper-box in
+
−her hand, and Alice guessed who it was, even before she got into the
+
−court, by the way the people near the door began sneezing all at once.
+
−
+
−"Give your evidence," said the King.
+
−
+
−"Sha'n't," said the cook.
+
−
+
−The King looked anxiously at the White Rabbit, who said in a low voice,
+
−"Your Majesty must cross-examine _this_ witness."
+
−
+
−"Well, if I must, I must," the King said with a melancholy air, and,
+
−after folding his arms and frowning at the cook till his eyes were
+
−nearly out of sight, he said in a deep voice, "What are tarts made of?"
+
−
+
−"Pepper, mostly," said the cook.
+
−
+
−"Treacle," said a sleepy voice behind her.
+
−
+
−"Collar that Dormouse," the Queen shrieked out. "Behead that Dormouse!
+
−Turn that Dormouse out of court! Suppress him! Pinch him! Off with his
+
−whiskers."
+
−
+
−For some minutes the whole court was in confusion, getting the Dormouse
+
−turned out, and, by the time they had settled down again, the cook had
+
−disappeared.
+
−
+
−[Illustration]
+
−
+
−"Never mind!" said the King, with an air of great relief. "Call the next
+
−witness." And he added in an undertone to the Queen, "Really, my dear,
+
−_you_ must cross-examine the next witness. It quite makes my forehead
+
−ache!"
+
−
+
−Alice watched the White Rabbit as he fumbled over the list, feeling very
+
−curious to see what the next witness would be like, "--for they haven't
+
−got much evidence _yet_," she said to herself. Imagine her surprise,
+
−when the White Rabbit read out, at the top of his shrill little voice,
+
−the name "Alice!"
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−CHAPTER XII
+
−
+
−
+
−[Sidenote: _Alice's Evidence_]
+
−
+
−"HERE!" cried Alice, quite forgetting in the flurry of
+
−the moment how large she had grown in the last few minutes, and she
+
−jumped up in such a hurry that she tipped over the jury-box with the
+
−edge of her skirt, upsetting all the jurymen on to the heads of the
+
−crowd below, and there they lay sprawling about, reminding her very much
+
−of a globe of gold-fish she had accidentally upset the week before.
+
−
+
−"Oh, I _beg_ your pardon!" she exclaimed in a tone of great dismay, and
+
−began picking them up again as quickly as she could, for the accident of
+
−the gold-fish kept running in her head, and she had a vague sort of idea
+
−that they must be collected at once and put back into the jury-box, or
+
−they would die.
+
−
+
−"The trial cannot proceed," said the King in a very grave voice, "until
+
−all the jurymen are back in their proper places--_all_," he repeated
+
−with great emphasis, looking hard at Alice as he said so.
+
−
+
−Alice looked at the jury-box, and saw that, in her haste, she had put
+
−the Lizard in head downwards, and the poor little thing was waving its
+
−tail about in a melancholy way, being quite unable to move. She soon got
+
−it out again, and put it right; "not that it signifies much," she said
+
−to herself; "I should think it would be _quite_ as much use in the trial
+
−one way up as the other."
+
−
+
−As soon as the jury had a little recovered from the shock of being
+
−upset, and their slates and pencils had been found and handed back to
+
−them, they set to work very diligently to write out a history of the
+
−accident, all except the Lizard, who seemed too much overcome to do
+
−anything but sit with its mouth open, gazing up into the roof of the
+
−court.
+
−
+
−"What do you know about this business?" the King said to Alice.
+
−
+
−"Nothing," said Alice.
+
−
+
−"Nothing _whatever_?" persisted the King.
+
−
+
−"Nothing whatever," said Alice.
+
−
+
−"That's very important," the King said, turning to the jury. They were
+
−just beginning to write this down on their slates, when the White Rabbit
+
−interrupted: "_Un_important, your Majesty means, of course," he said in
+
−a very respectful tone, but frowning and making faces at him as he
+
−spoke.
+
−
+
−"_Un_important, of course, I meant," the King hastily said, and went on
+
−himself in an undertone,"important--unimportant--unimportant--important----"
+
−as if he were trying which word sounded best.
+
−
+
−Some of the jury wrote it down "important," and some "unimportant."
+
−Alice could see this, as she was near enough to look over their slates;
+
−"but it doesn't matter a bit," she thought to herself.
+
−
+
−At this moment the King, who had been for some time busily writing in
+
−his note-book, called out "Silence!" and read out from his book, "Rule
+
−Forty-two. _All persons more than a mile high to leave the court._"
+
−
+
−Everybody looked at Alice.
+
−
+
−"_I'm_ not a mile high," said Alice.
+
−
+
−"You are," said the King.
+
−
+
−"Nearly two miles high," added the Queen.
+
−
+
−"Well, I sha'n't go, at any rate," said Alice: "besides, that's not a
+
−regular rule: you invented it just now."
+
−
+
−"It's the oldest rule in the book," said the King.
+
−
+
−"Then it ought to be Number One," said Alice.
+
−
+
−The King turned pale, and shut his note-book hastily. "Consider your
+
−verdict," he said to the jury, in a low trembling voice.
+
−
+
−"There's more evidence to come yet, please your Majesty," said the White
+
−Rabbit, jumping up in a great hurry: "this paper has just been picked
+
−up."
+
−
+
−"What's in it?" said the Queen.
+
−
+
−"I haven't opened it yet," said the White Rabbit, "but it seems to be a
+
−letter, written by the prisoner to--to somebody."
+
−
+
−"It must have been that," said the King, "unless it was written to
+
−nobody, which isn't usual, you know."
+
−
+
−"Who is it directed to?" said one of the jurymen.
+
−
+
−"It isn't directed at all," said the White Rabbit; "in fact, there's
+
−nothing written on the _outside_." He unfolded the paper as he spoke,
+
−and added "It isn't a letter after all: it's a set of verses."
+
−
+
−"Are they in the prisoner's handwriting?" asked another of the jurymen.
+
−
+
−"No, they're not," said the White Rabbit, "and that's the queerest thing
+
−about it." (The jury all looked puzzled.)
+
−
+
−"He must have imitated somebody else's hand," said the King. (The jury
+
−all brightened up again.)
+
−
+
−"Please your Majesty," said the Knave, "I didn't write it, and they
+
−can't prove that I did: there's no name signed at the end."
+
−
+
−"If you didn't sign it," said the King, "that only makes the matter
+
−worse. You _must_ have meant some mischief, or else you'd have signed
+
−your name like an honest man."
+
−
+
−There was a general clapping of hands at this: it was the first really
+
−clever thing the King had said that day.
+
−
+
−"That _proves_ his guilt, of course," said the Queen: "so, off with----"
+
−
+
−"It doesn't prove anything of the sort!" said Alice. "Why, you don't
+
−even know what they're about!"
+
−
+
−"Read them," said the King.
+
−
+
−The White Rabbit put on his spectacles. "Where shall I begin, please
+
−your Majesty?" he asked.
+
−
+
−"Begin at the beginning," the King said gravely, "and go on till you
+
−come to the end; then stop."
+
−
+
−There was dead silence in the court, whilst the White Rabbit read out
+
−these verses:--
+
−
+
−          "They told me you had been to her,
+
−             And mentioned me to him:
+
−           She gave me a good character,
+
−             But said I could not swim.
+
−
+
−           He sent them word I had not gone,
+
−             (We know it to be true):
+
−           If she should push the matter on,
+
−             What would become of you?
+
−
+
−           I gave her one, they gave him two,
+
−             You gave us three or more;
+
−           They all returned from him to you,
+
−             Though they were mine before.
+
−
+
−           If I or she should chance to be
+
−             Involved in this affair,
+
−           He trusts to you to set them free,
+
−             Exactly as we were.
+
−
+
−           My notion was that you had been
+
−             (Before she had this fit)
+
−           An obstacle that came between
+
−             Him, and ourselves, and it.
+
−
+
−           Don't let him know she liked them best,
+
−             For this must ever be
+
−           A secret, kept from all the rest,
+
−             Between yourself and me."
+
−
+
−"That's the most important piece of evidence we've heard yet," said the
+
−King, rubbing his hands; "so now let the jury----"
+
−
+
−"If any of them can explain it," said Alice, (she had grown so large in
+
−the last few minutes that she wasn't a bit afraid of interrupting him,)
+
−"I'll give him sixpence. _I_ don't believe there's an atom of meaning in
+
−it."
+
−
+
−The jury all wrote down on their slates, "_She_ doesn't believe there's
+
−an atom of meaning in it," but none of them attempted to explain the
+
−paper.
+
−
+
−"If there's no meaning in it," said the King, "that saves a world of
+
−trouble, you know, as we needn't try to find any. And yet I don't
+
−know," he went on, spreading out the verses on his knee, and looking at
+
−them with one eye; "I seem to see some meaning in them after all.
+
−'----_said I could not swim_--' you can't swim can you?" he added,
+
−turning to the Knave.
+
−
+
−The Knave shook his head sadly. "Do I look like it?" he said. (Which he
+
−certainly did _not_, being made entirely of cardboard.)
+
−
+
−"All right, so far," said the King, as he went on muttering over the
+
−verses to himself: "'_We know it to be true_--' that's the jury, of
+
−course--'_If she should push the matter on_'--that must be the
+
−Queen--'_What would become of you?_'--What, indeed!--'_I gave her one,
+
−they gave him two_--' why, that must be what he did with the tarts, you
+
−know----"
+
−
+
−"But it goes on '_they all returned from him to you_,'" said Alice.
+
−
+
−"Why, there they are!" said the King triumphantly, pointing to the tarts
+
−on the table. "Nothing can be clearer than _that_. Then again--'_before
+
−she had this fit_--' you never had _fits_, my dear, I think?" he said to
+
−the Queen.
+
−
+
−"Never!" said the Queen furiously, throwing an inkstand at the Lizard
+
−as she spoke. (The unfortunate little Bill had left off writing on his
+
−slate with one finger, as he found it made no mark; but he now hastily
+
−began again, using the ink, that was trickling down his face, as long as
+
−it lasted.)
+
−
+
−"Then the words don't _fit_ you," said the King, looking round the court
+
−with a smile. There was a dead silence.
+
−
+
−"It's a pun!" the King added in an angry tone, and everybody laughed.
+
−
+
−"Let the jury consider their verdict," the King said, for about the
+
−twentieth time that day.
+
−
+
−"No, no!" said the Queen. "Sentence first--verdict afterwards."
+
−
+
−"Stuff and nonsense!" said Alice loudly. "The idea of having the
+
−sentence first!"
+
−
+
−"Hold your tongue!" said the Queen, turning purple.
+
−
+
−"I won't!" said Alice.
+
−
+
−"Off with her head!" the Queen shouted at the top of her voice. Nobody
+
−moved.
+
−
+
−"Who cares for _you_?" said Alice (she had grown to her full size by
+
−this time). "You're nothing but a pack of cards!"
+
−
+
−[Illustration: _At this the whole pack rose up into the air, and came
+
−flying down upon her_]
+
−
+
−At this the whole pack rose up into the air, and came flying down upon
+
−her: she gave a little scream, half of fright and half of anger, and
+
−tried to beat them off, and found herself lying on the bank, with her
+
−head in the lap of her sister, who was gently brushing away some dead
+
−leaves that had fluttered down from the trees upon her face.
+
−
+
−"Wake up, Alice dear!" said her sister. "Why, what a long sleep you've
+
−had!"
+
−
+
−"Oh, I've had such a curious dream!" said Alice, and she told her
+
−sister, as well as she could remember them, all these strange Adventures
+
−of hers that you have just been reading about; and when she had
+
−finished, her sister kissed her, and said "It _was_ a curious dream,
+
−dear, certainly: but now run in to your tea; it's getting late." So
+
−Alice got up and ran off, thinking while she ran, as well she might,
+
−what a wonderful dream it had been.
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−BUT her sister sat still just as she had left her, leaning her head,
+
−watching the setting sun, and thinking of little Alice and all her
+
−wonderful Adventures, till she too began dreaming after a fashion, and
+
−this was her dream:
+
−
+
−First, she dreamed of little Alice herself, and once again the tiny
+
−hands were clasped upon her knee, and the bright eager eyes were looking
+
−up into hers--she could hear the very tones of her voice, and see that
+
−queer little toss of her head to keep back the wandering hair that
+
−_would_ always get into her eyes--and still as she listened, or seemed
+
−to listen, the whole place around her became alive with the strange
+
−creatures of her little sister's dream.
+
−
+
−The long grass rustled at her feet as the White Rabbit hurried by--the
+
−frightened Mouse splashed his way through the neighbouring pool--she
+
−could hear the rattle of the teacups as the March Hare and his friends
+
−shared their never-ending meal, and the shrill voice of the Queen
+
−ordering off her unfortunate guests to execution--once more the pig-baby
+
−was sneezing on the Duchess' knee, while plates and dishes crashed
+
−around it--once more the shriek of the Gryphon, the squeaking of the
+
−Lizard's slate-pencil, and the choking of the suppressed guinea-pigs,
+
−filled the air, mixed up with the distant sobs of the miserable Mock
+
−Turtle.
+
−
+
−So she sat on with closed eyes, and half believed herself in Wonderland,
+
−though she knew she had but to open them again, and all would change to
+
−dull reality--the grass would be only rustling in the wind, and the pool
+
−rippling to the waving of the reeds--the rattling teacups would change
+
−to the tinkling sheep-bells, and the Queen's shrill cries to the voice
+
−of the shepherd boy--and the sneeze of the baby, the shriek of the
+
−Gryphon, and all the other queer noises, would change (she knew) to the
+
−confused clamour of the busy farm-yard--while the lowing of the cattle
+
−in the distance would take the place of the Mock Turtle's heavy sobs.
+
−
+
−Lastly, she pictured to herself how this same little sister of hers
+
−would, in the after-time, be herself a grown woman; and how she would
+
−keep, through all her riper years, the simple and loving heart of her
+
−childhood: and how she would gather about her other little children,
+
−and make _their_ eyes bright and eager with many a strange tale, perhaps
+
−even with the dream of Wonderland of long ago: and how she would feel
+
−with all their simple sorrows, and find a pleasure in all their simple
+
−joys, remembering her own child-life, and the happy summer days.
+
−
+
−
+
−THE END
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−          ILLUSTRATIONS REPRODUCED BY HENTSCHEL COLOURTYPE
+
−              TEXT PRINTED BY BALLANTYNE & COMPANY LTD
+
−                       AT THE BALLANTYNE PRESS
+
−                           TAVISTOCK STREET
+
−                                 LONDON
+
−
+
−       *       *       *       *       *
+
−
+
−Transcriber's Notes:
+
−
+
−Page 8, opening quote added to text (doorway; "and even if)
+
−
+
−Page 33, "she" changed to "she's" (And she's such a)
+
−
+
−Page 37, "quiet" changed to "quite" (I'm quite tired of)
+
−
+
−Page 41, colon changed to period (arm, yer honour.)
+
−
+
−Page 42, "wont" changed to "want" (want to stay)
+
−
+
−Page 66, closing quotation mark added (to-morrow----")
+
−
+
−Page 69, single quotation mark changed to double (cat," said the
+
−Duchess)
+
−
+
−Page 91, word "to" added to text (minute or two to)
+
−
+
−Page 103, word "as" added to the text (just as she had)
+
−
+
−Page 104, "hedge-hog" changed to "hedgehog" (send the hedgehog to)
+
−
+
−Page 126, end parenthesis added ("No, never")
+
−
+
−Page 153, added an apostrophe (What's in it?)
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−
+
−End of Project Gutenberg's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll
+
−
+
−*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND ***
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