CHAPTER1
Looking—GlasshouseOnethingwascertain,thattheWHITEkittenhadhadnothingtodowithit:——itwastheblackkitten’sfaultentirely。Forthewhitekittenhadbeenhavingitsfacewashedbytheoldcatforthelastquarterofanhour(andbearingitprettywell,considering);soyouseethatitCOULDN’Thavehadanyhandinthemischief。
ThewayDinahwashedherchildren’sfaceswasthis:firstsheheldthepoorthingdownbyitsearwithonepaw,andthenwiththeotherpawsherubbeditsfaceallover,thewrongway,beginningatthenose:andjustnow,asIsaid,shewashardatworkonthewhitekitten,whichwaslyingquitestillandtryingtopurr——nodoubtfeelingthatitwasallmeantforitsgood。
Buttheblackkittenhadbeenfinishedwithearlierintheafternoon,andso,whileAlicewassittingcurledupinacornerofthegreatarm—chair,halftalkingtoherselfandhalfasleep,thekittenhadbeenhavingagrandgameofrompswiththeballofworstedAlicehadbeentryingtowindup,andhadbeenrollingitupanddowntillithadallcomeundoneagain;andthereitwas,spreadoverthehearth—rug,allknotsandtangles,withthekittenrunningafteritsowntailinthemiddle。
`Oh,youwickedlittlething!’criedAlice,catchingupthekitten,andgivingitalittlekisstomakeitunderstandthatitwasindisgrace。`Really,Dinahoughttohavetaughtyoubettermanners!YouOUGHT,Dinah,youknowyouought!’sheadded,lookingreproachfullyattheoldcat,andspeakinginascrossavoiceasshecouldmanage——andthenshescrambledbackintothearm—chair,takingthekittenandtheworstedwithher,andbeganwindinguptheballagain。Butshedidn’tgetonveryfast,asshewastalkingallthetime,sometimestothekitten,andsometimestoherself。Kittysatverydemurelyonherknee,pretendingtowatchtheprogressofthewinding,andnowandthenputtingoutonepawandgentlytouchingtheball,asifitwouldbegladtohelp,ifitmight。
`Doyouknowwhatto—morrowis,Kitty?’Alicebegan。`You’dhaveguessedifyou’dbeenupinthewindowwithme——onlyDinahwasmakingyoutidy,soyoucouldn’t。Iwaswatchingtheboysgettinginsticksforthebonfire——anditwantsplentyofsticks,Kitty!Onlyitgotsocold,anditsnowedso,theyhadtoleaveoff。Nevermind,Kitty,we’llgoandseethebonfireto—morrow。’HereAlicewoundtwoorthreeturnsoftheworstedroundthekitten’sneck,justtoseehowitwouldlook:thisledtoascramble,inwhichtheballrolleddownuponthefloor,andyardsandyardsofitgotunwoundagain。
`Doyouknow,Iwassoangry,Kitty,’Alicewentonassoonastheywerecomfortablysettledagain,`whenIsawallthemischiefyouhadbeendoing,Iwasverynearlyopeningthewindow,andputtingyououtintothesnow!Andyou’dhavedeservedit,youlittlemischievousdarling!Whathaveyougottosayforyourself?Nowdon’tinterruptme!’shewenton,holdinguponefinger。`I’mgoingtotellyouallyourfaults。Numberone:
yousqueakedtwicewhileDinahwaswashingyourfacethismorning。Nowyoucan’tdenyit,Kitty:Iheardyou!Whatthatyousay?’(pretendingthatthekittenwasspeaking。)`Herpawwentintoyoureye?Well,that’sYOURfault,forkeepingyoureyesopen——ifyou’dshutthemtightup,itwouldn’thavehappened。Nowdon’tmakeanymoreexcuses,butlisten!Numbertwo:youpulledSnowdropawaybythetailjustasIhadputdownthesaucerofmilkbeforeher!What,youwerethirsty,wereyou?
Howdoyouknowshewasn’tthirstytoo?Nowfornumberthree:
youunwoundeverybitoftheworstedwhileIwasn’tlooking!
`That’sthreefaults,Kitty,andyou’venotbeenpunishedforanyofthemyet。YouknowI’msavingupallyourpunishmentsforWednesdayweek——SupposetheyhadsavedupallMYpunishments!’
shewenton,talkingmoretoherselfthanthekitten。`WhatWOULDtheydoattheendofayear?Ishouldbesenttoprison,Isuppose,whenthedaycame。Or——letmesee——supposeeachpunishmentwastobegoingwithoutadinner:then,whenthemiserabledaycame,Ishouldhavetogowithoutfiftydinnersatonce!Well,Ishouldn’tmindTHATmuch!I’dfarrathergowithoutthemthaneatthem!
`Doyouhearthesnowagainstthewindow—panes,Kitty?Howniceandsoftitsounds!Justasifsomeonewaskissingthewindowalloveroutside。IwonderifthesnowLOVESthetreesandfields,thatitkissesthemsogently?Andthenitcoversthemupsnug,youknow,withawhitequilt;andperhapsitsays,"Gotosleep,darlings,tillthesummercomesagain。"Andwhentheywakeupinthesummer,Kitty,theydressthemselvesallingreen,anddanceabout——wheneverthewindblows——oh,that’sverypretty!’criedAlice,droppingtheballofworstedtoclapherhands。`AndIdosoWISHitwastrue!I’msurethewoodslooksleepyintheautumn,whentheleavesaregettingbrown。
`Kitty,canyouplaychess?Now,don’tsmile,mydear,I’maskingitseriously。Because,whenwewereplayingjustnow,youwatchedjustasifyouunderstoodit:andwhenIsaid"Check!"
youpurred!Well,itWASanicecheck,Kitty,andreallyImighthavewon,ifithadn’tbeenforthatnastyKnight,thatcamewigglingdownamongmypieces。Kitty,dear,let’spretend——’
AndhereIwishIcouldtellyouhalfthethingsAliceusedtosay,beginningwithherfavouritephrase`Let’spretend。’Shehadhadquitealongargumentwithhersisteronlythedaybefore——allbecauseAlicehadbegunwith`Let’spretendwe’rekingsandqueens;’andhersister,wholikedbeingveryexact,hadarguedthattheycouldn’t,becausetherewereonlytwoofthem,andAlicehadbeenreducedatlasttosay,`Well,YOUcanbeoneofthemthen,andI’LLbealltherest。’Andonceshehadreallyfrightenedheroldnursebyshoutingsuddenlyinherear,`Nurse!
Dolet’spretendthatI’mahungryhyaena,andyou’reabone。’
ButthisistakingusawayfromAlice’sspeechtothekitten。
`Let’spretendthatyou’retheRedQueen,Kitty!Doyouknow,I
thinkifyousatupandfoldedyourarms,you’dlookexactlylikeher。Nowdotry,there’sadear!’AndAlicegottheRedQueenoffthetable,andsetitupbeforethekittenasamodelforittoimitate:however,thethingdidn’tsucceed,principally,Alicesaid,becausethekittenwouldn’tfolditsarmsproperly。
So,topunishit,sheheldituptotheLooking—glass,thatitmightseehowsulkyitwas——`andifyou’renotgooddirectly,’
sheadded,`I’llputyouthroughintoLooking—glassHouse。HowwouldyoulikeTHAT?’
`Now,ifyou’llonlyattend,Kitty,andnottalksomuch,I’lltellyouallmyideasaboutLooking—glassHouse。First,there’stheroomyoucanseethroughtheglass——that’sjustthesameasourdrawingroom,onlythethingsgotheotherway。IcanseeallofitwhenIgetuponachair——allbutthebitbehindthefireplace。Oh!IdosowishIcouldseeTHATbit!Iwantsomuchtoknowwhetherthey’veafireinthewinter:youneverCAN
tell,youknow,unlessourfiresmokes,andthensmokecomesupinthatroomtoo——butthatmaybeonlypretence,justtomakeitlookasiftheyhadafire。Wellthen,thebooksaresomethinglikeourbooks,onlythewordsgothewrongway;Iknowthat,becauseI’vehelduponeofourbookstotheglass,andthentheyholduponeintheotherroom。
`HowwouldyouliketoliveinLooking—glassHouse,Kitty?I
wonderifthey’dgiveyoumilkinthere?PerhapsLooking—glassmilkisn’tgoodtodrink——Butoh,Kitty!nowwecometothepassage。YoucanjustseealittlePEEPofthepassageinLooking—glassHouse,ifyouleavethedoorofourdrawing—roomwideopen:andit’sverylikeourpassageasfarasyoucansee,onlyyouknowitmaybequitedifferentonbeyond。Oh,Kitty!
howniceitwouldbeifwecouldonlygetthroughintoLooking—
glassHouse!I’msureit’sgot,oh!suchbeautifulthingsinit!
Let’spretendthere’sawayofgettingthroughintoit,somehow,Kitty。Let’spretendtheglasshasgotallsoftlikegauze,sothatwecangetthrough。Why,it’sturningintoasortofmistnow,Ideclare!It’llbeeasyenoughtogetthrough——’Shewasuponthechimney—piecewhileshesaidthis,thoughshehardlyknewhowshehadgotthere。AndcertainlytheglassWAS
beginningtomeltaway,justlikeabrightsilverymist。
InanothermomentAlicewasthroughtheglass,andhadjumpedlightlydownintotheLooking—glassroom。Theveryfirstthingshedidwastolookwhethertherewasafireinthefireplace,andshewasquitepleasedtofindthattherewasarealone,blazingawayasbrightlyastheoneshehadleftbehind。`SoI
shallbeaswarmhereasIwasintheoldroom,’thoughtAlice:
`warmer,infact,becausethere’llbenooneheretoscoldmeawayfromthefire。Oh,whatfunit’llbe,whentheyseemethroughtheglassinhere,andcan’tgetatme!’
Thenshebeganlookingabout,andnoticedthatwhatcouldbeseenfromtheoldroomwasquitecommonanduninteresting,butthatalltherestwasadifferentaspossible。Forinstance,thepicturesonthewallnextthefireseemedtobeallalive,andtheveryclockonthechimney—piece(youknowyoucanonlyseethebackofitintheLooking—glass)hadgotthefaceofalittleoldman,andgrinnedather。
`Theydon’tkeepthisroomsotidyastheother,’Alicethoughttoherself,asshenoticedseveralofthechessmendowninthehearthamongthecinders:butinanothermoment,withalittle`Oh!’ofsurprise,shewasdownonherhandsandkneeswatchingthem。Thechessmenwerewalkingabout,twoandtwo!
`HerearetheRedKingandtheRedQueen,’Alicesaid(inawhisper,forfearoffrighteningthem),`andtherearetheWhiteKingandtheWhiteQueensittingontheedgeoftheshovel——andherearetwocastleswalkingarminarm——Idon’tthinktheycanhearme,’shewenton,assheputherheadcloserdown,`andI’mnearlysuretheycan’tseeme。IfeelsomehowasifIwereinvisible——’
HeresomethingbegansqueakingonthetablebehindAlice,andmadeherturnherheadjustintimetoseeoneoftheWhitePawnsrolloverandbeginkicking:shewatcheditwithgreatcuriositytoseewhatwouldhappennext。
`Itisthevoiceofmychild!’theWhiteQueencriedoutassherushedpasttheKing,soviolentlythatsheknockedhimoveramongthecinders。`MypreciousLily!Myimperialkitten!’andshebeganscramblingwildlyupthesideofthefender。
`Imperialfiddlestick!’saidtheKing,rubbinghisnose,whichhadbeenhurtbythefall。HehadarighttobeaLITTLEannoyedwiththeQueen,forhewascoveredwithashesfromheadtofoot。
Alicewasveryanxioustobeofuse,and,asthepoorlittleLilywasnearlyscreamingherselfintoafit,shehastilypickeduptheQueenandsetheronthetablebythesideofhernoisylittledaughter。
TheQueengasped,andsatdown:therapidjourneythroughtheairhadquitetakenawayherbreathandforaminuteortwoshecoulddonothingbuthugthelittleLilyinsilence。Assoonasshehadrecoveredherbreathalittle,shecalledouttotheWhiteKing,whowassittingsulkilyamongtheashes,`Mindthevolcano!’
`Whatvolcano?’saidtheKing,lookingupanxiouslyintothefire,asifhethoughtthatwasthemostlikelyplacetofindone。
`Blew——me——up,’pantedtheQueen,whowasstillalittleoutofbreath。`Mindyoucomeup——theregularway——don’tgetblownup!’
AlicewatchedtheWhiteKingasheslowlystruggledupfrombartobar,tillatlastshesaid,`Why,you’llbehoursandhoursgettingtothetable,atthatrate。I’dfarbetterhelpyou,hadn’tI?’ButtheKingtooknonoticeofthequestion:itwasquiteclearthathecouldneitherhearhernorseeher。
SoAlicepickedhimupverygently,andliftedhimacrossmoreslowlythanshehadliftedtheQueen,thatshemightn’ttakehisbreathaway:but,beforesheputhimonthetable,shethoughtshemightaswelldusthimalittle,hewassocoveredwithashes。
ShesaidafterwardsthatshehadneverseeninallherlifesuchafaceastheKingmade,whenhefoundhimselfheldintheairbyaninvisiblehand,andbeingdusted:hewasfartoomuchastonishedtocryout,buthiseyesandhismouthwentongettinglargerandlarger,androunderandrounder,tillherhandshooksowithlaughingthatshenearlylethimdropuponthefloor。
`Oh!PLEASEdon’tmakesuchfaces,mydear!’shecriedout,quiteforgettingthattheKingcouldn’thearher。`YoumakemelaughsothatIcanhardlyholdyou!Anddon’tkeepyourmouthsowideopen!Alltheasheswillgetintoit——there,nowI
thinkyou’retidyenough!’sheadded,asshesmoothedhishair,andsethimuponthetableneartheQueen。
TheKingimmediatelyfellflatonhisback,andlayperfectlystill:andAlicewasalittlealarmedatwhatshehaddone,andwentroundtheroomtoseeifshecouldfindanywatertothrowoverhim。However,shecouldfindnothingbutabottleofink,andwhenshegotbackwithitshefoundhehadrecovered,andheandtheQueenweretalkingtogetherinafrightenedwhisper——solow,thatAlicecouldhardlyhearwhattheysaid。
TheKingwassaying,`Iassure,youmydear,Iturnedcoldtotheveryendsofmywhiskers!’
TowhichtheQueenreplied,`Youhaven’tgotanywhiskers。’
`Thehorrorofthatmoment,’theKingwenton,`Ishallnever,NEVERforget!’
`Youwill,though,’theQueensaid,`ifyoudon’tmakeamemorandumofit。’
AlicelookedonwithgreatinterestastheKingtookanenormousmemorandum—bookoutofhispocket,andbeganwriting。A
suddenthoughtstruckher,andshetookholdoftheendofthepencil,whichcamesomewayoverhisshoulder,andbeganwritingforhim。
ThepoorKinglookpuzzledandunhappy,andstruggledwiththepencilforsometimewithoutsayinganything;butAlicewastoostrongforhim,andatlasthepantedout,`Mydear!IreallyMUSTgetathinnerpencil。Ican’tmanagethisoneabit;itwritesallmannerofthingsthatIdon’tintend——’
`Whatmannerofthings?’saidtheQueen,lookingoverthebook(inwhichAlicehadput`THEWHITEKNIGHTISSLIDINGDOWNTHE
POKER。HEBALANCESVERYBADLY’)`That’snotamemorandumofYOURfeelings!’
TherewasabooklyingnearAliceonthetable,andwhileshesatwatchingtheWhiteKing(forshewasstillalittleanxiousabouthim,andhadtheinkallreadytothrowoverhim,incasehefaintedagain),sheturnedovertheleaves,tofindsomepartthatshecouldread,`——forit’sallinsomelanguageIdon’tknow,’shesaidtoherself。
Itwaslikethis。
YKCOWREBBAJ
sevotyhtilsehtdna,gillirbsawT`
ebawehtnielbmigdnaerygdiD
,sevogorobehterewysmimllA。ebargtuoshtaremomehtdnA
Shepuzzledoverthisforsometime,butatlastabrightthoughtstruckher。`Why,it’saLooking—glassbook,ofcourse!
AndifIholdituptoaglass,thewordswillallgotherightwayagain。’
ThiswasthepoemthatAliceread。
JABBERWOCKY
’Twasbrillig,andtheslithytovesDidgyreandgimbleinthewabe;
Allmimsyweretheborogoves,Andthemomerathsoutgrabe。
`BewaretheJabberwock,myson!
Thejawsthatbite,theclawsthatcatch!
BewaretheJujubbird,andshunThefrumiousBandersnatch!’
Hetookhisvorpalswordinhand:
Longtimethemanxomefoehesought——
SorestedhebytheTumtumtree,Andstoodawhileinthought。
Andasinuffishthoughthestood,TheJabberwock,witheyesofflame,Camewhifflingthroughthetulgeywood,Andburbledasitcame!
One,two!One,two!AndthroughandthroughThevorpalbladewentsnicker—snack!
Heleftitdead,andwithitsheadHewentgalumphingback。
`AndhasthouslaintheJabberwock?
Cometomyarms,mybeamishboy!
Ofrabjousday!Calloh!Callay!’
Hechortledinhisjoy。
’Twasbrillig,andtheslithytovesDidgyreandgimbleinthewabe;
Allmimsyweretheborogoves,Andthemomerathsoutgrabe。
`Itseemsverypretty,’shesaidwhenshehadfinishedit,`butit’sRATHERhardtounderstand!’(Youseeshedidn’tliketoconfess,evertoherself,thatshecouldn’tmakeitoutatall。)
`Somehowitseemstofillmyheadwithideas——onlyIdon’texactlyknowwhattheyare!However,SOMEBODYkilledSOMETHING:
that’sclear,atanyrate——’
`Butoh!’thoughtAlice,suddenlyjumpingup,`ifIdon’tmakehasteIshallhavetogobackthroughtheLooking—glass,beforeI’veseenwhattherestofthehouseislike!Let’shavealookatthegardenfirst!’Shewasoutoftheroominamoment,andrandownstairs——or,atleast,itwasn’texactlyrunning,butanewinventionofhersforgettingdownstairsquicklyandeasily,asAlicesaidtoherself。Shejustkeptthetipsofherfingersonthehand—rail,andfloatedgentlydownwithouteventouchingthestairswithherfeet;thenshefloatedonthroughthehall,andwouldhavegonestraightoutatthedoorinthesameway,ifshehadn’tcaughtholdofthedoor—post。Shewasgettingalittlegiddywithsomuchfloatingintheair,andwasrathergladtofindherselfwalkingagaininthenaturalway。
CHAPTERII
TheGardenofLiveFlowers`Ishouldseethegardenfarbetter,’saidAlicetoherself,`ifIcouldgettothetopofthathill:andhere’sapaththatleadsstraighttoit——atleast,no,itdoesn’tdothat——’
(aftergoingafewyardsalongthepath,andturningseveralsharpcorners),`butIsupposeitwillatlast。Buthowcuriouslyittwists!It’smorelikeacorkscrewthanapath!
Well,THISturngoestothehill,Isuppose——no,itdoesn’t!
Thisgoesstraightbacktothehouse!Wellthen,I’lltryittheotherway。’
Andsoshedid:wanderingupanddown,andtryingturnafterturn,butalwayscomingbacktothehouse,dowhatshewould。
Indeed,once,whensheturnedacornerrathermorequicklythanusual,sheranagainstitbeforeshecouldstopherself。
`It’snousetalkingaboutit,’Alicesaid,lookingupatthehouseandpretendingitwasarguingwithher。`I’mNOTgoinginagainyet。IknowIshouldhavetogetthroughtheLooking—glassagain——backintotheoldroom——andthere’dbeanendofallmyadventures!’
So,resolutelyturningherbackuponthehouse,shesetoutoncemoredownthepath,determinedtokeepstraightontillshegottothehill。Forafewminutesallwentonwell,andshewasjustsaying,`IreallySHALLdoitthistime——’
whenthepathgaveasuddentwistandshookitself(asshedescribeditafterwards),andthenextmomentshefoundherselfactuallywalkinginatthedoor。
’Oh,it’stoobad!’shecried。`Ineversawsuchahouseforgettingintheway!Never!’
However,therewasthehillfullinsight,sotherewasnothingtobedonebutstartagain。Thistimeshecameuponalargeflower—bed,withaborderofdaisies,andawillow—treegrowinginthemiddle。
`OTiger—lily,’saidAlice,addressingherselftoonethatwaswavinggracefullyaboutinthewind,`IWISHyoucouldtalk!’
`WeCANtalk,’saidtheTiger—lily:`whenthere’sanybodyworthtalkingto。’
Alicewassoastonishedthatshecouldnotspeakforaminute:
itquiteseemedtotakeherbreathaway。Atlength,astheTiger—lilyonlywentonwavingabout,shespokeagain,inatimidvoice——almostinawhisper。`AndcanALLtheflowerstalk?’
`AswellasYOUcan,’saidtheTiger—lily。`Andagreatdeallouder。’
`Itisn’tmannersforustobegin,youknow,’saidtheRose,`andIreallywaswonderingwhenyou’dspeak!SaidItomyself,"HerfacehasgotSOMEsenseinit,thoughtit’snotacleverone!"Still,you’retherightcolour,andthatgoesalongway。’
`Idon’tcareaboutthecolour,’theTiger—lilyremarked。`Ifonlyherpetalscurledupalittlemore,she’dbeallright。’
Alicedidn’tlikebeingcriticised,soshebeganaskingquestions。`Aren’tyousometimesfrightenedatbeingplantedouthere,withnobodytotakecareofyou?’
`There’sthetreeinthemiddle,’saidtheRose:`whatelseisitgoodfor?’
`Butwhatcoulditdo,ifanydangercame?’Aliceasked。
`Itsays"Bough—wough!"criedaDaisy:`that’swhyitsbranchesarecalledboughs!’
`Didn’tyouknowTHAT?’criedanotherDaisy,andheretheyallbeganshoutingtogether,tilltheairseemedquitefulloflittleshrillvoices。`Silence,everyoneofyou!’criedtheTiger—
lily,wavingitselfpassionatelyfromsidetoside,andtremblingwithexcitement。`TheyknowIcan’tgetatthem!’itpanted,bendingitsquiveringheadtowardsAlice,`ortheywouldn’tdaretodoit!’
`Nevermind!’Alicesaidinasoothingtone,andstoopingdowntothedaisies,whowerejustbeginningagain,shewhispered,`Ifyoudon’tholdyourtongues,I’llpickyou!’
Therewassilenceinamoment,andseveralofthepinkdaisiesturnedwhite。
`That’sright!’saidtheTiger—lily。`Thedaisiesareworstofall。Whenonespeaks,theyallbegintogether,andit’senoughtomakeonewithertohearthewaytheygoon!’
`Howisityoucanalltalksonicely?’Alicesaid,hopingtogetitintoabettertemperbyacompliment。`I’vebeeninmanygardensbefore,butnoneoftheflowerscouldtalk。’
`Putyourhanddown,andfeeltheground,’saidtheTiger—lily。
`Thenyou’llknowwhy。
Alicedidso。`It’sveryhard,’shesaid,`butIdon’tseewhatthathastodowithit。’
`Inmostgardens,’theTiger—lilysaid,`theymakethebedstoosoft——sothattheflowersarealwaysasleep。’
Thissoundedaverygoodreason,andAlicewasquitepleasedtoknowit。`Ineverthoughtofthatbefore!’shesaid。
`It’sMYopinionthatyouneverthinkATALL,’theRosesaidinaratherseveretone。
`Ineversawanybodythatlookedstupider,’aVioletsaid,sosuddenly,thatAlicequitejumped;forithadn’tspokenbefore。
`HoldYOURtongue!’criedtheTiger—lily。`AsifYOUeversawanybody!Youkeepyourheadundertheleaves,andsnoreawaythere,tillyouknownomorewhat’sgoingonintheworld,thanifyouwereabud!’
`Arethereanymorepeopleinthegardenbesidesme?’Alicesaid,notchoosingtonoticetheRose’slastremark。
`There’soneotherflowerinthegardenthatcanmoveaboutlikeyou,’saidtheRose。`Iwonderhowyoudoit——’(`You’realwayswondering,’saidtheTiger—lily),`butshe’smorebushythanyouare。’
`Isshelikeme?’Aliceaskedeagerly,forthethoughtcrossedhermind,`There’sanotherlittlegirlinthegarden,somewhere!’
`Well,shehasthesameawkwardshapeasyou,’theRosesaid,`butshe’sredder——andherpetalsareshorter,Ithink。’
`Herpetalsaredoneupclose,almostlikeadahlia,’theTiger—lilyinterrupted:`nottumbledaboutanyhow,likeyours。’
`Butthat’snotYOURfault,’theRoseaddedkindly:`you’rebeginningtofade,youknow——andthenonecan’thelpone’spetalsgettingalittleuntidy。’
Alicedidn’tlikethisideaatall:so,tochangethesubject,sheasked`Doessheevercomeouthere?’
`Idaresayyou’llseehersoon,’saidtheRose。`She’soneofthethornykind。’
`Wheredoesshewearthethorns?’Aliceaskedwithsomecuriosity。
`Whyallroundherhead,ofcourse,’theRosereplied。`IwaswonderingYOUhadn’tgotsometoo。Ithoughtitwastheregularrule。’
`She’scoming!’criedtheLarkspur。`Ihearherfootstep,thump,thump,thump,alongthegravel—walk!’
Alicelookedroundeagerly,andfoundthatitwastheRedQueen。`She’sgrownagooddeal!’washerfirstremark。Shehadindeed:whenAlicefirstfoundherintheashes,shehadbeenonlythreeincheshigh——andhereshewas,halfaheadtallerthanAliceherself!
`It’sthefreshairthatdoesit,’saidtheRose:
`wonderfullyfineairitis,outhere。’
`IthinkI’llgoandmeether,’saidAlice,for,thoughtheflowerswereinterestingenough,shefeltthatitwouldbefargrandertohaveatalkwitharealQueen。
`Youcan’tpossiblydothat,’saidtheRose:`_I_shouldadviseyoutowalktheotherway。’
ThissoundednonsensetoAlice,soshesaidnothing,butsetoffatoncetowardstheRedQueen。Tohersurprise,shelostsightofherinamoment,andfoundherselfwalkinginatthefront—dooragain。
Alittleprovoked,shedrewback,andafterlookingeverywhereforthequeen(whomshespiedoutatlast,alongwayoff),shethoughtshewouldtrytheplan,thistime,ofwalkingintheoppositedirection。
Itsucceededbeautifully。ShehadnotbeenwalkingaminutebeforeshefoundherselffacetofacewiththeRedQueen,andfullinsightofthehillshehadbeensolongaimingat。
`Wheredoyoucomefrom?’saidtheRedQueen。`Andwhereareyougoing?Lookup,speaknicely,anddon’ttwiddleyourfingersallthetime。’
Aliceattendedtoallthesedirections,andexplained,aswellasshecould,thatshehadlostherway。
`Idon’tknowwhatyoumeanbyYOURway,’saidtheQueen:`allthewaysaboutherebelongtoME——butwhydidyoucomeouthereatall?’sheaddedinakindertone。`Curtseywhileyou’rethinkingwhattosay,itsavestime。’
Alicewonderedalittleatthis,butshewastoomuchinaweoftheQueentodisbelieveit。`I’lltryitwhenIgohome,’shethoughttoherself。`thenexttimeI’malittlelatefordinner。’
`It’stimeforyoutoanswernow,’theQueensaid,lookingatherwatch:`openyourmouthaLITTLEwiderwhenyouspeak,andalwayssay"yourMajesty。"’
`Ionlywantedtoseewhatthegardenwaslike,yourMajesty——’
`That’sright,’saidtheQueen,pattingheronthehead,whichAlicedidn’tlikeatall,`though,whenyousay"garden,"——I’VE
seengardens,comparedwithwhichthiswouldbeawilderness。’
Alicedidn’tdaretoarguethepoint,butwenton:`——andI
thoughtI’dtryandfindmywaytothetopofthathill——’
`Whenyousay"hill,"’theQueeninterrupted,`_I_couldshowyouhills,incomparisonwithwhichyou’dcallthatavalley。’
`No,Ishouldn’t,’saidAlice,surprisedintocontradictingheratlast:`ahillCAN’Tbeavalley,youknow。Thatwouldbenonsense——’
TheRedQueenshookherhead,`Youmaycallit"nonsense"ifyoulike,’shesaid,`butI’VEheardnonsense,comparedwithwhichthatwouldbeassensibleasadictionary!’
Alicecurtseyedagain,asshewasafraidfromtheQueen’stonethatshewasaLITTLEoffended:andtheywalkedoninsilencetilltheygottothetopofthelittlehill。
ForsomeminutesAlicestoodwithoutspeaking,lookingoutinalldirectionsoverthecountry——andamostcuriouscountryitwas。Therewereanumberoftinylittlebrooksrunningstraightacrossitfromsidetoside,andthegroundbetweenwasdividedupintosquaresbyanumberoflittlegreenhedges,thatreachedfrombrooktobrook。
`Ideclareit’smarkedoutjustlikealargechessboard!’Alicesaidatlast。`Thereoughttobesomemenmovingaboutsomewhere——andsothereare!’Sheaddedinatoneofdelight,andherheartbegantobeatquickwithexcitementasshewenton。`It’sagreathugegameofchessthat’sbeingplayed——allovertheworld——ifthisIStheworldatall,youknow。Oh,whatfunitis!HowIWISHIwasoneofthem!Iwouldn’tmindbeingaPawn,ifonlyImightjoin——thoughofcourseIshouldLIKEtobeaQueen,best。’
SheglancedrathershylyattherealQueenasshesaidthis,buthercompaniononlysmiledpleasantly,andsaid,`That’seasilymanaged。YoucanbetheWhiteQueen’sPawn,ifyoulike,asLily’stooyoungtoplay;andyou’reintheSecondSquaretobeganwith:whenyougettotheEighthSquareyou’llbeaQueen——’Justatthismoment,somehoworother,theybegantorun。
Alicenevercouldquitemakeout,inthinkingitoverafterwards,howitwasthattheybegan:allsheremembersis,thattheywererunninghandinhand,andtheQueenwentsofastthatitwasallshecoulddotokeepupwithher:andstilltheQueenkeptcrying`Faster!Faster!’butAlicefeltsheCOULDNOT
gofaster,thoughshehadnotbreathlefttosayso。
Themostcuriouspartofthethingwas,thatthetreesandtheotherthingsroundthemneverchangedtheirplacesatall:
howeverfasttheywent,theyneverseemedtopassanything。`I
wonderifallthethingsmovealongwithus?’thoughtpoorpuzzledAlice。AndtheQueenseemedtoguessherthoughts,forshecried,`Faster!Don’ttrytotalk!’
NotthatAlicehadanyideaofdoingTHAT。Shefeltasifshewouldneverbeabletotalkagain,shewasgettingsomuchoutofbreath:andstilltheQueencried`Faster!Faster!’anddraggedheralong。`Arewenearlythere?’Alicemanagedtopantoutatlast。
`Nearlythere!’theQueenrepeated。`Why,wepassedittenminutesago!Faster!’Andtheyranonforatimeinsilence,withthewindwhistlinginAlice’sears,andalmostblowingherhairoffherhead,shefancied。
`Now!Now!’criedtheQueen。`Faster!Faster!’Andtheywentsofastthatatlasttheyseemedtoskimthroughtheair,hardlytouchingthegroundwiththeirfeet,tillsuddenly,justasAlicewasgettingquiteexhausted,theystopped,andshefoundherselfsittingontheground,breathlessandgiddy。
TheQueenproppedherupagainstatree,andsaidkindly,`Youmayrestalittlenow。’
Alicelookedroundheringreatsurprise。`Why,Idobelievewe’vebeenunderthistreethewholetime!Everything’sjustasitwas!’
`Ofcourseitis,’saidtheQueen,`whatwouldyouhaveit?’
`Well,inOURcountry,’saidAlice,stillpantingalittle,`you’dgenerallygettosomewhereelse——ifyouranveryfastforalongtime,aswe’vebeendoing。’
`Aslowsortofcountry!’saidtheQueen。`Now,HERE,yousee,ittakesalltherunningYOUcando,tokeepinthesameplace。
Ifyouwanttogetsomewhereelse,youmustrunatleasttwiceasfastasthat!’
`I’drathernottry,please!’saidAlice。`I’mquitecontenttostayhere——onlyIAMsohotandthirsty!’
`IknowwhatYOU’Dlike!’theQueensaidgood—naturedly,takingalittleboxoutofherpocket。`Haveabiscuit?’
Alicethoughtitwouldnotbeciviltosay`No,’thoughitwasn’tatallwhatshewanted。Soshetookit,andateitaswellasshecould:anditwasVERYdry;andshethoughtshehadneverbeensonearlychokedinallherlife。
`Whileyou’rerefreshingyourself,’saidtheQueen,`I’lljusttakethemeasurements。’Andshetookaribbonoutofherpocket,markedininches,andbeganmeasuringtheground,andstickinglittlepegsinhereandthere。
`Attheendoftwoyards,’shesaid,puttinginapegtomarkthedistance,`Ishallgiveyouyourdirections——haveanotherbiscuit?’
`No,thankyou,’saidAlice,:`one’sQUITEenough!’
`Thirstquenched,Ihope?’saidtheQueen。
Alicedidnotknowwhattosaytothis,butluckilytheQueendidnotwaitforananswer,butwenton。`AttheendofTHREE
yardsIshallrepeatthem——forfearofyourforgettingthem。
AtthenendofFOUR,Ishallsaygood—bye。AndatthenendofFIVE,Ishallgo!’
Shehadgotallthepegsputinbythistime,andAlicelookedonwithgreatinterestasshereturnedtothetree,andthenbeganslowlywalkingdowntherow。
Atthetwo—yardpegshefacedround,andsaid,`Apawngoestwosquaresinitsfirstmove,youknow。Soyou’llgoVERYquicklythroughtheThirdSquare——byrailway,Ishouldthink——andyou’llfindyourselfintheFourthSquareinnotime。Well,THAT
squarebelongstoTweedledumandTweedledee——theFifthismostlywater——theSixthbelongstoHumptyDumpty——Butyoumakenoremark?’
`I——Ididn’tknowIhadtomakeone——justthen,’Alicefalteredout。
`YouSHOULDhavesaid,’`"It’sextremelykindofyoutotellmeallthis"——however,we’llsupposeitsaid——theSeventhSquareisallforest——however,oneoftheKnightswillshowyoutheway——andintheEighthSquareweshallbeQueenstogether,andit’sallfeastingandfun!’Alicegotupandcurtseyed,andsatdownagain。
AtthenextpegtheQueenturnedagain,andthistimeshesaid,`SpeakinFrenchwhenyoucan’tthinkoftheEnglishforathing——turnoutyourtoesasyouwalk——andrememberwhoyouare!’
ShedidnotwaitforAlicetocurtseythistime,butwalkedonquicklytothenextpeg,wheresheturnedforamomenttosay`good—bye,’andthenhurriedontothelast。
Howithappened,Aliceneverknew,butexactlyasshecametothelastpeg,shewasgone。Whethershevanishedintotheair,orwhethersheranquicklyintothewood(`andsheCANrunveryfast!’thoughtAlice),therewasnowayofguessing,butshewasgone,andAlicebegantorememberthatshewasaPawn,andthatitwouldsoonbetimeforhertomove。
CHAPTERIII
Looking—GlassInsectsOfcoursethefirstthingtodowastomakeagrandsurveyofthecountryshewasgoingtotravelthrough。`It’ssomethingverylikelearninggeography,’thoughtAlice,asshestoodontiptoeinhopesofbeingabletoseealittlefurther。
`Principalrivers——thereAREnone。Principalmountains——I’montheonlyone,butIdon’tthinkit’sgotanyname。Principaltowns——why,whatAREthosecreatures,makinghoneydownthere?
Theycan’tbebees——nobodyeversawbeesamileoff,youknow——’
andforsometimeshestoodsilent,watchingoneofthemthatwasbustlingaboutamongtheflowers,pokingitsproboscisintothem,`justasifitwasaregularbee,’thoughtAlice。
However,thiswasanythingbutaregularbee:infactitwasanelephant——asAlicesoonfoundout,thoughtheideaquitetookherbreathawayatfirst。`Andwhatenormousflowerstheymustbe!’washernextidea。`Somethinglikecottageswiththeroofstakenoff,andstalksputtothem——andwhatquantitiesofhoneytheymustmake!IthinkI’llgodownand——no,Iwon’tJUSTyet,’shewenton,checkingherselfjustasshewasbeginningtorundownthehill,andtryingtofindsomeexcuseforturningshysosuddenly。`It’llneverdotogodownamongthemwithoutagoodlongbranchtobrushthemaway——andwhatfunit’llbewhentheyaskmehowIlikemywalk。Ishallsay——
"Oh,Ilikeitwellenough——"’(herecamethefavouritelittletossofthehead),`"onlyitwassodustyandhot,andtheelephantsdidteaseso!"’
`IthinkI’llgodowntheotherway,’shesaidafterapause:
`andperhapsImayvisittheelephantslateron。Besides,IdosowanttogetintotheThirdSquare!’
Sowiththisexcusesherandownthehillandjumpedoverthefirstofthesixlittlebrooks。
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`Tickets,please!’saidtheGuard,puttinghisheadinatthewindow。Inamomenteverybodywasholdingoutaticket:theywereaboutthesamesizeasthepeople,andquiteseemedtofillthecarriage。
`Nowthen!Showyourticket,child!’theGuardwenton,lookingangrilyatAlice。Andagreatmanyvoicesallsaidtogether(`likethechorusofasong,’thoughtAlice),`Don’tkeephimwaiting,child!Why,histimeisworthathousandpoundsaminute!’
`I’mafraidIhaven’tgotone,’Alicesaidinafrightenedtone:
`therewasn’taticket—officewhereIcamefrom。’Andagainthechorusofvoiceswenton。`Therewasn’troomforonewhereshecamefrom。Thelandthereisworthathousandpoundsaninch!’
`Don’tmakeexcuses,’saidtheGuard:`youshouldhaveboughtonefromtheengine—driver。’Andoncemorethechorusofvoiceswentonwith`Themanthatdrivestheengine。Why,thesmokealoneisworthathousandpoundsapuff!’
Alicethoughttoherself,`Thenthere’snouseinspeaking。’
Thevoicesdidn’tjoininthistime,asshehadn’tspoken,buttohergreatsurprise,theyallTHOUGHTinchorus(IhopeyouunderstandwhatTHINKINGINCHORUSmeans——forImustconfessthat_I_don’t),`Bettersaynothingatall。Languageisworthathousandpoundsaword!’
`Ishalldreamaboutathousandpoundstonight,IknowI
shall!’thoughtAlice。
AllthistimetheGuardwaslookingather,firstthroughatelescope,thenthroughamicroscope,andthenthroughanopera—
glass。Atlasthesaid,`You’retravellingthewrongway,’andshutupthewindowandwentaway。
`Soyoungachild,’saidthegentlemansittingoppositetoher(hewasdressedinwhitepaper),`oughttoknowwhichwayshe’sgoing,evenifshedoesn’tknowherownname!’
AGoat,thatwassittingnexttothegentlemaninwhite,shuthiseyesandsaidinaloudvoice,`Sheoughttoknowherwaytotheticket—office,evenifshedoesn’tknowheralphabet!’
TherewasaBeetlesittingnexttotheGoat(itwasaveryqueercarriage—fullofpassengersaltogether),and,astheruleseemedtobethattheyshouldallspeakinturn,HEwentonwith`She’llhavetogobackfromhereasluggage!’
Alicecouldn’tseewhowassittingbeyondtheBeetle,butahoarsevoicespokenext。`Changeengines——’itsaid,andwasobligedtoleaveoff。
`Itsoundslikeahorse,’Alicethoughttoherself。Andanextremelysmallvoice,closetoherear,said,`Youmightmakeajokeonthat——somethingabout"horse"and"hoarse,"youknow。’
Thenaverygentlevoiceinthedistancesaid,`Shemustbelabelled"Lass,withcare,"youknow——’
Andafterthatothervoiceswenton(Whatanumberofpeoplethereareinthecarriage!’thoughtAlice),saying,`Shemustgobypost,asshe’sgotaheadonher——’`Shemustbesentasamessagebythetelegraph——’`Shemustdrawthetrainherselftherestoftheway——’andsoon。
Butthegentlemandressedinwhitepaperleanedforwardsandwhisperedinherear,`Nevermindwhattheyallsay,mydear,buttakeareturn—ticketeverytimethetrainstops。’
`IndeedIshan’t!’Alicesaidratherimpatiently。`Idon’tbelongtothisrailwayjourneyatall——Iwasinawoodjustnow——andIwishIcouldgetbackthere。’
`YoumightmakeajokeonTHAT,’saidthelittlevoiceclosetoherear:`somethingabout"youWOULDifyoucould,"youknow。’
`Don’tteaseso,’saidAlice,lookingaboutinvaintoseewherethevoicecamefrom;`ifyou’resoanxioustohaveajokemade,whydon’tyoumakeoneyourself?’
Thelittlevoicesigheddeeply:itwasVERYunhappy,evidently,andAlicewouldhavesaidsomethingpityingtocomfortit,`Ifitwouldonlysighlikeotherpeople!’shethought。Butthiswassuchawonderfullysmallsigh,thatshewouldn’thavehearditatall,ifithadn’tcomeQUITEclosetoherear。Theconsequenceofthiswasthatittickledherearverymuch,andquitetookoffherthoughtsfromtheunhappinessofthepoorlittlecreature。
`Iknowyouareafriend,thelittlevoicewenton;`adearfriend,andanoldfriend。Andyouwon’thurtme,thoughIAManinsect。’
`Whatkindofinsect?’Aliceinquiredalittleanxiously。Whatshereallywantedtoknowwas,whetheritcouldstingornot,butshethoughtthiswouldn’tbequiteacivilquestiontoask。
`What,thenyoudon’t——’thelittlevoicebegan,whenitwasdrownedbyashrillscreamfromtheengine,andeverybodyjumpedupinalarm,Aliceamongtherest。
TheHorse,whohadputhisheadoutofthewindow,quietlydrewitinandsaid,`It’sonlyabrookwehavetojumpover。’
Everybodyseemedsatisfiedwiththis,thoughAlicefeltalittlenervousattheideaoftrainsjumpingatall。`However,it’lltakeusintotheFourthSquare,that’ssomecomfort!’shesaidtoherself。Inanothermomentshefeltthecarriagerisestraightupintotheair,andinherfrightshecaughtatthethingnearesttoherhand。whichhappenedtobetheGoat’sbeard。
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Butthebeardseemedtomeltawayasshetouchedit,andshefoundherselfsittingquietlyunderatree——whiletheGnat(forthatwastheinsectshehadbeentalkingto)wasbalancingitselfonatwigjustoverherhead,andfanningherwithitswings。
ItcertainlywasaVERYlargeGnat:`aboutthesizeofachicken,’Alicethought。Still,shecouldn’tfeelnervouswithit,aftertheyhadbeentalkingtogethersolong。
`——thenyoudon’tlikeallinsects?’theGnatwenton,asquietlyasifnothinghadhappened。
`Ilikethemwhentheycantalk,’Alicesaid。`Noneofthemevertalk,where_I_comefrom。’
`Whatsortofinsectsdoyourejoicein,whereYOUcomefrom?’
theGnatinquired。
`Idon’tREJOICEininsectsatall,’Aliceexplained,`becauseI’mratherafraidofthem——atleastthelargekinds。ButIcantellyouthenamesofsomeofthem。’
`Ofcoursetheyanswertotheirnames?’theGnatremarkedcarelessly。
`Ineverknewthemdoit。’
`What’stheuseoftheirhavingnamestheGnatsaid,`iftheywon’tanswertothem?’
`NousetoTHEM,’saidAlice;`butit’susefultothepeoplewhonamethem,Isuppose。Ifnot,whydothingshavenamesatall?’
`Ican’tsay,’theGnatreplied。`Furtheron,inthewooddownthere,they’vegotnonames——however,goonwithyourlistofinsects:you’rewastingtime。’
`Well,there’stheHorse—fly,’Alicebegan,countingoffthenamesonherfingers。
`Allright,’saidtheGnat:`halfwayupthatbush,you’llseeaRocking—horse—fly,ifyoulook。It’smadeentirelyofwood,andgetsaboutbyswingingitselffrombranchtobranch。’
`Whatdoesitliveon?’Aliceasked,withgreatcuriosity。
`Sapandsawdust,’saidtheGnat。`Goonwiththelist。’
AlicelookedupattheRocking—horse—flywithgreatinterest,andmadeuphermindthatitmusthavebeenjustrepainted,itlookedsobrightandsticky;andthenshewenton。
`Andthere’stheDragon—fly。’
`Lookonthebranchaboveyourhead,’saidtheGnat,`andthereyou’llfindasnap—dragon—fly。Itsbodyismadeofplum—pudding,itswingsofholly—leaves,anditsheadisaraisinburninginbrandy。’
`Andwhatdoesitliveon?’
`Frumentyandmincepie,’theGnatreplied;`anditmakesitsnestinaChristmasbox。’
`Andthenthere’stheButterfly,’Alicewenton,aftershehadtakenagoodlookattheinsectwithitsheadonfire,andhadthoughttoherself,`Iwonderifthat’sthereasoninsectsaresofondofflyingintocandles——becausetheywanttoturnintoSnap—dragon—flies!’
`Crawlingatyourfeet,’saidtheGnat(Alicedrewherfeetbackinsomealarm),`youmayobserveaBread—and—Butterfly。ItswingsarethinslicesofBread—and—butter,itsbodyisacrust,anditsheadisalumpofsugar。’
`AndwhatdoesITliveon?’
`Weakteawithcreaminit。’
AnewdifficultycameintoAlice’shead。`Supposingitcouldn’tfindany?’shesuggested。
`Thenitwoulddie,ofcourse。’
`Butthatmusthappenveryoften,’Aliceremarkedthoughtfully。
`Italwayshappens,’saidtheGnat。
Afterthis,Alicewassilentforaminuteortwo,pondering。
TheGnatamuseditselfmeanwhilebyhummingroundandroundherhead:atlastitsettledagainandremarked,`Isupposeyoudon’twanttoloseyourname?’
`No,indeed,’Alicesaid,alittleanxiously。
`AndyetIdon’tknow,’theGnatwentoninacarelesstone:
`onlythinkhowconvenientitwouldbeifyoucouldmanagetogohomewithoutit!Forinstance,ifthegovernesswantedtocallyoutoyourlessons,shewouldcallout"comehere——,"andthereshewouldhavetoleaveoff,becausetherewouldn’tbeanynameforhertocall,andofcourseyouwouldn’thavetogo,youknow。’
`Thatwouldneverdo,I’msure,’saidAlice:`thegovernesswouldneverthinkofexcusingmelessonsforthat。Ifshecouldn’tremembermyname,she’dcallme"Miss!"astheservantsdo。’
`Well。ifshesaid"Miss,"anddidn’tsayanythingmore,’theGnatremarked,`ofcourseyou’dmissyourlessons。That’sajoke。IwishYOUhadmadeit。’
`Whydoyouwish_I_hadmadeit?’Aliceasked。`It’saverybadone。’
ButtheGnatonlysigheddeeply,whiletwolargetearscamerollingdownitscheeks。
`Youshouldn’tmakejokes,’Alicesaid,`ifitmakesyousounhappy。’
Thencameanotherofthosemelancholylittlesighs,andthistimethepoorGnatreallyseemedtohavesigheditselfaway,for,whenAlicelookedup,therewasnothingwhatevertobeseenonthetwig,and,asshewasgettingquitechillywithsittingstillsolong,shegotupandwalkedon。
Sheverysooncametoanopenfield,withawoodontheothersideofit:itlookedmuchdarkerthanthelastwood,andAlicefeltaLITTLEtimidaboutgoingintoit。However,onsecondthoughts,shemadeuphermindtogoon:`forIcertainlywon’tgoBACK,’shethoughttoherself,andthiswastheonlywaytotheEighthSquare。
`Thismustbethewood,shesaidthoughtfullytoherself,`wherethingshavenonames。Iwonderwhat’llbecomeofMYnamewhenIgoin?Ishouldn’tliketoloseitatall——becausethey’dhavetogivemeanother,anditwouldbealmostcertaintobeanuglyone。Butthenthefunwouldbetryingtofindthecreaturethathadgotmyoldname!That’sjustliketheadvertisements,youknow,whenpeoplelosedogs——"ANSWERSTO
THENAMEOF`DASH:’HADONABRASSCOLLAR"——justfancycallingeverythingyoumet"Alice,"tilloneofthemanswered!Onlytheywouldn’tansweratall,iftheywerewise。’
Shewasramblingoninthiswaywhenshereachedthewood:itlookedverycoolandshady。`Well,atanyrateit’sagreatcomfort,’shesaidasshesteppedunderthetrees,`afterbeingsohot,togetintothe——intoWHAT?’shewenton,rathersurprisedatnotbeingabletothinkoftheword。`Imeantogetunderthe——underthe——underTHIS,youknow!’puttingherhandonthetrunkofthetree。`WhatDOESitcallitself,I
wonder?Idobelieveit’sgotnoname——why,tobesureithasn’t!’
Shestoodsilentforaminute,thinking:thenshesuddenlybeganagain。`ThenitreallyHAShappened,afterall!Andnow,whoamI?IWILLremember,ifIcan!I’mdeterminedtodoit!’
Butbeingdetermineddidn’thelpmuch,andallshecouldsay,afteragreatdealofpuzzling,was,`L,IKNOWitbeginswithL!’
JustthenaFawncamewanderingby:itlookedatAlicewithitslargegentleeyes,butdidn’tseematallfrightened。`Herethen!Herethen!’Alicesaid,assheheldoutherhandandtriedtostrokeit;butitonlystartedbackalittle,andthenstoodlookingatheragain。
`Whatdoyoucallyourself?’theFawnsaidatlast。Suchasoftsweetvoiceithad!
`IwishIknew!’thoughtpoorAlice。Sheanswered,rathersadly,`Nothing,justnow。’
`Thinkagain,’itsaid:`thatwon’tdo。’
Alicethought,butnothingcameofit。`Please,wouldyoutellmewhatYOUcallyourself?’shesaidtimidly。`Ithinkthatmighthelpalittle。’
`I’lltellyou,ifyou’llmovealittlefurtheron,’theFawnsaid。
`Ican’trememberhere。’
Sotheywalkedontogetherthoughthewood,AlicewithherarmsclaspedlovinglyroundthesoftneckoftheFawn,tilltheycameoutintoanotheropenfield,andheretheFawngaveasuddenboundintotheair,andshookitselffreefromAlice’sarms。
`I’maFawn!’itcriedoutinavoiceofdelight,`and,dearme!
you’reahumanchild!’Asuddenlookofalarmcameintoitsbeautifulbrowneyes,andinanothermomentithaddartedawayatfullspeed。
Alicestoodlookingafterit,almostreadytocrywithvexationathavinglostherdearlittlefellow—travellersosuddenly。
`However,Iknowmynamenow。’shesaid,`that’sSOMEcomfort。
Alice——Alice——Iwon’tforgetitagain。Andnow,whichofthesefinger—postsoughtItofollow,Iwonder?’
Itwasnotaverydifficultquestiontoanswer,astherewasonlyoneroadthroughthewood,andthetwofinger—postsbothpointedalongit。`I’llsettleit,’Alicesaidtoherself,`whentheroaddividesandtheypointdifferentways。’
Butthisdidnotseemlikelytohappen。Shewentonandon,alongway,butwherevertheroaddividedthereweresuretobetwofinger—postspointingthesameway,onemarked`TOTWEEDLEDUM’S
HOUSE’andtheother`TOTHEHOUSEOFTWEEDLEDEE。’
`Idobelieve,’saidAliceatlast,`thattheyliveinthesamehouse!IwonderIneverthoughtofthatbefore——ButIcan’tstaytherelong。I’lljustcallandsay"howd’youdo?"andaskthemthewayoutofthewood。IfIcouldonlygettotheEighthSquarebeforeitgetsdark!’Soshewanderedon,talkingtoherselfasshewent,till,onturningasharpcorner,shecameupontwofatlittlemen,sosuddenlythatshecouldnothelpstartingback,butinanothermomentsherecoveredherself,feelingsurethattheymustbeCHAPTERIV
TWEEDLEDUMANDTWEEDLEDEE
Theywerestandingunderatree,eachwithanarmroundtheother’sneck,andAliceknewwhichwaswhichinamoment,becauseoneofthemhad`DUM’embroideredonhiscollar,andtheother`DEE。’`Isupposethey’veeachgot"TWEEDLE"roundatthebackofthecollar,’shesaidtoherself。
Theystoodsostillthatshequiteforgottheywerealive,andshewasjustlookingroundtoseeiftheword"TWEEDLE"waswrittenatthebackofeachcollar,whenshewasstartledbyavoicecomingfromtheonemarked`DUM。’
`Ifyouthinkwe’rewax—works,’hesaid,`yououghttopay,youknow。Wax—worksweren’tmadetobelookedatfornothing,nohow!’
`Contrariwise,’addedtheonemarked`DEE,’`ifyouthinkwe’realive,yououghttospeak。’
`I’msureI’mverysorry,’wasallAlicecouldsay;forthewordsoftheoldsongkeptringingthroughherheadlikethetickingofaclock,andshecouldhardlyhelpsayingthemoutloud:——
`TweedledumandTweedledeeAgreedtohaveabattle;
ForTweedledumsaidTweedledeeHadspoiledhisnicenewrattle。
Justthenflewdownamonstrouscrow,Asblackasatar—barrel;
Whichfrightenedboththeheroesso,Theyquiteforgottheirquarrel。’
`Iknowwhatyou’rethinkingabout,’saidTweedledum:`butitisn’tso,nohow。’
`Contrariwise,’continuedTweedledee,`ifitwasso,itmightbe;andifitwereso,itwouldbe;butasitisn’t,itain’t。
That’slogic。’
`Iwasthinking,’Alicesaidverypolitely,`whichisthebestwayoutofthiswood:it’sgettingsodark。Wouldyoutellme,please?’
Butthelittlemenonlylookedateachotherandgrinned。
Theylookedsoexactlylikeacoupleofgreatschoolboys,thatAlicecouldn’thelppointingherfingeratTweedledum,andsaying`FirstBoy!’
`Nohow!’Tweedledumcriedoutbriskly,andshuthismouthupagainwithasnap。
`NextBoy!’saidAlice,passingontoTweedledee,thoughshefeltquitecertainhewouldonlyshoutout`Contrariwise!’andsohedid。
`You’vebeenwrong!’criedTweedledum。`Thefirstthinginavisitistosay"Howd’yedo?"andshakehands!’Andherethetwobrothersgaveeachotherahug,andthentheyheldoutthetwohandsthatwerefree,toshakehandswithher。
Alicedidnotlikeshakinghandswitheitherofthemfirst,forfearofhurtingtheotherone’sfeelings;so,asthebestwayoutofthedifficulty,shetookholdofbothhandsatonce:thenextmomenttheyweredancingroundinaring。Thisseemedquitenatural(sherememberedafterwards),andshewasnotevensurprisedtohearmusicplaying:itseemedtocomefromthetreeunderwhichtheyweredancing,anditwasdone(aswellasshecouldmakeitout)bythebranchesrubbingoneacrosstheother,likefiddlesandfiddle—sticks。
`ButitcertainlyWASfunny,’(Alicesaidafterwards,whenshewastellinghersisterthehistoryofallthis,)`tofindmyselfsinging"HEREWEGOROUNDTHEMULBERRYBUSH。"Idon’tknowwhenIbeganit,butsomehowIfeltasifI’dbeensingingitalonglongtime!’
Theothertwodancerswerefat,andverysoonoutofbreath。
`Fourtimesroundisenoughforonedance,’Tweedledumpantedout,andtheyleftoffdancingassuddenlyastheyhadbegun:
themusicstoppedatthesamemoment。
ThentheyletgoofAlice’shands,andstoodlookingatherforaminute:therewasaratherawkwardpause,asAlicedidn’tknowhowtobeginaconversationwithpeopleshehadjustbeendancingwith。`Itwouldneverdotosay"Howd’yedo?"NOW,’shesaidtoherself:`weseemtohavegotbeyondthat,somehow!’
`Ihopeyou’renotmuchtired?’shesaidatlast。
`Nohow。AndthankyouVERYmuchforasking,’saidTweedledum。
`Somuchobliged!’addedTweedledee。`Youlikepoetry?’
`Ye—es。prettywell——SOMEpoetry,’Alicesaiddoubtfully。
`Wouldyoutellmewhichroadleadsoutofthewood?’
`WhatshallIrepeattoher?’saidTweedledee,lookingroundatTweedledumwithgreatsolemneyes,andnotnoticingAlice’squestion。
`"THEWALRUSANDTHECARPENTER"isthelongest,’Tweedledumreplied,givinghisbrotheranaffectionatehug。
Tweedledeebeganinstantly:
`Thesunwasshining——’
HereAliceventuredtointerrupthim。`Ifit’sVERYlong,’shesaid,aspolitelyasshecould,`wouldyoupleasetellmefirstwhichroad——’
Tweedledeesmiledgently,andbeganagain:
`Thesunwasshiningonthesea,Shiningwithallhismight:
HedidhisverybesttomakeThebillowssmoothandbright——
Andthiswasodd,becauseitwasThemiddleofthenight。
Themoonwasshiningsulkily,BecauseshethoughtthesunHadgotnobusinesstobethereAfterthedaywasdone——
"It’sveryrudeofhim,"shesaid,"Tocomeandspoilthefun!"
Theseawaswetaswetcouldbe,Thesandsweredryasdry。
Youcouldnotseeacloud,becauseNocloudwasinthesky:
Nobirdswereflyingoverhead——
Therewerenobirdstofly。
TheWalrusandtheCarpenterWerewalkingcloseathand;
TheyweptlikeanythingtoseeSuchquantitiesofsand:
"Ifthiswereonlyclearedaway,"
Theysaid,"itWOULDbegrand!"
"IfsevenmaidswithsevenmopsSweptitforhalfayear,Doyousuppose,"theWalrussaid,"Thattheycouldgetitclear?"
"Idoubtit,"saidtheCarpenter,Andshedabittertear。
"OOysters,comeandwalkwithus!"
TheWalrusdidbeseech。
"Apleasantwalk,apleasanttalk,Alongthebrinybeach:
Wecannotdowithmorethanfour,Togiveahandtoeach。"
TheeldestOysterlookedathim。
Butneverawordhesaid:
TheeldestOysterwinkedhiseye,Andshookhisheavyhead——
MeaningtosayhedidnotchooseToleavetheoyster—bed。
Butfouryoungoystershurriedup,Alleagerforthetreat:
Theircoatswerebrushed,theirfaceswashed,Theirshoeswerecleanandneat——
Andthiswasodd,because,youknow,Theyhadn’tanyfeet。