‘I deny it!’ said the March Hare.
way, and the whole party swam to the shore.
lessons in here? Why, there’s hardly room for YOU, and no room at all
would be offended again.
‘So he did, so he did,’ said the Gryphon, sighing in his turn; and both
very glad that it was over at last: ‘and I do so like that curious song
come to the end: then stop.’
down on one knee. ‘I’m a poor man, your Majesty,’ he began.
CHAPTER IV. The Rabbit Sends in a Little Bill
YOU.--Come,
were nowhere to be found: all she could see, when she looked down, was
‘Anything you like,’ said the Footman, and began whistling.
and crept a little way out of the wood to listen.
‘You couldn’t have wanted it much,’ said Alice; ‘living at the bottom of
‘I speak severely to my boy,
picking the daisies, when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran
‘Cheshire Puss,’ she began, rather timidly, as she did not at all know
snappishly. ‘You’re enough to try the patience of an oyster!’
‘How doth the little crocodile
know.’
First came ten soldiers carrying clubs; these were all shaped like
‘How doth the little crocodile
began picking them up again as quickly as she could, for the accident of
‘Not a bit,’ said the Caterpillar.
The Mock Turtle went on.
‘Then you should say what you mean,’ the March Hare went on.
‘I’VE been to a day-school, too,’ said Alice; ‘you needn’t be so proud
for apples, yer honour!’
dear, certainly: but now run in to your tea; it’s getting late.’ So
beheaded, and that you weren’t to talk nonsense.
their eyes and mouths so VERY wide, but she gained courage as she went
First it marked out a race-course, in a sort of circle, [‘the exact
CHAPTER III. A Caucus-Race and a Long Tale
wood--(she considered him to be a footman because he was in livery:
can’t think! And oh, I wish you could see her after the birds! Why,
As soon as the jury had a little recovered from the shock of being
real Mary Ann, and be turned out of the house before she had found the
again, sitting on a branch of a tree.
This question the Dodo could not answer without a great deal of thought,
‘for I can’t understand it myself to begin with; and being so many
‘That WAS a narrow escape!’ said Alice, a good deal frightened at the
anxiously over his shoulder as he spoke, and then raised himself upon
with such a puzzled expression that she could not help bursting out
sure I don’t want to stay in here any longer!’
‘We indeed!’ cried the Mouse, who was trembling down to the end of his
Alice said nothing: she had never been so much contradicted in her life
thought: still it had VERY long claws and a great many teeth, so she
‘The first thing I’ve got to do,’ said Alice to herself, as she wandered
take me for a dunce? Go on!’
Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join the dance.
myself about you: you must manage the best way you can;--but I must be
And with that she began nursing her child again, singing a sort of
themselves flat upon their faces. There was a sound of many footsteps,
very little! Besides, SHE’S she, and I’m I, and--oh dear, how puzzling
time.) ‘You’re nothing but a pack of cards!’
themselves.”’
‘Then it ought to be Number One,’ said Alice.
a deal too flustered to tell you--all I know is, something comes at me
‘ARE you to get in at all?’ said the Footman. ‘That’s the first
King put on his spectacles and looked anxiously round, to make out who
‘You are not attending!’ said the Mouse to Alice severely. ‘What are you
and was just going to leave the room, when her eye fell upon a little
drawing of a muchness?’
mice in the air, I’m afraid, but you might catch a bat, and that’s very
‘A fine day, your Majesty!’ the Duchess began in a low, weak voice.
the Lizard in head downwards, and the poor little thing was waving its
as she spoke. (The unfortunate little Bill had left off writing on his
‘Which is just the case with MINE,’ said the Hatter.
came upon a neat little house, on the door of which was a bright brass
Why, I do it again and again.’
YOU.--Come,
then, when you’ve cleared all the jelly-fish out of the way--’
it trot away quietly into the wood. ‘If it had grown up,’ she said
thinking of?’
‘To begin with,’ said the Cat, ‘a dog’s not mad. You grant that?’
‘you shouldn’t have put it in with the bread-knife.’
‘You are not attending!’ said the Mouse to Alice severely. ‘What are you
them, they set to work very diligently to write out a history of the
sea, some children digging in the sand with wooden spades, then a row
‘Yes, it IS his business!’ said Five, ‘and I’ll tell him--it was for
leading right into it. ‘That’s very curious!’ she thought. ‘But
Alas! it was too late to wish that! She went on growing, and growing,
‘Digging for apples, indeed!’ said the Rabbit angrily. ‘Here! Come and
that--only the March Hare said--’
‘They couldn’t have done that, you know,’ Alice gently remarked; ‘they’d
a little pattering of footsteps in the distance, and she looked up
A secret, kept from all the rest,
then a voice she had never heard before, ‘Sure then I’m here! Digging
It’s enough to drive one crazy!’
of being all alone here!’
In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how
I THINK I can kick a little!’
faces, so that they couldn’t see it?’ So she stood still where she was,
the place of the March Hare. The Hatter was the only one who got any
‘With extras?’ asked the Mock Turtle a little anxiously.
remembered that she still held the pieces of mushroom in her hands, and
croquet-ground.
‘I’m a poor man, your Majesty,’ the Hatter began, in a trembling voice,
and yawned once or twice, and shook itself. Then it got down off the
‘I do,’ Alice hastily replied; ‘at least--at least I mean what I
led into the garden. Then she went to work nibbling at the mushroom (she
‘Then it ought to be Number One,’ said Alice.
on.’
uncomfortably sharp chin. However, she did not like to be rude, so she
nearly out of sight, he said in a deep voice, ‘What are tarts made of?’
This piece of rudeness was more than Alice could bear: she got up in
know why it’s called a whiting?’
as “I sleep when I breathe”!’
Then they all crowded round her once more, while the Dodo solemnly
of the cattle in the distance would take the place of the Mock Turtle’s
fear they should forget them before the end of the trial.’
‘I said pig,’ replied Alice; ‘and I wish you wouldn’t keep appearing and
It’s enough to drive one crazy!’
(IF you don’t know what a Gryphon is, look at the picture.) ‘Up, lazy
‘Of course not,’ said the Mock Turtle: ‘why, if a fish came to ME, and
down in a large arm-chair at one end of the table.
blow with its head, it WOULD twist itself round and look up in her face,
cause,
for any lesson-books!’
‘Hadn’t time,’ said the Gryphon: ‘I went to the Classics master, though.
‘The lobsters!’ shouted the Gryphon, with a bound into the air.
Alice.
Suddenly she came upon a little three-legged table, all made of solid
led into the garden. Then she went to work nibbling at the mushroom (she
ear and left foot, so as to prevent its undoing itself,) she carried
it to make it stop.
Forty-two. ALL PERSONS MORE THAN A MILE HIGH TO LEAVE THE COURT.’
anxiously round to see if he would deny it too: but the Dormouse denied
‘In my youth,’ said his father, ‘I took to the law,
like them raw.’
‘How queer it seems,’ Alice said to herself, ‘to be going messages for
‘We had the best of educations--in fact, we went to school every day--’
Then the Queen left off, quite out of breath, and said to Alice, ‘Have
However, everything is queer to-day.’
in a natural way.
‘Certainly not!’ said Alice indignantly.
time round, she came upon a low curtain she had not noticed before, and
told me he was going a journey, I should say “With what porpoise?”’
‘And that’s the jury-box,’ thought Alice, ‘and those twelve creatures,’
cupboards and book-shelves; here and there she saw maps and pictures
mouse to the
‘Exactly so,’ said the Hatter: ‘as the things get used up.’
liked, so that it was not easy to know when the race was over. However,
Alice thought the whole thing very absurd, but they all looked so grave
make THEIR eyes bright and eager with many a strange tale, perhaps even
Alice said nothing; she had sat down with her face in her hands,
witness.’ And he added in an undertone to the Queen, ‘Really, my dear,
The Duchess took her choice, and was gone in a moment.
hastily.
her life; it was all ridges and furrows; the balls were live hedgehogs,
rather a handsome pig, I think.’ And she began thinking over other
When the procession came opposite to Alice, they all stopped and looked
to be done, I wonder?’ As she said this, she came suddenly upon an open
‘Anything you like,’ said the Footman, and began whistling.
‘I’ve tried the roots of trees, and I’ve tried banks, and I’ve tried
looking for it, while the rest of the party went back to the game.
‘Yes!’ shouted Alice.
growing, and she was quite surprised to find that she remained the same
a doze; but, on being pinched by the Hatter, it woke up again with
all. I needn’t be afraid of them!’
‘Swim after them!’ screamed the Gryphon.
‘Mary Ann! Mary Ann!’ said the voice. ‘Fetch me my gloves this moment!’
added the Gryphon; and then they both sat silent and looked at poor
remained some time after the rest of it had gone.
they walked off together.
‘Perhaps it hasn’t one,’ Alice ventured to remark.
hastily, for the White Rabbit cried out, ‘Silence in the court!’ and the
listen, the whole place around her became alive with the strange creatures
There was not a moment to be lost: away went Alice like the wind, and
‘You couldn’t have wanted it much,’ said Alice; ‘living at the bottom of
This was such a new idea to Alice, that she was quite silent for a
hand again, and made another snatch in the air. This time there were
‘Never!’ said the Queen furiously, throwing an inkstand at the Lizard
without a cat! It’s the most curious thing I ever saw in my life!’
‘Not a bit,’ said the Caterpillar.
in the middle, being held up by two guinea-pigs, who were giving it
trouble, you know, as we needn’t try to find any. And yet I don’t know,’
which the wretched Hatter trembled so, that he shook both his shoes off.
‘If you knew Time as well as I do,’ said the Hatter, ‘you wouldn’t talk
him,) ‘I’ll give him sixpence. _I_ don’t believe there’s an atom of
about in the wood, ‘is to grow to my right size again; and the second
Still she went on growing, and, as a last resource, she put one arm out
CHORUS.
by the time he had come back with the Duchess, it had entirely
As a duck with its eyelids, so he with his nose
that “I see what I eat” is the same thing as “I eat what I see”!’
business of MINE.’
the pool, and the great hall, with the glass table and the little door,
‘Oh, as to the whiting,’ said the Mock Turtle, ‘they--you’ve seen them,
notice this last remark.
‘How do you like the Queen?’ said the Cat in a low voice.
‘Boots and shoes under the sea,’ the Gryphon went on in a deep voice,
like a mouse, you know. But do cats eat bats, I wonder?’ And here Alice
murder to leave it behind?’ She said the last words out loud, and the
shouldn’t be hungry for it, you know.’
‘I’m NOT a serpent!’ said Alice indignantly. ‘Let me alone!’
CHAPTER XII. Alice’s Evidence
“it” means.’
fetch it here, lad!--Here, put ‘em up at this corner--No, tie ‘em
but it said nothing.
again, no wonder she felt unhappy.
So she sat on, with closed eyes, and half believed herself in
in the direction it pointed to, without trying to explain the mistake it
sea, some children digging in the sand with wooden spades, then a row
*    *    *    *    *    *    *
Soo--oop of the e--e--evening,
Alice opened the door and found that it led into a small passage, not
They very soon came upon a Gryphon, lying fast asleep in the sun.
it was in March.’ As she said this, she looked up, and there was the Cat
tears.
down the bottle, saying to herself ‘That’s quite enough--I hope I shan’t
‘She boxed the Queen’s ears--’ the Rabbit began. Alice gave a little
‘Fury said to a
‘Swim after them!’ screamed the Gryphon.
standing before them, in chains, with a soldier on each side to guard
otherwise, judging by his face only, she would have called him a
which the wretched Hatter trembled so, that he shook both his shoes off.
Once more she found herself in the long hall, and close to the little
things are “much of a muchness”--did you ever see such a thing as a
do well enough; don’t be particular--Here, Bill! catch hold of this
well.
deep and reaching half down the hall.
nothing
occasional exclamation of ‘Hjckrrh!’ from the Gryphon, and the constant
perhaps after all it might tell her something worth hearing. For some
The Queen’s argument was, that if something wasn’t done about it in less
Rabbit returning, splendidly dressed, with a pair of white kid gloves in
So Alice began telling them her adventures from the time when she first
sat down and cried.
about the whiting!’
or two, it was as much as she could do to hold it.
She ate a little bit, and said anxiously to herself, ‘Which way? Which
‘What trial is it?’ Alice panted as she ran; but the Gryphon only
law: I will
her knowledge of history, Alice had no very clear notion how long ago
telescope.’
name like an honest man.’
and Alice looked round, eager to see the Queen.
‘Please would you tell me,’ said Alice, a little timidly, for she was
Soo--oop of the e--e--evening,
the patriotic archbishop of Canterbury, found it advisable--“’
‘I’ll tell it her,’ said the Mock Turtle in a deep, hollow tone: ‘sit
‘Come on!’ cried the Gryphon, and, taking Alice by the hand, it hurried
half to itself, half to Alice.
Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she had
She was a good deal frightened by this very sudden change, but she felt
grow shorter.’
had made.
made up my mind about it; if I’m Mabel, I’ll stay down here! It’ll be no
fish)--and rapped loudly at the door with his knuckles. It was opened
‘any shrimp could have told you that.’
‘I kept all my limbs very supple
serpents! There’s no pleasing them!’
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
in the world she was to get out again.
to do next, when suddenly a footman in livery came running out of the
home! Why, I wouldn’t say anything about it, even if I fell off the top
that dark hall, and wander about among those beds of bright flowers and
There was a table set out under a tree in front of the house, and the
Alice took up the fan and gloves, and, as the hall was very hot, she
Just then she heard something splashing about in the pool a little way
before,’ said Alice,) and round the neck of the bottle was a paper
The Gryphon sat up and rubbed its eyes: then it watched the Queen till
head!’ Those whom she sentenced were taken into custody by the soldiers,
they lived at the bottom of a well--’
dry enough!’ They all sat down at once, in a large ring, with the Mouse
‘What do you know about this business?’ the King said to Alice.
CAN have happened to me! When I used to read fairy-tales, I fancied that
began picking them up again as quickly as she could, for the accident of
I beat him when he sneezes;
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
yours.”’
“it” means.’
said the Duchess, as she tucked her arm affectionately into Alice’s, and
Alice did not at all like the tone of this remark, and thought it would
a deal too flustered to tell you--all I know is, something comes at me
and waited.
be growing small again.’ She got up and went to the table to measure
So she called softly after it, ‘Mouse dear! Do come back again, and we
and sadly:--
YOUR temper!’ ‘Hold your tongue, Ma!’ said the young Crab, a little
advantage from the change: and Alice was a good deal worse off than
‘Nothing whatever,’ said Alice.
Alice laughed so much at this, that she had to run back into the
you can find it.’ And she squeezed herself up closer to Alice’s side as
began. Alice thought she had never seen such a curious croquet-ground in
shouting ‘Off with his head!’ or ‘Off with her head!’ about once in a
in the middle. Alice kept her eyes anxiously fixed on it, for she felt
down on one knee. ‘I’m a poor man, your Majesty,’ he began.
felt quite strange at first; but she got used to it in a few minutes,
The Queen’s argument was, that if something wasn’t done about it in less
doesn’t like changing so often, you know.’
Exactly as we were.
moment Five, who had been anxiously looking across the garden, called
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance?”’
‘Well, I never heard it before,’ said the Mock Turtle; ‘but it sounds
saying to herself ‘This is Bill,’ she gave one sharp kick, and waited to
‘Not at first, perhaps,’ said the Hatter: ‘but you could keep it to
And will talk in contemptuous tones of the Shark,
‘It proves nothing of the sort!’ said Alice. ‘Why, you don’t even know
and added with a kind of sob, ‘I’ve tried every way, and nothing seems
generally a ridge or furrow in the way wherever she wanted to send the
Soo--oop of the e--e--evening,
tittered audibly.
into the garden at once; but, alas for poor Alice! when she got to the
wish I’d gone to see the Hatter instead!’
prosecute
‘They’re putting down their names,’ the Gryphon whispered in reply, ‘for
Involved in this affair,
way?’, holding her hand on the top of her head to feel which way it was
cucumber-frames there must be!’ thought Alice. ‘I wonder what they’ll do
‘I can’t go no lower,’ said the Hatter: ‘I’m on the floor, as it is.’
Between yourself and me.’
It was all very well to say ‘Drink me,’ but the wise little Alice was
faces, and the pattern on their backs was the same as the rest of the
‘I do,’ Alice hastily replied; ‘at least--at least I mean what I
make THEIR eyes bright and eager with many a strange tale, perhaps even
heavy sobs.
was trying to fix on one, the cook took the cauldron of soup off the
The Hatter opened his eyes very wide on hearing this; but all he SAID
Distraction, Uglification, and Derision.’
An enormous puppy was looking down at her with large round eyes, and
can’t prove I did: there’s no name signed at the end.’
There was nothing so VERY remarkable in that; nor did Alice think it so
fond of beheading people here; the great wonder is, that there’s any one
ringlets, and mine doesn’t go in ringlets at all; and I’m sure I can’t
hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid), whether the pleasure
the place of the March Hare. The Hatter was the only one who got any
While the Owl had the dish as its share of the treat.
along the course, here and there. There was no ‘One, two, three, and
So she sat on, with closed eyes, and half believed herself in
‘and then,’ thought she, ‘what would become of me? They’re dreadfully
Alice, she went on, ‘What’s your name, child?’
‘Perhaps it hasn’t one,’ Alice ventured to remark.
that the meeting adjourn, for the immediate adoption of more energetic
days and days.’
only been the right size to do it! Oh dear! I’d nearly forgotten that
‘Well, I never heard it before,’ said the Mock Turtle; ‘but it sounds
myself about you: you must manage the best way you can;--but I must be
‘Don’t be impertinent,’ said the King, ‘and don’t look at me like that!’
after that into a butterfly, I should think you’ll feel it a little
‘What a pity it wouldn’t stay!’ sighed the Lory, as soon as it was quite
animals and birds waiting outside. The poor little Lizard, Bill, was
‘HE might bite,’ Alice cautiously replied, not feeling at all anxious to
Lastly, she pictured to herself how this same little sister of hers
leading right into it. ‘That’s very curious!’ she thought. ‘But
flower-pot that stood near. The three soldiers wandered about for a
drunk quite so much!’
‘Oh, you’re sure to do that,’ said the Cat, ‘if you only walk long
on, as she heard the Queen’s voice in the distance, screaming with
‘Come on, then!’ roared the Queen, and Alice joined the procession,
to himself in an undertone,
and crept a little way out of the wood to listen.
she remembered having seen in her brother’s Latin Grammar, ‘A mouse--of
‘It’s the first position in dancing.’ Alice said; but was dreadfully
this bottle does. I do hope it’ll make me grow large again, for really
down! Heads below!’ (a loud crash)--‘Now, who did that?--It was Bill, I
This time Alice waited patiently until it chose to speak again. In
slate with one finger, as he found it made no mark; but he now hastily
it ran away when it saw mine coming!’
Some of the jury wrote it down ‘important,’ and some ‘unimportant.’
one corner of it: ‘No room! No room!’ they cried out when they saw Alice
the back. At last the Mock Turtle recovered his voice, and, with tears
‘are done with a whiting. Now you know.’
dry enough!’ They all sat down at once, in a large ring, with the Mouse
very queer indeed:--
Alice opened the door and found that it led into a small passage, not
all its feet at once, with a yelp of delight, and rushed at the stick,
a kind of serpent, that’s all I can say.’
the moral of that is--“The more there is of mine, the less there is of
you
‘You are not attending!’ said the Mouse to Alice severely. ‘What are you
won’t, then!--Bill’s to go down--Here, Bill! the master says you’re to
Alice had been all the way down one side and up the other, trying every
could.
a trial,
she looked up, but it was all dark overhead; before her was another
cucumber-frame, or something of the sort.
‘Write that down,’ the King said to the jury, and the jury eagerly
a little shriek, and went on: ‘--that begins with an M, such as
“I’ll be
to on the English coast you find a number of bathing machines in the
sea of green leaves that lay far below her.
to ask.
sat down and cried.
pack, she could not tell whether they were gardeners, or soldiers, or
its tongue hanging out of its mouth, and its great eyes half shut.
Game, or any other dish?
Just as she said this, she noticed that one of the trees had a door
than no time she’d have everybody executed, all round. (It was this last
tone. ‘Nobody seems to like her, down here, and I’m sure she’s the best
the m--’
‘Hush! Hush!’ said the Rabbit in a low, hurried tone. He looked
contempt. ‘I’ve seen a good many little girls in my time, but never ONE
then the Rabbit’s voice along--‘Catch him, you by the hedge!’ then
their mouths--and they’re all over crumbs.’
‘I beg your pardon!’ said the Mouse, frowning, but very politely: ‘Did
‘Wow! wow! wow!’
thought Alice; ‘I might as well be at school at once.’ However, she
next! As for pulling me out of the window, I only wish they COULD! I’m
or Longitude I’ve got to?’ (Alice had no idea what Latitude was, or
for apples, yer honour!’
it to make it stop.
Oh dear! I shall be late!’ (when she thought it over afterwards, it
house, quite forgetting that she was now about a thousand times as large
‘Don’t you mean “purpose”?’ said Alice.
You know the song, perhaps?’
being drowned in my own tears! That WILL be a queer thing, to be sure!
how to set about it; and while she was peering about anxiously among
the Queen, who was passing at the moment, ‘My dear! I wish you would
It was high time to go, for the pool was getting quite crowded with the
Was kindly permitted to pocket the spoon:
‘Don’t grunt,’ said Alice; ‘that’s not at all a proper way of expressing
of them.’ In another minute the whole head appeared, and then Alice put
on the song, ‘I’d have said to the porpoise, “Keep back, please: we
words all coming different, and then the Mock Turtle drew a long breath,
cupboards and book-shelves; here and there she saw maps and pictures
about the whiting!’
CHAPTER X. The Lobster Quadrille
However, this bottle was NOT marked ‘poison,’ so Alice ventured to taste
At this moment the door of the house opened, and a large plate came
again, it was very provoking to find that the hedgehog had unrolled
‘You mean you can’t take LESS,’ said the Hatter: ‘it’s very easy to take
were nowhere to be found: all she could see, when she looked down, was
of the window, and one foot up the chimney, and said to herself ‘Now I
says it kills all the rats and--oh dear!’ cried Alice in a sorrowful
‘It must be a very pretty dance,’ said Alice timidly.
them out again. That’s all.’
‘stupid,’ and that he had to ask his neighbour to tell him. ‘A nice
nurse! But I’ve got to see that the mouse doesn’t get out.” Only I don’t
Five and Seven said nothing, but looked at Two. Two began in a low
haven’t had a wink of sleep these three weeks!’
get out again.
The Panther took pie-crust, and gravy, and meat,
the whole she thought it would be quite as safe to stay with it as to go
a kind of serpent, that’s all I can say.’
‘I’ve a right to think,’ said Alice sharply, for she was beginning to
she waited patiently.
‘Well, then,’ the Cat went on, ‘you see, a dog growls when it’s angry,
The Gryphon lifted up both its paws in surprise. ‘What! Never heard of
‘No, no! The adventures first,’ said the Gryphon in an impatient tone:
question is, what?’
faces, so that they couldn’t see it?’ So she stood still where she was,
being drowned in my own tears! That WILL be a queer thing, to be sure!
‘But they were IN the well,’ Alice said to the Dormouse, not choosing to
anxiously about as it went, as if it had lost something; and she heard
uglifying!’ it exclaimed. ‘You know what to beautify is, I suppose?’
‘important--unimportant--unimportant--important--’ as if he were trying
The pepper when he pleases!’
‘Chorus again!’ cried the Gryphon, and the Mock Turtle had just begun
‘And who is Dinah, if I might venture to ask the question?’ said the
This was such a new idea to Alice, that she was quite silent for a
*    *    *    *    *    *    *
she thought, and looked into its eyes again, to see if there were any
But here, to Alice’s great surprise, the Duchess’s voice died away, even
wig, (look at the frontispiece if you want to see how he did it,) he did
‘Stolen!’ the King exclaimed, turning to the jury, who instantly made a
this bottle does. I do hope it’ll make me grow large again, for really
a VERY turn-up nose, much more like a snout than a real nose; also its
book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in
Gryphon.
The Dormouse again took a minute or two to think about it, and then
was beating her violently with its wings.
And so she went on, taking first one side and then the other, and making
dry me at all.’
tail about in a melancholy way, being quite unable to move. She soon got
diamonds, and walked two and two, as the soldiers did. After these came
little way forwards each time and a long way back, and barking hoarsely
‘It is wrong from beginning to end,’ said the Caterpillar decidedly, and
the royal children; there were ten of them, and the little dears came
court.
introduce it.’
CHAPTER X. The Lobster Quadrille
The Hatter opened his eyes very wide on hearing this; but all he SAID
vanishing so suddenly: you make one quite giddy.’
‘In my youth,’ Father William replied to his son,
those long words, and, what’s more, I don’t believe you do either!’ And
This did not seem to encourage the witness at all: he kept shifting
On this the White Rabbit blew three blasts on the trumpet, and then
appeared; but she ran off as hard as she could, and soon found herself
of tears, ‘I do wish they WOULD put their heads down! I am so VERY tired
them Alice recognised the White Rabbit: it was talking in a hurried
‘Mine is a long and a sad tale!’ said the Mouse, turning to Alice, and
Was kindly permitted to pocket the spoon:
‘It goes on, you know,’ the Hatter continued, ‘in this way:--
‘You may not have lived much under the sea--’ [‘I haven’t,’ said
other side of the court.
perfectly idiotic!’ And she opened the door and went in.
‘There might be some sense in your knocking,’ the Footman went on
‘I never went to him,’ the Mock Turtle said with a sigh: ‘he taught
to ask.
with his tea spoon at the March Hare,) ‘--it was at the great concert
now? That’ll be a comfort, one way--never to be an old woman--but
‘You might just as well say,’ added the March Hare, ‘that “I like what I
her a good deal until she made out what it was: she was beginning to
voice, ‘Why the fact is, you see, Miss, this here ought to have been a
a doze; but, on being pinched by the Hatter, it woke up again with
putting things!’
‘Pepper, mostly,’ said the cook.
herself. ‘Shy, they seem to put everything upon Bill! I wouldn’t be in
think you could draw treacle out of a treacle-well--eh, stupid?’
‘It’s the thing Mock Turtle Soup is made from,’ said the Queen.
Alice glanced rather anxiously at the cook, to see if she meant to take
‘I don’t think they play at all fairly,’ Alice began, in rather a
on.’
(she was obliged to say ‘creatures,’ you see, because some of them were
‘Ah, well! It means much the same thing,’ said the Duchess, digging her
to suit them!’
Here the Dormouse shook itself, and began singing in its sleep ‘Twinkle,
lullaby to it as she did so, and giving it a violent shake at the end of
thing is to find my way into that lovely garden. I think that will be
“it” means.’
‘I could tell you my adventures--beginning from this morning,’ said
‘Well, then,’ the Cat went on, ‘you see, a dog growls when it’s angry,
certainly did NOT, being made entirely of cardboard.)
mouse-traps, and the moon, and memory, and muchness--you know you say
There seemed to be no use in waiting by the little door, so she went
enough for it to speak with.
‘Once upon a time there were three little sisters,’ the Dormouse began
set off at once, and ran till she was quite tired and out of breath, and
‘I wish you wouldn’t squeeze so.’ said the Dormouse, who was sitting
makes them so shiny?’
Alice a little timidly: ‘but it’s no use going back to yesterday,
that was sitting on the top with its arms folded, quietly smoking a long
out of sight; and an old Crab took the opportunity of saying to her
hoarse, feeble voice: ‘I heard every word you fellows were saying.’
Pennyworth only of beautiful Soup?
‘Come on, then!’ roared the Queen, and Alice joined the procession,
childhood: and how she would gather about her other little children, and
neck would bend about easily in any direction, like a serpent. She had
desperate that she was ready to ask help of any one; so, when the Rabbit
too much frightened to say a word, but slowly followed her back to the
was over, and both the hedgehogs were out of sight: ‘but it doesn’t
again, no wonder she felt unhappy.
the Conqueror, whose cause was favoured by the pope, was soon submitted
up and to stand on their hands and feet, to make the arches.
‘But I’m not used to it!’ pleaded poor Alice in a piteous tone. And
But, now that I’m perfectly sure I have none,
Just then her head struck against the roof of the hall: in fact she was
The Fish-Footman began by producing from under his arm a great letter,
finger VERY deeply with a knife, it usually bleeds; and she had never
remedies--’
moment that it was looking for the fan and the pair of white kid gloves,
‘Thank you,’ said Alice, ‘it’s very interesting. I never knew so much
is, you know. Please, Ma’am, is this New Zealand or Australia?’ (and
sure she would catch a bad cold if she did not get dry very soon.
for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English); ‘now I’m
‘What I was going to say,’ said the Dodo in an offended tone, ‘was, that
While the Owl had the dish as its share of the treat.
Alice opened the door and found that it led into a small passage, not
[‘I only wish it was,’ the March Hare said to itself in a whisper.)
growing, and she was quite surprised to find that she remained the same
‘Found WHAT?’ said the Duck.
have got altered.’
in the middle. Alice kept her eyes anxiously fixed on it, for she felt
‘Is that the way YOU manage?’ Alice asked.
“Up above the world you fly,
birds and animals that had fallen into it: there were a Duck and a Dodo,
and he went on in these words:
‘What size do you want to be?’ it asked.
‘We can do without lobsters, you know. Which shall sing?’
Then they both bowed low, and their curls got entangled together.
‘Would it be of any use, now,’ thought Alice, ‘to speak to this mouse?
thousand miles down, I think--’ (for, you see, Alice had learnt several
‘Of course you don’t!’ the Hatter said, tossing his head contemptuously.
right height to rest her chin upon Alice’s shoulder, and it was an
flower-pot that stood near. The three soldiers wandered about for a
‘They were obliged to have him with them,’ the Mock Turtle said: ‘no
‘I beg your pardon,’ said Alice very humbly: ‘you had got to the fifth
‘No, no! The adventures first,’ said the Gryphon in an impatient tone:
her draw back in a hurry: a large pigeon had flown into her face, and
tell you just now what the moral of that is, but I shall remember it in
chimneys were shaped like ears and the roof was thatched with fur. It
‘I can’t explain MYSELF, I’m afraid, sir’ said Alice, ‘because I’m not
standing before them, in chains, with a soldier on each side to guard
But the snail replied “Too far, too far!” and gave a look askance--
‘But they were IN the well,’ Alice said to the Dormouse, not choosing to
off, and she swam nearer to make out what it was: at first she thought
with a smile. There was a dead silence.
it ran away when it saw mine coming!’
window!’
The jury all wrote down on their slates, ‘SHE doesn’t believe there’s an
‘Here!’ cried Alice, quite forgetting in the flurry of the moment how
be growing small again.’ She got up and went to the table to measure
rather sharply; ‘I advise you to leave off this minute!’ She generally
‘But who is to give the prizes?’ quite a chorus of voices asked.
She had not gone much farther before she came in sight of the house
‘ARE you to get in at all?’ said the Footman. ‘That’s the first
However, the Multiplication Table doesn’t signify: let’s try Geography.
Pennyworth only of beautiful Soup?
upset, and their slates and pencils had been found and handed back to
of him), while the rest waited in silence. At last the Dodo said,
to the dance. So they got thrown out to sea. So they had to fall a long
running down his cheeks, he went on again:--
skimming out, straight at the Footman’s head: it just grazed his nose,
It did so indeed, and much sooner than she had expected: before she had
‘Why?’ said the Caterpillar.
In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how
round, she found this a very difficult question. However, at last she
‘Who ARE you talking to?’ said the King, going up to Alice, and looking
yesterday you deserved to be beheaded!’
of things at all, as the game was in such confusion that she never knew
Alice had been looking over his shoulder with some curiosity. ‘What a
about a whiting before.’
‘Shall we try another figure of the Lobster Quadrille?’ the Gryphon went
Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose--
‘So they were,’ said the Dormouse; ‘VERY ill.’
lying on the glass table as before, ‘and things are worse than ever,’
had vanished completely.
disappeared; so the King and the executioner ran wildly up and down
out as loud as she could, ‘If you do. I’ll set Dinah at you!’
tone. ‘The Queen will hear you! You see, she came rather late, and the
rumbling of little cartwheels, and the sound of a good many voices
the door, she ran out of the house, and found quite a crowd of little
That your eye was as steady as ever;
*    *    *    *    *    *    *
one corner of it: ‘No room! No room!’ they cried out when they saw Alice
a hurry that she tipped over the jury-box with the edge of her skirt,
it must be a walrus or hippopotamus, but then she remembered how small
‘By-the-bye, what became of the baby?’ said the Cat. ‘I’d nearly
‘Who’s making personal remarks now?’ the Hatter asked triumphantly.
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, will you join the dance?
a little shriek, and went on: ‘--that begins with an M, such as
Oh dear, what nonsense I’m talking!’
‘We must burn the house down!’ said the Rabbit’s voice; and Alice called
all of them bowed low.
‘Please would you tell me,’ said Alice, a little timidly, for she was
was no one to listen to her, still it was good practice to say it over)
Poor Alice! It was as much as she could do, lying down on one side, to
‘Yes,’ said Alice, ‘we learned French and music.’
she said to herself, and shouted out, ‘You’d better not do that again!’
As she said these words her foot slipped, and in another moment, splash!
‘I wish I hadn’t cried so much!’ said Alice, as she swam about, trying
about wasting IT. It’s HIM.’
turned out, and, by the time they had settled down again, the cook had
This answer so confused poor Alice, that she let the Dormouse go on for
‘Did you say “What a pity!”?’ the Rabbit asked.
she thought of herself, ‘I wish the creatures wouldn’t be so easily
never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch
round, she found this a very difficult question. However, at last she
‘EAT ME’ were beautifully marked in currants. ‘Well, I’ll eat it,’ said
jumped; but she saw in another moment that it was addressed to the baby,
large crowd collected round it: there was a dispute going on between
is, it would feel very queer to ME.’
‘I never thought about it,’ said Alice. ‘Why?’
And with that she began nursing her child again, singing a sort of
‘Pray don’t trouble yourself to say it any longer than that,’ said
‘Well, perhaps you haven’t found it so yet,’ said Alice; ‘but when you
Oh! won’t she be savage if I’ve kept her waiting!’ Alice felt so
THE END
minutes it puffed away without speaking, but at last it unfolded its
lessons in here? Why, there’s hardly room for YOU, and no room at all
half-past one as long as you liked.’
‘Well, there was Mystery,’ the Mock Turtle replied, counting off
all the while, and fighting for the hedgehogs; and in a very short
‘Ugh!’ said the Lory, with a shiver.
‘Come, we shall have some fun now!’ thought Alice. ‘I’m glad they’ve
‘Curiouser and curiouser!’ cried Alice (she was so much surprised, that
faces, and the pattern on their backs was the same as the rest of the
HEARTHRUG,
‘In that case,’ said the Dodo solemnly, rising to its feet, ‘I move
ground--and I should have croqueted the Queen’s hedgehog just now, only
neck would bend about easily in any direction, like a serpent. She had
There was a large mushroom growing near her, about the same height as
‘No,’ said Alice. ‘I don’t even know what a Mock Turtle is.’
door, staring stupidly up into the sky.
angrily: ‘really you are very dull!’
which wasn’t much.
‘We called him Tortoise because he taught us,’ said the Mock Turtle
her a good deal until she made out what it was: she was beginning to
in the world am I? Ah, THAT’S the great puzzle!’ And she began thinking
‘Treacle,’ said a sleepy voice behind her.
way of speaking to a mouse: she had never done such a thing before, but
through the little door into that lovely garden. First, however, she
that she did not dare to laugh; and, as she could not think of anything
meaning in it.’
verdict,’ he said to the jury, in a low, trembling voice.
CHAPTER II. The Pool of Tears
The Hatter opened his eyes very wide on hearing this; but all he SAID
“Up above the world you fly,
all the while, and fighting for the hedgehogs; and in a very short
begged the Mouse to tell them something more.
‘Yes,’ said Alice, ‘we learned French and music.’
*    *    *    *    *    *    *
door, staring stupidly up into the sky.
‘And be quick about it,’ added the Hatter, ‘or you’ll be asleep again
things happening. While she was looking at the place where it had been,
painting them red. Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went
her a good deal until she made out what it was: she was beginning to
‘Then the words don’t FIT you,’ said the King, looking round the court
very soon found an opportunity of taking it away. She did it so quickly
remained some time after the rest of it had gone.
into the loveliest garden you ever saw. How she longed to get out of
have got altered.’
‘Of the mushroom,’ said the Caterpillar, just as if she had asked it
others all joined in chorus, ‘Yes, please do!’ but the Mouse only shook
what they said.
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
to them, and all dripping wet, cross, and uncomfortable.
‘So he did, so he did,’ said the Gryphon, sighing in his turn; and both
yesterday you deserved to be beheaded!’
as all that.’
made out that she was in the pool of tears which she had wept when she
get into the garden, and I don’t care which happens!’
archbishop find?’
she thought, and looked into its eyes again, to see if there were any
‘Not yet, not yet!’ the Rabbit hastily interrupted. ‘There’s a great
up.’
replied; ‘and then the different branches of Arithmetic--Ambition,
“Up above the world you fly,
jumping about like mad things all this time, sat down again very sadly
‘explanations take such a dreadful time.’
ferrets! Where CAN I have dropped them, I wonder?’ Alice guessed in a
way of speaking to a mouse: she had never done such a thing before, but
till she heard a little animal (she couldn’t guess of what sort it was)
to dive in among the leaves, which she found to be nothing but the tops
back to the table, half hoping she might find another key on it, or at
eagerly, half hoping that the Mouse had changed his mind, and was coming
‘Well, it’s got no business there, at any rate: go and take it away!’
By the time she had caught the flamingo and brought it back, the fight
‘Nothing whatever,’ said Alice.
there WAS no one listening, this time, as it didn’t sound at all the
I should frighten them out of their wits!’ So she began nibbling at the
and skurried away into the darkness as hard as he could go.
an immense length of neck, which seemed to rise like a stalk out of a
every now and then she had to stop and untwist it. After a while she
Alice did not dare to disobey, though she felt sure it would all come
to the dance. So they got thrown out to sea. So they had to fall a long
as the Rabbit, and had no reason to be afraid of it.
she hastily dried her eyes to see what was coming. It was the White
grow up, I’ll write one--but I’m grown up now,’ she added in a sorrowful
twenty-four hours to turn round on its axis--’
those cool fountains, but she could not even get her head through the
She was moving them about as she spoke, but no result seemed to follow,
And she went on planning to herself how she would manage it. ‘They must
fetch it here, lad!--Here, put ‘em up at this corner--No, tie ‘em
now and then; such as, ‘Sure, I don’t like it, yer honour, at all, at
about it.’ (The jury all looked puzzled.)
you know.’
turned out, and, by the time they had settled down again, the cook had
house,
was a little startled by seeing the Cheshire Cat sitting on a bough of a
dear Sir,
I’m quite tired of being such a tiny little thing!’
the right-hand bit to try the effect: the next moment she felt a violent
look through into the garden with one eye; but to get through was more
ever having seen such a thing.
beasts and other unpleasant things, all because they WOULD not remember
Alice began to feel very uneasy: to be sure, she had not as yet had any
‘Of course not,’ said the Mock Turtle: ‘why, if a fish came to ME, and
‘At any rate I’ll never go THERE again!’ said Alice as she picked her
‘I don’t think they play at all fairly,’ Alice began, in rather a
eyes were getting extremely small for a baby: altogether Alice did not
was a little startled by seeing the Cheshire Cat sitting on a bough of a
bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the
sneezed occasionally; and as for the baby, it was sneezing and howling
and sadly:--
sight, they were getting so far off). ‘Oh, my poor little feet, I wonder
‘It was much pleasanter at home,’ thought poor Alice, ‘when one wasn’t
crown. William’s conduct at first was moderate. But the insolence of his
‘Come, let’s try the first figure!’ said the Mock Turtle to the Gryphon.
But at any rate he might answer questions.--How am I to get in?’ she
‘Dinah’s our cat. And she’s such a capital one for catching mice you
‘Would it be of any use, now,’ thought Alice, ‘to speak to this mouse?
rather shyly, ‘I--I hardly know, sir, just at present--at least I know
any more!’ And here poor Alice began to cry again, for she felt very
She stretched herself up on tiptoe, and peeped over the edge of the
‘It is wrong from beginning to end,’ said the Caterpillar decidedly, and
and said ‘That’s very curious.’
This was quite a new idea to Alice, and she thought it over a little
the Mouse’s tail; ‘but why do you call it sad?’ And she kept on puzzling
passion. She had already heard her sentence three of the players to be
all their simple sorrows, and find a pleasure in all their simple joys,
the other players, and shouting ‘Off with his head!’ or ‘Off with her
Alice felt dreadfully puzzled. The Hatter’s remark seemed to have no
‘I’m NOT a serpent!’ said Alice indignantly. ‘Let me alone!’
Alice was thoroughly puzzled. ‘Does the boots and shoes!’ she repeated
‘Then it ought to be Number One,’ said Alice.
‘I think I should understand that better,’ Alice said very politely, ‘if
saw the White Rabbit. She was a little nervous about it just at first,
things of this sort in her lessons in the schoolroom, and though this
Just as she said this, she noticed that one of the trees had a door
to find her way out. ‘I shall be punished for it now, I suppose, by
you know.’
The Dormouse shook its head impatiently, and said, without opening its
nearer, Alice could hear him sighing as if his heart would break. She
‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat.
growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily
do a thing I ask! It’s always six o’clock now.’
explain to you how it was done. They had a large canvas bag, which tied
things happening. While she was looking at the place where it had been,
‘But about his toes?’ the Mock Turtle persisted. ‘How COULD he turn them
Alice was rather doubtful whether she ought not to lie down on her face
Alice had been all the way down one side and up the other, trying every
‘Right, as usual,’ said the Duchess: ‘what a clear way you have of
tiptoe, put his mouth close to her ear, and whispered ‘She’s under
Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had
that the Queen was close behind her, listening: so she went on,
came upon a neat little house, on the door of which was a bright brass
(for when she looked down at her feet, they seemed to be almost out of
see its meaning.
‘They were obliged to have him with them,’ the Mock Turtle said: ‘no
herself. ‘Shy, they seem to put everything upon Bill! I wouldn’t be in
about it.’ (The jury all looked puzzled.)
your Majesty?’ he asked.
consultation about this, and after a few minutes it seemed quite natural
she hastily dried her eyes to see what was coming. It was the White
moment that it was looking for the fan and the pair of white kid gloves,
When the procession came opposite to Alice, they all stopped and looked
arms, took the hookah out of its mouth again, and said, ‘So you think
‘Take off your hat,’ the King said to the Hatter.
ear and left foot, so as to prevent its undoing itself,) she carried
‘Oh, I know!’ exclaimed Alice, who had not attended to this last remark,
‘I’ll fetch the executioner myself,’ said the King eagerly, and he
living would be like, but it puzzled her too much, so she went on: ‘But
My notion was that you had been
Turtle.’
behind it, it occurred to her that she might as well look and see what
child; ‘but little girls eat eggs quite as much as serpents do, you
This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied,
did you ever eat a bat?’ when suddenly, thump! thump! down she came upon
“There is another shore, you know, upon the other side.
‘Dinah’s our cat. And she’s such a capital one for catching mice you
was over, and both the hedgehogs were out of sight: ‘but it doesn’t
Alice was silent.
glass; there was nothing on it except a tiny golden key, and Alice’s
about it.’ (The jury all looked puzzled.)
‘Did you say “What a pity!”?’ the Rabbit asked.
as she spoke. (The unfortunate little Bill had left off writing on his
‘Shall we try another figure of the Lobster Quadrille?’ the Gryphon went
‘If you knew Time as well as I do,’ said the Hatter, ‘you wouldn’t talk
‘Nonsense!’ said Alice, very loudly and decidedly, and the Queen was
Involved in this affair,
‘It’s the Cheshire Cat: now I shall have somebody to talk to.’
CAN have happened to me! When I used to read fairy-tales, I fancied that
‘--you advance twice--’
There was not a moment to be lost: away went Alice like the wind, and
but at any rate it would not open any of them. However, on the second
do you know that you’re mad?’
For he can thoroughly enjoy
way, and the whole party swam to the shore.
uglifying!’ it exclaimed. ‘You know what to beautify is, I suppose?’
Alice looked down at them, and considered a little before she gave her
that was sitting on the top with its arms folded, quietly smoking a long
On every golden scale!
name ‘Alice!’
This was such a new idea to Alice, that she was quite silent for a
had!’
Beautiful, beauti--FUL SOUP!’
nothing
you, and must know better’; and this Alice would not allow without
The Fish-Footman began by producing from under his arm a great letter,
Alice noticed with some surprise that the pebbles were all turning into
his note-book, cackled out ‘Silence!’ and read out from his book, ‘Rule
Lastly, she pictured to herself how this same little sister of hers
Alice had been looking over his shoulder with some curiosity. ‘What a
The other guests had taken advantage of the Queen’s absence, and were
and when she had tired herself out with trying, the poor little thing
by another footman in livery, with a round face, and large eyes like a
other: the only difficulty was, that her flamingo was gone across to the
And with that she began nursing her child again, singing a sort of
him,) ‘I’ll give him sixpence. _I_ don’t believe there’s an atom of
sitting sad and lonely on a little ledge of rock, and, as they came
King.
his fan and gloves--that is, if I can find them.’ As she said this, she
There was a long silence after this, and Alice could only hear whispers
(We know it to be true):
added the Gryphon; and then they both sat silent and looked at poor
I beat him when he sneezes;
remedies--’
walking by the White Rabbit, who was peeping anxiously into her face.
led into the garden. Then she went to work nibbling at the mushroom (she
‘No, no!’ said the Queen. ‘Sentence first--verdict afterwards.’
And the executioner went off like an arrow.
the verses to himself: ‘“WE KNOW IT TO BE TRUE--” that’s the jury, of
sort of way, ‘Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats?’ and sometimes, ‘Do
HAD THIS FIT--” you never had fits, my dear, I think?’ he said to the
to find her way out. ‘I shall be punished for it now, I suppose, by
‘Oh, YOU sing,’ said the Gryphon. ‘I’ve forgotten the words.’
The King laid his hand upon her arm, and timidly said ‘Consider, my
doesn’t like changing so often, you know.’
that she did not dare to laugh; and, as she could not think of anything
was on the top of it.
all spoke at once, she found it very hard indeed to make out exactly
The table was a large one, but the three were all crowded together at
head in the lap of her sister, who was gently brushing away some dead
to be, from one minute to another! However, I’ve got back to my right
could not stand, and she went round the court and got behind him, and
So she set the little creature down, and felt quite relieved to see
hurried off.
Alice, who felt ready to sink into the earth. At last the Gryphon said
the door, she ran out of the house, and found quite a crowd of little
‘And who are THESE?’ said the Queen, pointing to the three gardeners who
child; ‘but little girls eat eggs quite as much as serpents do, you
to repeat it, when a cry of ‘The trial’s beginning!’ was heard in the
arms, took the hookah out of its mouth again, and said, ‘So you think
YOU.--Come,
one way up as the other.’
serpents! There’s no pleasing them!’
ladder?--Why, I hadn’t to bring but one; Bill’s got the other--Bill!
fish)--and rapped loudly at the door with his knuckles. It was opened
There was not a moment to be lost: away went Alice like the wind, and
Turn that Dormouse out of court! Suppress him! Pinch him! Off with his
it suddenly appeared again.
up at the mouth with strings: into this they slipped the guinea-pig,
‘Well, it’s got no business there, at any rate: go and take it away!’
birds with draggled feathers, the animals with their fur clinging close
people began running about in all directions, tumbling up against each
yourself.’
bottle that stood near the looking-glass. There was no label this time
*    *    *    *    *    *    *
and not to her, so she took courage, and went on again:--
except a little shaking among the distant green leaves.
mouth; but she did it at last, and managed to swallow a morsel of the
along the course, here and there. There was no ‘One, two, three, and
‘You are,’ said the King.
‘Oh, I’m not particular as to size,’ Alice hastily replied; ‘only one
‘YOU’D better not talk!’ said Five. ‘I heard the Queen say only
again.
vanishing so suddenly: you make one quite giddy.’
‘for I can’t understand it myself to begin with; and being so many
the door, she ran out of the house, and found quite a crowd of little
Very soon the Rabbit noticed Alice, as she went hunting about, and
It was so long since she had been anything near the right size, that it
they walked off together.
saying anything more till the Pigeon had finished.
to take out of it, and burning with curiosity, she ran across the field
This sounded promising, certainly: Alice turned and came back again.
There seemed to be no use in waiting by the little door, so she went
officers: but the Hatter was out of sight before the officer could get
dare say there may be ONE.’
on. Her listeners were perfectly quiet till she got to the part about
thimble’; and, when it had finished this short speech, they all cheered.
So you see, Miss, we’re doing our best, afore she comes, to--’ At this
Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the
Dinah, and saying to her very earnestly, ‘Now, Dinah, tell me the truth:
So she called softly after it, ‘Mouse dear! Do come back again, and we
the Queen, who was passing at the moment, ‘My dear! I wish you would
sea. The master was an old Turtle--we used to call him Tortoise--’
only too glad to do so.
key and hurried off to the garden door.
‘No, I didn’t,’ said Alice: ‘I don’t think it’s at all a pity. I said
‘The reason is,’ said the Gryphon, ‘that they WOULD go with the lobsters
evidently meant for her.
the Duchess and the baby--the fire-irons came first; then followed a
ringlets, and mine doesn’t go in ringlets at all; and I’m sure I can’t
made out that she was in the pool of tears which she had wept when she
Exactly as we were.
Alice a little timidly: ‘but it’s no use going back to yesterday,
‘Then you may SIT down,’ the King replied.
‘You shan’t be beheaded!’ said Alice, and she put them into a large
The long grass rustled at her feet as the White Rabbit hurried by--the
which the wretched Hatter trembled so, that he shook both his shoes off.
kept fanning herself all the time she went on talking: ‘Dear, dear! How
be Mabel, for I know all sorts of things, and she, oh! she knows such a
‘Mine is a long and a sad tale!’ said the Mouse, turning to Alice, and
candle is like after the candle is blown out, for she could not remember
tone, ‘I’m afraid I’ve offended it again!’ For the Mouse was swimming
(IF you don’t know what a Gryphon is, look at the picture.) ‘Up, lazy
the Dodo suddenly called out ‘The race is over!’ and they all crowded
feebly stretching out one paw, trying to touch her. ‘Poor little thing!’
the Lizard in head downwards, and the poor little thing was waving its
‘Not like cats!’ cried the Mouse, in a shrill, passionate voice. ‘Would
‘But I don’t want to go among mad people,’ Alice remarked.
be NO mistake about it: it was neither more nor less than a pig, and she
beheaded, and that you weren’t to talk nonsense.
a hurry that she tipped over the jury-box with the edge of her skirt,
arranged; the only difficulty was, that she had not the smallest idea
wrote down all three dates on their slates, and then added them up, and
a deal too flustered to tell you--all I know is, something comes at me
the best thing to get us dry would be a Caucus-race.’
change the subject.
‘You mean you can’t take LESS,’ said the Hatter: ‘it’s very easy to take
‘--and I hadn’t begun my tea--not above a week or so--and what with the
much larger than a rat-hole: she knelt down and looked along the passage
Alice opened the door and found that it led into a small passage, not
As they walked off together, Alice heard the King say in a low voice,
You gave us three or more;
to Alice an excellent opportunity for croqueting one of them with the
‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat.
for the next moment a shower of little pebbles came rattling in at the
There was a dead silence instantly, and Alice thought to herself, ‘I
hand and a piece of bread-and-butter in the other. ‘I beg pardon, your
suppose I ought to eat or drink something or other; but the great
rather shyly, ‘I--I hardly know, sir, just at present--at least I know
The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then
tone. ‘Nobody seems to like her, down here, and I’m sure she’s the best
a procession,’ thought she, ‘if people had all to lie down upon their
Distraction, Uglification, and Derision.’
on. Her listeners were perfectly quiet till she got to the part about
‘Why, SHE,’ said the Gryphon. ‘It’s all her fancy, that: they never
Alice didn’t think that proved it at all; however, she went on ‘And how
How I wonder what you’re at!”
tone. ‘The Queen will hear you! You see, she came rather late, and the
‘You are,’ said the King.
‘I dare say you’re wondering why I don’t put my arm round your waist,’
back to the table, half hoping she might find another key on it, or at
was beating her violently with its wings.
gardeners instantly jumped up, and began bowing to the King, the Queen,
saying, in a solemn tone, ‘For the Duchess. An invitation from the Queen
to say, she simply bowed, and took the thimble, looking as solemn as she
but I don’t remember where.’
of THAT is--“Take care of the sense, and the sounds will take care of
‘Let’s go on with the game,’ the Queen said to Alice; and Alice was
appear, and after a minute or two she walked on in the direction in
‘Why,’ said the Dodo, ‘the best way to explain it is to do it.’ (And, as
sudden change, but very glad to find herself still in existence; ‘and
see whether it’s marked “poison” or not’; for she had read several nice
Presently she began again. ‘I wonder if I shall fall right THROUGH the
‘May it please your Majesty,’ said Two, in a very humble tone, going
it: for she thought, and rightly too, that very few little girls of her
tea-things are put out here?’ she asked.
tone. ‘Nobody seems to like her, down here, and I’m sure she’s the best
‘Collar that Dormouse,’ the Queen shrieked out. ‘Behead that Dormouse!
‘Thinking again?’ the Duchess asked, with another dig of her sharp
‘If you didn’t sign it,’ said the King, ‘that only makes the matter
‘It’s all about as curious as it can be,’ said the Gryphon.
‘I feared it might injure the brain;
to the company generally, ‘You are all pardoned.’ ‘Come, THAT’S a good
to herself, ‘it would have made a dreadfully ugly child: but it makes
‘“Will you walk a little faster?” said a whiting to a snail.
last in the beautiful garden, among the bright flower-beds and the cool
looked like the right thing to eat or drink under the circumstances.
anxiously over his shoulder as he spoke, and then raised himself upon
‘Oh, I’m not particular as to size,’ Alice hastily replied; ‘only one
‘Why, SHE, of course,’ said the Dodo, pointing to Alice with one finger;
‘What for?’ said the one who had spoken first.
HEARTHRUG,
death.”’
was sneezing on the Duchess’s knee, while plates and dishes crashed
a-piece all round.
just succeeded in curving it down into a graceful zigzag, and was going
cheated herself in a game of croquet she was playing against herself,
Suddenly she came upon a little three-legged table, all made of solid
These were the verses the White Rabbit read:--
It did so indeed, and much sooner than she had expected: before she had
‘I thought it would,’ said the Cat, and vanished again.
frightened Mouse splashed his way through the neighbouring pool--she
‘You’ll see me there,’ said the Cat, and vanished.
of the house!’ (Which was very likely true.)
was over, and both the hedgehogs were out of sight: ‘but it doesn’t
neck would bend about easily in any direction, like a serpent. She had
Wonderland, though she knew she had but to open them again, and all
Just then she heard something splashing about in the pool a little way
‘How do you like the Queen?’ said the Cat in a low voice.
nearly out of sight, he said in a deep voice, ‘What are tarts made of?’
‘I’ve heard something like it,’ said Alice.
The Hatter shook his head mournfully. ‘Not I!’ he replied. ‘We
‘Come, it’s pleased so far,’ thought Alice, and she went on. ‘Would you
Beau--ootiful Soo--oop!
when I learn music.’
The Mouse only growled in reply.
‘important--unimportant--unimportant--important--’ as if he were trying
like a mouse, you know. But do cats eat bats, I wonder?’ And here Alice
cunning
‘Do you mean that you think you can find out the answer to it?’ said the
sea, some children digging in the sand with wooden spades, then a row
‘Now, I give you fair warning,’ shouted the Queen, stamping on the
‘That’s different from what I used to say when I was a child,’ said the
‘Not the same thing a bit!’ said the Hatter. ‘You might just as well say
Alice again, for this time the Mouse was bristling all over, and she
cunning
off, and had just begun to dream that she was walking hand in hand with
‘Idiot!’ said the Queen, tossing her head impatiently; and, turning to
away. ‘You insult me by talking such nonsense!’
Duck: ‘it’s generally a frog or a worm. The question is, what did the
Alice, she went on, ‘What’s your name, child?’
could not stand, and she went round the court and got behind him, and
Then they all crowded round her once more, while the Dodo solemnly
Alice again, for this time the Mouse was bristling all over, and she
and
dare say there may be ONE.’
Everybody looked at Alice.
‘I didn’t!’ the March Hare interrupted in a great hurry.
Which brought them back again to the beginning of the conversation.
court,” and I never understood what it meant till now.’
which the wretched Hatter trembled so, that he shook both his shoes off.
Alice waited till the eyes appeared, and then nodded. ‘It’s no use
‘Leave off that!’ screamed the Queen. ‘You make me giddy.’ And then,
of killing somebody, so managed to put it into one of the cupboards as
King put on his spectacles and looked anxiously round, to make out who
that she looked down into its face in some alarm. This time there could
by another footman in livery, with a round face, and large eyes like a
with hearts. Next came the guests, mostly Kings and Queens, and among
cupboards and book-shelves; here and there she saw maps and pictures
way?’, holding her hand on the top of her head to feel which way it was
and the whole party at once crowded round her, calling out in a confused
The Hatter opened his eyes very wide on hearing this; but all he SAID
it out into the open air. ‘IF I don’t take this child away with me,’
‘Mary Ann! Mary Ann!’ said the voice. ‘Fetch me my gloves this moment!’
*    *    *    *    *    *    *
Beautiful, beautiful Soup!’
‘But I don’t want to go among mad people,’ Alice remarked.
down on one knee. ‘I’m a poor man, your Majesty,’ he began.
but, alas! the little door was shut again, and the little golden key was
felt that it would be quite absurd for her to carry it further.
This did not seem to encourage the witness at all: he kept shifting
them even when they hit her; and the baby was howling so much already,
little histories about children who had got burnt, and eaten up by wild
Trims his belt and his buttons, and turns out his toes.’
half to itself, half to Alice.
itself upright as it spoke (it was exactly three inches high).
obliged to write with one finger for the rest of the day; and this was
it suddenly appeared again.
and sometimes she scolded herself so severely as to bring tears into
‘Hadn’t time,’ said the Gryphon: ‘I went to the Classics master, though.
Lizard’s slate-pencil, and the choking of the suppressed guinea-pigs,
‘You are not attending!’ said the Mouse to Alice severely. ‘What are you
whiskers!’
Who for such dainties would not stoop?
stays the same year for such a long time together.’
‘Please your Majesty,’ said the Knave, ‘I didn’t write it, and they
‘Exactly so,’ said the Hatter: ‘as the things get used up.’
And concluded the banquet--]
‘We must burn the house down!’ said the Rabbit’s voice; and Alice called
slate with one finger, as he found it made no mark; but he now hastily
memorandum of the fact.
‘That’s the reason they’re called lessons,’ the Gryphon remarked:
‘Beautiful Soup! Who cares for fish,
she waited patiently.
Here one of the guinea-pigs cheered, and was immediately suppressed by
go on. ‘And so these three little sisters--they were learning to draw,
you’re changed, do you?’
their mouths--and they’re all over crumbs.’
Turn that Dormouse out of court! Suppress him! Pinch him! Off with his
only too glad to do so.
Alice said nothing; she had sat down with her face in her hands,
lefthand bit.
By this time she had found her way into a tidy little room with a table
‘That would be grand, certainly,’ said Alice thoughtfully: ‘but then--I
‘That’s enough about lessons,’ the Gryphon interrupted in a very decided
and made believe to worry it; then Alice dodged behind a great thistle,
‘It is a very good height indeed!’ said the Caterpillar angrily, rearing
moment that it was looking for the fan and the pair of white kid gloves,
that she did not dare to laugh; and, as she could not think of anything
silent.
Lory.
with one eye; ‘I seem to see some meaning in them, after all. “--SAID
‘They told me you had been to her,
‘And be quick about it,’ added the Hatter, ‘or you’ll be asleep again
to the company generally, ‘You are all pardoned.’ ‘Come, THAT’S a good
MORE than nothing.’
‘It’s the Cheshire Cat: now I shall have somebody to talk to.’
tittered audibly.
‘Did you say pig, or fig?’ said the Cat.
I wonder if I’ve been changed in the night? Let me think: was I the
‘Come, that finished the guinea-pigs!’ thought Alice. ‘Now we shall get
On this the White Rabbit blew three blasts on the trumpet, and then
you know--’
she felt a little nervous about this; ‘for it might end, you know,’ said
(In which the cook and the baby joined):--
Beau--ootiful Soo--oop!
in the middle. Alice kept her eyes anxiously fixed on it, for she felt
‘ARE you to get in at all?’ said the Footman. ‘That’s the first
the works!’ he added looking angrily at the March Hare.
what they’re about!’
little cakes as they lay on the floor, and a bright idea came into her
that dark hall, and wander about among those beds of bright flowers and
There ought to be a book written about me, that there ought! And when I
of swimming about here, O Mouse!’ (Alice thought this must be the right
little thing grunted in reply (it had left off sneezing by this time).
There was a dead silence instantly, and Alice thought to herself, ‘I
don’t want YOU with us!”’
that the meeting adjourn, for the immediate adoption of more energetic
see: four times five is twelve, and four times six is thirteen, and
Turtle, and to hear his history. I must go back and see after some
people began running about in all directions, tumbling up against each
the question, and they repeated their arguments to her, though, as they
remark, with variations. ‘I shall sit here,’ he said, ‘on and off, for
Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join the dance.
‘You MUST remember,’ remarked the King, ‘or I’ll have you executed.’
The Queen had only one way of settling all difficulties, great or small.
tell you just now what the moral of that is, but I shall remember it in
she felt a little nervous about this; ‘for it might end, you know,’ said
over all the children she knew that were of the same age as herself, to
said Alice, seriously, ‘I’ll have nothing more to do with you. Mind
Alice felt that this could not be denied, so she tried another question.
Alice did not dare to disobey, though she felt sure it would all come
but, alas! the little door was shut again, and the little golden key was
corners: next the ten courtiers; these were ornamented all over with
MORE than nothing.’
saw the White Rabbit. She was a little nervous about it just at first,
There was certainly too much of it in the air. Even the Duchess
see if she could have been changed for any of them.
on. Her listeners were perfectly quiet till she got to the part about
‘I see!’ said the Queen, who had meanwhile been examining the roses.
sat down and cried.
CHAPTER XI. Who Stole the Tarts?
‘I won’t indeed!’ said Alice, in a great hurry to change the subject of
and the whole party at once crowded round her, calling out in a confused
‘Have some wine,’ the March Hare said in an encouraging tone.
filled the air, mixed up with the distant sobs of the miserable Mock
Alice was very glad to find her in such a pleasant temper, and thought
your pocket?’ he went on, turning to Alice.
‘What did they draw?’ said Alice, quite forgetting her promise.
Knave of Hearts, who only bowed and smiled in reply.
‘There’s certainly too much pepper in that soup!’ Alice said to herself,
and she grew no larger: still it was very uncomfortable, and, as there
hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid), whether the pleasure
righthand bit again, and did not venture to go near the house till she
question, you know.’
there was silence for some minutes.
of such a rule at processions; ‘and besides, what would be the use of
invent something!’
She said the last word with such sudden violence that Alice quite
hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid), whether the pleasure
seemed to be no chance of this, so she began looking at everything about
‘All right,’ said the Cat; and this time it vanished quite slowly,
it into his cup of tea, and looked at it again: but he could think of
the royal children, and everybody else.
not look at all comfortable, and it was certainly not becoming.
sea. The master was an old Turtle--we used to call him Tortoise--’
off, and had just begun to dream that she was walking hand in hand with
living would be like, but it puzzled her too much, so she went on: ‘But
cause,
‘It’s the thing Mock Turtle Soup is made from,’ said the Queen.
Pray how did you manage to do it?’
business of MINE.’
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
‘I beg your pardon!’ said the Mouse, frowning, but very politely: ‘Did
‘you shouldn’t have put it in with the bread-knife.’
‘I’m glad I’ve seen that done,’ thought Alice. ‘I’ve so often read
‘Of the mushroom,’ said the Caterpillar, just as if she had asked it
to himself in an undertone,
offended!’
‘Oh, a song, please, if the Mock Turtle would be so kind,’ Alice
a Lory and an Eaglet, and several other curious creatures. Alice led the
The chief difficulty Alice found at first was in managing her flamingo:
presented the thimble, saying ‘We beg your acceptance of this elegant
‘That I can’t remember,’ said the Hatter.
Though they were mine before.
‘Their heads are gone, if it please your Majesty!’ the soldiers shouted
some time without interrupting it.
You’re mad.’
Just then she heard something splashing about in the pool a little way
age, there was no more to be said.
his eyes. He looked at Alice, and tried to speak, but for a minute or
Why, I do it again and again.’
cupboards and book-shelves; here and there she saw maps and pictures
‘How do you know I’m mad?’ said Alice.
stingy about it, you know--’
for apples, yer honour!’
serpents! There’s no pleasing them!’
she looked up, but it was all dark overhead; before her was another
it was in March.’ As she said this, she looked up, and there was the Cat
‘What IS a Caucus-race?’ said Alice; not that she wanted much to know,
lonely and low-spirited. In a little while, however, she again heard
tone. ‘Nobody seems to like her, down here, and I’m sure she’s the best
‘--and just take his head off outside,’ the Queen added to one of the
‘Then it wasn’t very civil of you to offer it,’ said Alice angrily.
the Conqueror, whose cause was favoured by the pope, was soon submitted
bore it as well as she could.
filled the air, mixed up with the distant sobs of the miserable Mock
the temper of your flamingo. Shall I try the experiment?’
could.
beasts and other unpleasant things, all because they WOULD not remember
everything that Alice said; ‘there’s a large mustard-mine near here. And
kind of thing never happened, and now here I am in the middle of one!
‘Begin at the beginning,’ the King said gravely, ‘and go on till you
‘And now which is which?’ she said to herself, and nibbled a little of
Fainting in Coils.’
‘I never thought about it,’ said Alice. ‘Why?’
vanishing so suddenly: you make one quite giddy.’
It did so indeed, and much sooner than she had expected: before she had
‘Speak English!’ said the Eaglet. ‘I don’t know the meaning of half
cushion, resting their elbows on it, and talking over its head. ‘Very
like a Jack-in-the-box, and up I goes like a sky-rocket!’
on, as she heard the Queen’s voice in the distance, screaming with
The miserable Hatter dropped his teacup and bread-and-butter, and went
denial; We
arms, took the hookah out of its mouth again, and said, ‘So you think
‘You are not attending!’ said the Mouse to Alice severely. ‘What are you
‘No, they’re not,’ said the White Rabbit, ‘and that’s the queerest thing
nearer, Alice could hear him sighing as if his heart would break. She
can’t prove I did: there’s no name signed at the end.’
‘And now which is which?’ she said to herself, and nibbled a little of
like a Jack-in-the-box, and up I goes like a sky-rocket!’
of tiny white kid gloves: she took up the fan and a pair of the gloves,
‘What did they draw?’ said Alice, quite forgetting her promise.
Alice went timidly up to the door, and knocked.
There seemed to be no use in waiting by the little door, so she went
she was talking. ‘How CAN I have done that?’ she thought. ‘I must
no toys to play with, and oh! ever so many lessons to learn! No, I’ve
saw the White Rabbit. She was a little nervous about it just at first,
presented the thimble, saying ‘We beg your acceptance of this elegant
lying on the glass table as before, ‘and things are worse than ever,’
‘Oh, I’m not particular as to size,’ Alice hastily replied; ‘only one
poker will burn you if you hold it too long; and that if you cut your
it muttering to itself ‘The Duchess! The Duchess! Oh my dear paws! Oh
tiptoe, put his mouth close to her ear, and whispered ‘She’s under
CHAPTER III. A Caucus-Race and a Long Tale
it to make it stop.
felt quite strange at first; but she got used to it in a few minutes,
stays the same year for such a long time together.’
buttered toast,) she very soon finished it off.
shut up like a telescope! I think I could, if I only knew how to begin.’
out that the cause of this was the fan she was holding, and she dropped
The Knave shook his head sadly. ‘Do I look like it?’ he said. (Which he
occasional exclamation of ‘Hjckrrh!’ from the Gryphon, and the constant
Though they were mine before.
how to set about it; and while she was peering about anxiously among
The Dormouse again took a minute or two to think about it, and then
and began talking to herself, as usual. ‘Come, there’s half my plan done
herself. ‘Shy, they seem to put everything upon Bill! I wouldn’t be in
her knowledge of history, Alice had no very clear notion how long ago
‘I won’t indeed!’ said Alice, in a great hurry to change the subject of
But here, to Alice’s great surprise, the Duchess’s voice died away, even
‘I don’t see,’ said the Caterpillar.
‘Then you should say what you mean,’ the March Hare went on.
Alice got up and ran off, thinking while she ran, as well she might,
‘Wake up, Alice dear!’ said her sister; ‘Why, what a long sleep you’ve
creatures hid their faces in their paws.
to find her way out. ‘I shall be punished for it now, I suppose, by
thing,’ Alice went on, half to herself, as she swam lazily about in the
held it out to the puppy; whereupon the puppy jumped into the air off
them out again. That’s all.’
The door led right into a large kitchen, which was full of smoke from
know why it’s called a whiting?’
their mouths--and they’re all over crumbs.’
led into the garden. Then she went to work nibbling at the mushroom (she
do well enough; don’t be particular--Here, Bill! catch hold of this
‘Well, then,’ the Cat went on, ‘you see, a dog growls when it’s angry,
cucumber-frames there must be!’ thought Alice. ‘I wonder what they’ll do
the last time she saw them, they were trying to put the Dormouse into
‘Two days wrong!’ sighed the Hatter. ‘I told you butter wouldn’t suit
saying to herself ‘This is Bill,’ she gave one sharp kick, and waited to
and it sat for a long time with one finger pressed upon its forehead
‘Of course not,’ Alice replied very readily: ‘but that’s because it
but I don’t remember where.’
‘Yes, that’s it,’ said the Hatter with a sigh: ‘it’s always tea-time,
court.
got much evidence YET,’ she said to herself. Imagine her surprise, when
‘But they were IN the well,’ Alice said to the Dormouse, not choosing to
‘And washing?’ said the Mock Turtle.
her in a languid, sleepy voice.
certainly did NOT, being made entirely of cardboard.)
no jury
after folding his arms and frowning at the cook till his eyes were
and the whole party at once crowded round her, calling out in a confused
Alice took up the fan and gloves, and, as the hall was very hot, she
If I or she should chance to be
eyes were getting extremely small for a baby: altogether Alice did not
shut up like a telescope! I think I could, if I only knew how to begin.’
‘At any rate I’ll never go THERE again!’ said Alice as she picked her
‘We had the best of educations--in fact, we went to school every day--’
‘Anything you like,’ said the Footman, and began whistling.
‘Yes, we went to school in the sea, though you mayn’t believe it--’
deep and reaching half down the hall.
days and days.’
safe in a thick wood.
‘You ought to have finished,’ said the King. ‘When did you begin?’
Alice remained looking thoughtfully at the mushroom for a minute, trying
‘Hold your tongue!’ said the Queen, turning purple.
herself in a long, low hall, which was lit up by a row of lamps hanging
course--“I GAVE HER ONE, THEY GAVE HIM TWO--” why, that must be what he
itself upright as it spoke (it was exactly three inches high).
that it made Alice quite hungry to look at them--‘I wish they’d get the
poker will burn you if you hold it too long; and that if you cut your
now! How puzzling all these changes are! I’m never sure what I’m going
go by the carrier,’ she thought; ‘and how funny it’ll seem, sending
this bottle does. I do hope it’ll make me grow large again, for really
of him), while the rest waited in silence. At last the Dodo said,
well.
‘Don’t you mean “purpose”?’ said Alice.
‘I don’t much care where--’ said Alice.
(We know it to be true):
Said his father; ‘don’t give yourself airs!
‘Keep your temper,’ said the Caterpillar.
his eyes. He looked at Alice, and tried to speak, but for a minute or
‘I don’t like the look of it at all,’ said the King: ‘however, it may
And argued each case with my wife;
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
you executed on the spot.’
a procession,’ thought she, ‘if people had all to lie down upon their
in the last few minutes that she wasn’t a bit afraid of interrupting
to Alice an excellent opportunity for croqueting one of them with the
the royal children; there were ten of them, and the little dears came
little thing grunted in reply (it had left off sneezing by this time).
but it said nothing.
growing, and she was quite surprised to find that she remained the same
come to the end: then stop.’
‘There’s certainly too much pepper in that soup!’ Alice said to herself,
Who for such dainties would not stoop?
When the sands are all dry, he is gay as a lark,
thing,’ Alice went on, half to herself, as she swam lazily about in the
of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and
‘Serpent, I say again!’ repeated the Pigeon, but in a more subdued tone,
house, quite forgetting that she was now about a thousand times as large
she spoke.
dear, certainly: but now run in to your tea; it’s getting late.’ So
For, you see, so many out-of-the-way things had happened lately,
were nowhere to be found: all she could see, when she looked down, was
‘I’m sure I’m not Ada,’ she said, ‘for her hair goes in such long
and holding it to his ear.
‘YOU’D better not talk!’ said Five. ‘I heard the Queen say only
all spoke at once, she found it very hard indeed to make out exactly
and added with a kind of sob, ‘I’ve tried every way, and nothing seems
wondering very much what would happen next.
‘When I’M a Duchess,’ she said to herself, (not in a very hopeful tone
pocket, and was looking at it uneasily, shaking it every now and then,
almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later.
inquisitively, and seemed to her to wink with one of its little eyes,
‘That is not said right,’ said the Caterpillar.
back to the table, half hoping she might find another key on it, or at
‘--likely to win, that it’s hardly worth while finishing the game.’
things happening. While she was looking at the place where it had been,
Alice considered a little, and then said ‘The fourth.’
law: I will
the place of the March Hare. The Hatter was the only one who got any
confusing it is all the things being alive; for instance, there’s the
would be
speaking to it,’ she thought, ‘till its ears have come, or at least one
things to happen, that it seemed quite dull and stupid for life to go on
number of executions the Queen had ordered.
She drew her foot as far down the chimney as she could, and waited
invitation for the Duchess to play croquet.’
told me he was going a journey, I should say “With what porpoise?”’
‘Come, my head’s free at last!’ said Alice in a tone of delight, which
way?’, holding her hand on the top of her head to feel which way it was
but her voice sounded hoarse and strange, and the words did not come the
‘Why,’ said the Dodo, ‘the best way to explain it is to do it.’ (And, as
They are waiting on the shingle--will you come and join the dance?
‘The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts,
us all about it!’
had kept a piece of it in her pocket) till she was about a foot high:
‘Beautiful Soup, so rich and green,
Here was another puzzling question; and as Alice could not think of any
after it: ‘I never was so ordered about in all my life, never!’
‘Yes,’ said Alice, ‘I’ve often seen them at dinn--’ she checked herself
‘--or next day, maybe,’ the Footman continued in the same tone, exactly
children she knew, who might do very well as pigs, and was just saying
resting in the shade: however, the moment they saw her, they hurried
‘Off with her head!’ the Queen shouted at the top of her voice. Nobody
(the position in which you usually see Shakespeare, in the pictures
‘Of course,’ the Dodo replied very gravely. ‘What else have you got in
not look at all comfortable, and it was certainly not becoming.
like them raw.’
When the pie was all finished, the Owl, as a boon,
into the garden at once; but, alas for poor Alice! when she got to the
said the Gryphon: and it set to work shaking him and punching him in
desperate that she was ready to ask help of any one; so, when the Rabbit
hand again, and made another snatch in the air. This time there were
Alice, who felt ready to sink into the earth. At last the Gryphon said
in front of them, with her arms folded, frowning like a thunderstorm.
The next thing was to eat the comfits: this caused some noise and
just succeeded in curving it down into a graceful zigzag, and was going
arch I’ve got to go through next walking about at the other end of the
‘Ah, well! It means much the same thing,’ said the Duchess, digging her
And beat him when he sneezes:
all talking together: she made out the words: ‘Where’s the other
Everybody looked at Alice.
‘In my youth,’ said his father, ‘I took to the law,
short remarks, and she drew herself up and said, very gravely, ‘I think,
Alice a little timidly: ‘but it’s no use going back to yesterday,
‘I can’t explain MYSELF, I’m afraid, sir’ said Alice, ‘because I’m not
state of mind, she turned away.
on the table. ‘Nothing can be clearer than THAT. Then again--“BEFORE SHE
begun asking riddles.--I believe I can guess that,’ she added aloud.
conclusion that it was a very difficult game indeed.
Forty-two. ALL PERSONS MORE THAN A MILE HIGH TO LEAVE THE COURT.’
about the reason and all that,’ he said to the Gryphon.
to her lips. ‘I know SOMETHING interesting is sure to happen,’ she said
‘I should like it very much,’ said Alice, ‘but I haven’t been invited
gardeners instantly jumped up, and began bowing to the King, the Queen,
‘What for?’ said the one who had spoken first.
on, as she heard the Queen’s voice in the distance, screaming with
‘Of course you don’t!’ the Hatter said, tossing his head contemptuously.
cats: nasty, low, vulgar things! Don’t let me hear the name again!’
birds and beasts, as well as the whole pack of cards: the Knave was
are; secondly, because they’re making such a noise inside, no one could
Alice noticed with some surprise that the pebbles were all turning into
your Majesty?’ he asked.
‘Very true,’ said the Duchess: ‘flamingoes and mustard both bite. And
Now, if you only kept on good terms with him, he’d do almost anything
Knave of Hearts, who only bowed and smiled in reply.
[later editions continued as follows
the Conqueror, whose cause was favoured by the pope, was soon submitted
‘Shan’t,’ said the cook.
‘That’s none of YOUR business, Two!’ said Seven.
hurry, muttering to himself as he came, ‘Oh! the Duchess, the Duchess!
‘Soles and eels, of course,’ the Gryphon replied rather impatiently:
sudden change, but very glad to find herself still in existence; ‘and
when I learn music.’
Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she had
‘Who’s making personal remarks now?’ the Hatter asked triumphantly.
‘Come on!’ cried the Gryphon, and, taking Alice by the hand, it hurried
Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she had
the m--’
grow shorter.’
a pleased tone.
‘Ah! that accounts for it,’ said the Hatter. ‘He won’t stand beating.
quite a conversation of it altogether; but after a few minutes she heard
home! Why, I wouldn’t say anything about it, even if I fell off the top
the Mouse’s tail; ‘but why do you call it sad?’ And she kept on puzzling
time,’ she said, ‘than waste it in asking riddles that have no answers.’
them bitter--and--and barley-sugar and such things that make children
Game, or any other dish?
‘But, it goes on “THEY ALL RETURNED FROM HIM TO YOU,”’ said Alice.
‘He must have imitated somebody else’s hand,’ said the King. (The jury
And the muscular strength, which it gave to my jaw,
“Up above the world you fly,
she set to work very carefully, nibbling first at one and then at the
but her voice sounded hoarse and strange, and the words did not come the
‘It wasn’t very civil of you to sit down without being invited,’ said
bread-and-butter getting so thin--and the twinkling of the tea--’
“What for?”’
go down the chimney!’
telescope.’
Presently she began again. ‘I wonder if I shall fall right THROUGH the
voice, ‘Why the fact is, you see, Miss, this here ought to have been a
Alice looked down at them, and considered a little before she gave her
Said
she passed; it was labelled ‘ORANGE MARMALADE’, but to her great
‘How do you like the Queen?’ said the Cat in a low voice.
‘You might just as well say,’ added the March Hare, ‘that “I like what I
shouldn’t be hungry for it, you know.’
hint to Time, and round goes the clock in a twinkling! Half-past one,
to the company generally, ‘You are all pardoned.’ ‘Come, THAT’S a good
‘“Will you walk a little faster?” said a whiting to a snail.
are; secondly, because they’re making such a noise inside, no one could
should like to hear her try and repeat something now. Tell her to
There was a table set out under a tree in front of the house, and the
about two feet high, and was going on shrinking rapidly: she soon found
‘And who are THESE?’ said the Queen, pointing to the three gardeners who
answered ‘Come on!’ and ran the faster, while more and more faintly
for the next moment a shower of little pebbles came rattling in at the
CHAPTER X. The Lobster Quadrille
Improve his shining tail,
‘But who is to give the prizes?’ quite a chorus of voices asked.
‘Oh, a song, please, if the Mock Turtle would be so kind,’ Alice
is, you know. Please, Ma’am, is this New Zealand or Australia?’ (and
Twinkle, twinkle--“’
way, ‘Prizes! Prizes!’
the flowers and the blades of grass, but she did not see anything that
presented the thimble, saying ‘We beg your acceptance of this elegant
would, in the after-time, be herself a grown woman; and how she would
‘Oh, a song, please, if the Mock Turtle would be so kind,’ Alice
For some minutes the whole court was in confusion, getting the Dormouse
herself by it, and found that, as nearly as she could guess, she was now
wondering if anything would EVER happen in a natural way again.
‘I thought it would,’ said the Cat, and vanished again.
at the Cat’s head with great curiosity.
say--that’s the same thing, you know.’
tea-things are put out here?’ she asked.
running down his cheeks, he went on again:--
VERY much out of the way to hear the Rabbit say to itself, ‘Oh dear!
to say!’
‘The lobsters!’ shouted the Gryphon, with a bound into the air.
Beau--ootiful Soo--oop!
had vanished completely.
used--and I don’t keep the same size for ten minutes together!’
appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise
out here? Run home this moment, and fetch me a pair of gloves and a fan!
‘I didn’t know that Cheshire cats always grinned; in fact, I didn’t know
‘Their heads are gone, if it please your Majesty!’ the soldiers shouted
one way up as the other.’
And have grown most uncommonly fat;
‘Ah, well! It means much the same thing,’ said the Duchess, digging her
‘What trial is it?’ Alice panted as she ran; but the Gryphon only
or two, it was as much as she could do to hold it.
was nine feet high.
time for dinner!’
it ran away when it saw mine coming!’
Quadrille, that she hardly knew what she was saying, and the words came
she looked up, but it was all dark overhead; before her was another
dear, certainly: but now run in to your tea; it’s getting late.’ So
The King’s argument was, that anything that had a head could be
‘I dare say you never even spoke to Time!’
Rome--no, THAT’S all wrong, I’m certain! I must have been changed for
Here was another puzzling question; and as Alice could not think of any
something like this:--
everything that Alice said; ‘there’s a large mustard-mine near here. And
them, and he checked himself suddenly: the others looked round also, and
muddle their slates’ll be in before the trial’s over!’ thought Alice.
‘I’ve tried the roots of trees, and I’ve tried banks, and I’ve tried
told me he was going a journey, I should say “With what porpoise?”’
verdict,’ he said to the jury, in a low, trembling voice.
wasting
have this cat removed!’
‘Why not?’ said the March Hare.
without attending to her, ‘if we had the door between us. For instance,
makes them so shiny?’
_I_ shan’t be able! I shall be a great deal too far off to trouble
of tiny white kid gloves: she took up the fan and a pair of the gloves,
was,’ he said.
to the Mock Turtle, ‘Drive on, old fellow! Don’t be all day about it!’
nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of
‘My name is Alice, so please your Majesty,’ said Alice very politely;
off, without waiting for the end of the song.
she had accidentally upset the week before.
No, there were no tears. ‘If you’re going to turn into a pig, my dear,’
it out again, and put it right; ‘not that it signifies much,’ she said
Pray how did you manage to do it?’
‘No, I didn’t,’ said Alice: ‘I don’t think it’s at all a pity. I said
It was all very well to say ‘Drink me,’ but the wise little Alice was
‘’Tis so,’ said the Duchess: ‘and the moral of that is--“Oh, ‘tis love,
‘Nobody asked YOUR opinion,’ said Alice.
‘Just about as much right,’ said the Duchess, ‘as pigs have to fly; and
I wonder if I’ve been changed in the night? Let me think: was I the
‘Dinah’s our cat. And she’s such a capital one for catching mice you
dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think
pocket, and pulled out a box of comfits, (luckily the salt water had
death.”’
Alice opened the door and found that it led into a small passage, not
The Hatter opened his eyes very wide on hearing this; but all he SAID
mushroom, and her eyes immediately met those of a large caterpillar,
of the house!’ (Which was very likely true.)
the name of nearly everything there. ‘That’s the judge,’ she said to
dry enough!’ They all sat down at once, in a large ring, with the Mouse
too much frightened to say a word, but slowly followed her back to the
and she very good-naturedly began hunting about for them, but they were
‘I mean what I say,’ the Mock Turtle replied in an offended tone. And
‘You mean you can’t take LESS,’ said the Hatter: ‘it’s very easy to take
tone. ‘The Queen will hear you! You see, she came rather late, and the
a trial,
That your eye was as steady as ever;
to take out of it, and burning with curiosity, she ran across the field
looking for eggs, I know THAT well enough; and what does it matter to me
‘Herald, read the accusation!’ said the King.
‘Oh, PLEASE mind what you’re doing!’ cried Alice, jumping up and down in
certainly did NOT, being made entirely of cardboard.)
our house I should like to show you! A little bright-eyed terrier, you
reason is--’ here the Mock Turtle yawned and shut his eyes.--‘Tell her
worse. You MUST have meant some mischief, or else you’d have signed your
knowing how old it was, and, as the Lory positively refused to tell its
‘important--unimportant--unimportant--important--’ as if he were trying
‘Of course it was,’ said the Mock Turtle.
moment Five, who had been anxiously looking across the garden, called
Who for such dainties would not stoop?
for apples, yer honour!’
‘What size do you want to be?’ it asked.
‘We had the best of educations--in fact, we went to school every day--’
‘If everybody minded their own business,’ the Duchess said in a hoarse
‘Take some more tea,’ the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.
An enormous puppy was looking down at her with large round eyes, and
presented the thimble, saying ‘We beg your acceptance of this elegant
the mallets live flamingoes, and the soldiers had to double themselves
myself, you see.’
She was moving them about as she spoke, but no result seemed to follow,
question, you know.’
her a good deal until she made out what it was: she was beginning to
down her flamingo, and began an account of the game, feeling very glad
whether you’re a little girl or a serpent?’
she thought, and looked into its eyes again, to see if there were any
repeated, aloud.
perhaps after all it might tell her something worth hearing. For some
pleased to have got into a conversation.
‘Then the words don’t FIT you,’ said the King, looking round the court
anything but sit with its mouth open, gazing up into the roof of the
trouble, you know, as we needn’t try to find any. And yet I don’t know,’
other side of the garden, where Alice could see it trying in a helpless
‘That is not said right,’ said the Caterpillar.
hands were clasped upon her knee, and the bright eager eyes were looking
‘Stand up and repeat “‘TIS THE VOICE OF THE SLUGGARD,”’ said the
you liked with the clock. For instance, suppose it were nine o’clock in
‘Perhaps it doesn’t understand English,’ thought Alice; ‘I daresay it’s
‘What for?’ said the one who had spoken first.
and not to her, so she took courage, and went on again:--
‘Hm! No accounting for tastes! Sing her “Turtle Soup,” will you, old
‘What size do you want to be?’ it asked.
‘It’s all about as curious as it can be,’ said the Gryphon.
Once more she found herself in the long hall, and close to the little
said to herself; ‘his eyes are so VERY nearly at the top of his head.
Soon her eye fell on a little glass box that was lying under the table:
like a mouse, you know. But do cats eat bats, I wonder?’ And here Alice
a great crash, as if a dish or kettle had been broken to pieces.
way, ‘Prizes! Prizes!’
The Hatter opened his eyes very wide on hearing this; but all he SAID
hastily, for the White Rabbit cried out, ‘Silence in the court!’ and the
sneezed occasionally; and as for the baby, it was sneezing and howling
The Queen had only one way of settling all difficulties, great or small.
As she said this she looked down at her hands, and was surprised to see
‘I don’t like the look of it at all,’ said the King: ‘however, it may
but her voice sounded hoarse and strange, and the words did not come the
*    *    *    *    *    *
So she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could, for the
repeated, aloud.
had kept a piece of it in her pocket) till she was about a foot high:
shall only look up and say “Who am I then? Tell me that first, and then,
it trot away quietly into the wood. ‘If it had grown up,’ she said
‘Idiot!’ said the Queen, tossing her head impatiently; and, turning to
cat in the world! Oh, my dear Dinah! I wonder if I shall ever see you
‘Well, if I must, I must,’ the King said, with a melancholy air, and,
[‘I only wish it was,’ the March Hare said to itself in a whisper.)
And welcome little fishes in
behind it, it occurred to her that she might as well look and see what
CHAPTER II. The Pool of Tears
could hear the rattle of the teacups as the March Hare and his friends
‘Oh, you’re sure to do that,’ said the Cat, ‘if you only walk long
It’s enough to drive one crazy!’
just beginning to write this down on their slates, when the White Rabbit
These were the verses the White Rabbit read:--
‘What for?’ said the one who had spoken first.
Everybody looked at Alice.
‘I think I should understand that better,’ Alice said very politely, ‘if
‘How dreadfully savage!’ exclaimed Alice.
you’re changed, do you?’
And yet you incessantly stand on your head--
fear they should forget them before the end of the trial.’
holiday?’
only took the regular course.’
Duchess was VERY ugly; and secondly, because she was exactly the
if I like being that person, I’ll come up: if not, I’ll stay down here
had got so much into the way of expecting nothing but out-of-the-way
to keep herself from being run over; and the moment she appeared on the
‘I keep them to sell,’ the Hatter added as an explanation; ‘I’ve none of
looking for it, while the rest of the party went back to the game.
‘Hold your tongue!’ added the Gryphon, before Alice could speak again.
her: she gave a little scream, half of fright and half of anger, and
have got altered.’
Queen, who was reading the list of singers.
a tone of great relief. ‘Now at OURS they had at the end of the bill,
was on the top of it.
hungry, in which case it would be very likely to eat her up in spite of
hastily, for the White Rabbit cried out, ‘Silence in the court!’ and the
Said
did you ever eat a bat?’ when suddenly, thump! thump! down she came upon
By the time she had caught the flamingo and brought it back, the fight
Alice did not quite know what to say to this: so she helped herself
very queer indeed:--
ever having seen such a thing.
said to herself; ‘the March Hare will be much the most interesting, and
‘Talking of axes,’ said the Duchess, ‘chop off her head!’
The March Hare took the watch and looked at it gloomily: then he dipped
ferrets! Where CAN I have dropped them, I wonder?’ Alice guessed in a
tell what o’clock it is!’
poker will burn you if you hold it too long; and that if you cut your
fire, and at once set to work throwing everything within her reach at
I’m quite tired of being such a tiny little thing!’
them even when they hit her; and the baby was howling so much already,
but at any rate it would not open any of them. However, on the second
‘And now which is which?’ she said to herself, and nibbled a little of
But the snail replied “Too far, too far!” and gave a look askance--
resting in the shade: however, the moment they saw her, they hurried
court,” and I never understood what it meant till now.’
between them, fast asleep, and the other two were using it as a
scratching and scrambling about in the chimney close above her: then,
one corner of it: ‘No room! No room!’ they cried out when they saw Alice
you might like to try the thing yourself, some winter day, I will tell
that did not sneeze, were the cook, and a large cat which was sitting on
Alice felt a little irritated at the Caterpillar’s making such VERY
Distraction, Uglification, and Derision.’
hoarse, feeble voice: ‘I heard every word you fellows were saying.’
Alice opened the door and found that it led into a small passage, not
CHAPTER VII. A Mad Tea-Party
Said
seemed to be no chance of this, so she began looking at everything about
slipped in like herself.
players, except the King, the Queen, and Alice, were in custody and
By the time she had caught the flamingo and brought it back, the fight
upset, and their slates and pencils had been found and handed back to
‘How the creatures order one about, and make one repeat lessons!’
Pennyworth only of beautiful Soup?
were nowhere to be found: all she could see, when she looked down, was
‘That’s very important,’ the King said, turning to the jury. They were
“French, music, AND WASHING--extra.”’
VERY much out of the way to hear the Rabbit say to itself, ‘Oh dear!
noticing her. Then followed the Knave of Hearts, carrying the King’s
bore it as well as she could.
‘THAT you won’t’ thought Alice, and, after waiting till she fancied
sharp little chin into Alice’s shoulder as she added, ‘and the moral
So she sat on, with closed eyes, and half believed herself in
Gryphon.
presented the thimble, saying ‘We beg your acceptance of this elegant
themselves.”’
‘Well, there was Mystery,’ the Mock Turtle replied, counting off
‘I’ve had nothing yet,’ Alice replied in an offended tone, ‘so I can’t
serpents! There’s no pleasing them!’
little golden key in the lock, and to her great delight it fitted!
and very soon had to kneel down on the floor: in another minute there
At this moment the King, who had been for some time busily writing in
plate with the name ‘W. RABBIT’ engraved upon it. She went in without
queer everything is to-day! And yesterday things went on just as usual.
themselves flat upon their faces. There was a sound of many footsteps,
Who would not give all else for two
inquisitively, and seemed to her to wink with one of its little eyes,
felt that it ought to be treated with respect.
like a star-fish,’ thought Alice. The poor little thing was snorting
Though they were mine before.
a mouse--to a mouse--a mouse--O mouse!’) The Mouse looked at her rather
in front of them, with her arms folded, frowning like a thunderstorm.
‘You might just as well say,’ added the March Hare, ‘that “I like what I
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
‘I’ll tell it her,’ said the Mock Turtle in a deep, hollow tone: ‘sit
That your eye was as steady as ever;
behind it was a little door about fifteen inches high: she tried the
‘There might be some sense in your knocking,’ the Footman went on
it out into the open air. ‘IF I don’t take this child away with me,’
looked at the sides of the well, and noticed that they were filled with
‘What I was going to say,’ said the Dodo in an offended tone, ‘was, that
drunk half the bottle, she found her head pressing against the ceiling,
turned the corner, but the Rabbit was no longer to be seen: she found
to repeat it, when a cry of ‘The trial’s beginning!’ was heard in the
‘And be quick about it,’ added the Hatter, ‘or you’ll be asleep again
‘No, no!’ said the Queen. ‘Sentence first--verdict afterwards.’
The judge, by the way, was the King; and as he wore his crown over the
both go to
neck would bend about easily in any direction, like a serpent. She had
set off at once, and ran till she was quite tired and out of breath, and
have the experiment tried.
‘You couldn’t have wanted it much,’ said Alice; ‘living at the bottom of
‘I’ve had nothing yet,’ Alice replied in an offended tone, ‘so I can’t
can do no more, whatever happens. What WILL become of me?’
court, arm-in-arm with the Dormouse. ‘Fourteenth of March, I think it
Has lasted the rest of my life.’
over!’
the Rabbit coming to look for her, and she trembled till she shook the
‘But, it goes on “THEY ALL RETURNED FROM HIM TO YOU,”’ said Alice.
‘We had the best of educations--in fact, we went to school every day--’
‘But they were IN the well,’ Alice said to the Dormouse, not choosing to
but the Dodo had paused as if it thought that SOMEBODY ought to speak,
Alice had been all the way down one side and up the other, trying every
‘Boots and shoes under the sea,’ the Gryphon went on in a deep voice,
‘What was that?’ inquired Alice.
Down, down, down. Would the fall NEVER come to an end! ‘I wonder how
said ‘No, never’) ‘--so you can have no idea what a delightful thing a
down on one knee as he spoke, ‘we were trying--’
well.
wood for fear of their hearing her; and when she next peeped out the
to say which), and they went on for some while in silence.
And pour the waters of the Nile
she thought of herself, ‘I wish the creatures wouldn’t be so easily
but at any rate it would not open any of them. However, on the second
rabbits. I almost wish I hadn’t gone down that rabbit-hole--and yet--and
going to happen next. First, she tried to look down and make out what
history, and you’ll understand why it is I hate cats and dogs.’
now for the garden!’ and she ran with all speed back to the little door:
generally a ridge or furrow in the way wherever she wanted to send the
‘She boxed the Queen’s ears--’ the Rabbit began. Alice gave a little
Here the Dormouse shook itself, and began singing in its sleep ‘Twinkle,
“There is another shore, you know, upon the other side.
tell what o’clock it is!’
beginning with the end of the tail, and ending with the grin, which
‘Pepper, mostly,’ said the cook.
it must be a walrus or hippopotamus, but then she remembered how small
to herself that perhaps it was only the pepper that had made her so
get” is the same thing as “I get what I like”!’
‘At any rate I’ll never go THERE again!’ said Alice as she picked her
a frying-pan after her as she went out, but it just missed her.
conversation. ‘Are you--are you fond--of--of dogs?’ The Mouse did not
They are waiting on the shingle--will you come and join the dance?
Soo--oop of the e--e--evening,
ringlets, and mine doesn’t go in ringlets at all; and I’m sure I can’t
uncomfortably sharp chin. However, she did not like to be rude, so she
savage when they met in the kitchen.
‘Would you tell me,’ said Alice, a little timidly, ‘why you are painting
“There is another shore, you know, upon the other side.
about it while the Mouse was speaking, so that her idea of the tale was
and skurried away into the darkness as hard as he could go.
coming. ‘There’s PLENTY of room!’ said Alice indignantly, and she sat
‘You might just as well say,’ added the Dormouse, who seemed to be
before, as the March Hare had just upset the milk-jug into his plate.
‘Oh, a song, please, if the Mock Turtle would be so kind,’ Alice
‘Back to land again, and that’s all the first figure,’ said the Mock
‘What IS the use of repeating all that stuff,’ the Mock Turtle
for the next moment a shower of little pebbles came rattling in at the
of the cattle in the distance would take the place of the Mock Turtle’s
conversations?’
jumping about like mad things all this time, sat down again very sadly
‘That WAS a narrow escape!’ said Alice, a good deal frightened at the
holiday?’
haven’t had a wink of sleep these three weeks!’
‘I suppose so,’ said Alice.
letter, written by the prisoner to--to somebody.’
all!’ ‘Do as I tell you, you coward!’ and at last she spread out her
my own. I’m a hatter.’
yet.’
The Duchess took her choice, and was gone in a moment.
be NO mistake about it: it was neither more nor less than a pig, and she
down on one knee as he spoke, ‘we were trying--’
Here was another puzzling question; and as Alice could not think of any
ground as she spoke; ‘either you or your head must be off, and that in
the other players, and shouting ‘Off with his head!’ or ‘Off with her
age, there was no more to be said.
Still she went on growing, and, as a last resource, she put one arm out
tiptoe, put his mouth close to her ear, and whispered ‘She’s under
must have a
‘I’d rather finish my tea,’ said the Hatter, with an anxious look at the
looked back once or twice, half hoping that they would call after her:
who turned pale and fidgeted.
forgotten that, if you drink much from a bottle marked ‘poison,’ it is
get out again.
to take out of it, and burning with curiosity, she ran across the field
saying, ‘Thank you, sir, for your interesting story,’ but she could
Alice had no idea what to do, and in despair she put her hand in her
The Knave shook his head sadly. ‘Do I look like it?’ he said. (Which he
sitting sad and lonely on a little ledge of rock, and, as they came
Alice, ‘and if it makes me grow larger, I can reach the key; and if it
an agony of terror. ‘Oh, there goes his PRECIOUS nose’; as an unusually
Alice sighed wearily. ‘I think you might do something better with the
arrived, with a great crowd assembled about them--all sorts of little
‘I haven’t opened it yet,’ said the White Rabbit, ‘but it seems to be a
doorway; ‘and even if my head would go through,’ thought poor Alice, ‘it
its children, ‘Come away, my dears! It’s high time you were all in bed!’
morning I’ve
the hint; but the cook was busily stirring the soup, and seemed not to
use their putting their heads down and saying “Come up again, dear!” I
your Majesty?’ he asked.
use their putting their heads down and saying “Come up again, dear!” I
for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English); ‘now I’m
mouse-traps, and the moon, and memory, and muchness--you know you say
away from her as hard as it could go, and making quite a commotion in
now and then; such as, ‘Sure, I don’t like it, yer honour, at all, at
It was the White Rabbit, trotting slowly back again, and looking
them out again. That’s all.’
a pleased tone.
a doze; but, on being pinched by the Hatter, it woke up again with
trouble, you know, as we needn’t try to find any. And yet I don’t know,’
nobody in particular. ‘She’d soon fetch it back!’
round it, panting, and asking, ‘But who has won?’
Everything is so out-of-the-way down here, that I should think very
She waited for some time without hearing anything more: at last came a
the subjects on his flappers, ‘--Mystery, ancient and modern, with
‘But they were IN the well,’ Alice said to the Dormouse, not choosing to
good reason, and as the Caterpillar seemed to be in a VERY unpleasant
‘Yes, we went to school in the sea, though you mayn’t believe it--’
There was certainly too much of it in the air. Even the Duchess
in the middle, being held up by two guinea-pigs, who were giving it
about two feet high: even then she walked up towards it rather timidly,
could get away without being seen, when she noticed a curious appearance
a Lory and an Eaglet, and several other curious creatures. Alice led the
cushion, resting their elbows on it, and talking over its head. ‘Very
startled when she heard her voice close to her ear. ‘You’re thinking
the pool, and the great hall, with the glass table and the little door,
would, in the after-time, be herself a grown woman; and how she would
arms, took the hookah out of its mouth again, and said, ‘So you think
things happening. While she was looking at the place where it had been,
animals and birds waiting outside. The poor little Lizard, Bill, was
‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat.
‘You may go,’ said the King, and the Hatter hurriedly left the court,
‘I’ve had nothing yet,’ Alice replied in an offended tone, ‘so I can’t
‘Who is it directed to?’ said one of the jurymen.
the Duchess and the baby--the fire-irons came first; then followed a
anxiously round to see if he would deny it too: but the Dormouse denied
‘We had the best of educations--in fact, we went to school every day--’
saying to herself ‘This is Bill,’ she gave one sharp kick, and waited to
had!’
‘I don’t know where Dinn may be,’ said the Mock Turtle, ‘but if you’ve
So she set the little creature down, and felt quite relieved to see
generally a ridge or furrow in the way wherever she wanted to send the
sighing.
‘Your Majesty must cross-examine THIS witness.’
‘I’m sure I’m not Ada,’ she said, ‘for her hair goes in such long
Soo--oop of the e--e--evening,
‘They were obliged to have him with them,’ the Mock Turtle said: ‘no
have been ill.’
‘By-the-bye, what became of the baby?’ said the Cat. ‘I’d nearly
sentence first!’
till I’m somebody else”--but, oh dear!’ cried Alice, with a sudden burst
thought Alice; ‘I might as well be at school at once.’ However, she
(she was obliged to say ‘creatures,’ you see, because some of them were
‘Oh! So Bill’s got to come down the chimney, has he?’ said Alice to
she could, for her neck kept getting entangled among the branches, and
you seen the Mock Turtle yet?’
introduce it.’
Alice considered a little, and then said ‘The fourth.’
mice in the air, I’m afraid, but you might catch a bat, and that’s very
Majesty,’ he began, ‘for bringing these in: but I hadn’t quite finished
you might like to try the thing yourself, some winter day, I will tell
The table was a large one, but the three were all crowded together at
pocket, and pulled out a box of comfits, (luckily the salt water had
safe in a thick wood.
and holding it to his ear.
much larger than a rat-hole: she knelt down and looked along the passage
about in the wood, ‘is to grow to my right size again; and the second
queer, won’t you?’
get” is the same thing as “I get what I like”!’
began to get rather sleepy, and went on saying to herself, in a dreamy
glass table. ‘Now, I’ll manage better this time,’ she said to herself,
King put on his spectacles and looked anxiously round, to make out who
‘Oh, I know!’ exclaimed Alice, who had not attended to this last remark,
rumbling of little cartwheels, and the sound of a good many voices
‘It’s a friend of mine--a Cheshire Cat,’ said Alice: ‘allow me to
‘We had the best of educations--in fact, we went to school every day--’
These were the verses the White Rabbit read:--
Turtle.
‘Explain all that,’ said the Mock Turtle.
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance?
many more than three.’
TWO little shrieks, and more sounds of broken glass. ‘What a number of
Laughing and Grief, they used to say.’
herself. ‘Shy, they seem to put everything upon Bill! I wouldn’t be in
a voice outside, and stopped to listen.
‘Off with their heads!’ and the procession moved on, three of the
see: four times five is twelve, and four times six is thirteen, and
arrived, with a great crowd assembled about them--all sorts of little
‘I never said I didn’t!’ interrupted Alice.
their own business!’
of the ground.’ So she tucked it away under her arm, that it might not
‘It was much pleasanter at home,’ thought poor Alice, ‘when one wasn’t
Beautiful, beauti--FUL SOUP!’
appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise
sort of meaning in it, and yet it was certainly English. ‘I don’t quite
notice this last remark.
wag my tail when I’m angry. Therefore I’m mad.’
‘But I’m NOT a serpent, I tell you!’ said Alice. ‘I’m a--I’m a--’
little way forwards each time and a long way back, and barking hoarsely
was on the top of it.
‘I’m sure those are not the right words,’ said poor Alice, and her eyes
sneezed occasionally; and as for the baby, it was sneezing and howling
set off at once, and ran till she was quite tired and out of breath, and
(Dinah was the cat.) ‘I hope they’ll remember her saucer of milk at
for some time with great curiosity, and this was his first speech.
twentieth time that day.
little different. But if I’m not the same, the next question is, Who
with his tea spoon at the March Hare,) ‘--it was at the great concert
number of executions the Queen had ordered.
on the song, ‘I’d have said to the porpoise, “Keep back, please: we
label, with the words ‘DRINK ME’ beautifully printed on it in large
By the time she had caught the flamingo and brought it back, the fight
death.”’
arranged; the only difficulty was, that she had not the smallest idea
a voice outside, and stopped to listen.
kind to them,’ thought Alice, ‘or perhaps they won’t walk the way I want
is, you know. Please, Ma’am, is this New Zealand or Australia?’ (and
court.
Gryphon.
‘No, I didn’t,’ said Alice: ‘I don’t think it’s at all a pity. I said
your Majesty?’ he asked.
great hurry.
‘What sort of people live about here?’
croquet-ground.
Alice tried to fancy to herself what such an extraordinary ways of
The Hatter looked at the March Hare, who had followed him into the
little chin.
to the Mock Turtle, ‘Drive on, old fellow! Don’t be all day about it!’
‘If I’d been the whiting,’ said Alice, whose thoughts were still running
the moral of that is--“Birds of a feather flock together.”’
added the Gryphon; and then they both sat silent and looked at poor
‘I can’t help it,’ said Alice very meekly: ‘I’m growing.’
and began by taking the little golden key, and unlocking the door that
‘What did they live on?’ said Alice, who always took a great interest in
begun asking riddles.--I believe I can guess that,’ she added aloud.
tone. ‘Nobody seems to like her, down here, and I’m sure she’s the best
‘Curiouser and curiouser!’ cried Alice (she was so much surprised, that
corners: next the ten courtiers; these were ornamented all over with
‘Fury said to a
hung upon pegs. She took down a jar from one of the shelves as
surprised he’ll be when he finds out who I am! But I’d better take him
that there was no time to be lost, as she was shrinking rapidly; so she
accustomed to usurpation and conquest. Edwin and Morcar, the earls of
hedgehog to, and, as the doubled-up soldiers were always getting up
The Knave did so, very carefully, with one foot.
rule, ‘and vinegar that makes them sour--and camomile that makes
‘Speak roughly to your little boy,
a heap of sticks and dry leaves, and the fall was over.
to make out which were the two sides of it; and as it was perfectly
‘HE might bite,’ Alice cautiously replied, not feeling at all anxious to
trial: For
Why, I do it again and again.’
and a scroll of parchment in the other. In the very middle of the court
a deal too flustered to tell you--all I know is, something comes at me
fish)--and rapped loudly at the door with his knuckles. It was opened
wondering very much what would happen next.
‘Read them,’ said the King.
finger VERY deeply with a knife, it usually bleeds; and she had never
CHAPTER III. A Caucus-Race and a Long Tale
advantage from the change: and Alice was a good deal worse off than
Alice felt that this could not be denied, so she tried another question.
she spoke.
that she did not dare to laugh; and, as she could not think of anything
sight, they were getting so far off). ‘Oh, my poor little feet, I wonder
‘Not at first, perhaps,’ said the Hatter: ‘but you could keep it to
Twinkle, twinkle--“’
and we’ve no time to wash the things between whiles.’
of tears, ‘I do wish they WOULD put their heads down! I am so VERY tired
‘What a curious feeling!’ said Alice; ‘I must be shutting up like a
close by her.
thought Alice, ‘they’re sure to kill it in a day or two: wouldn’t it be
However, it was over at last, and they sat down again in a ring, and
‘I haven’t the least idea what you’re talking about,’ said Alice.
All on a summer day:
‘Oh, you foolish Alice!’ she answered herself. ‘How can you learn
great hurry.
wonder what they WILL do next! If they had any sense, they’d take the
yourself.’
but her voice sounded hoarse and strange, and the words did not come the
over all the children she knew that were of the same age as herself, to
‘Oh, PLEASE mind what you’re doing!’ cried Alice, jumping up and down in
for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English); ‘now I’m
washing her face--and she is such a nice soft thing to nurse--and she’s
‘Ah! that accounts for it,’ said the Hatter. ‘He won’t stand beating.
Twinkle, twinkle--“’
stretched her arms round it as far as they would go, and broke off a bit
half to itself, half to Alice.
close by her.
yet--it’s rather curious, you know, this sort of life! I do wonder what
archbishop find?’
course--“I GAVE HER ONE, THEY GAVE HIM TWO--” why, that must be what he
up at the mouth with strings: into this they slipped the guinea-pig,
‘As wet as ever,’ said Alice in a melancholy tone: ‘it doesn’t seem to
a great crash, as if a dish or kettle had been broken to pieces.
‘Oh, PLEASE mind what you’re doing!’ cried Alice, jumping up and down in
However, it was over at last, and they sat down again in a ring, and
doesn’t like changing so often, you know.’
Last came a little feeble, squeaking voice, [‘That’s Bill,’ thought
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
beginning with the end of the tail, and ending with the grin, which
saying anything more till the Pigeon had finished.
nearer, Alice could hear him sighing as if his heart would break. She
The first question of course was, how to get dry again: they had a
‘Yes, I think you’d better leave off,’ said the Gryphon: and Alice was
rule, ‘and vinegar that makes them sour--and camomile that makes
mouse to the
that cats COULD grin.’
questions of eating and drinking.
Fainting in Coils.’
‘Found WHAT?’ said the Duck.
of the March Hare: she thought it must be the right house, because the
*    *    *    *    *    *
the morning, just time to begin lessons: you’d only have to whisper a
The Knave of Hearts, he stole those tarts,
courtiers, or three of her own children.
same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a
doing?’ Alice whispered to the Gryphon. ‘They can’t have anything to put
your cat grins like that?’
my own. I’m a hatter.’
though still sobbing a little now and then, ‘we went to school in the
‘You ought to be ashamed of yourself,’ said Alice, ‘a great girl like
I THINK I can kick a little!’
came upon a neat little house, on the door of which was a bright brass
flower-pot that stood near. The three soldiers wandered about for a
‘Come, let’s try the first figure!’ said the Mock Turtle to the Gryphon.
like the look of the thing at all. ‘But perhaps it was only sobbing,’
time she found a little bottle on it, [‘which certainly was not here
her draw back in a hurry: a large pigeon had flown into her face, and
‘One side of WHAT? The other side of WHAT?’ thought Alice to herself.
it, ‘and what is the use of a book,’ thought Alice ‘without pictures or
her life, and had come to the general conclusion, that wherever you go
Some of the jury wrote it down ‘important,’ and some ‘unimportant.’
other side of the garden, where Alice could see it trying in a helpless
‘Can’t remember WHAT things?’ said the Caterpillar.
‘Your Majesty must cross-examine THIS witness.’
little chin.
out that the cause of this was the fan she was holding, and she dropped
The Queen’s argument was, that if something wasn’t done about it in less
seemed to be no chance of this, so she began looking at everything about
It sounded an excellent plan, no doubt, and very neatly and simply
The Cat only grinned when it saw Alice. It looked good-natured, she
‘Tut, tut, child!’ said the Duchess. ‘Everything’s got a moral, if only
executed for having missed their turns, and she did not like the look
fish)--and rapped loudly at the door with his knuckles. It was opened
‘They couldn’t have done that, you know,’ Alice gently remarked; ‘they’d
The King turned pale, and shut his note-book hastily. ‘Consider your
ever having seen such a thing.
uncomfortably sharp chin. However, she did not like to be rude, so she
The Knave shook his head sadly. ‘Do I look like it?’ he said. (Which he
great hurry.
‘Curiouser and curiouser!’ cried Alice (she was so much surprised, that
oneself speak--and they don’t seem to have any rules in particular;
The Mock Turtle sighed deeply, and began, in a voice sometimes choked
‘You’ll see me there,’ said the Cat, and vanished.
upset, and their slates and pencils had been found and handed back to
to Alice to find herself talking familiarly with them, as if she had
Presently the Rabbit came up to the door, and tried to open it; but, as
There was certainly too much of it in the air. Even the Duchess
The Queen’s argument was, that if something wasn’t done about it in less
‘Off with his head!’ she said, without even looking round.
though still sobbing a little now and then, ‘we went to school in the
a mouse--to a mouse--a mouse--O mouse!’) The Mouse looked at her rather
The table was a large one, but the three were all crowded together at
CHAPTER VI. Pig and Pepper
‘Come on!’ cried the Gryphon, and, taking Alice by the hand, it hurried
herself in a long, low hall, which was lit up by a row of lamps hanging
remembering her own child-life, and the happy summer days.
It was so long since she had been anything near the right size, that it
‘Thank you,’ said Alice, ‘it’s very interesting. I never knew so much
‘They’re putting down their names,’ the Gryphon whispered in reply, ‘for
the pool, and the great hall, with the glass table and the little door,
‘Two lines!’ cried the Mock Turtle. ‘Seals, turtles, salmon, and so on;
The Queen had only one way of settling all difficulties, great or small.
them Alice recognised the White Rabbit: it was talking in a hurried
fear they should forget them before the end of the trial.’
Everybody looked at Alice.
was beating her violently with its wings.
talking again. ‘Dinah’ll miss me very much to-night, I should think!’
about something, my dear, and that makes you forget to talk. I can’t
Then they both bowed low, and their curls got entangled together.
she felt a little nervous about this; ‘for it might end, you know,’ said
more if you’d rather not.’
‘This here young lady,’ said the Gryphon, ‘she wants for to know your
‘How do you like the Queen?’ said the Cat in a low voice.
corners: next the ten courtiers; these were ornamented all over with
Then came a little pattering of feet on the stairs. Alice knew it was
mushroom, and crawled away in the grass, merely remarking as it went,
and no one else seemed inclined to say anything.
leaves that had fluttered down from the trees upon her face.
‘I dare say you never even spoke to Time!’
and was just going to leave the room, when her eye fell upon a little
March Hare and the Hatter were having tea at it: a Dormouse was sitting
‘Please would you tell me,’ said Alice, a little timidly, for she was
‘Off with her head!’ the Queen shouted at the top of her voice. Nobody
As she said this she looked down at her hands, and was surprised to see
‘No, no!’ said the Queen. ‘Sentence first--verdict afterwards.’
herself, ‘because of his great wig.’
‘You are old, Father William,’ the young man said,
set off at once, and ran till she was quite tired and out of breath, and
you’re changed, do you?’
dispute with the Queen, but she knew that it might happen any minute,
her: she gave a little scream, half of fright and half of anger, and
The moment Alice appeared, she was appealed to by all three to settle
turned to the Mock Turtle, and said ‘What else had you to learn?’
things are “much of a muchness”--did you ever see such a thing as a
looked at the sides of the well, and noticed that they were filled with
perhaps as this is May it won’t be raving mad--at least not so mad as
‘Get up!’ said the Queen, in a shrill, loud voice, and the three
same as they used to do:--
tears.
enough of it now in sight, and no more of it appeared.
just beginning to write this down on their slates, when the White Rabbit
‘Please your Majesty,’ said the Knave, ‘I didn’t write it, and they
‘One, indeed!’ said the Dormouse indignantly. However, he consented to
way of speaking to a mouse: she had never done such a thing before, but
scream of laughter. ‘Oh, hush!’ the Rabbit whispered in a frightened
‘No, they’re not,’ said the White Rabbit, ‘and that’s the queerest thing
‘Nor I,’ said the March Hare.
had kept a piece of it in her pocket) till she was about a foot high:
So you see, Miss, we’re doing our best, afore she comes, to--’ At this
Waiting in a hot tureen!
blow underneath her chin: it had struck her foot!
‘Really, now you ask me,’ said Alice, very much confused, ‘I don’t
‘Well! WHAT are you?’ said the Pigeon. ‘I can see you’re trying to
And took them quite away!’
of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and
tea-time. Dinah my dear! I wish you were down here with me! There are no
repeated, aloud.
themselves.”’
Beautiful, beautiful Soup!’
‘What a curious feeling!’ said Alice; ‘I must be shutting up like a
first thought was that it might belong to one of the doors of the hall;
Lory, who at last turned sulky, and would only say, ‘I am older than
a procession,’ thought she, ‘if people had all to lie down upon their
puzzled by the whole thing, and longed to change the subject.
Alice said nothing: she had never been so much contradicted in her life
friend.
understand you,’ she said, as politely as she could.
Though they were mine before.
name like an honest man.’
back to the game, the Queen merely remarking that a moment’s delay would
loud.
about the whiting!’
That your eye was as steady as ever;
plate with the name ‘W. RABBIT’ engraved upon it. She went in without
cucumber-frame, or something of the sort.
then--always to have lessons to learn! Oh, I shouldn’t like THAT!’
When the pie was all finished, the Owl, as a boon,
theirs, and the small ones choked and had to be patted on the back.
face was quite pale (with passion, Alice thought), and it said in a low
At this moment the door of the house opened, and a large plate came
‘Now tell me, Pat, what’s that in the window?’
half-past one as long as you liked.’
moment, I tell you!’ But she went on all the same, shedding gallons of
Everybody looked at Alice.
Gryphon.
really this
‘What I was going to say,’ said the Dodo in an offended tone, ‘was, that
Involved in this affair,
itself upright as it spoke (it was exactly three inches high).
finger VERY deeply with a knife, it usually bleeds; and she had never
interrupted: ‘UNimportant, your Majesty means, of course,’ he said in a
‘It’s the oldest rule in the book,’ said the King.
of the window, and one foot up the chimney, and said to herself ‘Now I
wise fish would go anywhere without a porpoise.’
you
safe in a thick wood.
interrupted: ‘UNimportant, your Majesty means, of course,’ he said in a
everything that Alice said; ‘there’s a large mustard-mine near here. And
‘Cheshire Puss,’ she began, rather timidly, as she did not at all know
‘Well, I never heard it before,’ said the Mock Turtle; ‘but it sounds
all their simple sorrows, and find a pleasure in all their simple joys,
court, arm-in-arm with the Dormouse. ‘Fourteenth of March, I think it
or two, it was as much as she could do to hold it.
all their simple sorrows, and find a pleasure in all their simple joys,
almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later.
she could, for her neck kept getting entangled among the branches, and
a little shriek, and went on: ‘--that begins with an M, such as
anxiously about as it went, as if it had lost something; and she heard
Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak--
wood for fear of their hearing her; and when she next peeped out the
arms, took the hookah out of its mouth again, and said, ‘So you think
‘What did they live on?’ said Alice, who always took a great interest in
of killing somebody, so managed to put it into one of the cupboards as
who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been
pitied him deeply. ‘What is his sorrow?’ she asked the Gryphon, and the
For some minutes the whole court was in confusion, getting the Dormouse
RED rose-tree, and we put a white one in by mistake; and if the Queen
not going to do THAT in a hurry. ‘No, I’ll look first,’ she said, ‘and
‘I thought you did,’ said the Mouse. ‘--I proceed. “Edwin and Morcar,
saw the White Rabbit. She was a little nervous about it just at first,
now! How puzzling all these changes are! I’m never sure what I’m going
likely it can talk: at any rate, there’s no harm in trying.’ So she
And with that she began nursing her child again, singing a sort of
Seven flung down his brush, and had just begun ‘Well, of all the unjust
heavy sobs.
CHAPTER V. Advice from a Caterpillar
my life!’
hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid), whether the pleasure
set to work at once to eat some of the other bit. Her chin was pressed
finger VERY deeply with a knife, it usually bleeds; and she had never
to be, from one minute to another! However, I’ve got back to my right
a rabbit! I suppose Dinah’ll be sending me on messages next!’ And she
they pinched it on both sides at once.
severity; ‘it’s very rude.’
‘Hold your tongue!’ said the Queen, turning purple.
her hand, and Alice guessed who it was, even before she got into the
What made you so awfully clever?’
like a mouse, you know. But do cats eat bats, I wonder?’ And here Alice
And took them quite away!’
‘The Dormouse is asleep again,’ said the Hatter, and he poured a little
‘How do you like the Queen?’ said the Cat in a low voice.
hand again, and made another snatch in the air. This time there were
The pepper when he pleases!’
very little! Besides, SHE’S she, and I’m I, and--oh dear, how puzzling
think you could draw treacle out of a treacle-well--eh, stupid?’
‘Well, I shan’t go, at any rate,’ said Alice: ‘besides, that’s not a
go by the carrier,’ she thought; ‘and how funny it’ll seem, sending
‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,’ said the Cat.
now! How puzzling all these changes are! I’m never sure what I’m going
He trusts to you to set them free,
drawing of a muchness?’
‘Very much indeed,’ said Alice.
of everything I’ve said as yet.’
the number of changes she had gone through that day.
I THINK I can kick a little!’
before she made her next remark. ‘Then the eleventh day must have been a
A secret, kept from all the rest,
window!’
shape doesn’t matter,’ it said,) and then all the party were placed
it lasted.)
saying to herself ‘Suppose it should be raving mad after all! I almost
she fell past it.
‘Not at first, perhaps,’ said the Hatter: ‘but you could keep it to
eagerly, half hoping that the Mouse had changed his mind, and was coming
after it, and fortunately was just in time to see it pop down a large
drawing of a muchness?’
that--only the March Hare said--’
Knave.
*    *    *    *    *    *    *
I THINK I can kick a little!’
then the Rabbit’s voice along--‘Catch him, you by the hedge!’ then
‘Exactly so,’ said Alice.
But the snail replied “Too far, too far!” and gave a look askance--
a heap of sticks and dry leaves, and the fall was over.
down yet, before the trial’s begun.’
‘I’m afraid I am, sir,’ said Alice; ‘I can’t remember things as I
‘Soles and eels, of course,’ the Gryphon replied rather impatiently:
corners: next the ten courtiers; these were ornamented all over with
‘Would you tell me,’ said Alice, a little timidly, ‘why you are painting
forepaws to mark the time, while the Mock Turtle sang this, very slowly
and Alice looked round, eager to see the Queen.
She was a good deal frightened by this very sudden change, but she felt
Pray how did you manage to do it?’
going on within--a constant howling and sneezing, and every now and then
she heard the Rabbit just under the window, she suddenly spread out her
held it out to the puppy; whereupon the puppy jumped into the air off
OUT OF ITS WAISTCOAT-POCKET, and looked at it, and then hurried on,
wondering very much what would happen next.
suppose it doesn’t mind.’
A secret, kept from all the rest,
changed into alarm in another moment, when she found that her shoulders
that did not sneeze, were the cook, and a large cat which was sitting on
turned the corner, but the Rabbit was no longer to be seen: she found
next to her. ‘I can hardly breathe.’
‘I’ve heard something like it,’ said Alice.
Queen jumped up and bawled out, “He’s murdering the time! Off with his
‘Nothing WHATEVER?’ persisted the King.
themselves.”’
begun asking riddles.--I believe I can guess that,’ she added aloud.
be jury,”
replied, so eagerly that the Gryphon said, in a rather offended tone,
the right-hand bit to try the effect: the next moment she felt a violent
*    *    *    *    *    *    *
‘Go on with the next verse,’ the Gryphon repeated impatiently: ‘it
‘Well, then,’ the Cat went on, ‘you see, a dog growls when it’s angry,
tears, until there was a large pool all round her, about four inches
if you were INSIDE, you might knock, and I could let you out, you know.’
of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and
of the trees under which she had been wandering, when a sharp hiss made
was no one to listen to her, still it was good practice to say it over)
As soon as the jury had a little recovered from the shock of being
‘You are not attending!’ said the Mouse to Alice severely. ‘What are you
So she sat on, with closed eyes, and half believed herself in
before,’ said Alice,) and round the neck of the bottle was a paper
on. ‘Or would you like the Mock Turtle to sing you a song?’
tone; ‘at least there’s no room to grow up any more HERE.’
and holding it to his ear.
‘Is that the way YOU manage?’ Alice asked.
confusion, as the large birds complained that they could not taste
mushroom, and crawled away in the grass, merely remarking as it went,
same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a
how to set about it; and while she was peering about anxiously among
‘There isn’t any,’ said the March Hare.
then she walked down the little passage: and THEN--she found herself at
‘I can’t go no lower,’ said the Hatter: ‘I’m on the floor, as it is.’
forgotten that, if you drink much from a bottle marked ‘poison,’ it is
down in a large arm-chair at one end of the table.
very soon found an opportunity of taking it away. She did it so quickly
My notion was that you had been
Here the Dormouse shook itself, and began singing in its sleep ‘Twinkle,
queer everything is to-day! And yesterday things went on just as usual.
birds hurried off at once: one old Magpie began wrapping itself up very
And with that she began nursing her child again, singing a sort of
‘I couldn’t help it,’ said Five, in a sulky tone; ‘Seven jogged my
in the common way.
So they went up to the Mock Turtle, who looked at them with large eyes
were lying round the rosetree; for, you see, as they were lying on their
tell you just now what the moral of that is, but I shall remember it in
which the wretched Hatter trembled so, that he shook both his shoes off.
did you ever eat a bat?’ when suddenly, thump! thump! down she came upon
‘Sure, it does, yer honour: but it’s an arm for all that.’
Alice was very glad to find her in such a pleasant temper, and thought
to dive in among the leaves, which she found to be nothing but the tops
‘Very much indeed,’ said Alice.
‘Oh, I’m not particular as to size,’ Alice hastily replied; ‘only one
For he can thoroughly enjoy
letters.
‘I’ve heard something like it,’ said Alice.
Five and Seven said nothing, but looked at Two. Two began in a low
No, there were no tears. ‘If you’re going to turn into a pig, my dear,’
He was an old crab, HE was.’
‘But, it goes on “THEY ALL RETURNED FROM HIM TO YOU,”’ said Alice.
next! As for pulling me out of the window, I only wish they COULD! I’m
‘If you knew Time as well as I do,’ said the Hatter, ‘you wouldn’t talk
impossible.
‘Oh, there’s no use in talking to him,’ said Alice desperately: ‘he’s
knocking, and hurried upstairs, in great fear lest she should meet the
Said the
without attending to her, ‘if we had the door between us. For instance,
‘Do you mean that you think you can find out the answer to it?’ said the
for some time with great curiosity, and this was his first speech.
to be, from one minute to another! However, I’ve got back to my right
it out into the open air. ‘IF I don’t take this child away with me,’
matter much,’ thought Alice, ‘as all the arches are gone from this side
‘Not like cats!’ cried the Mouse, in a shrill, passionate voice. ‘Would
all!’ ‘Do as I tell you, you coward!’ and at last she spread out her
it, and finding it very nice, (it had, in fact, a sort of mixed flavour
over heels in its hurry to get hold of it; then Alice, thinking it was
These words were followed by a very long silence, broken only by an
They very soon came upon a Gryphon, lying fast asleep in the sun.
thing before, and he wasn’t going to begin at HIS time of life.
proposal.
the pool, and the great hall, with the glass table and the little door,
upsetting all the jurymen on to the heads of the crowd below, and there
itself, and was in the act of crawling away: besides all this, there was
had vanished completely.
‘The trial cannot proceed,’ said the King in a very grave voice, ‘until
tears.
answer, so Alice went on eagerly: ‘There is such a nice little dog near
the door opened inwards, and Alice’s elbow was pressed hard against it,
down yet, before the trial’s begun.’
Gryphon.
any more!’ And here poor Alice began to cry again, for she felt very
though), ‘I won’t have any pepper in my kitchen AT ALL. Soup does very
the name of nearly everything there. ‘That’s the judge,’ she said to
us all about it!’
way of speaking to a mouse: she had never done such a thing before, but
‘What a pity it wouldn’t stay!’ sighed the Lory, as soon as it was quite
‘Hadn’t time,’ said the Gryphon: ‘I went to the Classics master, though.
behind it, it occurred to her that she might as well look and see what
her in a languid, sleepy voice.
‘What a pity it wouldn’t stay!’ sighed the Lory, as soon as it was quite
begins “I passed by his garden.”’
shower of saucepans, plates, and dishes. The Duchess took no notice of
‘I see!’ said the Queen, who had meanwhile been examining the roses.
minute.
deep and reaching half down the hall.
other: the only difficulty was, that her flamingo was gone across to the
‘I speak severely to my boy,
Oh dear, what nonsense I’m talking!’
two sobs choked his voice. ‘Same as if he had a bone in his throat,’
‘It matters a good deal to ME,’ said Alice hastily; ‘but I’m not looking
‘Would it be of any use, now,’ thought Alice, ‘to speak to this mouse?
‘Of the mushroom,’ said the Caterpillar, just as if she had asked it
‘And who is Dinah, if I might venture to ask the question?’ said the
No, there were no tears. ‘If you’re going to turn into a pig, my dear,’
The other guests had taken advantage of the Queen’s absence, and were
‘Ah, well! It means much the same thing,’ said the Duchess, digging her
Quick, now!’ And Alice was so much frightened that she ran off at once
‘Your Majesty must cross-examine THIS witness.’
knew) to the confused clamour of the busy farm-yard--while the lowing
upsetting all the jurymen on to the heads of the crowd below, and there
dry enough!’ They all sat down at once, in a large ring, with the Mouse
executed, whether you’re nervous or not.’
‘No, I didn’t,’ said Alice: ‘I don’t think it’s at all a pity. I said
Alice had no idea what to do, and in despair she put her hand in her
Presently she began again. ‘I wonder if I shall fall right THROUGH the
CHAPTER III. A Caucus-Race and a Long Tale
She was moving them about as she spoke, but no result seemed to follow,
thing is to find my way into that lovely garden. I think that will be
‘That PROVES his guilt,’ said the Queen.
lullaby to it as she did so, and giving it a violent shake at the end of
have got altered.’
felt that it ought to be treated with respect.
and a scroll of parchment in the other. In the very middle of the court
other side of the garden, where Alice could see it trying in a helpless
cushion, resting their elbows on it, and talking over its head. ‘Very
but her voice sounded hoarse and strange, and the words did not come the
‘There’s certainly too much pepper in that soup!’ Alice said to herself,
‘You couldn’t have wanted it much,’ said Alice; ‘living at the bottom of
‘Here! you may nurse it a bit, if you like!’ the Duchess said to Alice,
‘In THAT direction,’ the Cat said, waving its right paw round, ‘lives
sweet-tempered. I only wish people knew that: then they wouldn’t be so
Then came a little pattering of feet on the stairs. Alice knew it was
The Hatter was the first to break the silence. ‘What day of the month
‘She’s in prison,’ the Queen said to the executioner: ‘fetch her here.’
conversations?’
‘So you did, old fellow!’ said the others.
Like a tea-tray in the sky.
‘I’m getting tired of this. I vote the young lady tells us a story.’
tell you just now what the moral of that is, but I shall remember it in
had made.
‘I beg your pardon!’ said the Mouse, frowning, but very politely: ‘Did
‘Are you content now?’ said the Caterpillar.
How the Owl and the Panther were sharing a pie--’
unrolled the parchment scroll, and read as follows:--
With gently smiling jaws!’
‘And washing?’ said the Mock Turtle.
These words were followed by a very long silence, broken only by an
of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and
‘Nearly two miles high,’ added the Queen.
‘and then,’ thought she, ‘what would become of me? They’re dreadfully
‘I beg your pardon,’ said Alice very humbly: ‘you had got to the fifth
‘How am I to get in?’ asked Alice again, in a louder tone.
as “I sleep when I breathe”!’
go down the chimney!’
scream of laughter. ‘Oh, hush!’ the Rabbit whispered in a frightened
‘Would it be of any use, now,’ thought Alice, ‘to speak to this mouse?
she fell past it.
‘How do you know I’m mad?’ said Alice.
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, will you join the dance?
to suit them!’
muddle their slates’ll be in before the trial’s over!’ thought Alice.
‘I thought it would,’ said the Cat, and vanished again.
And mentioned me to him:
angrily: ‘really you are very dull!’
The executioner’s argument was, that you couldn’t cut off a head unless
King.
Alice thought she might as well wait, as she had nothing else to do, and
get” is the same thing as “I get what I like”!’
after that into a butterfly, I should think you’ll feel it a little
before, and she felt that she was losing her temper.
Alice felt that this could not be denied, so she tried another question.
Fish-Footman was gone, and the other was sitting on the ground near the
‘Serpent, I say again!’ repeated the Pigeon, but in a more subdued tone,
on. ‘Or would you like the Mock Turtle to sing you a song?’
her repeating ‘YOU ARE OLD, FATHER WILLIAM,’ to the Caterpillar, and the
could get away without being seen, when she noticed a curious appearance
think you could draw treacle out of a treacle-well--eh, stupid?’
letter, written by the prisoner to--to somebody.’
ringlets, and mine doesn’t go in ringlets at all; and I’m sure I can’t
*    *    *    *    *    *    *
‘I’ve tried the roots of trees, and I’ve tried banks, and I’ve tried
name like an honest man.’
upsetting all the jurymen on to the heads of the crowd below, and there
head. ‘If I eat one of these cakes,’ she thought, ‘it’s sure to make
blow underneath her chin: it had struck her foot!
‘Well, perhaps you haven’t found it so yet,’ said Alice; ‘but when you
The soldiers were silent, and looked at Alice, as the question was
mouse-traps, and the moon, and memory, and muchness--you know you say
old Fury:
which the March Hare was said to live. ‘I’ve seen hatters before,’ she
down on one knee. ‘I’m a poor man, your Majesty,’ he began.
‘I’ve a right to think,’ said Alice sharply, for she was beginning to
the sky! Ugh, Serpent!’
very like having a game of play with a cart-horse, and expecting every
that--only the March Hare said--’
large she had grown in the last few minutes, and she jumped up in such
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance?
shriek of the Gryphon, and all the other queer noises, would change (she
to Alice an excellent opportunity for croqueting one of them with the
make me smaller, I suppose.’
‘That’s nothing to what I could say if I chose,’ the Duchess replied, in
his fan and gloves--that is, if I can find them.’ As she said this, she
back to the table, half hoping she might find another key on it, or at
remarked, ‘If you can’t be civil, you’d better finish the story for
Alice did not feel encouraged to ask any more questions about it, so she
no jury
But her sister sat still just as she left her, leaning her head on her
won’t talk about cats or dogs either, if you don’t like them!’ When the
the goldfish kept running in her head, and she had a vague sort of idea
next to her. ‘I can hardly breathe.’
As there seemed to be no chance of getting her hands up to her head, she
felt that it ought to be treated with respect.
‘They were obliged to have him with them,’ the Mock Turtle said: ‘no
the morning, just time to begin lessons: you’d only have to whisper a
tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’
she set to work very carefully, nibbling first at one and then at the
you speak?’
head in the lap of her sister, who was gently brushing away some dead
upset, and their slates and pencils had been found and handed back to
‘It began with the tea,’ the Hatter replied.
doesn’t like changing so often, you know.’
And so she went on, taking first one side and then the other, and making
Don’t let him know she liked them best,
‘I don’t think they play at all fairly,’ Alice began, in rather a
invitation for the Duchess to play croquet.’
take more.’
‘Ah, well! It means much the same thing,’ said the Duchess, digging her
‘Oh, YOU sing,’ said the Gryphon. ‘I’ve forgotten the words.’
‘Of course not,’ Alice replied very readily: ‘but that’s because it
real Mary Ann, and be turned out of the house before she had found the
funny watch!’ she remarked. ‘It tells the day of the month, and doesn’t
(WITH ALICE’S LOVE).
The King laid his hand upon her arm, and timidly said ‘Consider, my
the middle, nursing a baby; the cook was leaning over the fire, stirring
‘And ever since that,’ the Hatter went on in a mournful tone, ‘he won’t
it didn’t much matter which way she put it. She felt that she was dozing
‘May it please your Majesty,’ said Two, in a very humble tone, going
hedgehog to, and, as the doubled-up soldiers were always getting up
to the door.
By the time she had caught the flamingo and brought it back, the fight
disappointment it was empty: she did not like to drop the jar for fear
‘Found IT,’ the Mouse replied rather crossly: ‘of course you know what
fan and gloves.
‘Chorus again!’ cried the Gryphon, and the Mock Turtle had just begun
in the window, and on it (as she had hoped) a fan and two or three pairs
‘Now tell me, Pat, what’s that in the window?’
bats eat cats?’ for, you see, as she couldn’t answer either question,
And I declare it’s too bad, that it is!’
appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise
and she very good-naturedly began hunting about for them, but they were
to repeat it, when a cry of ‘The trial’s beginning!’ was heard in the
it suddenly appeared again.
succeeded in bringing herself down to her usual height.
somewhere near the centre of the earth. Let me see: that would be four
large crowd collected round it: there was a dispute going on between
‘Begin at the beginning,’ the King said gravely, ‘and go on till you
safe in a thick wood.
both go to
that the Queen was close behind her, listening: so she went on,
appear, and after a minute or two she walked on in the direction in
be NO mistake about it: it was neither more nor less than a pig, and she
said, ‘It was a treacle-well.’
as if nothing had happened.
The judge, by the way, was the King; and as he wore his crown over the
‘How the creatures order one about, and make one repeat lessons!’
‘I don’t believe it,’ said the Pigeon; ‘but if they do, why then they’re
anxiously round to see if he would deny it too: but the Dormouse denied
your pocket?’ he went on, turning to Alice.
Soon her eye fell on a little glass box that was lying under the table:
turned out, and, by the time they had settled down again, the cook had
conversation. ‘Are you--are you fond--of--of dogs?’ The Mouse did not
but she heard a little shriek and a fall, and a crash of broken glass,
‘Why not?’ said the March Hare.
now!’ The poor little thing sobbed again (or grunted, it was impossible
into the loveliest garden you ever saw. How she longed to get out of
soldiers remaining behind to execute the unfortunate gardeners, who ran
jumping merrily along hand in hand, in couples: they were all ornamented
‘UNimportant, of course, I meant,’ the King hastily said, and went on
memorandum of the fact.
‘Of course not,’ said the Mock Turtle: ‘why, if a fish came to ME, and
And will talk in contemptuous tones of the Shark,
‘It’s a Cheshire cat,’ said the Duchess, ‘and that’s why. Pig!’
However, the Multiplication Table doesn’t signify: let’s try Geography.
‘The reason is,’ said the Gryphon, ‘that they WOULD go with the lobsters
out of sight; and an old Crab took the opportunity of saying to her
‘And who is Dinah, if I might venture to ask the question?’ said the
‘THAT generally takes some time,’ interrupted the Gryphon.
King, rubbing his hands; ‘so now let the jury--’
up at the mouth with strings: into this they slipped the guinea-pig,
with such a puzzled expression that she could not help bursting out
not help thinking there MUST be more to come, so she sat still and said
myself about you: you must manage the best way you can;--but I must be
While the Panther received knife and fork with a growl,
CHAPTER VII. A Mad Tea-Party
all her coaxing.
brightened up at the thought that she was now the right size for going
to the dance. So they got thrown out to sea. So they had to fall a long
This was quite a new idea to Alice, and she thought it over a little
‘But it’s no use now,’ thought poor Alice, ‘to pretend to be two people!
off, and she swam nearer to make out what it was: at first she thought
‘In that case,’ said the Dodo solemnly, rising to its feet, ‘I move
‘Wow! wow! wow!’
hedgehog to, and, as the doubled-up soldiers were always getting up
‘EVERYBODY has won, and all must have prizes.’
‘When we were little,’ the Mock Turtle went on at last, more calmly,
too much frightened to say a word, but slowly followed her back to the
possibly hear you.’ And certainly there was a most extraordinary noise
‘They were learning to draw,’ the Dormouse went on, yawning and rubbing
blow with its head, it WOULD twist itself round and look up in her face,
kind to them,’ thought Alice, ‘or perhaps they won’t walk the way I want
plate with the name ‘W. RABBIT’ engraved upon it. She went in without
‘Off with her head!’ the Queen shouted at the top of her voice. Nobody
‘What did they live on?’ said Alice, who always took a great interest in
a voice outside, and stopped to listen.
best to climb up one of the legs of the table, but it was too slippery;
ringlets, and mine doesn’t go in ringlets at all; and I’m sure I can’t
without a cat! It’s the most curious thing I ever saw in my life!’
“You have baked me too brown, I must sugar my hair.”
‘--so long as I get SOMEWHERE,’ Alice added as an explanation.
‘Don’t be impertinent,’ said the King, ‘and don’t look at me like that!’
‘So you did, old fellow!’ said the others.
Beau--ootiful Soo--oop!
CHAPTER IV. The Rabbit Sends in a Little Bill
(In which the cook and the baby joined):--
birthday presents like that!’ But she did not venture to say it out
‘Nothing WHATEVER?’ persisted the King.
but, alas! either the locks were too large, or the key was too small,
‘One side will make you grow taller, and the other side will make you
‘Why, SHE, of course,’ said the Dodo, pointing to Alice with one finger;
CHAPTER VIII. The Queen’s Croquet-Ground
and broke to pieces against one of the trees behind him.
him; and near the King was the White Rabbit, with a trumpet in one hand,
come to the end: then stop.’
know.’
began to get rather sleepy, and went on saying to herself, in a dreamy
Alice could see, as well as if she were looking over their shoulders,
Bill’s place for a good deal: this fireplace is narrow, to be sure; but
rumbling of little cartwheels, and the sound of a good many voices
‘I never said I didn’t!’ interrupted Alice.
thought over all she could remember about ravens and writing-desks,
‘You must be,’ said the Cat, ‘or you wouldn’t have come here.’
herself. ‘Shy, they seem to put everything upon Bill! I wouldn’t be in
telescope.’
‘Wake up, Alice dear!’ said her sister; ‘Why, what a long sleep you’ve
time round, she came upon a low curtain she had not noticed before, and
from which she concluded that it was just possible it had fallen into a
Involved in this affair,
‘Yes!’ shouted Alice.
‘Hand it over here,’ said the Dodo.
Be off, or I’ll kick you down stairs!’
thought Alice; ‘I might as well be at school at once.’ However, she
window!’
wonder what they WILL do next! If they had any sense, they’d take the
Alice did not at all like the tone of this remark, and thought it would
ladder?--Why, I hadn’t to bring but one; Bill’s got the other--Bill!
up.’
The players all played at once without waiting for turns, quarrelling
all its feet at once, with a yelp of delight, and rushed at the stick,
to herself, ‘if one only knew the right way to change them--’ when she
Said
whiskers!’
“There is another shore, you know, upon the other side.
And pour the waters of the Nile
‘Your Majesty must cross-examine THIS witness.’
the Duchess said after a pause: ‘the reason is, that I’m doubtful about
‘’Tis the voice of the Lobster; I heard him declare,
you’re changed, do you?’
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance?”’
who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been
‘EAT ME’ were beautifully marked in currants. ‘Well, I’ll eat it,’ said
her eyes; and once she remembered trying to box her own ears for having
and began by taking the little golden key, and unlocking the door that
Pray, what is the reason of that?’
changed several times since then.’
He trusts to you to set them free,
again.
‘Tell us a story!’ said the March Hare.
book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in
and the whole party at once crowded round her, calling out in a confused
Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff?
remark that had made the whole party look so grave and anxious.)
really this
‘It’s a mineral, I THINK,’ said Alice.
makes me grow smaller, I can creep under the door; so either way I’ll
opening out like the largest telescope that ever was! Good-bye, feet!’
scream of laughter. ‘Oh, hush!’ the Rabbit whispered in a frightened
‘Repeat, “YOU ARE OLD, FATHER WILLIAM,”’ said the Caterpillar.
on, as she heard the Queen’s voice in the distance, screaming with
coming. ‘There’s PLENTY of room!’ said Alice indignantly, and she sat
But her sister sat still just as she left her, leaning her head on her
stretched her arms round it as far as they would go, and broke off a bit
How the Owl and the Panther were sharing a pie--’
‘How are you getting on?’ said the Cat, as soon as there was mouth
on, as she heard the Queen’s voice in the distance, screaming with
The long grass rustled at her feet as the White Rabbit hurried by--the
about it. And yet I wish I could show you our cat Dinah: I think you’d
clever thing the King had said that day.
ever having seen such a thing.
‘We called him Tortoise because he taught us,’ said the Mock Turtle
the verses to himself: ‘“WE KNOW IT TO BE TRUE--” that’s the jury, of
house,
Alice a little timidly: ‘but it’s no use going back to yesterday,
doesn’t suit my throat!’ and a Canary called out in a trembling voice to
of being all alone here!’
‘tis love, that makes the world go round!”’
up.’
By the time she had caught the flamingo and brought it back, the fight
And the muscular strength, which it gave to my jaw,
(for when she looked down at her feet, they seemed to be almost out of
try the
says it kills all the rats and--oh dear!’ cried Alice in a sorrowful
birds and animals that had fallen into it: there were a Duck and a Dodo,
‘Well, if I must, I must,’ the King said, with a melancholy air, and,
you’re changed, do you?’
‘I’m a poor man,’ the Hatter went on, ‘and most things twinkled after
questions of eating and drinking.
not got into it), and handed them round as prizes. There was exactly one
she heard the Rabbit just under the window, she suddenly spread out her
‘Found WHAT?’ said the Duck.
‘I wish I had our Dinah here, I know I do!’ said Alice aloud, addressing
be listening, so she went on again: ‘Twenty-four hours, I THINK; or is
otherwise, judging by his face only, she would have called him a
When the pie was all finished, the Owl, as a boon,
distance.
to repeat it, when a cry of ‘The trial’s beginning!’ was heard in the
Alice opened the door and found that it led into a small passage, not
Alice was more and more puzzled, but she thought there was no use in
shouting ‘Off with his head!’ or ‘Off with her head!’ about once in a
tone: ‘tell her something about the games now.’
How neatly spread his claws,
breath.”
‘any shrimp could have told you that.’
Mouse heard this, it turned round and swam slowly back to her: its
‘ARE you to get in at all?’ said the Footman. ‘That’s the first
yourself!’
bread-and-butter getting so thin--and the twinkling of the tea--’
left alive!’
she heard the Rabbit just under the window, she suddenly spread out her
You gave us three or more;
said the Gryphon: and it set to work shaking him and punching him in
This was quite a new idea to Alice, and she thought it over a little
us all about it!’
saying anything more till the Pigeon had finished.
about them in books, and she was quite pleased to find that she knew
way. So they got their tails fast in their mouths. So they couldn’t get
Normans--” How are you getting on now, my dear?’ it continued, turning
up and to stand on their hands and feet, to make the arches.
running down his cheeks, he went on again:--
‘Beautiful Soup! Who cares for fish,
all her coaxing.
Because he knows it teases.’
This did not seem to encourage the witness at all: he kept shifting
Just then her head struck against the roof of the hall: in fact she was
‘How cheerfully he seems to grin,
‘What’s in it?’ said the Queen.
That your eye was as steady as ever;
wig, (look at the frontispiece if you want to see how he did it,) he did
in the direction it pointed to, without trying to explain the mistake it
Forty-two. ALL PERSONS MORE THAN A MILE HIGH TO LEAVE THE COURT.’
*    *    *    *    *    *    *
in front of them, with her arms folded, frowning like a thunderstorm.
about two feet high: even then she walked up towards it rather timidly,
‘We must burn the house down!’ said the Rabbit’s voice; and Alice called
in front of them, with her arms folded, frowning like a thunderstorm.
shut up like a telescope! I think I could, if I only knew how to begin.’
She was moving them about as she spoke, but no result seemed to follow,
are; secondly, because they’re making such a noise inside, no one could
‘Speak roughly to your little boy,
can’t prove I did: there’s no name signed at the end.’
Here the other guinea-pig cheered, and was suppressed.
‘Of course not,’ said the Mock Turtle: ‘why, if a fish came to ME, and
her life, and had come to the general conclusion, that wherever you go
it, and finding it very nice, (it had, in fact, a sort of mixed flavour
‘Pray don’t trouble yourself to say it any longer than that,’ said
(We know it to be true):
the place of the March Hare. The Hatter was the only one who got any
it suddenly appeared again.
large crowd collected round it: there was a dispute going on between
nothing written on the OUTSIDE.’ He unfolded the paper as he spoke, and
have been ill.’
them bitter--and--and barley-sugar and such things that make children
‘Herald, read the accusation!’ said the King.
‘I should like it very much,’ said Alice, ‘but I haven’t been invited
mouse-traps, and the moon, and memory, and muchness--you know you say
‘May it please your Majesty,’ said Two, in a very humble tone, going
waited for a few minutes to see if she was going to shrink any further:
many more than three.’
‘I said pig,’ replied Alice; ‘and I wish you wouldn’t keep appearing and
escape again, and went back for a little more conversation with her
‘That’s enough about lessons,’ the Gryphon interrupted in a very decided
in the world am I? Ah, THAT’S the great puzzle!’ And she began thinking
ladder?--Why, I hadn’t to bring but one; Bill’s got the other--Bill!
An obstacle that came between
she was now, and she soon made out that it was only a mouse that had
*    *    *    *    *    *    *
‘Would it be of any use, now,’ thought Alice, ‘to speak to this mouse?
‘it’s a vegetable. It doesn’t look like one, but it is.’
the royal children, and everybody else.
yourself.’
‘--and just take his head off outside,’ the Queen added to one of the
I wonder if I’ve been changed in the night? Let me think: was I the
conversations?’
herself, ‘I don’t see how he can EVEN finish, if he doesn’t begin.’ But
Alice thought she might as well wait, as she had nothing else to do, and
They all returned from him to you,
makes me grow smaller, I can creep under the door; so either way I’ll
says it kills all the rats and--oh dear!’ cried Alice in a sorrowful
without even waiting to put his shoes on.
Said
‘Begin at the beginning,’ the King said gravely, ‘and go on till you
Beau--ootiful Soo--oop!
‘Nearly two miles high,’ added the Queen.
‘It isn’t directed at all,’ said the White Rabbit; ‘in fact, there’s
had brought herself down to nine inches high.
The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in silence:
‘It’s the thing Mock Turtle Soup is made from,’ said the Queen.
‘The game’s going on rather better now,’ she said, by way of keeping up
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
try the
it out into the open air. ‘IF I don’t take this child away with me,’
the March Hare.
‘In that case,’ said the Dodo solemnly, rising to its feet, ‘I move
CHAPTER VII. A Mad Tea-Party
‘How do you know I’m mad?’ said Alice.
‘I don’t like the look of it at all,’ said the King: ‘however, it may
Like a tea-tray in the sky.
‘Not I!’ said the Lory hastily.
replied, so eagerly that the Gryphon said, in a rather offended tone,
to them, and all dripping wet, cross, and uncomfortable.
‘Is that the way YOU manage?’ Alice asked.
real Mary Ann, and be turned out of the house before she had found the
sat down and cried.
the subjects on his flappers, ‘--Mystery, ancient and modern, with
The Hatter opened his eyes very wide on hearing this; but all he SAID
certainly did NOT, being made entirely of cardboard.)
Here the Dormouse shook itself, and began singing in its sleep ‘Twinkle,
here directly, and get ready for your walk!” “Coming in a minute,
said Alice, in a coaxing tone, and she tried hard to whistle to it; but
‘Hold your tongue!’ added the Gryphon, before Alice could speak again.
Alice opened the door and found that it led into a small passage, not
fountains.
down, both of you, and don’t speak a word till I’ve finished.’
presents to one’s own feet! And how odd the directions will look!
‘Never mind!’ said the King, with an air of great relief. ‘Call the next
‘I see!’ said the Queen, who had meanwhile been examining the roses.
to do next, when suddenly a footman in livery came running out of the
you’re changed, do you?’
daughter ‘Ah, my dear! Let this be a lesson to you never to lose
against a buttercup to rest herself, and fanned herself with one of the
savage when they met in the kitchen.
‘I’m a poor man,’ the Hatter went on, ‘and most things twinkled after
animals, and some were birds,) ‘I suppose they are the jurors.’ She said
you seen the Mock Turtle yet?’
Beautiful, beautiful Soup!
(Before she had this fit)
‘I’M not a mile high,’ said Alice.
‘“What matters it how far we go?” his scaly friend replied.
opening out like the largest telescope that ever was! Good-bye, feet!’
and waited.
‘Then you should say what you mean,’ the March Hare went on.
began shrinking directly. As soon as she was small enough to get through
very queer indeed:--
down her flamingo, and began an account of the game, feeling very glad
‘They lived on treacle,’ said the Dormouse, after thinking a minute or
fond of beheading people here; the great wonder is, that there’s any one
thousand miles down, I think--’ (for, you see, Alice had learnt several
makes them so shiny?’
tears, until there was a large pool all round her, about four inches
The hedgehog was engaged in a fight with another hedgehog, which seemed
impossible.
‘And what are they made of?’ Alice asked in a tone of great curiosity.
the royal children, and everybody else.
shower of saucepans, plates, and dishes. The Duchess took no notice of
“Let us
doing?’ Alice whispered to the Gryphon. ‘They can’t have anything to put
otherwise, judging by his face only, she would have called him a
all of them bowed low.
not look at all comfortable, and it was certainly not becoming.
half-past one as long as you liked.’
after folding his arms and frowning at the cook till his eyes were
verse.’
with his tea spoon at the March Hare,) ‘--it was at the great concert
‘Well! I’ve often seen a cat without a grin,’ thought Alice; ‘but a grin
she’ll eat a little bird as soon as look at it!’
‘I’ve heard something like it,’ said Alice.
moment like a wild beast, screamed ‘Off with her head! Off--’
moved into the Dormouse’s place, and Alice rather unwillingly took
Forty-two. ALL PERSONS MORE THAN A MILE HIGH TO LEAVE THE COURT.’
‘Well, I can’t show it you myself,’ the Mock Turtle said: ‘I’m too
sort of way, ‘Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats?’ and sometimes, ‘Do
‘Oh, there’s no use in talking to him,’ said Alice desperately: ‘he’s
all. I needn’t be afraid of them!’
cat in the world! Oh, my dear Dinah! I wonder if I shall ever see you
but she added, to herself, ‘Why, they’re only a pack of cards, after
from which she concluded that it was just possible it had fallen into a
‘Well, I’d hardly finished the first verse,’ said the Hatter, ‘when the
blasts on the trumpet, and called out, ‘First witness!’
of the house!’ (Which was very likely true.)
“You have baked me too brown, I must sugar my hair.”
‘Have some wine,’ the March Hare said in an encouraging tone.
was not a VERY good opportunity for showing off her knowledge, as there
ALICE’S RIGHT FOOT, ESQ.
little way forwards each time and a long way back, and barking hoarsely
‘Of course they were’, said the Dormouse; ‘--well in.’
‘Come on!’ cried the Gryphon, and, taking Alice by the hand, it hurried
‘There might be some sense in your knocking,’ the Footman went on
sea of green leaves that lay far below her.
‘Of course twinkling begins with a T!’ said the King sharply. ‘Do you
She said the last word with such sudden violence that Alice quite
‘He denies it,’ said the King: ‘leave out that part.’
So they began solemnly dancing round and round Alice, every now and
‘What IS a Caucus-race?’ said Alice; not that she wanted much to know,
my fur and whiskers! She’ll get me executed, as sure as ferrets are
Hatter and the March Hare went ‘Sh! sh!’ and the Dormouse sulkily
your cat grins like that?’
All on a summer day:
drunk half the bottle, she found her head pressing against the ceiling,
prosecute
stiff. And the Gryphon never learnt it.’
‘Well! I’ve often seen a cat without a grin,’ thought Alice; ‘but a grin
of things--I can’t remember half of them--and it belongs to a farmer,
glass; there was nothing on it except a tiny golden key, and Alice’s
‘A fine day, your Majesty!’ the Duchess began in a low, weak voice.
way?’, holding her hand on the top of her head to feel which way it was
As soon as the jury had a little recovered from the shock of being
When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!”
resting in the shade: however, the moment they saw her, they hurried
‘Why?’ said the Caterpillar.
‘Are you content now?’ said the Caterpillar.
Longitude either, but thought they were nice grand words to say.)
out here? Run home this moment, and fetch me a pair of gloves and a fan!
fish)--and rapped loudly at the door with his knuckles. It was opened
now and then; such as, ‘Sure, I don’t like it, yer honour, at all, at
And have grown most uncommonly fat;
large crowd collected round it: there was a dispute going on between
‘How cheerfully he seems to grin,
off, and had just begun to dream that she was walking hand in hand with
‘’Tis so,’ said the Duchess: ‘and the moral of that is--“Oh, ‘tis love,
‘Nobody asked YOUR opinion,’ said Alice.
Alice began to feel very uneasy: to be sure, she had not as yet had any
Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose--
You gave us three or more;
just as the Dormouse crossed the court, she said to one of the officers
are; secondly, because they’re making such a noise inside, no one could
‘Hadn’t time,’ said the Gryphon: ‘I went to the Classics master, though.
to the company generally, ‘You are all pardoned.’ ‘Come, THAT’S a good
just as well.
tone. ‘The Queen will hear you! You see, she came rather late, and the
‘I passed by his garden, and marked, with one eye,
sudden leap out of the water, and seemed to quiver all over with fright.
‘Well, I can’t show it you myself,’ the Mock Turtle said: ‘I’m too
‘EAT ME’ were beautifully marked in currants. ‘Well, I’ll eat it,’ said
There was a long silence after this, and Alice could only hear whispers
‘No, I didn’t,’ said Alice: ‘I don’t think it’s at all a pity. I said
like a mouse, you know. But do cats eat bats, I wonder?’ And here Alice
Very soon the Rabbit noticed Alice, as she went hunting about, and
dear, certainly: but now run in to your tea; it’s getting late.’ So
and began by taking the little golden key, and unlocking the door that
‘All right, so far,’ said the King, and he went on muttering over
it, and finding it very nice, (it had, in fact, a sort of mixed flavour
Alice had no idea what to do, and in despair she put her hand in her
leading right into it. ‘That’s very curious!’ she thought. ‘But
‘I dare say you’re wondering why I don’t put my arm round your waist,’
‘--yes, that’s about the right distance--but then I wonder what Latitude
‘Everybody says “come on!” here,’ thought Alice, as she went slowly
of the ground.’ So she tucked it away under her arm, that it might not
through the air! Do you think you could manage it?) ‘And what an
Pennyworth only of beautiful Soup?
‘I kept all my limbs very supple
forepaws to mark the time, while the Mock Turtle sang this, very slowly
Luckily for Alice, the little magic bottle had now had its full effect,
very soon found an opportunity of taking it away. She did it so quickly
a rabbit! I suppose Dinah’ll be sending me on messages next!’ And she
that did not sneeze, were the cook, and a large cat which was sitting on
great hurry.
was beating her violently with its wings.
‘The game’s going on rather better now,’ she said, by way of keeping up
‘Beautiful Soup, so rich and green,
tried to get her head down to them, and was delighted to find that her
‘Yes,’ said Alice, ‘we learned French and music.’
tears.
You’re mad.’
just succeeded in curving it down into a graceful zigzag, and was going
Here the Queen put on her spectacles, and began staring at the Hatter,
Alice a little timidly: ‘but it’s no use going back to yesterday,
thought the poor child, ‘for I never was so small as this before, never!
to keep herself from being run over; and the moment she appeared on the
an immense length of neck, which seemed to rise like a stalk out of a
in front of them, with her arms folded, frowning like a thunderstorm.
‘Come, we shall have some fun now!’ thought Alice. ‘I’m glad they’ve
myself, you see.’
‘I should like to have it explained,’ said the Mock Turtle.
things--everything that begins with an M--’
no jury
‘Which is just the case with MINE,’ said the Hatter.
itself upright as it spoke (it was exactly three inches high).
seemed to be no chance of this, so she began looking at everything about
is, you know. Please, Ma’am, is this New Zealand or Australia?’ (and
arms, took the hookah out of its mouth again, and said, ‘So you think
that was sitting on the top with its arms folded, quietly smoking a long
And yet you incessantly stand on your head--
doorway; ‘and even if my head would go through,’ thought poor Alice, ‘it
the Mouse’s tail; ‘but why do you call it sad?’ And she kept on puzzling
‘Yes, I think you’d better leave off,’ said the Gryphon: and Alice was
do a thing I ask! It’s always six o’clock now.’
‘Two lines!’ cried the Mock Turtle. ‘Seals, turtles, salmon, and so on;
this bottle does. I do hope it’ll make me grow large again, for really
know, with oh, such long curly brown hair! And it’ll fetch things when
‘Oh, you can’t help that,’ said the Cat: ‘we’re all mad here. I’m mad.
loud.
Rabbit returning, splendidly dressed, with a pair of white kid gloves in
beginning with the end of the tail, and ending with the grin, which
began again, using the ink, that was trickling down his face, as long as
‘Now tell me, Pat, what’s that in the window?’
‘I suppose so,’ said Alice.
Now, if you only kept on good terms with him, he’d do almost anything
King put on his spectacles and looked anxiously round, to make out who
Lobster Quadrille is!’
remembering her own child-life, and the happy summer days.
that it was quite impossible to say whether the blows hurt it or not.
One of the jurors had a pencil that squeaked. This of course, Alice
looked at the sides of the well, and noticed that they were filled with
‘Well, perhaps not,’ said Alice in a soothing tone: ‘don’t be angry
our house I should like to show you! A little bright-eyed terrier, you
till I’m somebody else”--but, oh dear!’ cried Alice, with a sudden burst
never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch
‘And how did you manage on the twelfth?’ Alice went on eagerly.
prosecute
quite a conversation of it altogether; but after a few minutes she heard
‘Sure, it does, yer honour: but it’s an arm for all that.’
fetch it here, lad!--Here, put ‘em up at this corner--No, tie ‘em
deep and reaching half down the hall.
‘You are old,’ said the youth, ‘one would hardly suppose
this creature when I get it home?’ when it grunted again, so violently,
conversation. ‘Are you--are you fond--of--of dogs?’ The Mouse did not
to some tea and bread-and-butter, and then turned to the Dormouse, and
Alice had never been in a court of justice before, but she had read
and walking off to other parts of the ground, Alice soon came to the
Longitude either, but thought they were nice grand words to say.)
make me smaller, I suppose.’
wondering if anything would EVER happen in a natural way again.
savage when they met in the kitchen.
There ought to be a book written about me, that there ought! And when I
sneezed occasionally; and as for the baby, it was sneezing and howling
long as there was room for her.
hand and a piece of bread-and-butter in the other. ‘I beg pardon, your
the Dodo suddenly called out ‘The race is over!’ and they all crowded
won’t talk about cats or dogs either, if you don’t like them!’ When the
myself, you see.’
I’ll take no
tittered audibly.
‘One side of WHAT? The other side of WHAT?’ thought Alice to herself.
being drowned in my own tears! That WILL be a queer thing, to be sure!
yours.”’
‘Not a bit,’ said the Caterpillar.
had vanished completely.
‘I see!’ said the Queen, who had meanwhile been examining the roses.
ground--and I should have croqueted the Queen’s hedgehog just now, only
By the time she had caught the flamingo and brought it back, the fight
could.
leaves that had fluttered down from the trees upon her face.
head!”’
‘Shan’t,’ said the cook.
‘How doth the little crocodile
‘It isn’t directed at all,’ said the White Rabbit; ‘in fact, there’s
to herself, ‘if one only knew the right way to change them--’ when she
a great crash, as if a dish or kettle had been broken to pieces.
‘And ever since that,’ the Hatter went on in a mournful tone, ‘he won’t
to Alice for protection.
‘Are you content now?’ said the Caterpillar.
could hear the rattle of the teacups as the March Hare and his friends
‘I don’t believe it,’ said the Pigeon; ‘but if they do, why then they’re
‘That’s very important,’ the King said, turning to the jury. They were
take more.’
after that savage Queen: so she waited.
had made.
set to work at once to eat some of the other bit. Her chin was pressed
should be free of them at last, they must needs come wriggling down from
at the Cat’s head with great curiosity.
When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!”
‘Not like cats!’ cried the Mouse, in a shrill, passionate voice. ‘Would
left alive!’
heavy sobs.
silence, and then another confusion of voices--‘Hold up his head--Brandy
As she said this she looked down at her hands, and was surprised to see
both go to
Turtle.
‘One side of WHAT? The other side of WHAT?’ thought Alice to herself.
courtiers, or three of her own children.
make me smaller, I suppose.’
to the dance. So they got thrown out to sea. So they had to fall a long
‘Everybody says “come on!” here,’ thought Alice, as she went slowly
‘Well, I can’t show it you myself,’ the Mock Turtle said: ‘I’m too
The King’s argument was, that anything that had a head could be
(WITH ALICE’S LOVE).
(the position in which you usually see Shakespeare, in the pictures
WOULD always get into her eyes--and still as she listened, or seemed to
stretched her arms round it as far as they would go, and broke off a bit
On which Seven looked up and said, ‘That’s right, Five! Always lay the
the March Hare.
rabbits. I almost wish I hadn’t gone down that rabbit-hole--and yet--and
sea. The master was an old Turtle--we used to call him Tortoise--’
moment Five, who had been anxiously looking across the garden, called
executions I have ordered’; and she walked off, leaving Alice alone with
I COULD NOT SWIM--” you can’t swim, can you?’ he added, turning to the
shouldn’t be hungry for it, you know.’
leaves: ‘I should have liked teaching it tricks very much, if--if I’d
It was, no doubt: only Alice did not like to be told so. ‘It’s really
frightened Mouse splashed his way through the neighbouring pool--she
There was nothing so VERY remarkable in that; nor did Alice think it so
‘Not the same thing a bit!’ said the Hatter. ‘You might just as well say
back to the game, the Queen merely remarking that a moment’s delay would
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
‘I don’t know of any that do,’ Alice said very politely, feeling quite
An obstacle that came between
not going to do THAT in a hurry. ‘No, I’ll look first,’ she said, ‘and
to say which), and they went on for some while in silence.
‘Do you mean that you think you can find out the answer to it?’ said the
(Before she had this fit)
that dark hall, and wander about among those beds of bright flowers and
for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English); ‘now I’m
doesn’t suit my throat!’ and a Canary called out in a trembling voice to
others.
say--that’s the same thing, you know.’
‘Can’t remember WHAT things?’ said the Caterpillar.
(Alice began to say ‘I once tasted--’ but checked herself hastily, and
But, when the tide rises and sharks are around,
‘How queer it seems,’ Alice said to herself, ‘to be going messages for
Alice watched the White Rabbit as he fumbled over the list, feeling very
‘I’ve heard something like it,’ said Alice.
They all returned from him to you,
‘Get to your places!’ shouted the Queen in a voice of thunder, and
And took them quite away!’
‘How doth the little crocodile
again, sitting on a branch of a tree.
with the dream of Wonderland of long ago: and how she would feel with
‘And how many hours a day did you do lessons?’ said Alice, in a hurry to
‘I won’t indeed!’ said Alice, in a great hurry to change the subject of
‘Sure, it does, yer honour: but it’s an arm for all that.’
‘Would it be of any use, now,’ thought Alice, ‘to speak to this mouse?
‘It’s a pun!’ the King added in an offended tone, and everybody laughed,
Majesty,’ he began, ‘for bringing these in: but I hadn’t quite finished
‘I didn’t know that Cheshire cats always grinned; in fact, I didn’t know
Alice was not much surprised at this, she was getting so used to queer
Alice watched the White Rabbit as he fumbled over the list, feeling very
answer. ‘They’re done with blacking, I believe.’
she was out of sight: then it chuckled. ‘What fun!’ said the Gryphon,
And so it was indeed: she was now only ten inches high, and her face
arms, took the hookah out of its mouth again, and said, ‘So you think
shouldn’t be hungry for it, you know.’
‘Speak roughly to your little boy,
about wasting IT. It’s HIM.’
her in a languid, sleepy voice.
‘Give your evidence,’ said the King; ‘and don’t be nervous, or I’ll have
mouth; but she did it at last, and managed to swallow a morsel of the
Distraction, Uglification, and Derision.’
HAD THIS FIT--” you never had fits, my dear, I think?’ he said to the
‘UNimportant, of course, I meant,’ the King hastily said, and went on
with his tea spoon at the March Hare,) ‘--it was at the great concert
perhaps as this is May it won’t be raving mad--at least not so mad as
They very soon came upon a Gryphon, lying fast asleep in the sun.
there WAS no one listening, this time, as it didn’t sound at all the
‘Then you shouldn’t talk,’ said the Hatter.
Alice was very glad to find her in such a pleasant temper, and thought
then a voice she had never heard before, ‘Sure then I’m here! Digging
label, with the words ‘DRINK ME’ beautifully printed on it in large
Beau--ootiful Soo--oop!
this was her dream:--
She was a good deal frightened by this very sudden change, but she felt
take a fancy to cats if you could only see her. She is such a dear quiet
crown on a crimson velvet cushion; and, last of all this grand
time,’ she said, ‘than waste it in asking riddles that have no answers.’
‘Is that the way YOU manage?’ Alice asked.
‘I’ve tried the roots of trees, and I’ve tried banks, and I’ve tried
If she should push the matter on,
Alice considered a little, and then said ‘The fourth.’
yet--it’s rather curious, you know, this sort of life! I do wonder what
‘Sure, it’s an arm, yer honour!’ (He pronounced it ‘arrum.’)
This question the Dodo could not answer without a great deal of thought,
got up, and began to repeat it, but her head was so full of the Lobster
As soon as she had made out the proper way of nursing it, (which was to
sighing.
hot tea upon its nose.
between them, fast asleep, and the other two were using it as a
sort of way to fly up into a tree.
Alice was very glad to find her in such a pleasant temper, and thought
‘I’ll fetch the executioner myself,’ said the King eagerly, and he
had somehow fallen into the sea, ‘and in that case I can go back by
Who for such dainties would not stoop?
wise fish would go anywhere without a porpoise.’
jumping about like mad things all this time, sat down again very sadly
Oh! won’t she be savage if I’ve kept her waiting!’ Alice felt so
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
The next thing was to eat the comfits: this caused some noise and
repeated, aloud.
‘I haven’t opened it yet,’ said the White Rabbit, ‘but it seems to be a
‘But I’m NOT a serpent, I tell you!’ said Alice. ‘I’m a--I’m a--’
hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid), whether the pleasure
There was a long silence after this, and Alice could only hear whispers
flower-pot that stood near. The three soldiers wandered about for a
with his tea spoon at the March Hare,) ‘--it was at the great concert
in the middle of her favourite word ‘moral,’ and the arm that was linked
As she said these words her foot slipped, and in another moment, splash!
‘It must be a very pretty dance,’ said Alice timidly.
The Dormouse shook its head impatiently, and said, without opening its
‘Well, then,’ the Cat went on, ‘you see, a dog growls when it’s angry,
hand and a piece of bread-and-butter in the other. ‘I beg pardon, your
‘Well, there was Mystery,’ the Mock Turtle replied, counting off
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
‘Oh, as to the whiting,’ said the Mock Turtle, ‘they--you’ve seen them,
uncomfortable for the Dormouse,’ thought Alice; ‘only, as it’s asleep, I
to suit them!’
‘So he did, so he did,’ said the Gryphon, sighing in his turn; and both
to play croquet.’ The Frog-Footman repeated, in the same solemn tone,
‘--and I hadn’t begun my tea--not above a week or so--and what with the
Lizard’s slate-pencil, and the choking of the suppressed guinea-pigs,
only took the regular course.’
verse.’
as if nothing had happened.
moved.
down, both of you, and don’t speak a word till I’ve finished.’
given by the Queen of Hearts, and I had to sing
thinking of?’
startled when she heard her voice close to her ear. ‘You’re thinking
*    *    *    *    *    *    *
doorway; ‘and even if my head would go through,’ thought poor Alice, ‘it
it, and finding it very nice, (it had, in fact, a sort of mixed flavour
is--“Be what you would seem to be”--or if you’d like it put more
‘It isn’t,’ said the Caterpillar.
can’t think! And oh, I wish you could see her after the birds! Why,
‘And ever since that,’ the Hatter went on in a mournful tone, ‘he won’t
advantage from the change: and Alice was a good deal worse off than
Beau--ootiful Soo--oop!
‘Nothing whatever,’ said Alice.
‘But what did the Dormouse say?’ one of the jury asked.
The first thing she heard was a general chorus of ‘There goes Bill!’
which the wretched Hatter trembled so, that he shook both his shoes off.
filled the air, mixed up with the distant sobs of the miserable Mock
the goldfish kept running in her head, and she had a vague sort of idea
can do no more, whatever happens. What WILL become of me?’
things to happen, that it seemed quite dull and stupid for life to go on
roof off.’ After a minute or two, they began moving about again, and
and she could even make out that one of them didn’t know how to spell
‘I never said I didn’t!’ interrupted Alice.
him; and near the King was the White Rabbit, with a trumpet in one hand,
‘Speak roughly to your little boy,
The Dormouse slowly opened his eyes. ‘I wasn’t asleep,’ he said in a
‘Oh, you foolish Alice!’ she answered herself. ‘How can you learn
*    *    *    *    *    *
very respectful tone, but frowning and making faces at him as he spoke.
nearly as large as himself, and this he handed over to the other,
This was such a new idea to Alice, that she was quite silent for a
Just then she heard something splashing about in the pool a little way
“Up above the world you fly,
‘Anything you like,’ said the Footman, and began whistling.
‘I’m NOT a serpent!’ said Alice indignantly. ‘Let me alone!’
very little! Besides, SHE’S she, and I’m I, and--oh dear, how puzzling
and sometimes she scolded herself so severely as to bring tears into
oneself speak--and they don’t seem to have any rules in particular;
dry enough!’ They all sat down at once, in a large ring, with the Mouse
Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance.
After a time she heard a little pattering of feet in the distance, and
changed into alarm in another moment, when she found that her shoulders
child; ‘but little girls eat eggs quite as much as serpents do, you
I’m quite tired of being such a tiny little thing!’
The Fish-Footman began by producing from under his arm a great letter,
Beau--ootiful Soo--oop!
now! How puzzling all these changes are! I’m never sure what I’m going
‘I’ll tell it her,’ said the Mock Turtle in a deep, hollow tone: ‘sit
of everything I’ve said as yet.’
‘I’d rather not,’ the Cat remarked.
‘I don’t think they play at all fairly,’ Alice began, in rather a
then she walked down the little passage: and THEN--she found herself at
‘Get to your places!’ shouted the Queen in a voice of thunder, and
grow any more--As it is, I can’t get out at the door--I do wish I hadn’t
confusing it is all the things being alive; for instance, there’s the
passion. She had already heard her sentence three of the players to be
size: to be sure, this generally happens when one eats cake, but Alice
interrupted: ‘UNimportant, your Majesty means, of course,’ he said in a
you seen the Mock Turtle yet?’
place, with a little house in it about four feet high. ‘Whoever lives
No, there were no tears. ‘If you’re going to turn into a pig, my dear,’
not got into it), and handed them round as prizes. There was exactly one
things are “much of a muchness”--did you ever see such a thing as a
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance?
CHAPTER VII. A Mad Tea-Party
SOME change in my size; and as it can’t possibly make me larger, it must
invitation for the Duchess to play croquet.’
‘’Tis so,’ said the Duchess: ‘and the moral of that is--“Oh, ‘tis love,
pitied him deeply. ‘What is his sorrow?’ she asked the Gryphon, and the
cucumber-frame, or something of the sort.
says it kills all the rats and--oh dear!’ cried Alice in a sorrowful
up and to stand on their hands and feet, to make the arches.
to
all the jurymen are back in their proper places--ALL,’ he repeated with
who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been
silent.
bread-and-butter.
should like to hear her try and repeat something now. Tell her to
she hastily dried her eyes to see what was coming. It was the White
archbishop find?’
‘Would you like to see a little of it?’ said the Mock Turtle.
The executioner’s argument was, that you couldn’t cut off a head unless
‘What do you mean by that?’ said the Caterpillar sternly. ‘Explain
see what would happen next.
way of speaking to a mouse: she had never done such a thing before, but
‘I quite agree with you,’ said the Duchess; ‘and the moral of that
anxiously over his shoulder as he spoke, and then raised himself upon
to Alice for protection.
words all coming different, and then the Mock Turtle drew a long breath,
hungry, in which case it would be very likely to eat her up in spite of
a VERY turn-up nose, much more like a snout than a real nose; also its
queer everything is to-day! And yesterday things went on just as usual.
out here? Run home this moment, and fetch me a pair of gloves and a fan!
YOUR temper!’ ‘Hold your tongue, Ma!’ said the young Crab, a little
I shall have to go and live in that poky little house, and have next to
together first--they don’t reach half high enough yet--Oh! they’ll
that cats COULD grin.’
close by her.
keep, through all her riper years, the simple and loving heart of her
But the snail replied “Too far, too far!” and gave a look askance--
‘Who are YOU?’ said the Caterpillar.
‘If there’s no meaning in it,’ said the King, ‘that saves a world of
everything that Alice said; ‘there’s a large mustard-mine near here. And
aloud; and in another moment it was out of sight.
‘You did,’ said the Mock Turtle.
the flowers and the blades of grass, but she did not see anything that
you
funny watch!’ she remarked. ‘It tells the day of the month, and doesn’t
‘I thought it would,’ said the Cat, and vanished again.
‘Read them,’ said the King.
CHAPTER VII. A Mad Tea-Party
The long grass rustled at her feet as the White Rabbit hurried by--the
‘No, please go on!’ Alice said very humbly; ‘I won’t interrupt again. I
On this the White Rabbit blew three blasts on the trumpet, and then
you’re changed, do you?’
That your eye was as steady as ever;
of the window, and one foot up the chimney, and said to herself ‘Now I
This seemed to Alice a good opportunity for making her escape; so she
OUT OF ITS WAISTCOAT-POCKET, and looked at it, and then hurried on,
‘Tut, tut, child!’ said the Duchess. ‘Everything’s got a moral, if only
loud.
‘Yes!’ shouted Alice.
‘Give your evidence,’ said the King; ‘and don’t be nervous, or I’ll have
make THEIR eyes bright and eager with many a strange tale, perhaps even
But at any rate he might answer questions.--How am I to get in?’ she
bend, I think?’
their eyes and mouths so VERY wide, but she gained courage as she went
Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join the dance.
would be offended again.
‘Repeat, “YOU ARE OLD, FATHER WILLIAM,”’ said the Caterpillar.
Waiting in a hot tureen!
great hurry.
to do next, when suddenly a footman in livery came running out of the
hastily.
of the trees under which she had been wandering, when a sharp hiss made
‘Would you tell me,’ said Alice, a little timidly, ‘why you are painting
last in the beautiful garden, among the bright flower-beds and the cool
‘Beautiful Soup! Who cares for fish,
but at any rate it would not open any of them. However, on the second
‘Who is it directed to?’ said one of the jurymen.
rather sharply; ‘I advise you to leave off this minute!’ She generally
doesn’t suit my throat!’ and a Canary called out in a trembling voice to
the White Rabbit read out, at the top of his shrill little voice, the
SOME change in my size; and as it can’t possibly make me larger, it must
and sadly:--
leading right into it. ‘That’s very curious!’ she thought. ‘But
frightened Mouse splashed his way through the neighbouring pool--she
and had to stoop to save her neck from being broken. She hastily put
nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of
What made you so awfully clever?’
Beautiful, beautiful Soup!’
being drowned in my own tears! That WILL be a queer thing, to be sure!
‘Give your evidence,’ said the King.
snappishly. ‘You’re enough to try the patience of an oyster!’
death.”’
‘And what are they made of?’ Alice asked in a tone of great curiosity.
of such a rule at processions; ‘and besides, what would be the use of
in the window, and on it (as she had hoped) a fan and two or three pairs
And beat him when he sneezes:
nibbled some more of the lefthand bit of mushroom, and raised herself to
beasts and other unpleasant things, all because they WOULD not remember
neither of the others took the least notice of her going, though she
things of this sort in her lessons in the schoolroom, and though this
back to the table, half hoping she might find another key on it, or at
have to turn into a chrysalis--you will some day, you know--and then
‘’Tis the voice of the Lobster; I heard him declare,
others all joined in chorus, ‘Yes, please do!’ but the Mouse only shook
nothing better to say than his first remark, ‘It was the BEST butter,
this was her dream:--
different sizes in a day is very confusing.’
it out into the open air. ‘IF I don’t take this child away with me,’
about half no time! Take your choice!’
By this time she had found her way into a tidy little room with a table
when they had been running half an hour or so, and were quite dry again,
a frying-pan after her as she went out, but it just missed her.
(the position in which you usually see Shakespeare, in the pictures
occurred to her that she ought to have wondered at this, but at the time
If I or she should chance to be
the royal children, and everybody else.
and began talking to herself, as usual. ‘Come, there’s half my plan done
whiskers!’
YOU.--Come,
into the garden at once; but, alas for poor Alice! when she got to the
‘--so long as I get SOMEWHERE,’ Alice added as an explanation.
to go! Let me see: I’ll give them a new pair of boots every Christmas.’
that the poor little juror (it was Bill, the Lizard) could not make out
Was kindly permitted to pocket the spoon:
place, with a little house in it about four feet high. ‘Whoever lives
‘Exactly so,’ said the Hatter: ‘as the things get used up.’
‘I can’t go no lower,’ said the Hatter: ‘I’m on the floor, as it is.’
twentieth time that day.
uncommon nonsense.’
He only does it to annoy,
won’t, then!--Bill’s to go down--Here, Bill! the master says you’re to
Mabel! I’ll try and say “How doth the little--“’ and she crossed her
Alice said nothing; she had sat down with her face in her hands,
‘Oh, don’t talk about trouble!’ said the Duchess. ‘I make you a present
‘Have some wine,’ the March Hare said in an encouraging tone.
the other players, and shouting ‘Off with his head!’ or ‘Off with her
filled the air, mixed up with the distant sobs of the miserable Mock
thinking of?’
nothing written on the OUTSIDE.’ He unfolded the paper as he spoke, and
confusion, as the large birds complained that they could not taste
Alice was just beginning to think to herself, ‘Now, what am I to do with
‘You may not have lived much under the sea--’ [‘I haven’t,’ said
be as well to introduce some other subject of conversation. While she
the goldfish kept running in her head, and she had a vague sort of idea
She had not gone much farther before she came in sight of the house
‘They all can,’ said the Duchess; ‘and most of ‘em do.’
‘THAT generally takes some time,’ interrupted the Gryphon.
‘How should I know?’ said Alice, surprised at her own courage. ‘It’s no
the right-hand bit to try the effect: the next moment she felt a violent
‘What was that?’ inquired Alice.
way, and the whole party swam to the shore.
‘Well, then,’ the Cat went on, ‘you see, a dog growls when it’s angry,
rumbling of little cartwheels, and the sound of a good many voices
By the use of this ointment--one shilling the box--
‘Come, it’s pleased so far,’ thought Alice, and she went on. ‘Would you
‘I’d rather not,’ the Cat remarked.
felt that it would be quite absurd for her to carry it further.
now for the garden!’ and she ran with all speed back to the little door:
‘Don’t talk nonsense,’ said Alice more boldly: ‘you know you’re growing
and she very good-naturedly began hunting about for them, but they were
‘I speak severely to my boy,
up at the mouth with strings: into this they slipped the guinea-pig,
YOU.--Come,
The first thing she heard was a general chorus of ‘There goes Bill!’
this last word two or three times over to herself, being rather proud of
who of course had to leave off being arches to do this, so that by
well without--Maybe it’s always pepper that makes people hot-tempered,’
‘You mean you can’t take LESS,’ said the Hatter: ‘it’s very easy to take
about it. And yet I wish I could show you our cat Dinah: I think you’d
her arm, with its legs hanging down, but generally, just as she had got
cries to the voice of the shepherd boy--and the sneeze of the baby, the
house, quite forgetting that she was now about a thousand times as large
‘I’m a poor man, your Majesty,’ the Hatter began, in a trembling voice,
in the middle of her favourite word ‘moral,’ and the arm that was linked
‘Your hair wants cutting,’ said the Hatter. He had been looking at Alice
‘A cat may look at a king,’ said Alice. ‘I’ve read that in some book,
tea-things are put out here?’ she asked.
‘Oh, as to the whiting,’ said the Mock Turtle, ‘they--you’ve seen them,
the patriotic archbishop of Canterbury, found it advisable--“’
‘Once,’ said the Mock Turtle at last, with a deep sigh, ‘I was a real
make me smaller, I suppose.’
little golden key in the lock, and to her great delight it fitted!
‘Come on!’ cried the Gryphon, and, taking Alice by the hand, it hurried
‘I never said I didn’t!’ interrupted Alice.
its children, ‘Come away, my dears! It’s high time you were all in bed!’
‘What IS a Caucus-race?’ said Alice; not that she wanted much to know,
‘Pray don’t trouble yourself to say it any longer than that,’ said
was a table, with a large dish of tarts upon it: they looked so good,
know, with oh, such long curly brown hair! And it’ll fetch things when
‘I’d rather finish my tea,’ said the Hatter, with an anxious look at the
you speak?’
Hare. Visit either you like: they’re both mad.’
question is, what?’
‘Back to land again, and that’s all the first figure,’ said the Mock
have got altered.’
window!’
know.’
not going to do THAT in a hurry. ‘No, I’ll look first,’ she said, ‘and
is, you know. Please, Ma’am, is this New Zealand or Australia?’ (and
they pinched it on both sides at once.
These were the verses the White Rabbit read:--
unrolled the parchment scroll, and read as follows:--
‘Then, you know,’ the Mock Turtle went on, ‘you throw the--’
‘Please come back and finish your story!’ Alice called after it; and the
set off at once, and ran till she was quite tired and out of breath, and
with the dream of Wonderland of long ago: and how she would feel with
tone, ‘I’m afraid I’ve offended it again!’ For the Mouse was swimming
‘Soo--oop of the e--e--evening,
‘It’s a pun!’ the King added in an offended tone, and everybody laughed,
‘We had the best of educations--in fact, we went to school every day--’
‘All right,’ said the Cat; and this time it vanished quite slowly,
led into the garden. Then she went to work nibbling at the mushroom (she
rather shyly, ‘I--I hardly know, sir, just at present--at least I know
think nothing of tumbling down stairs! How brave they’ll all think me at
nervous manner, smiling at everything that was said, and went by without
I beat him when he sneezes;
silent.
hedgehog to, and, as the doubled-up soldiers were always getting up
‘How dreadfully savage!’ exclaimed Alice.
Turn that Dormouse out of court! Suppress him! Pinch him! Off with his
what they’re about!’
forepaws to mark the time, while the Mock Turtle sang this, very slowly
The table was a large one, but the three were all crowded together at
She stretched herself up on tiptoe, and peeped over the edge of the
had kept a piece of it in her pocket) till she was about a foot high:
Alice, who felt ready to sink into the earth. At last the Gryphon said
Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak--
just as well.
the best thing to get us dry would be a Caucus-race.’
she succeeded in getting its body tucked away, comfortably enough, under
tears, until there was a large pool all round her, about four inches
And mentioned me to him:
like a star-fish,’ thought Alice. The poor little thing was snorting
uncomfortable for the Dormouse,’ thought Alice; ‘only, as it’s asleep, I
birds hurried off at once: one old Magpie began wrapping itself up very
and said ‘That’s very curious.’
doorway; ‘and even if my head would go through,’ thought poor Alice, ‘it
out here? Run home this moment, and fetch me a pair of gloves and a fan!
Mabel! I’ll try and say “How doth the little--“’ and she crossed her
shouting ‘Off with his head!’ or ‘Off with her head!’ about once in a
Knave.
for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English); ‘now I’m
you’re changed, do you?’
a little shriek, and went on: ‘--that begins with an M, such as
evidently meant for her.
“You have baked me too brown, I must sugar my hair.”
on.’
was, ‘Why is a raven like a writing-desk?’
hung upon pegs. She took down a jar from one of the shelves as
Alice replied eagerly, for she was always ready to talk about her pet:
sort of way, ‘Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats?’ and sometimes, ‘Do
doesn’t like changing so often, you know.’
its head impatiently, and walked a little quicker.
a Lory and an Eaglet, and several other curious creatures. Alice led the
my tea when I was sent for.’
He sent them word I had not gone
and broke to pieces against one of the trees behind him.
used--and I don’t keep the same size for ten minutes together!’
‘“Will you walk a little faster?” said a whiting to a snail.
you know.’
yesterday you deserved to be beheaded!’
other side of the garden, where Alice could see it trying in a helpless
The door led right into a large kitchen, which was full of smoke from
contempt. ‘I’ve seen a good many little girls in my time, but never ONE
There ought to be a book written about me, that there ought! And when I
I gave her one, they gave him two,
held it out to the puppy; whereupon the puppy jumped into the air off
confusing it is all the things being alive; for instance, there’s the
began: ‘O Mouse, do you know the way out of this pool? I am very tired
CHORUS.
‘As wet as ever,’ said Alice in a melancholy tone: ‘it doesn’t seem to
I’ll take no
was sneezing on the Duchess’s knee, while plates and dishes crashed
The next thing was to eat the comfits: this caused some noise and
as “I sleep when I breathe”!’
rather shyly, ‘I--I hardly know, sir, just at present--at least I know
her hand, and Alice guessed who it was, even before she got into the
‘How queer it seems,’ Alice said to herself, ‘to be going messages for
‘Well, be off, then!’ said the Pigeon in a sulky tone, as it settled
‘It’s a pun!’ the King added in an offended tone, and everybody laughed,
The jury all wrote down on their slates, ‘SHE doesn’t believe there’s an
best to climb up one of the legs of the table, but it was too slippery;
wonder what they WILL do next! If they had any sense, they’d take the
jumped; but she saw in another moment that it was addressed to the baby,
desperate that she was ready to ask help of any one; so, when the Rabbit
the right-hand bit to try the effect: the next moment she felt a violent
to do.”
about it while the Mouse was speaking, so that her idea of the tale was
makes them so shiny?’
gave herself very good advice, (though she very seldom followed it),
for the next moment a shower of little pebbles came rattling in at the
‘To begin with,’ said the Cat, ‘a dog’s not mad. You grant that?’
‘THAT you won’t’ thought Alice, and, after waiting till she fancied
‘but it doesn’t matter a bit,’ she thought to herself.
‘All right, so far,’ said the King, and he went on muttering over
‘Ten hours the first day,’ said the Mock Turtle: ‘nine the next, and so
‘Please, then,’ said Alice, ‘how am I to get in?’
evidently meant for her.
bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the
nothing.
‘Why,’ said the Gryphon, ‘you first form into a line along the
witness.’ And he added in an undertone to the Queen, ‘Really, my dear,
opening out like the largest telescope that ever was! Good-bye, feet!’
She had quite forgotten the Duchess by this time, and was a little
she had accidentally upset the week before.
wondering very much what would happen next.
name ‘Alice!’
about it while the Mouse was speaking, so that her idea of the tale was
to herself that perhaps it was only the pepper that had made her so
its head impatiently, and walked a little quicker.
hoarse, feeble voice: ‘I heard every word you fellows were saying.’
Alice was very glad to find her in such a pleasant temper, and thought
it suddenly appeared again.
laughing: and when she had got its head down, and was going to begin
last in the beautiful garden, among the bright flower-beds and the cool
‘Write that down,’ the King said to the jury, and the jury eagerly
leaves: ‘I should have liked teaching it tricks very much, if--if I’d
for apples, yer honour!’
know.’
‘I’m NOT a serpent!’ said Alice indignantly. ‘Let me alone!’
‘’Tis the voice of the Lobster; I heard him declare,
There was a long silence after this, and Alice could only hear whispers
‘If you didn’t sign it,’ said the King, ‘that only makes the matter
‘--yes, that’s about the right distance--but then I wonder what Latitude
drunk half the bottle, she found her head pressing against the ceiling,
‘If there’s no meaning in it,’ said the King, ‘that saves a world of
The Caterpillar was the first to speak.
some time without interrupting it.
remembering her own child-life, and the happy summer days.
last in the beautiful garden, among the bright flower-beds and the cool
held it out to the puppy; whereupon the puppy jumped into the air off
was not a VERY good opportunity for showing off her knowledge, as there
corners: next the ten courtiers; these were ornamented all over with
‘What for?’ said Alice.
‘Who are YOU?’ said the Caterpillar.
everything’s curious today. I think I may as well go in at once.’ And in
beasts and other unpleasant things, all because they WOULD not remember
‘But then,’ thought Alice, ‘shall I NEVER get any older than I am
or judge,
then treading on her toes when they passed too close, and waving their
Alice considered a little, and then said ‘The fourth.’
‘You are old,’ said the youth, ‘and your jaws are too weak
state of mind, she turned away.
fancy--Who’s to go down the chimney?--Nay, I shan’t! YOU do it!--That I
to say!’
of tears, ‘I do wish they WOULD put their heads down! I am so VERY tired
herself; and when she had looked under it, and on both sides of it, and
large she had grown in the last few minutes, and she jumped up in such
TWO little shrieks, and more sounds of broken glass. ‘What a number of
‘If I’d been the whiting,’ said Alice, whose thoughts were still running
‘I DON’T know,’ said the Caterpillar.
‘No, please go on!’ Alice said very humbly; ‘I won’t interrupt again. I
that she looked down into its face in some alarm. This time there could
anxiously about her. ‘Oh, do let me help to undo it!’
Hare. Visit either you like: they’re both mad.’
the mallets live flamingoes, and the soldiers had to double themselves
‘They told me you had been to her,
The moment Alice appeared, she was appealed to by all three to settle
Mouse heard this, it turned round and swam slowly back to her: its
that it made Alice quite hungry to look at them--‘I wish they’d get the
she fell past it.
‘You couldn’t have wanted it much,’ said Alice; ‘living at the bottom of
And the muscular strength, which it gave to my jaw,
she waited patiently.
you ARE a simpleton.’
(In which the cook and the baby joined):--
‘Thank you, it’s a very interesting dance to watch,’ said Alice, feeling
would, in the after-time, be herself a grown woman; and how she would
doesn’t suit my throat!’ and a Canary called out in a trembling voice to
But at any rate he might answer questions.--How am I to get in?’ she
your pocket?’ he went on, turning to Alice.
sat down and cried.
procession, came THE KING AND QUEEN OF HEARTS.
she heard the Rabbit just under the window, she suddenly spread out her
For anything tougher than suet;
little creature, and held out its arms and legs in all directions, ‘just
(Dinah was the cat.) ‘I hope they’ll remember her saucer of milk at
Alice did not wish to offend the Dormouse again, so she began very
time,’ she said, ‘than waste it in asking riddles that have no answers.’
I heard a gunshot and then saw a man run out. He had a "Get Fit Now Gym" bag. The membership number on the bag started with "48Z". Only gold members have those bags. The man got into a car with a plate that included "H42W".
I saw the murder happen, and I recognized the killer from my gym when I was working out last week on January the 9th.
I was hired by a woman with a lot of money. I don't know her name but I know she's around 5'5" (65") or 5'7" (67"). She has red hair and she drives a Tesla Model S. I know that she attended the SQL Symphony Concert 3 times in December 2017.