the enchanted knife story

8/10/2019 The Enchanted Knife story

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The Enchanted Knife Andrew Lang

Once upon a time there lived a young man who vowed that he would never marry any girl who had not royal blood in her veins. One day he plucked up all his courage and went to the palace to ask the emperor for hisdaughter. The emperor was not much pleased at the thought of such a match for his only child, but being very

polite, he only said

!"ery well, my son, if you can win the princess you shall have her, and the conditions are these. #n eight days youmust manage to tame and bring to me three horses that have never felt a master. The first is pure white, thesecond a fo$y%red with a black head, the third coal black with a white head and feet. And besides that, you mustalso bring as a present to the empress, my wife, as much gold as the three horses can carry.!

The young man listened in dismay to these words, but with an effort he thanked the emperor for his kindness andleft the palace, wondering how he was to fulfill the task allotted to him. Luckily for him, the emperor!s daughterhad overheard everything her father had said, and peeping through a curtain had seen the youth, and thought himhandsomer than anyone she had ever beheld.

&o returning hastily to her own room, she wrote him a letter which she gave to a trusty servant to deliver, begging her wooer to come to her rooms early the ne$t day, and to undertake nothing without her advice, if heever wished her to be his wife.

That night, when her father was asleep, she crept softly into his chamber and took out an enchanted knife fromthe chest where he kept his treasures, and hid it carefully in a safe place before she went to bed.

The sun had hardly risen the following morning when the princess!s nurse brought the young man to herapartments. 'either spoke for some minutes, but stood holding each other!s hands for (oy, till at last they bothcried out that nothing but death should part them. Then the maiden said

!Take my horse, and ride straight through the wood towards the sunset till you come to a hill with three peaks.)hen you get there, turn first to the right and then to the left, and you will find yourself in a sun meadow, wheremany horses are feeding. Out of these you must pick out the three described to you by my father. #f they proveshy, and refuse to let you get near them, draw out your knife, and let the sun shine on it so that the wholemeadow is lit up by its rays, and the horses will then approach you of their own accord, and will let you leadthem away. )hen you have them safely, look about till you see a cypress tree, whose roots are of brass, whose

boughs are of silver, and whose leaves are of gold. *o to it, and cut away the roots with your knife, and you willcome to countless bags of gold. Load the horses with all they can carry, and return to my father, and tell him thatyou have done your task, and can claim me for your wife.!

The princess had finished all she had to say, and now it depended on the young man to do his part. +e hid theknife in the folds of his girdle, mounted his horse, and rode off in search of the meadow. This he found withoutmuch difficulty, but the horses were all so shy that they galloped away directly he approached them. Then hedrew his knife, and held it up towards the sun, and directly there shone such a glory that the whole meadow was

bathed in it. rom all sides the horses rushed pressing round, and each one that passed him fell on its knees to dohim honor.

-ut he only chose from them all the three that the emperor had described. These he secured by a silken rope tohis own horse, and then looked about for the cypress tree. #t was standing by itself in one corner, and in amoment he was beside it, tearing away the earth with his knife. eeper and deeper he dug, till far down, belowthe roots of brass, his knife struck upon the buried treasure, which lay heaped up in bags all around. )ith a great

effort he lifted them from their hiding place, and laid them one by one on his horses! backs, and when they couldcarry no more he led them back to the emperor. And when the emperor saw him, he wondered, but never guessedhow it was the young man had been too clever for him, till the betrothal ceremony was over. Then he asked hisnewly made son%in%law what dowry he would re/uire with his bride. To which the bridegroom made answer,!'oble emperor0 All # desire is that # may have your daughter for my wife, and en(oy for ever the use of yourenchanted knife.!



Through the Looking *lass

&end this page to somebody 1rint this page

LE)#& 2A33OLL

T+3O4*+ T+E LOOK#'* *LA&&

by LE)#& 2A33OLL

2+A1TE3 5

Looking%*lass house

One thing was certain, that the )+#TE kitten had had nothing to do with it %% it was the black kitten!s faultentirely. or the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last /uarter of an hour 6and

bearing it pretty well, considering78 so you see that it 2O4L '!T have had any hand in the mischief.

The way inah washed her children!s faces was this first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose and (ustnow, as # said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying /uite still and trying to purr %% no doubtfeeling that it was all meant for its good.

-ut the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up ina corner of the great arm%chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it hadall come undone again8 and there it was, spread over the hearth%rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten runningafter its own tail in the middle.

9Oh, you wicked little thing0! cried Alice, catching up the kitten, and giving it a little kiss to make itunderstand that it was in disgrace. 93eally, inah ought to have taught you better manners0 :ou O4*+T, inah,you know you ought0! she added, looking reproachfully at the old cat, and speaking in as cross a voice as shecould manage %% and then she scrambled back into the arm%chair, taking the kitten and the worsted with her, and

began winding up the ball again. -ut she didn!t get on very fast, as she was talking all the time, sometimes to thekitten, and sometimes to herself. Kitty sat very demurely on her knee, pretending to watch the progress of thewinding, and now and then putting out one paw and gently touching the ball, as if it would be glad to help, if itmight.

9 o you know what to%morrow is, Kitty;! Alice began. 9:ou!d have guessed if you!d been up in the windowwith me %% only inah was making you tidy, so you couldn!t. # was watching the boys getting in stick for the

bonfire %% and it wants plenty of sticks, Kitty0 Only it got so cold, and it snowed so, they had to leave off. 'evermind, Kitty, we!ll go and see the bonfire to%morrow.! +ere Alice wound two or three turns of the worsted roundthe kitten!s neck, (ust to see how it would look this led to a scramble, in which the ball rolled down upon thefloor, and yards and yards of it got unwound again.

9 o you know, # was so angry, Kitty,! Alice went on as soon as they were comfortably settled again, 9when #saw all the mischief you had been doing, # was very nearly opening the window, and putting you out into thesnow0 And you!d have deserved it, you little mischievous darling0 )hat have you got to say for yourself; 'owdon!t interrupt me0! she went on, holding up one finger. 9#!m going to tell you all your faults. 'umber one yous/ueaked twice while inah was washing your face this morning. 'ow you can!t deny it, Kitty # heard you0

)hat that you say;! 6pretending that the kitten was speaking.7 9+er paw went into your eye; )ell, that!s :O43fault, for keeping your eyes open %% if you!d shut them tight up, it wouldn!t have happened. 'ow don!t make anymore e$cuses, but listen0 'umber two you pulled &nowdrop away by the tail (ust as # had put down the saucerof milk before her0 )hat, you were thirsty, were you;



+ow do you know she wasn!t thirsty too; 'ow for number three you unwound every bit of the worsted while# wasn!t looking0

9That!s three faults, Kitty, and you!ve not been punished for any of them yet. :ou know #!m saving up all your punishments for )ednesday week %% &uppose they had saved up all <: punishments0! she went on, talking moreto herself than the kitten. 9)hat )O4L they do at the end of a year; # should be sent to prison, # suppose,when the day came. Or %% let me see %% suppose each punishment was to be going without a dinner then, whenthe miserable day came, # should have to go without fifty dinners at once0 )ell, # shouldn!t mind T+AT much0

#!d far rather go without them than eat them0

9 o you hear the snow against the window%panes, Kitty; +ow nice and soft it sounds0 =ust as if some one waskissing the window all over outside. # wonder if the snow LO"E& the trees and fields, that it kisses them sogently; And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white /uilt8 and perhaps it says, >*o to sleep,darlings, till the summer comes again.> And when they wake up in the summer, Kitty, they dress themselves allin green, and dance about %% whenever the wind blows %% oh, that!s very pretty0! cried Alice, dropping the ball ofworsted to clap her hands. 9And # do so )#&+ it was true0 #!m sure the woods look sleepy in the autumn, whenthe leaves are getting brown.

9Kitty, can you play chess; 'ow, don!t smile, my dear, #!m asking it seriously. -ecause, when we were playing

(ust now, you watched (ust as if you understood it and when # said >2heck0> you purred0 )ell, it )A& a nicecheck, Kitty, and really # might have won, if it hadn!t been for that nasty Knight, that came wiggling downamong my pieces. Kitty, dear, let!s pretend %% ! And here # wish # could tell you half the things Alice used to say,

beginning with her favourite phrase 9Let!s pretend.! &he had had /uite a long argument with her sister only theday before %% all because Alice had begun with 9Let!s pretend we!re kings and /ueens8! and her sister, who liked

being very e$act, had argued that they couldn!t, because there were only two of them, and Alice had beenreduced at last to say, 9)ell, :O4 can be one of them then, and #!LL be all the rest.> And once she had reallyfrightened her old nurse by shouting suddenly in her ear, 9'urse0

o let!s pretend that #!m a hungry hyaena, and you!re a bone.!

-ut this is taking us away from Alice!s speech to the kitten. 9Let!s pretend that you!re the 3ed ?ueen, Kitty0o you know, # think if you sat up and folded your arms, you!d look e$actly like her. 'ow do try, there!s a dear0!And Alice got the 3ed ?ueen off the table, and set it up before the kitten as a model for it to imitate however,the thing didn!t succeed, principally, Alice said, because the kitten wouldn!t fold its arms properly. &o, to punishit, she held it up to the Looking%glass, that it might see how sulky it was %% 9and if you!re not good directly,! sheadded, 9#!ll put you through into Looking%glass +ouse. +ow would you like T+AT;!

9'ow, if you!ll only attend, Kitty, and not talk so much, #!ll tell you all my ideas about Looking%glass +ouse.irst, there!s the room you can see through the glass %% that!s (ust the same as our drawing room, only the thingsgo the other way. # can see all of it when # get upon a chair %% all but the bit behind the fireplace. Oh0 # do so wish# could see T+AT bit0 # want so much to know whether they!ve a fire in the winter you never 2A' tell, youknow, unless our fire smokes, and then smoke comes up in that room too %% but that may be only pretence, (ust tomake it look as if they had a fire. )ell then, the books are something like our books, only the words go thewrong way8 # know that, because #!ve held up one of our books to the glass, and then they hold up one in theother room.

9+ow would you like to live in Looking%glass +ouse, Kitty; # wonder if they!d give you milk in there;1erhaps Looking%glass milk isn!t good to drink %% -ut oh, Kitty0 now we come to the passage. :ou can (ust see alittle 1EE1 of the passage in Looking%glass +ouse, if you leave the door of our drawing%room wide open and it!svery like our passage as far as you can see, only you know it may be /uite different on beyond. Oh, Kitty0 hownice it would be if we could only get through into Looking% glass +ouse0 #!m sure it!s got, oh0 such beautiful

things in it0 Let!s pretend there!s a way of getting through into it, somehow, Kitty. Let!s pretend the glass has got all softlike gau@e, so that we can get through. )hy, it!s turning into a sort of mist now, # declare0 #t!ll be easy enough toget through %% ! &he was up on the chimney%piece while she said this, though she hardly knew how she had gotthere. And certainly the glass )A& beginning to melt away, (ust like a bright silvery mist.



#n another moment Alice was through the glass, and had (umped lightly down into the Looking%glass room.The very first thing she did was to look whether there was a fire in the fireplace, and she was /uite pleased tofind that there was a real one, bla@ing away as brightly as the one she had left behind. 9&o # shall be as warm hereas # was in the old room,! thought Alice 9warmer, in fact, because there!ll be no one here to scold me away fromthe fire. Oh, what fun it!ll be, when they see me through the glass in here, and can!t get at me0!

Then she began looking about, and noticed that what could be seen from the old room was /uite common and

uninteresting, but that all the rest was a different as possible. or instance, the pictures on the wall ne$t the fireseemed to be all alive, and the very clock on the chimney%piece 6you know you can only see the back of it in theLooking%glass7 had got the face of a little old man, and grinned at her.

9They don!t keep this room so tidy as the other,! Alice thought to herself, as she noticed several of thechessmen down in the hearth among the cinders but in another moment, with a little 9Oh0! of surprise, she wasdown on her hands and knees watching them. The chessmen were walking about, two and two0

9+ere are the 3ed King and the 3ed ?ueen,! Alice said 6in a whisper, for fear of frightening them7, 9and thereare the )hite King and the )hite ?ueen sitting on the edge of the shovel %% and here are two castles walking armin arm %% # don!t think they can hear me,! she went on, as she put her head closer down, 9and #!m nearly sure they

can!t see me. # feel somehow as if # were invisible %% !

+ere something began s/ueaking on the table behind Alice, and made her turn her head (ust in time to see oneof the )hite 1awns roll over and begin kicking she watched it with great curiosity to see what would happenne$t.

9#t is the voice of my child0! the )hite ?ueen cried out as she rushed past the King, so violently that sheknocked him over among the cinders. 9<y precious Lily0 <y imperial kitten0! and she began scrambling wildlyup the side of the fender.

9#mperial fiddlestick0! said the King, rubbing his nose, which had been hurt by the fall. +e had a right to be aL#TTLE annoyed with the ?ueen, for he was covered with ashes from head to foot.

Alice was very an$ious to be of use, and, as the poor little Lily was nearly screaming herself into a fit, shehastily picked up the ?ueen and set her on the table by the side of her noisy little daughter.

The ?ueen gasped, and sat down the rapid (ourney through the air had /uite taken away her breath and for aminute or two she could do nothing but hug the little Lily in silence. As soon as she had recovered her breath alittle, she called out to the )hite King, who was sitting sulkily among the ashes, 9<ind the volcano0!

9)hat volcano;! said the King, looking up an$iously into the fire, as if he thought that was the most likely place to find one.

9-lew %% me %% up,! panted the ?ueen, who was still a little out of breath. 9<ind you come up %% the regularway %% don!t get blown up0!

Alice watched the )hite King as he slowly struggled up from bar to bar, till at last she said, 9)hy, you!ll behours and hours getting to the table, at that rate. #!d far better help you, hadn!t #;! -ut the King took no notice ofthe /uestion it was /uite clear that he could neither hear her nor see her.

&o Alice picked him up very gently, and lifted him across more slowly than she had lifted the ?ueen, that shemightn!t take his breath away but, before she put him on the table, she thought she might as well dust him a

little, he was so covered with ashes. &he said afterwards that she had never seen in all her life such a face as the King made, when he found himself held in the air by an invisible hand, and being dusted he was far too much astonished to cry out, but his eyes andhis mouth went on getting larger and larger, and rounder and rounder, till her hand shook so with laughing thatshe nearly let him drop upon the floor.



9Oh0 1LEA&E don!t make such faces, my dear0! she cried out, /uite forgetting that the King couldn!t hear her.9:ou make me laugh so that # can hardly hold you0 And don!t keep your mouth so wide open0 All the ashes willget into it %% there, now # think you!re tidy enough0! she added, as she smoothed his hair, and set him upon thetable near the ?ueen.

The King immediately fell flat on his back, and lay perfectly still and Alice was a little alarmed at what shehad done, and went round the room to see if she could find any water to throw over him. +owever, she could

find nothing but a bottle of ink, and when she got back with it she found he had recovered, and he and the ?ueenwere talking together in a frightened whisper %% so low, that Alice could hardly hear what they said.

The King was saying, 9# assure, you my dear, # turned cold to the very ends of my whiskers0!

To which the ?ueen replied, 9:ou haven!t got any whiskers.!

9The horror of that moment,! the King went on, 9# shall never, 'E"E3 forget0!

9:ou will, though,! the ?ueen said, 9if you don!t make a memorandum of it.!

Alice looked on with great interest as the King took an enormous memorandum%book out of his pocket, and began writing. A sudden thought struck her, and she took hold of the end of the pencil, which came some wayover his shoulder, and began writing for him.

The poor King look pu@@led and unhappy, and struggled with the pencil for some time without sayinganything8 but Alice was too strong for him, and at last he panted out, 9<y dear0 # really <4&T get a thinner

pencil. # can!t manage this one a bit8 it writes all manner of things that # don!t intend %% !

9)hat manner of things;! said the ?ueen, looking over the book 6in which Alice had put 9T+E )+#TEK'#*+T #& &L# #'* O)' T+E 1OKE3. +E -ALA'2E& "E3: -A L:!7 9That!s not a memorandum of:O43 feelings0!

There was a book lying near Alice on the table, and while she sat watching the )hite King 6for she was still alittle an$ious about him, and had the ink all ready to throw over him, in case he fainted again7, she turned overthe leaves, to find some part that she could read, 9 %% for it!s all in some language # don!t know,! she said toherself.

#t was like this.

:K2O)3E--A=

sevot yhtils eht dna ,gillirb sawT9 ebaw eht ni elbmig dna eryg di ,sevogorob eht erew ysmim llA .ebargtuoshtar emom eht dnA

&he pu@@led over this for some time, but at last a bright thought struck her. 9)hy, it!s a Looking%glass book, of course0 And if # hold it up to a glass, the words will all go the right way again.>

This was the poem that Alice read.

=A--E3)O2K:

9Twas brillig, and the slithy toves id gyre and gimble in the wabe8 All mimsy were the borogoves, And the

mome raths outgrabe. 9-eware the =abberwock, my son0 The (aws that bite, the claws that catch0 -eware the =u(ub bird, and shunThe frumious -andersnatch0!



+e took his vorpal sword in hand Long time the man$ome foe he sought %% &o rested he by the Tumtum gree,And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood, The =abberwock, with eyes of flame, 2ame whiffling through the tulgeywook, And burbled as it came0

One, two0 One, two0 And through and through The vorpal blade went snicker%snack0 +e left it dead, and withits head +e went galumphing back.

9And has thou slain the =abberwock; 2ome to my arms, my beamish boy0 O frab(ous day0 2alloh0 2allay0 +echortled in his (oy.

9Twas brillig, and the slithy toves id gyre and gimble in the wabe8 All mimsy were the borogoves, And themome raths outgrabe.

9#t seems very pretty,! she said when she had finished it, 9but it!s 3AT+E3 hard to understand0! 6:ou see shedidn!t like to confess, ever to herself, that she couldn!t make it out at all.7 9&omehow it seems to fill my head withideas %% only # don!t e$actly know what they are0 +owever, &O<E-O : killed &O<ET+#'* that!s clear, atany rate %% !

9-ut oh0! thought Alice, suddenly (umping up, 9if # don!t make haste # shall have to go back through theLooking%glass, before #!ve seen what the rest of the house is like0 Let!s have a look at the garden first0! &he wasout of the room in a moment, and ran down stairs %% or, at least, it wasn!t e$actly running, but a new invention ofhers for getting down stairs /uickly and easily, as Alice said to herself. &he (ust kept the tips of her fingers on thehand%rail, and floated gently down without even touching the stairs with her feet8 then she floated on through thehall, and would have gone straight out at the door in the same way, if she hadn!t caught hold of the door%post.&he was getting a little giddy with so much floating in the air, and was rather glad to find herself walking againin the natural way.

2+A1TE3 ##

The *arden of Live lowers

9# should see the garden far better,! said Alice to herself, 9if # could get to the top of that hill and here!s a paththat leads straight to it %% at least, no, it doesn!t do that %% ! 6after going a few yards along the path, and turningseveral sharp corners7, 9but # suppose it will at last. -ut how curiously it twists0 #t!s more like a corkscrew than a

path0 )ell, T+#& turn goes to the hill, # suppose %% no, it doesn!t0 This goes straight back to the house0 )ell then,#!ll try it the other way.!

And so she did wandering up and down, and trying turn after turn, but always coming back to the house, dowhat she would. #ndeed, once, when she turned a corner rather more /uickly than usual, she ran against it beforeshe could stop herself.

9#t!s no use talking about it,> Alice said, looking up at the house and pretending it was arguing with her. 9#!m 'OT going in again yet. # know # should have to get through the Looking%glass again %% back into the old room %%and there!d be an end of all my adventures0!

&o, resolutely turning back upon the house, she set out once more down the path, determined to keep straighton till she got to the hill. or a few minutes all went on well, and she was (ust saying, 9# really &+ALL do it thistime %% ! when the path gave a sudden twist and shook itself 6as she described it afterwards7, and the ne$t momentshe found herself actually walking in at the door.

!Oh, it!s too bad0! she cried. 9# never saw such a house for getting in the way0 'ever0!

+owever, there was the hill full in sight, so there was nothing to be done but start again. This time she cameupon a large flower%bed, with a border of daisies, and a willow%tree growing in the middle.



9O Tiger%lily,! said Alice, addressing herself to one that was waving gracefully about in the wind, 9# )#&+ youcould talk0!

9)e 2A' talk,! said the Tiger%lily 9when there!s anybody worth talking to.>

Alice was so astonished that she could not speak for a minute it /uite seemed to take her breath away. Atlength, as the Tiger%lily only went on waving about, she spoke again, in a timid voice %% almost in a whisper.9And can ALL the flowers talk;!

9As well as :O4 can,! said the Tiger%lily. 9And a great deal louder.!

9#t isn!t manners for us to begin, you know,! said the 3ose, 9and # really was wondering when you!d speak0&aid # to myself, >+er face has got &O<E sense in it, thought it!s not a clever one0> &till, you!re the right colour,and that goes a long way.!

9# don!t care about the colour,! the Tiger%lily remarked. 9#f only her petals curled up a little more, she!d be allright.!

Alice didn!t like being criticised, so she began asking /uestions. 9Aren!t you sometimes frightened at being planted out here, with nobody to take care of you;!

9There!s the tree in the middle,! said the 3ose 9what else is it good for;!

9-ut what could it do, if any danger came;! Alice asked.

9#t says >-ough%wough0> cried a aisy 9that!s why its branches are called boughs0!

9 idn!t you know T+AT;! cried another aisy, and here they all began shouting together, till the air seemed/uite full of little shrill voices. 9&ilence, every one of you0! cried the Tiger% lily, waving itself passionately fromside to side, and trembling with e$citement. 9They know # can!t get at them0! it panted, bending its /uivering headtowards Alice, 9or they wouldn!t dare to do it0!

9'ever mind0! Alice said in a soothing tone, and stooping down to the daisies, who were (ust beginning again,she whispered, 9#f you don!t hold your tongues, #!ll pick you0!

There was silence in a moment, and several of the pink daisies turned white.

9That!s right0! said the Tiger%lily. 9The daisies are worst of all. )hen one speaks, they all begin together, andit!s enough to make one wither to hear the way they go on0!

9+ow is it you can all talk so nicely;! Alice said, hoping to get it into a better temper by a compliment. 9#!ve been in many gardens before, but none of the flowers could talk.!

91ut your hand down, and feel the ground,! said the Tiger%lily.

9Then you!ll know why.

Alice did so. 9#t!s very hard,! she said, 9but # don!t see what that has to do with it.!

9#n most gardens,! the Tiger%lily said, 9they make the beds too soft %% so that the flowers are always asleep.!

This sounded a very good reason, and Alice was /uite pleased to know it. 9# never thought of that before0! shesaid.

9#t!s <: opinion that you never think AT ALL,! the 3ose said in a rather severe tone.



9# never say anybody that looked stupider,! a "iolet said, so suddenly, that Alice /uite (umped8 for it hadn!tspoken before.

9+old :O43 tongue0! cried the Tiger%lily. 9As if :O4 ever saw anybody0 :ou keep your head under theleaves, and snore away there, till you know no more what!s going on in the world, that if you were a bud0!

9Are there any more people in the garden besides me;! Alice said, not choosing to notice the 3ose!s lastremark.

9There!s one other flower in the garden that can move about like you,! said the 3ose. 9# wonder how you do it%% ! 69:ou!re always wondering,! said the Tiger%lily7, 9but she!s more bushy than you are.!

9#s she like me;! Alice asked eagerly, for the thought crossed her mind, 9There!s another little girl in thegarden, somewhere0!

9)ell, she has the same awkward shape as you,! the 3ose said, 9but she!s redder %% and her petals are shorter, #think.!

9+er petals are done up close, almost like a dahlia,! the Tiger%lily interrupted 9not tumbled about anyhow, like

yours.!

9-ut that!s not :O43 fault,! the 3ose added kindly 9you!re beginning to fade, you know %% and then one can!thelp one!s petals getting a little untidy.!

Alice didn!t like this idea at all so, to change the sub(ect, she asked 9 oes she ever come out here;!

9# daresay you!ll see her soon,! said the 3ose. 9&he!s one of the thorny kind.!

9)here does she wear the thorns;! Alice asked with some curiosity.

9)hy all round her head, of course,! the 3ose replied. 9# was wondering :O4 hadn!t got some too. # thought itwas the regular rule.!

9&he!s coming0! cried the Larkspur. 9# hear her footstep, thump, thump, thump, along the gravel%walk0!

Alice looked round eagerly, and found that it was the 3ed ?ueen. 9&he!s grown a good deal0! was her firstremark. &he had indeed when Alice first found her in the ashes, she had been only three inches high %% and hereshe was, half a head taller than Alice herself0

9#t!s the fresh air that does it,! said the 3ose 9wonderfully fine air it is, out here.!

># think #!ll go and meet her,! said Alice, for, though the flowers were interesting enough, she felt that it would be far grander to have a talk with a real ?ueen.

9:ou can!t possibly do that,! said the 3ose 9 # should advise you to walk the other way.!

This sounded nonsense to Alice, so she said nothing, but set off at once towards the 3ed ?ueen. To hersurprise, she lost sight of her in a moment, and found herself walking in at the front%door again.

A little provoked, she drew back, and after looking everywhere for the /ueen 6whom she spied out at last, along way off7, she thought she would try the plan, this time, of walking in the opposite direction.

#t succeeded beautifully. &he had not been walking a minute before she found herself face to face with the 3ed?ueen, and full in sight of the hill she had been so long aiming at.

9)here do you come from;! said the 3ed ?ueen. 9And where are you going; Look up, speak nicely, and don!ttwiddle your fingers all the time.!



with us;! thought poor pu@@led Alice. And the ?ueen seemed to guess her thoughts, for she cried, 9 aster0 on!ttry to talk0!

'ot that Alice had any idea of doing T+AT. &he felt as if she would never be able to talk again, she wasgetting so much out of breath and still the ?ueen cried 9 aster0 aster0! and dragged her along. 9Are we nearlythere;! Alice managed to pant out at last.

9'early there0! the ?ueen repeated. 9)hy, we passed it ten minutes ago0 aster0 And they ran on for a time in

silence, with the wind whistling in Alice!s ears, and almost blowing her hair off her head, she fancied.

9'ow0 'ow0! cried the ?ueen. 9 aster0 aster0! And they went so fast that at last they seemed to skim throughthe air, hardly touching the ground with their feet, till suddenly, (ust as Alice was getting /uite e$hausted, theystopped, and she found herself sitting on the ground, breathless and giddy.

The ?ueen propped her up against a tree, and said kindly, 9:ou may rest a little now.!

Alice looked round her in great surprise. 9)hy, # do believe we!ve been under this tree the whole time0Everything!s (ust as it was0!

9Of course it is,! said the ?ueen, 9what would you have it;!

9)ell, in O43 country,! said Alice, still panting a little, 9you!d generally get to somewhere else %% if you ranvery fast for a long time, as we!ve been doing.!

9A slow sort of country0! said the ?ueen. 9'ow, +E3E, you see, it takes all the running :O4 can do, to keepin the same place. #f you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that0!

9#!d rather not try, please0! said Alice. 9#!m /uite content to stay here %% only # A< so hot and thirsty0!

9# know what :O4! like0! the ?ueen said good%naturedly, taking a little bo$ out of her pocket. 9+ave a biscuit;!

Alice thought it would not be civil to say 9'o,! though it wasn!t at all what she wanted. &o she took it, and ateit as well as she could and it was "E3: dry8 and she thought she had never been so nearly choked in all her life.

9)hile you!re refreshing yourself,! said the ?ueen, 9#!ll (ust take the measurements.! And she took a ribbon outof her pocket, marked in inches, and began measuring the ground, and sticking little pegs in here and there.

9At the end of two yards,! she said, putting in a peg to mark the distance, 9# shall give you your directions %%have another biscuit;!

9'o, thank you,! said Alice, BB 9one!s ?4#TE enough0!

9Thirst /uenched, # hope;! said the ?ueen.

Alice did not know what to say to this, but luckily the ?ueen did not wait for an answer, but went on. 9At theend of T+3EE yards # shall repeat them %% for fear of your forgetting them. At then end of O43, # shall saygood%bye. And at then end of #"E, # shall go0!

&he had got all the pegs put in by this time, and Alice looked on with great interest as she returned to the tree,and then began slowly walking down the row.

At the two%yard peg she faced round, and said, 9A pawn goes two s/uares in its first move, you know. &o you!llgo "E3: /uickly through the Third &/uare %% by railway, # should think %% and you!ll find yourself in the ourth&/uare in no time. )ell, T+AT s/uare belongs to Tweedledum and Tweedledee %% the ifth is mostly water %% the&i$th belongs to +umpty umpty %% -ut you make no remark;!



9# %% # didn!t know # had to make one %% (ust then,! Alice faltered out.

9:ou &+O4L have said,! 9>#t!s e$tremely kind of you to tell me all this> %% however, we!ll suppose it said %%the &eventh &/uare is all forest %% however, one of the Knights will show you the way %% and in the Eighth &/uarewe shall be ?ueens together, and it!s all feasting and fun0! Alice got up and curtseyed, and sat down again.

At the ne$t peg the ?ueen turned again, and this time she said, 9&peak in rench when you can!t think of theEnglish for a thing %% turn out your toes as you walk %% and remember who you are0! &he did not wait for Alice to

curtsey this time, but walked on /uickly to the ne$t peg, where she turned for a moment to say 9good%bye,! andthen hurried on to the last.

+ow it happened, Alice never knew, but e$actly as she came to the last peg, she was gone. )hether shevanished into the air, or whether she ran /uickly into the wood 69and she 2A' run very fast0! thought Alice7,there was no way of guessing, but she was gone, and Alice began to remember that she was a 1awn, and that itwould soon be time for her to move.

2+A1TE3 ###

Looking%*lass #nsects

Of course the first thing to do was to make a grand survey of the country she was going to travel through. 9#t!ssomething very like learning geography,! thought Alice, as she stood on tiptoe in hopes of being able to see alittle further. 91rincipal rivers %% there A3E none. 1rincipal mountains %% #!m on the only one, but # don!t think it!sgot any name. 1rincipal towns %% why, what A3E those creatures, making honey down there; They can!t be bees%% nobody ever saw bees a mile off, you know % % ! and for some time she stood silent, watching one of them thatwas bustling about among the flowers, poking its proboscis into them, 9(ust as if it was a regular bee,! thoughtAlice.

+owever, this was anything but a regular bee in fact it was an elephant %% as Alice soon found out, though theidea /uite took her breath away at first. 9And what enormous flowers they must be0! was her ne$t idea.9&omething like cottages with the roofs taken off, and stalks put to them %% and what /uantities of honey theymust make0 # think #!ll go down and %% no, # won!t =4&T yet, ! she went on, checking herself (ust as she was

beginning to run down the hill, and trying to find some e$cuse for turning shy so suddenly. 9#t!ll never do to godown among them without a good long branch to brush them away %% and what fun it!ll be when they ask me how# like my walk. # shall say %% >Oh, # like it well enough %% >! 6here came the favourite little toss of the head7,9>only it was so dusty and hot, and the elephants did tease so0>!

9# think #!ll go down the other way,! she said after a pause 9and perhaps # may visit the elephants later on.-esides, # do so want to get into the Third &/uare0!

&o with this e$cuse she ran down the hill and (umped over the first of the si$ little brooks.

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9Tickets, please0! said the *uard, putting his head in at the window. #n a moment everybody was holding out aticket they were about the same si@e as the people, and /uite seemed to fill the carriage.

9'ow then0 &how your ticket, child0! the *uard went on, looking angrily at Alice. And a great many voices allsaid together 69like the chorus of a song,! thought Alice7, 9 on!t keep him waiting, child0 )hy, his time is worth athousand pounds a minute0!



9#!m afraid # haven!t got one,! Alice said in a frightened tone 9there wasn!t a ticket%office where # came from.>And again the chorus of voices went on. 9There wasn!t room for one where she came from. The land there isworth a thousand pounds an inch0!

9 on!t make e$cuses,! said the *uard 9you should have bought one from the engine%driver.! And once morethe chorus of voices went on with 9The man that drives the engine. )hy, the smoke alone is worth a thousand

pounds a puff0!

Alice thought to herself, 9Then there!s no use in speaking.> The voices didn!t (oin in this time, as she hadn!tspoken, but to her great surprise, they all T+O4*+T in chorus 6# hope you understand what T+#'K#'* #'2+O34& means %% for # must confess that # don!t7, 9-etter say nothing at all. Language is worth a thousand

pounds a word0!

9# shall dream about a thousand pounds tonight, # know # shall0! thought Alice.

All this time the *uard was looking at her, first through a telescope, then through a microscope, and thenthrough an opera% glass. At last he said, 9:ou!re travelling the wrong way,! and shut up the window and wentaway.

9&o young a child,! said the gentleman sitting opposite to her 6he was dressed in white paper7, 9ought to knowwhich way she!s going, even if she doesn!t know her own name0!

A *oat, that was sitting ne$t to the gentleman in white, shut his eyes and said in a loud voice, 9&he ought toknow her way to the ticket%office, even if she doesn!t know her alphabet0!

There was a -eetle sitting ne$t to the *oat 6it was a very /ueer carriage%full of passengers altogether7, and, asthe rule seemed to be that they should all speak in turn, +E went on with 9&he!ll have to go back from here asluggage0!

Alice couldn!t see who was sitting beyond the -eetle, but a hoarse voice spoke ne$t. 92hange engines %% ! itsaid, and was obliged to leave off.

9#t sounds like a horse,! Alice thought to herself. And an e$tremely small voice, close to her ear, said, 9:oumight make a (oke on that %% something about >horse> and >hoarse,> you know.!

Then a very gentle voice in the distance said, 9&he must be labelled >Lass, with care,> you know %% !

And after that other voices went on 6)hat a number of people there are in the carriage0! thought Alice7, saying,9&he must go by post, as she!s got a head on her %% ! 9&he must be sent as a message by the telegraph %% ! 9&hemust draw the train herself the rest of the way %% ! and so on.

-ut the gentleman dressed in white paper leaned forwards and whispered in her ear, 9'ever mind what they allsay, my dear, but take a return%ticket every time the train stops.>

9#ndeed # shan!t0! Alice said rather impatiently. 9# don!t belong to this railway (ourney at all %% # was in a wood (ust now %% and # wish # could get back there.!

9:ou might make a (oke on T+AT, said the little voice close to her ear 9something about >you )O4L if youcould,> you know.!

9 on!t tease so,! said Alice, looking about in vain to see where the voice came from8 9if you!re so an$ious to

have a (oke made, why don!t you make one yourself;! The little voice sighed deeply it was "E3: unhappy, evidently, and Alice would have said something pityingto comfort it, 9#f it would only sigh like other people0! she thought. -ut this was such a wonderfully small sigh,that she wouldn!t have heard it at all, if it hadn!t come ?4#TE close to her ear. The conse/uence of this was thatit tickled her ear very much, and /uite took off her thoughts from the unhappiness of the poor little creature.



9# know you are a friend, the little voice went on8 9a dear friend, and an old friend. And you won!t hurt me,though # A< an insect.!

9)hat kind of insect;! Alice in/uired a little an$iously. )hat she really wanted to know was, whether it couldsting or not, but she thought this wouldn!t be /uite a civil /uestion to ask.

9)hat, then you don!t %% ! the little voice began, when it was drowned by a shrill scream from the engine, and

everybody (umped up in alarm, Alice among the rest.

The +orse, who had put his head out of the window, /uietly drew it in and said, 9#t!s only a brook we have to (ump over.! Everybody seemed satisfied with this, though Alice felt a little nervous at the idea of trains (umped atall. 9+owever, it!ll take us into the ourth &/uare, that!s some comfort0! she said to herself. #n another momentshe felt the carriage rise straight up into the air, and in her fright she caught at the thing nearest to her hand.which happened to be the *oat!s beard.

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B B B B B B

B B B B B B B

-ut the beard seemed to melt away as she touched it, and she found herself sitting /uietly under a tree %% whilethe *nat 6for that was the insect she had been talking to7 was balancing itself on a twig (ust over her head, andfanning her with its wings.

#t certainly was a "E3: large *nat 9about the si@e of a chicken,! Alice thought. &till, she couldn!t feel nervouswith it, after they had been talking together so long.

9 %% then you don!t like all insects;! the *nat went on, as /uietly as if nothing had happened.

9# like them when they can talk,! Alice said. 9'one of them ever talk, where # come from.!

9)hat sort of insects do you re(oice in, where :O4 come from;! the *nat in/uired.

9# don!t 3E=O#2E in insects at all,! Alice e$plained, 9because #!m rather afraid of them %% at least the largekinds. -ut # can tell you the names of some of them.>

9Of course they answer to their names;! the *nat remarked carelessly.

9# never knew them do it.!

9)hat!s the use of their having names the *nat said, 9if they won!t answer to them;!

9'o use to T+E<,! said Alice8 9but it!s useful to the people who name them, # suppose. #f not, why do thingshave names at all;!

9# can!t say,! the *nat replied. 9 urther on, in the wood down there, they!ve got no names %% however, go onwith your list of insects you!re wasting time.!

9)ell, there!s the +orse%fly,! Alice began, counting off the names on her fingers.

9All right,! said the *nat 9half way up that bush, you!ll see a 3ocking%horse%fly, if you look. #t!s made entirelyof wood, and gets about by swinging itself from branch to branch.!

9)hat does it live on;! Alice asked, with great curiosity.



9&ap and sawdust,! said the *nat. 9*o on with the list.!

Alice looked up at the 3ocking%horse%fly with great interest, and made up her mind that it must have been (ustrepainted, it looked so bright and sticky8 and then she went on.

9And there!s the ragon%fly.!

9Look on the branch above your head,! said the *nat, 9and there you!ll find a snap%dragon%fly. #ts body is made

of plum%pudding, its wings of holly%leaves, and its head is a raisin burning in brandy.!

9And what does it live on;!

9 rumenty and mince pie,! the *nat replied8 9and it makes is nest in a 2hristmas bo$.!

9And then there!s the -utterfly,! Alice went on, after she had taken a good look at the insect with its head onfire, and had thought to herself, 9# wonder if that!s the reason insects are so fond of flying into candles %% becausethey want to turn into &nap%dragon%flies0!

92rawling at your feet,! said the *nat 6Alice drew her feet back in some alarm7, 9you may observe a -read%

and%-utterfly. #ts wings are thin slices of -read%and%butter, its body is a crust, and its head is a lump of sugar.!

9And what does #T live on;!

9)eak tea with cream in it.!

A new difficulty came into Alice!s head. 9&upposing it couldn!t find any;! she suggested.

9Then it would die, of course.!

9-ut that must happen very often,! Alice remarked thoughtfully.

9#t always happens,! said the *nat.

After this, Alice was silent for a minute or two, pondering. The *nat amused itself meanwhile by humminground and round her head at last it settled again and remarked, 9# suppose you don!t want to lose your name;!

9'o, indeed,! Alice said, a little an$iously.

9And yet # don!t know,! the *nat went on in a careless tone 9only think how convenient it would be if youcould manage to go home without it0 or instance, if the governess wanted to call you to your lessons, she wouldcall out >come here %% ,> and there she would have to leave off, because there wouldn!t be any name for her to all,and of course you wouldn!t have to go, you know.!

9That would never do, #!m sure,! said Alice 9the governess would never think of e$cusing me lessons for that.#f she couldn!t remember my name, she!d call me ><iss0> as the servants do.!

9)ell. if she said ><iss,> and didn!t say anything more,! the *nat remarked, 9of course you!d miss yourlessons. That!s a (oke. # wish :O4 had made it.!

9)hy do you wish # had made it;! Alice asked. 9#t!s a very bad one.!

-ut the *nat only sighed deeply, while two large tears came rolling down its cheeks. 9:ou shouldn!t make (okes,! Alice said, 9if it makes you so unhappy.!



Then came another of those melancholy little sighs, and this time the poor *nat really seemed to have sigheditself away, for, when Alice looked up, there was nothing whatever to be seen on the twig, and, as she wasgetting /uite chilly with sitting still so, long she got up and walked on.

&he very soon came to an open field, with a wood on the other side of it it looked much darker than the lastwood, and Alice felt a L#TTLE timid about going into it. +owever, on second thoughts, she made up her mind togo on 9for # certainly won!t go -A2K,! she thought to herself, and this was the only way to the Eighth &/uare.

9This must be the wood, she said thoughtfully to herself, 9where things have no names. # wonder what!ll become of <: name when # go in; # shouldn!t like to lose it at all %% because they!d have to give me another, andit would be almost certain to be an ugly one. -ut then the fun would be, trying to find the creature that had gotmy old name0 That!s (ust like the advertisements, you know, when people lose dogs %% >A'&)E3& TO T+E

'A<E O 9 A&+ ! +A O' A -3A&& 2OLLA3> %% (ust fancy calling everything you met >Alice,> till one ofthem answered0 Only they wouldn!t answer at all, if they were wise.!

&he was rambling on in this way when she reached the wood it looked very cool and shady. 9)ell, at any rateit!s a great comfort,! she said as she stepped under the trees, 9after being so hot, to get into the %% into )+AT;! shewent on, rather surprised at not being able to think of the word. 9# mean to get under the %% under the %% underT+#&, you know0! putting her hand on the trunk of the tree. 9)hat OE& it call itself, # wonder; # do believe it!s

got no name %% why, to be sure it hasn!t0!

&he stood silent for a minute, thinking then she suddenly began again. 9Then it really +A& happened, afterall0 And how, who am #; # )#LL remember, if # can0 #!m determined to do it0! -ut being determined didn!t helpmuch, and all she could say, after a great deal of pu@@ling, was,9L, # K'O) it begins with L0!

=ust then a awn came wandering by it looked at Alice with its large gentle eyes, but didn!t seem at allfrightened. 9+ere then0 +ere then0! Alice said, as he held out her hand and tried to stroke it8 but it only started

back a little, and then stood looking at her again.

9)hat do you call yourself;! the awn said at last. &uch a soft sweet voice it had0

9# wish # knew0! thought poor Alice. &he answered, rather sadly, 9'othing, (ust now.!

9Think again,! it said 9that won!t do.!

Alice thought, but nothing came of it. 91lease, would you tell me what :O4 call yourself;! she said timidly. 9#think that might help a little.!

9#!ll tell you, of you!ll move a little further on,! the awn said. 9# can!t remember here.!

&o they walked on together though the wood, Alice with her arms clasped lovingly round the soft neck of theawn, till they came out into another open field, and here the awn gave a sudden bound into the air, and shookitself free from Alice!s arms. 9#!m a awn0! it cried out in a voice of delight, 9and, dear me0 you!re a human child0!A sudden look of alarm came into its beautiful brown eyes, and in another moment it had darted away a fullspeed.

Alice stood looking after it, almost ready to cry with ve$ation at having lost her dear little fellow%traveller sosuddenly. 9+owever, # know my name now.! she said, 9that!s &O<E comfort. Alice %% Alice %% # won!t forget itagain. And now, which of these finger%posts ought # to follow, # wonder;!

#t was not a very difficult /uestion to answer, as there was only one road through the wood, and the two

finger%posts both pointed along it. 9#!ll settle it,! Alice said to herself, 9when the road divides and they pointdifferent ways.!

-ut this did not seem likely to happen. &he went on and on, a long way, but wherever the road divided therewere sure to be two finger%posts pointing the same way, one marked 9TO T)EE LE 4<!& +O4&E! and theother 9TO T+E +O4&E O T)EE LE EE.!



9# do believe,! said Alice at last, 9that they live in the same house0 # wonder # never thought of that before %%-ut # can!t stay there long. #!ll (ust call and say >how d!you do;> and ask them the way out of the wood. #f # couldonly get the Eighth &/uare before it gets dark0! &o she wandered on, talking to herself as she went, till, on turninga sharp corner, she came upon two fat little men, so suddenly that she could not help starting back, but in another moment she recovered herself, feeling sure that they must be

2+A1TE3 #"

T)EE LE 4< A' T)EE LE EE

They were standing under a tree, each with an arm round the other!s neck, and Alice knew which was which ina moment, because one of them had 9 4<! embroidered on his collar, and the other 9 EE.! 9# suppose they!veeach got >T)EE LE> round at the back of the collar,! she said to herself.

They stood so still that she /uite forgot they were alive, and she was (ust looking round to see if the word>T)EE LE> was written at the back of each collar, when she was startled by a voice coming from the onemarked 9 4<.!

9#f you think we!re wa$%works,! he said, 9you ought to pay, you know. )a$%works weren!t made to be looked atfor nothing, 'ohow0!

92ontrariwise,! added the one marked 9 EE,! 9if you think we!re alive, you ought to speak.!

9#!m sure #!m very sorry,! was all Alice could say8 for the words of the old song kept ringing through her headlike the ticking of a clock, and she could hardly help saying them out loud %%

9Tweedledum and Tweedledee Agreed to have a battle8 or Tweedledum said Tweedledee +ad spoiled his nicenew rattle.

=ust then flew down a monstrous crow, As black as a tar%barrel8 )hich frightened both the heroes so, They/uite forgot their /uarrel.!

9# know what you!re thinking about,! said Tweedledum 9but it isn!t so, nohow.!

92ontrariwise,! continued Tweedledee, 9if it was so, it might be8 and if it were so, it would be8 but as it isn!t, itain!t. That!s logic.!

9# was thinking,! Alice said very politely, 9which is the best way out of this wood it!s getting so dark. )ouldyou tell me, please;!

-ut the little men only looked at each other and grinned.

They looked so e$actly like a couple of great schoolboys, that Alice couldn!t help pointing her finger atTweedledum, and saying 9 irst -oy0!

9'ohow0! Tweedledum cried out briskly, and shut his mouth up again with a snap.

9'e$t -oy0! said Alice, passing on to Tweedledee, though she felt /uite certain he would only shout out>2ontrariwise0! and so he did.

9:ou!ve been wrong0! cried Tweedledum. 9The first thing in a visit is to say >+ow d!ye do;> and shake hands0!And here the two brothers gave each other a hug, and then they held out the two hands that were free, to shakehands with her.

Alice did not like shaking hands with either of them first, for fear of hurting the other one!s feelings8 so, as the best way out of the difficulty, she took hold of both hands at once the ne$t moment they were dancing found in a



ring. This seemed /uite natural 6she remembered afterwards7, and she was not even surprised to hear music playing it seemed to come from the tree under which they were dancing, and it was done 6as well as she couldmake it out7 by the branches rubbing one across the other, like fiddles and fiddle%sticks.

9-ut it certainly )A& funny,! 6Alice said afterwards, when she was telling her sister the history of all this,7 9tofind myself singing >+E3E )E *O 3O4' T+E <4L-E33: -4&+.> # don!t know when # began it, butsomehow # felt as if #!d been singing it a long long time0!

The other two dancers were fat, and very soon out of breath. 9 our times round is enough for one dance,!Tweedledum panted out, and they left off dancing as suddenly as they had begun the music stopped at the samemoment.

Then they let go of Alice!s hands, and stood looking at her for a minute there was a rather awkward pause, asAlice didn!t know how to begin a conversation with people she had (ust been dancing with. 9#t would never do tosay >+ow d!ye do;> 'O),! she said to herself 9we seem to have got beyond that, somehow0!

9# hope you!re not much tired;! she said at last.

9'ohow. And thank you "E3: much for asking,! said Tweedledum.

9&o much obliged0! added Tweedledee. 9:ou like poetry;!

9:e%es. pretty well %% &O<E poetry,! Alice said doubtfully. 9)ould you tell me which road leads out of thewood;!

9)hat shall # repeat to her;! said Tweedledee, looking round at Tweedledum with great solemn eyes, and notnoticing Alice!s /uestion.

9>T+E )AL34& A' T+E 2A31E'TE3> is the longest,! Tweedledum replied, giving his brother anaffectionate hug.

Tweedledee began instantly

9The sun was shining %% !

+ere Alice ventured to interrupt him. 9#f it!s "E3: long,! she said, as politely as she could, 9would you pleasetell me first which road %% !

Tweedledee smiled gently, and began again

9The sun was shining on the sea, &hining with all his might +e did his very best to make The billows smoothand bright %% And this was odd, because it was The middle of the night.

The moon was shining sulkily, -ecause she thought the sun +ad got no business to be there After the day wasdone %% >#t!s very rude of him,> she said, >To come and spoil the fun0>

The sea was wet as wet could be, The sands were dry as dry. :ou could not see a cloud, because 'o cloud wasin the sky 'o birds were flying over head %% There were no birds to fly.

The )alrus and the 2arpenter )ere walking close at hand8 They wept like anything to see &uch /uantities ofsand >#f this were only cleared away,> They said, >it )O4L be grand0>

>#f seven maids with seven mops &wept it for half a year, o you suppose,> the )alrus said, >That they couldget it clear;> ># doubt it,> said the 2arpenter, And shed a bitter tear.

>O Oysters, come and walk with us0> The )alrus did beseech. >A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk, Along the briny beach )e cannot do with more than four, To give a hand to each.>



The eldest Oyster looked at him. -ut never a word he said The eldest Oyster winked his eye, And shook hisheavy head %% <eaning to say he did not choose To leave the oyster%bed.

-ut four young oysters hurried up, All eager for the treat Their coats were brushed, their faces washed, Theirshoes were clean and neat %% And this was odd, because, you know, They hadn!t any feet.

our other Oysters followed them, And yet another four8 And thick and fast they came at last, And more, and

more, and more %% All hopping through the frothy waves, And scrambling to the shore.

The )alrus and the 2arpenter )alked on a mile or so, And then they rested on a rock 2onveniently low Andall the little Oysters stood And waited in a row.

>The time has come,> the )alrus said, >To talk of many things Of shoes %% and ships %% and sealing%wa$ %% Ofcabbages %% and kings %% And why the sea is boiling hot %% And whether pigs have wings.>

>-ut wait a bit,> the Oysters cried, >-efore we have our chat8 or some of us are out of breath, And all of usare fat0> >'o hurry0> said the 2arpenter. They thanked him much for that.

>A loaf of bread,> the )alrus said, >#s what we chiefly need 1epper and vinegar besides Are very good indeed%% 'ow if you!re ready Oysters dear, )e can begin to feed.>

>-ut not on us0> the Oysters cried, Turning a little blue, >After such kindness, that would be A dismal thing todo0> >The night is fine,> the )alrus said > o you admire the view;

>#t was so kind of you to come0 And you are very nice0> The 2arpenter said nothing but >2ut us another slice# wish you were not /uite so deaf %% #!ve had to ask you twice0>

>#t seems a shame,> the )alrus said, >To play them such a trick, After we!ve brought them out so far, Andmade them trot so /uick0> The 2arpenter said nothing but >The butter!s spread too thick0>

># weep for you,> the )alrus said. ># deeply sympathi@e.> )ith sobs and tears he sorted out Those of thelargest si@e. +olding his pocket handkerchief -efore his streaming eyes.

>O Oysters,> said the 2arpenter. >:ou!ve had a pleasant run0 &hall we be trotting home again;> -ut answercame there none %% And that was scarcely odd, because They!d eaten every one.!

9# like the )alrus best,! said Alice 9because you see he was a L#TTLE sorry for the poor oysters.!

9+e ate more than the 2arpenter, though,! said Tweedledee. 9:ou see he held his handkerchief in front, so thatthe 2arpenter couldn!t count how many he took contrariwise.!

9That was mean0! Alice said indignantly. 9Then # like the 2arpenter best %% if he didn!t eat so many as the)alrus.!

9-ut he ate as many as he could get,! said Tweedledum.

This was a pu@@ler. After a pause, Alice began, 9)ell0 They were -OT+ very unpleasant characters %% ! +ereshe checked herself in some alarm, at hearing something that sounded to her like the puffing of a large steam%engine in the wood near them, thought she feared it was more likely to be a wild beast. 9Are there any lions ortigers about here;! she asked timidly.

9#t!s only the 3ed King snoring,! said Tweedledee.

92ome and look at him0! the brothers cried, and they each took one of Alice!s hands, and led her up to wherethe King was sleeping.



9#sn!t he a LO"EL: sight;> said Tweedledum.

Alice couldn!t say honestly that he was. +e had a tall red night%cap on, with a tassel, and he was lyingcrumpled up into a sort of untidy heap, and snoring loud %% 9fit to snore his head off0! as Tweedledum remarked.

9#!m afraid he!ll catch cold with lying on the damp grass,! said Alice, who was a very thoughtful little girl.

9+e!s dreaming now,! said Tweedledee 9and what do you think he!s dreaming about;!

Alice said 9'obody can guess that.!

9)hy, about :O40! Tweedledee e$claimed, clapping his hands triumphantly. 9And if he left off dreamingabout you, where do you suppose you!d be;!

9)here # am now, of course,! said Alice.

9'ot you0! Tweedledee retorted contemptuously. 9:ou!d be nowhere. )hy, you!re only a sort of thing in hisdream0!

9#f that there King was to wake,! added Tweedledum, 9you!d go out %% bang0 %% (ust like a candle0!

9# shouldn!t0! Alice e$claimed indignantly. 9-esides, if #!< only a sort of thing in his dream, what are :O4, #should like to know;!

9 itto! said Tweedledum.

9 itto, ditto! cried Tweedledee.

+e shouted this so loud that Alice couldn!t help saying, 9+ush0

:ou!ll be waking him, #!m afraid, if you make so much noise.!

9)ell, it no use :O43 talking about waking him,! said Tweedledum, 9when you!re only one of the things inhis dream. :ou know very well you!re not real.!

9# A< real0! said Alice and began to cry.

9:ou won!t make yourself a bit realler by crying,! Tweedledee remarked 9there!s nothing to cry about.!

9#f # wasn!t real,! Alice said %% half%laughing though her tears, it all seemed so ridiculous %% 9# shouldn!t be ableto cry.!

9# hope you don!t suppose those are real tears;! Tweedledum interrupted in a tone of great contempt.

9# know they!re talking nonsense,! Alice thought to herself 9and it!s foolish to cry about it.! &o she brushedaway her tears, and went on as cheerfully as she could. 9At any rate #!d better be getting out of the wood, forreally it!s coming on very dark. o you think it!s going to rain;!

Tweedledum spread a large umbrella over himself and his brother, and looked up into it. 9'o, # don!t think itis,! he said 9at least %% not under +E3E. 'ohow.!

9-ut it may rain O4T&# E;! 9#t may %% if it chooses,! said Tweedledee 9we!ve no ob(ection. 2ontrariwise.!

9&elfish things0! thought Alice, and she was (ust going to say 9*ood%night! and leave them, when Tweedledumsprang out from under the umbrella and sei@ed her by the wrist.



9 o you see T+AT;! he said, in a voice choking with passion, and his eyes grew large and yellow all in amoment, as he pointed with a trembling finger at a small white thing lying under the tree.

9#t!s only a rattle,! Alice said, after a careful e$amination of the little white thing. 9'ot a rattle&'AKE, youknow,! she added hastily, thinking that he was frightened only an old rattle %% /uite old and broken.!

9# knew it was0! cried Tweedledum, beginning to stamp about wildly and tear his hair. 9#t!s spoilt, of course0!

+ere he looked at Tweedledee, who immediately sat down on the ground, and tried to hide himself under theumbrella.

Alice laid her hand upon his arm, and said in a soothing tone, 9:ou needn!t be so angry about an old rattle.!

9-ut it isn!t old0! Tweedledum cried, in a greater fury than ever. 9#t!s new, # tell you %% # bought it yesterday %%my nice 'ew 3ATTLE0! and his voice rose to a perfect scream.

All this time Tweedledee was trying his best to fold up the umbrella, with himself in it which was such ane$traordinary thing to do, that it /uite took off Alice!s attention from the angry brother. -ut he couldn!t /uitesucceed, and it ended in his rolling over, bundled up in the umbrella, with only his head out and there he lay,

opening and shutting his mouth and his large eyes %% !looking more like a fish than anything else,! Alice thought.

9Of course you agree to have a battle;! Tweedledum said in a calmer tone.

9# suppose so,! the other sulkily replied, as he crawled out of the umbrella 9only &+E must help us to dress up,you know.!

&o the two brothers went off hand%in%hand into the wood, and returned in a minute with their arms full ofthings %% such as bolsters, blankets, hearth%rugs, table%cloths, dish%covers and coal%scuttles. 9# hope you!re a goodhand a pinning and tying strings;! Tweedledum remarked. 9Every one of these things has got to go on, somehowor other.!

Alice said afterwards she had never seen such a fuss made about anything in all her life %% the way those two bustled about %% and the /uantity of things they put on %% and the trouble they gave her in tying strings andfastening buttons %% 93eally they!ll be more like bundles of old clothes that anything else, by the time they!reready0! she said to herself, as he arranged a bolster round the neck of Tweedledee, 9to keep his head from beingcut off,! as he said.

9:ou know,! he added very gravely, 9it!s one of the most serious things that can possibly happen to one in a battle %% to get one!s head cut off.!

Alice laughed loud but she managed to turn it into a cough, for fear of hurting his feelings.

9 o # look very pale;! said Tweedledum, coming up to have his helmet tied on. 6+e 2ALLE it a helmet,though it certainly looked much more like a saucepan.7

9)ell %% yes %% a L#TTLE,! Alice replied gently.

9#!m very brave generally,! he went on in a low voice 9only to%day # happen to have a headache.!

9And #!"E got a toothache0! said Tweedledee, who had overheard the remark. 9#!m far worse off than you0!

9Then you!d better not fight to%day,! said Alice, thinking it a good opportunity to make peace. 9)e <4&T have a bit of a fight, but # don!t care about going on long,! said Tweedledum. 9)hat!s the timenow;!

Tweedledee looked at his watch, and said 9+alf%past four.!



9Let!s fight till si$, and then have dinner,! said Tweedledum.

9"ery well,! the other said, rather sadly 9and &+E can watch us %% only you!d better not come "E3: close,! headded 9# generally hit everything # can see %% when # get really e$cited.!

9And # hit everything within reach,! cried Tweedledum, 9whether # can see it or not0!

Alice laughed. 9:ou must hit the T3EE& pretty often, # should think,! she said.

Tweedledum looked round him with a satisfied smile. # don!t suppose,! he said, 9there!ll be a tree left standing,for ever so far round, by the time we!ve finished0!

9And all about a rattle0! said Alice, still hoping to make them a L#TTLE ashamed of fighting for such a trifle.

9# shouldn!t have minded it so much,! said Tweedledum, 9if it hadn!t been a new one.!

9# wish the monstrous crow would come0! though Alice.

9There!s only one sword, you know,! Tweedledum said to his brother 9but you can have the umbrella %% it!s/uite as sharp. Only we must begin /uick. #t!s getting as dark as it can.!

9And darker.! said Tweedledee.

#t was getting dark so suddenly that Alice thought there must be a thunderstorm coming on. 9)hat a thick black cloud that is0! she said. 9And how fast it comes0 )hy, # do believe it!s got wings0!

9#t!s the crow0! Tweedledum cried out in a shrill voice of alarm and the two brothers took to their heels andwere out of sight in a moment.

Alice ran a little way into the wood, and stopped under a large tree. 9#t can never get at me +E3E,! shethought 9it!s far too large to s/uee@e itself in among the trees. -ut # wish it wouldn!t flap its wings so %% it make/uite a hurricane in the wood %% here!s somebody!s shawl being blown away0!

2+A1TE3 "

)ool and )ater

&he caught the shawl as she spoke, and looked about for the owner in another moment the )hite ?ueen camerunning wildly through the wood, with both arms stretched out wide, as if she were flying, and Alice very civillywent to meet her with the shawl.

9#!m very glad # happened to be in the way,! Alice said, as she helped her to put on her shawl again.

The )hile ?ueen only looked at her in a helpless frightened sort of way, and kept repeating something in awhisper to herself that sounded like 9bread%and%butter, bread%and%butter,! and Alice felt that if there was to be anyconversation at all, she must manage it herself. &o she began rather timidly 9Am # addressing the )hite ?ueen;!

9)ell, yes, if you call that a%dressing,! The ?ueen said. 9#t isn!t <: notion of the thing, at all.>

Alice thought it would never do to have an argument at the very beginning of their conversation, so she smiled

and said, 9#f your <a(esty will only tell me the right way to begin, #!ll do it as well as # can.! 9-ut # don!t want it done at all0! groaned the poor ?ueen. 9#!ve been a%dressing myself for the last two hours.!



#t would have been all the better, as it seemed to Alice, if she had got some one else to dress her, she was sodreadfully untidy. 9Every single thing!s crooked,! Alice thought to herself, 9and she!s all over pins0 %% may # putyour shawl straight for you;! she added aloud.

9# don!t know what!s the matter with it0! the ?ueen said, in a melancholy voice. 9#t!s out of temper, # think. #!ve pinned it here, and #!ve pinned it there, but there!s no pleasing it0!

9#t 2A'!T go straight, you know, if you pin it all on one side,! Alice said, as she gently put it right for her8

9and, dear me, what a state your hair is in0!

9The brush has got entangled in it0! the ?ueen said with a sigh. 9And # lost the comb yesterday.!

Alice carefully released the brush, and did her best to get the hair into order. 92ome, you look rather betternow0! she said, after altering most of the pins. 9-ut really you should have a lady!s maid0!

9#!m sure #!ll take you with pleasure0! the ?ueen said. 9Twopence a week, and (am every other day.!

Alice couldn!t help laughing, as she said, 9# don!t want you to hire <E %% and # don!t care for (am.!

9#t!s very good (am,! said the ?ueen.

9)ell, # don!t want any TO% A:, at any rate.!

9:ou couldn!t have it if you # want it,! the ?ueen said. 9The rule is, (am to%morrow and (am yesterday %% butnever (am to%day.!

9#t <4&T come sometimes to >(am do%day,>! Alice ob(ected.

9'o, it can!t,! said the ?ueen. 9#t!s (am every OT+E3 day to%day isn!t any OT+E3 day, you know.!

9# don!t understand you,! said Alice. 9#t!s dreadfully confusing0!

9That!s the effect of living backwards,! the ?ueen said kindly

9it always makes one a little giddy at first %%

9Living backwards0! Alice repeated in great astonishment. 9# never heard of such a thing0!

9 %% but there!s one great advantage in it, that one!s memory works both ways.!

9#!m sure <#'E only works one way.! Alice remarked. 9# can!t remember things before they happen.!

9#t!s a poor sort of memory that only works backwards,! the ?ueen remarked.

9)hat sort of things do :O4 remember best;! Alice ventured to ask.

9Oh, things that happened the week after ne$t,! the ?ueen replied in a careless tone. 9 or instance, now,! shewent on, sticking a large piece of plaster Cband%aidD on her finger as she spoke, 9there!s the King!s <essenger.+e!s in prison now, being punished and the trial doesn!t even begin till ne$t )ednesday and of course the crimecomes last of all.!

9&uppose he never commits the crime;! said Alice. 9That would be all the better wouldn!t it;! the ?ueen said, as she bound the plaster round her finger with a bitof ribbon.



Alice felt there was no denying T+AT. 9Of course it would be all the better,! she said 9but it wouldn!t be all the better his being punished.!

9:ou!re wrong T+E3E, at any rate,! said the ?ueen 9were :O4 ever punished;!

9Only for faults,! said Alice.

9And you were all the better for it, # know0! the ?ueen said triumphantly.

9:es, but then # +A done the things # was punished for,! said Alice 9that makes all the difference.!

9-ut if you +A '!T done them,! the ?ueen said, 9that would have been better still8 better, and better, and better0! +er voice went higher with each 9better,! till it got /uite to a s/ueak at last.

Alice was (ust beginning to say 9There!s a mistake somewhere%,! BB when the ?ueen began screaming so loudthat she had to leave the sentence unfinished. 9Oh, oh, oh0! shouted the ?ueen, shaking her hand about as if shewanted to shake it off. 9<y finger!s bleeding0 Oh, oh, oh, oh0!

+er screams were so e$actly like the whistle of a steam%engine, that Alice had to hold both her hands over her

ears.

9)hat #& the matter;! she said, as soon as there was a chance of making herself heard. 9+ave you pricked yourfinger;!

9# haven!t pricked it :ET,! the ?ueen said, 9but # soon shall % % oh, oh, oh0!

9)hen do you e$pect to do it;! Alice asked, feeling very much inclined to laugh.

9)hen # fasten my shawl again,! the poor ?ueen groaned out 9the brooch will come undone directly. Oh, oh0!As she said the words the brooch flew open, and the ?ueen clutched wildly at it, and tried to clasp it again.

9Take care0! cried Alice. 9:ou!re holding it all crooked0! And she caught at the brooch8 but it was too late the pin had slipped, and the ?ueen had pricked her finger.

9That accounts for the bleeding, you see,! she said to Alice with a smile. 9'ow you understand the way thingshappen here.!

9-ut why don!t you scream now;! Alice asked, holding her hands ready to put over her ears again.

9)hy, #!ve done all the screaming already,! said the ?ueen. 9)hat would be the good of having it all overagain;!

-y this time it was getting light. 9The crow must have flown away, # think,! said Alice 9#!m so glad it!s gone. #thought it was the night coming on.!

9# wish # could manage to be glad0! the ?ueen said. 9Only # never can remember the rule. :ou must be veryhappy, living in this wood, and being glad whenever you like0!

9Only it is so "E3: lonely here0! Alice said in a melancholy voice8 and at the thought of her loneliness twolarge tears came rolling down her cheeks.

9Oh, don!t go on like that0! cried the poor ?ueen, wringing her hands in despair. 92onsider what a great girlyou are. 2onsider what a long way you!ve come to%day. 2onsider what o!clock it is.

2onsider anything, only don!t cry0!



Alice could not help laughing at this, even in the midst of her tears. 92an :O4 keep from crying byconsidering things;! she asked.

9That!s the way it!s done,! the ?ueen said with great decision

9nobody can do two things at once, you know. Let!s consider you age to begin with %% how old are you;!

9#9m seven and a half e$actly.!

9:ou needn!t say >e$actually,>! the ?ueen remarked 9# can believe it without that. 'ow #!ll give :O4something to believe.

#!m (ust one hundred and one, five months and a day.!

9# can!t believe T+AT0! said Alice.

92an!t you;! the ?ueen said in a pitying tone. 9Try again draw a long breath, and shut your eyes.!

Alice laughed. 9There!s not use trying,! she said 9one 2A'!T believe impossible things.!

9# daresay you haven!t had much practice,! said the ?ueen. 9)hen # was your age, # always did it for half%an%hour a day. )hy, sometimes #!ve believed as many as si$ impossible things before breakfast. There goes theshawl again0!

The brooch had come undone as she spoke, and a sudden gust of wind blew the ?ueen!s shawl across a little brook. The ?ueen spread out her arms again, and went flying after it, and this time she succeeded in catching itfor herself. 9#!ve got0! she cried in a triumphant tone. 9'ow you shall see me pin it on again, all by myself0!

9Then # hope your finger is better now;! Alice said very politely, as she crossed the little brook after the?ueen.

B B B B B B B

B B B B B B

B B B B B B B

9Oh, much better0! cried the ?ueen, her voice rising to a s/ueak as she went on. 9<uch be%etter0 -e%etter0 -e%e%e%etter0

-e%e%ehh0! The last word ended in a long bleat, so like a sheep that Alice /uite started.

&he looked at the ?ueen, who seemed to have suddenly wrapped herself up in wool. Alice rubbed her eyes,and looked again. &he couldn!t make out what had happened at all. )as she in a shop; And was that really % wasit really a &+EE1 that was sitting on the other side of the counter; 3ub as she could, she could make nothingmore of it she was in a little dark shop, leaning with her elbows on the counter, and opposite to her was a old&heep, sitting in an arm%chair knitting, and every now and then leaving off to look at her through a great pair ofspectacles.

9)hat is it you want to buy;! the &heep said at last, looking up for a moment from her knitting.

9# don!t ?4#TE know yet,! Alice said, very gently. # should like to look all round me first, if # might.! 9:ou may look in front of you, and on both sides, if you like,! said the &heep 9but you can!t look ALL roundyou %% unless you!ve got eyes at the back of your head.!



-ut these, as it happened, Alice had 'OT got so she contented herself with turning round, looking at theshelves as she came to them.

The shop seemed to be full of all manner of curious things %% but the oddest part of it all was, that whenevershe looked hard at any shelf, to make out e$actly what it had on it, that particular shelf was always /uite emptythough the others round it were crowded as full as they could hold.

9Things flow about so here0! she said at last in a plaintive tone, after she had spent a minute or so in vainly

pursuing a large bright thing, that looked sometimes like a doll and sometimes like a work%bo$, and was alwaysin the shelf ne$t above the one she was looking at. 9And this one is the most provoking of all %% but #!ll tell youwhat %% ! she added, as a sudden thought struck her, 9#!ll follow it up to the very top shelf of all. #t!ll pu@@le it to gothrough the ceiling, # e$pect0!

-ut even this plan failed the 9thing! went through the ceiling as /uietly as possible, as if it were /uite used toit.

9Are you a child or a teetotum;! the &heep said, as she took up another pair of needles. 9:ou!ll make me giddysoon, if you go on turning round like that.! &he was now working with fourteen pairs at once, and Alice couldn!thelp looking at her in great astonishment.

9+ow 2A' she knit with so many;! the pu@@led child thought to herself. 9&he gets more and more like a porcupine every minute0!

92an you row;! the &heep asked, handing her a pair of knitting% needles as she spoke.

9:es, a little %% but not on land %% and not with needles %% ! Alice was beginning to say, when suddenly theneedles turned into oars in her hands, and she found they were in a little boat, gliding along between banks sothere was nothing for it but to do her best.

9 eather0! cried the &heep, as she took up another pair of needles.

This didn!t sound like a remark that needed any answer, so Alice said nothing, but pulled away. There wassomething very /ueer about the water, she thought, as every now and then the oars got fast in it, and wouldhardly come out again.

9 eather0 eather0! the &heep cried again, taking more needles. 9:ou!ll be catching a crab directly.!

9A dear little crab0! thought Alice. 9# should like that.!

9 idn!t you hear me say > eather>;! the &heep cried angrily, taking up /uite a bunch of needles.

9#ndeed # did,! said Alice 9you!ve said it very often %% and very loud. 1lease, where A3E the crabs;!

9#n the water, of course0! said the &heep, sticking some of the needles into her hair, as her hands were full.9 eather, # say0!

9)+: do you say >feather> so often;! Alice asked at last, rather ve$ed. !#!m not a bird0!

9:ou are,9 said the &heet 9you!re a little goose.!

This offended Alice a little, so there was no more conversation for a minute or two, while the boat glided

gently on, sometimes among beds of weeds 6which made the oars stick fast in the water, worse then ever7, andsometimes under trees, but always with the same tall river%banks frowning over their heads.

9Oh, please0 There are some scented rushes0! Alice cried in a sudden transport of delight. 9There really are %%and &42+ beauties0!



9:ou needn!t say >please> to <E about 9em! the &heep said, without looking up from her knitting 9# didn!t put9em there, and #!m not going to take 9em away.!

9'o, but # meant %% please, may we wait and pick some;! Alice pleaded. 9#f you don!t mind stopping the boatfor a minute.!

9+ow am # to stop it;! said the &heep. 9#f you leave off rowing, it!ll stop of itself.

&o the boat was left to drift down the stream as it would, till it glided gently in among the waving rushes. Andthen the little sleeves were carefully rolled up, and the little arms were plunged in elbow%deep to get the rushes agood long way down before breaking them off %% and for a while Alice forgot all about the &heep and theknitting, as she bent over the side of the boat, with (ust the ends of her tangled hair dipping into the water %%while with bright eager eyes she caught at one bunch after another of the darling scented rushes.

9# only hope the boat won!t tipple over0! she said to herself. Oh, )+AT a lovely one0 Only # couldn!t /uitereach it.! 9And it certainly # seem a little provoking 6 9almost as if it happened on purpose,! she thought7 that,though she managed to pick plenty of beautiful rushes as the boat glided by, there was always a more lovely onethat she couldn!t reach.

9The prettiest are always further0! she said at last, with a sigh at the obstinacy of the rushes in growing so faroff, as, with flushed cheeks and dripping hair and hands, she scrambled back into her place, and began to arrangeher new%found treasures.

)hat mattered it to her (ust than that the rushes had begun to fade, and to lose all their scent and beauty, fromthe very moment that she picked them; Even real scented rushes, you know, last only a very little while %% andthese, being dream%rushes, melted away almost like snow, as they lay in heaps at her feet %% but Alice hardlynoticed this, there were so many other curious things to think about.

They hadn!t gone much farther before the blade of one of the oars got fast in the water and )O4L '!T comeout again 6so Alice e$plained it afterwards7, and the conse/uence was that the handle of it caught her under thechin, and, in spite of a series of little shrieks of 9Oh, oh, oh0! from poor Alice, it swept her straight off the seat,and down among the heap of rushes.

+owever, she wasn!t hurt, and was soon up again the &heep went on with her knitting all the while, (ust as ifnothing had happened. 9That was a nice crab you caught0! she remarked, as Alice got back into her place, verymuch relieved to find herself still in the boat.

9)as it; # didn!t see it,! &aid Alice, peeping cautiously over the side of the boat into the dark water. 9# wish ithadn!t let go %% # should so like to see a little crab to take home with me0! -ut the &heep only laughed scornfully,and went on with her knitting.

9Are there many crabs here;! said Alice.

92rabs, and all sorts of things,! said the &heep 9plenty of choice, only make up your mind. 'ow, what O youwant to buy;!

9To buy0! Alice echoes in a tone that was half astonished and half frightened %% for the oars, and the boat, andthe river, had vanished all in a moment, and she was back again in the little dark shop.

9# should like to buy an egg, please,! she said timidly. 9+ow do you sell them;!

9 ivepence farthing for one %% Twopence for two,! the &heep replied. 9Then two are cheaper than one;! Alice said in a surprised tone, taking out her purse.

9Only you <4&T eat them both, if you buy two,! said the &heep.



9Then #!ll have O'E, please,! said Alice, as she put the money down on the counter. or she thought to herself,9They mightn!t be at all nice, you know.!

The &heep took the money, and put it away in a bo$ then she said 9# never put things into people!s hands %%that would never do %% you must get it for yourself.! And so saying, she went off to the other end of the shop, andset the egg upright on a shelf.

9# wonder )+: it wouldn!t do;! thought Alice, as she groped her way among the tables and chairs, for the

shop was very dark towards the end. 9The egg seems to get further away the more # walk towards it. Let me see,is this a chair; )hy, it!s got branches, # declare0 +ow very odd to find trees growing here0 And actually here!s alittle brook0 )ell, this is the very /ueerest shop # ever saw0!

B B B B B B B

B B B B B B

B B B B B B B

&o she went on, wondering more and more at every step, as everything turned into a tree the moment she came

up to it, and she /uite e$pected the egg to do the same.

2+A1TE3 "#

+umpty umpty

+owever, the egg only got larger and larger, and more and more human when she had come within a fewyards of it, she saw that it had eyes and a nose and mouth8 and when she had come close to it, she saw clearlythat it was +4<1T: 4<1T: himself. 9#t can!t be anybody else0! she said to herself. 9#!m as certain of it, as ifhis name were written all over his face.!

#t might have been written a hundred times, easily, on that enormous face. +umpty umpty was sitting withhis legs crossed, like a Turk, on the top of a high wall %% such a narrow one that Alice /uite wondered how hecould keep his balance %% and, as his eyes were steadily fi$ed in the opposite direction, and he didn!t take the leastnotice of her, she thought he must be a stuffed figure after all.

9And how e$actly like an egg he is0! she said aloud, standing with her hands ready to catch him, for she wasevery moment e$pecting him to fall.

9#t!s "E3: provoking,! +umpty umpty said after a long silence, looking away from Alice as he spoke, 9to becalled an egg %% "E3:0!

9# said you LOOKE like an egg, &ir,! Alice gently e$plained. 9And some eggs are very pretty, you know, sheadded, hoping to turn her remark into a sort of a compliment.

9&ome people,! said +umpty umpty, looking away from her as usual, 9have no more sense than a baby0!

Alice didn!t know what to say to this it wasn!t at all like conversation, she thought, as he never said anythingto +E38 in fact, his last remark was evidently addressed to a tree %% so she stood and softly repeated to herself %%

9+umpty umpty sat on a wall +umpty umpty had a great fall. All the King!s horses and all the King!s men2ouldn!t put +umpty umpty in his place again.!

9That last line is much too long for the poetry,! she added, almost out loud, forgetting that +umpty umptywould hear her.

9 on!t stand there chattering to yourself like that,! +umpty umpty said, looking at her for the first time,! buttell me your name and your business.!



9<y 'A<E is Alice, but %% !

9#t!s a stupid name enough0! +umpty umpty interrupted impatiently. 9)hat does it mean;!

9<4&T a name mean something;! Alice asked doubtfully.

9Of course it must,! +umpty umpty said with a sort laugh 9<: name means the shape # am %% and a good

handsome shape it is, too. )ith a name like your, you might be any shape, almost.!

9)hy do you sit out here all alone;! said Alice, not wishing to begin an argument.

9)hy, because there!s nobody with me0! cried +umpty umpty. 9 id you think # didn!t know the answer toT+AT; Ask another.!

9 on!t you think you!d be safer down on the ground;! Alice went on, not with any idea of making anotherriddle, but simply in her good%natured an$iety for the /ueer creature. 9That wall is so "E3: narrow0!

9)hat tremendously easy riddles you ask0! +umpty umpty growled out. 9Of course # don!t think so0 )hy, if

ever # # fall off % % which there!s no chance of %% but # # did %% ! +ere he pursed his lips and looked so solemnand grand that Alice could hardly help laughing. 9# # did fall,! he went on, 9T+E K#'* +A& 13O<#&E <E %%)#T+ +#& "E3: O)' <O4T+ %% to %% to %% !

9To send all his horses and all his men,! Alice interrupted, rather unwisely.

9'ow # declare that!s too bad0! +umpty umpty cried, breaking into a sudden passion. 9:ou!ve been listeningat doors %% and behind trees %% and sown chimneys %% or you couldn!t have known it0!

9# haven!t, indeed0! Alice said very gently. 9#t!s in a book.!

9Ah, well0 They may write such things in a -OOK,! +umpty umpty said in a calmer tone. 9That!s what youcall a +istory of England, that is. 'ow, take a good look at me0 #!m one that has spoken to a King, # ammayhap you!ll never see such another and to show you #!m not proud, you may shake hands with me0! And hegrinned almost from ear to ear, as he leant forwards 6and as nearly as possible fell of the wall in doing so7 andoffered Alice his hand. &he watched him a little an$iously as she took it. 9#f he smiled much more, the ends of hismouth might meet behind,! she thought 9and then # don!t know what would happen to his head0 #!m afraid itwould come off0!

9:es, all his horses and all his men,! +umpty umpty went on. 9They!d pick me up again in a minute, T+E:would0 +owever, this conversation is going on a little too fast let!s go back to the last remark but one.!

9#!m afraid # can!t /uite remember it,! Alice said very politely.

9#n that case we start fresh,! said +umpty umpty, 9and it!s my turn to choose a sub(ect %% ! 69+e talks about it (ust as if it was a game0! thought Alice.7 9&o here!s a /uestion for you. +ow old did you say you were;!

Alice made a short calculation, and said 9&even years and si$ months.!

9)rong0! +umpty umpty e$claimed triumphantly. 9:ou never said a word like it0!

9# though you meant >+ow old A3E you;>! Alice e$plained.

9#f #!d meant that, #!d have said it,! said +umpty umpty.

Alice didn!t want to begin another argument, so she said nothing.



9&even years and si$ months0! +umpty umpty repeated thoughtfully. 9An uncomfortable sort of age. 'ow ifyou!d asked <: advice, #!d have said >Leave off at seven> %% but it!s too late now.!

9# never ask advice about growing,! Alice said #ndignantly.

9Too proud;! the other in/uired.

Alice felt even more indignant at this suggestion. 9# mean,! she said, 9that one can!t help growing older.!

9O'E can!t, perhaps,! said +umpty umpty, 9but T)O can. )ith proper assistance, you might have left off atseven.!

9)hat a beautiful belt you!ve got on0! Alice suddenly remarked.

6They had had /uite enough of the sub(ect of age, she thought and if they really were to take turns in choosingsub(ects, it was her turn now.7 9At least,! she corrected herself on second thoughts, 9a beautiful cravat, # shouldhave said %% no, a belt, # mean %% # beg your pardon0! she added in dismay, for +umpty umpty looked thoroughlyoffended, and she began to wish she hadn!t chosen that sub(ect. 9#f # only knew,! the thought to herself, !whichwas neck and which was waist0!

Evidently +umpty umpty was very angry, though he said nothing for a minute or two. )hen he # speakagain, it was in a deep growl.

9#t is a %% <O&T %% 13O"OK#'* %% thing,! he said at last, 9when a person doesn!t know a cravat from a belt0!

9# know it!s very ignorant of me,! Alice said, in so humble a tone that +umpty umpty relented.

9#t!s a cravat, child, and a beautiful one, as you say. #t!s a present from the )hite King and ?ueen. There now0!

9#s it really;! said Alice, /uite pleased to find that she +A chosen a good sub(ect, after all.

9They gave it me,! +umpty umpty continued thoughtfully, as he crossed one knee over the other and claspedhis hands round it, 9they gave it me %% for an un%birthday present.!

9# beg your pardon;! Alice said with a pu@@led air.

9#!m not offended,! said +umpty umpty.

9# mean, what #& and un%birthday present;!

9A present given when it isn!t your birthday, of course.!

Alice considered a little. 9# like birthday presents best,! she said at last.

9:ou don!t know what you!re talking about0! cried +umpty umpty. 9+ow many days are there in a year;!

9Three hundred and si$ty%five,! said Alice.

9And how many birthdays have you;!

9One.!

9And if you take one from three hundred and si$ty%five, what remains;!

9Three hundred and si$ty%four, of course.!

+umpty umpty looked doubtful. 9#!d rather see that done on paper,! he said.



Alice couldn!t help smiling as she took out her memorandum% book, and worked the sum for him

FG 5

FH

+umpty umpty took the book, and looked at it carefully. 9That seems to be done right %% ! he began.

9:ou!re holding it upside down0! Alice interrupted.

9To be sure # was0! +umpty umpty said gaily, as she turned it round for him. 9# thought it looked a little/ueer. As # was saying, that &EE<& to be done right %% though # haven!t time to look it over thoroughly (ust now%% and that shows that there are three hundred and si$ty%four days when you might get un%birthday presents %% !

92ertainly,! said Alice.

9And only O'E for birthday presents, you know. There!s glory for you0!

9# don!t know what you mean by >glory,>! Alice said.

+umpty umpty smiled contemptuously. 9Of course you don!t %% till # tell you. # meant >there!s a nice knock%down argument for you0>!

9-ut >glory> doesn!t mean >a nice knock%down argument,>! Alice ob(ected.

9)hen # use a word,! +umpty umpty said in rather a scornful tone, 9it means (ust what # choose it to mean%% neither more nor less.!

9The /uestion is,! said Alice, 9whether you 2A' make words mean so many different things.!

9The /uestion is,! said +umpty umpty, 9which is to be master % % that!s all.!

Alice was too much pu@@led to say anything, so after a minute +umpty umpty began again. 9They!ve atemper, some of them %% particularly verbs, they!re the proudest %% ad(ectives you can do anything with, but notverbs %% however, # can manage the whole of them0 #mpenetrability0 That!s what # say0!

9)ould you tell me, please,! said Alice 9what that means;9

9'ow you talk like a reasonable child,! said +umpty umpty, looking very much pleased. 9# meant by>impenetrability> that we!ve had enough of that sub(ect, and it would be (ust as well if you!d mention what youmean to do ne$t, as # suppose you don!t mean to stop here all the rest of your life.!

9That!s a great deal to make one word mean,! Alice said in a thoughtful tone.

9)hen # make a word do a lot of work like that,! said +umpty umpty, 9# always pay it e$tra.!

9Oh0! said Alice. &he was too much pu@@led to make any other remark.

9Ah, you should see 9em come round me of a &aturday night,! +umpty umpty went on, wagging his headgravely from side to side 9for to get their wages, you know.!

6Alice didn!t venture to ask what he paid them with8 and so you see # can!t tell :O4.7

9:ou seem very clever at e$plaining words, &ir,! said Alice. 9)ould you kindly tell me the meaning of the poem called >=abberwocky>;!



9Let!s hear it,! said +umpty umpty. 9# can e$plain all the poems that were ever invented %% and a good manythat haven!t been invented (ust yet.!

This sounded very hopeful, so Alice repeated the first verse

9Twas brillig, and the slithy toves id gyre and gimble in the wabe8 All mimsy were the borogoves, And themome raths outgrabe.

9That!s enough to begin with,! +umpty umpty interrupted 9there are plenty of hard words there. >-3#LL#*>means four o!clock in the afternoon %% the time when you begin -3O#L#'* things for dinner.!

9That!ll do very well,! said Alice and >&L#T+:>;!

9)ell, >&L#T+:> means >lithe and slimy.> >Lithe> is the same as >active.> :ou see it!s like a portmanteau %%there are two meanings packed up into one word.!

9# see it now,! Alice remarked thoughtfully 9and what are >TO"E&>;!

9)ell, >TO"E&! are something like badgers %% they!re something like li@ards %% and they!re something like

corkscrews.!

9They must be very curious looking creatures.!

9They are that,! said +umpty umpty 9also they make their nests under sun%dials %% also they live on cheese.!

9Andy what!s the >*:3E> and to >*#<-LE>;!

9To >*:3E> is to go round and round like a gyroscope. To >*#<-LE> is to make holes like a gimblet.!

9And >T+E )A-E> is the grass%plot round a sun%dial, # suppose;! said Alice, surprised at her own ingenuity.

9Of course it is. #t!s called >)A-E,> you know, because it goes a long way before it, and a long way behind it%% !

9And a long way beyond it on each side,! Alice added.

9E$actly so. )ell, then, ><#<&:> is >flimsy and miserable> 6there!s another portmanteau for you7. And a>-O3O*O"E> is a thing shabby%looking bird with its feathers sticking out all round %% something like a livemop.!

9And then ><O<E 3AT+&>;! said Alice. 9#!m afraid #!m giving you a great deal of trouble.!

9)ell, a >3AT+> is a sort of green pig but ><O<E> #!m not certain about. # think it!s short for >from home> %%meaning that they!d lost their way, you know.!

9And what does >O4T*3A-E> mean;!

9)ell, >O4T*3#-#'*> is something between bellowing and whistling, with a kind of snee@e in the middlehowever, you!ll hear it done, maybe %% down in the wood yonder %% and when you!ve once heard it you!ll be?4#TE content. )ho!s been repeating all that hard stuff to you;!

9# read it in a book,! said Alice. 9-ut # had some poetry repeated to me, much easier than that, by %%Tweedledee, # think it was.!

9As to poetry, you know,! said +umpty umpty, stretching out one of his great hands, 9 # can repeat poetry aswell as other folk, if it comes to that %% !



9Oh, it needn!t come to that0! Alice hastily said, hoping to keep him from beginning.

9The piece #!m going to repeat,! he went on without noticing her remark,! was written entirely for youramusement.!

Alice felt that in that case she really O4*+T to listen to it, so she sat down, and said 9Thank you! rather sadly.

9#n winter, when the fields are white, # sing this song for your delight %%

only # don!t sing it,! he added, as an e$planation.

9# see you don!t,! said Alice.

9#f you can &EE whether #!m singing or not, you!re sharper eyes than most.! +umpty umpty remarkedseverely. Alice was silent.

9#n spring, when woods are getting green, #!ll try and tell you what # mean.!

9Thank you very much,! said Alice.

9#n summer, when the days are long, 1erhaps you!ll understand the song #n autumn, when the leaves are brown, Take pen and ink, and write it down.!

9# will, if # can remember it so long,! said Alice.

9:ou needn!t go on making remarks like that,! +umpty umpty said 9they!re not sensible, and they put meout.!

9# sent a message to the fish # told them >This is what # wish.>

The little fishes of the sea, They sent an answer back to me.

The little fishes! answer was >)e cannot do it, &ir, because %% >!

9#!m afraid # don!t /uite understand,! said Alice.

9#t gets easier further on,! +umpty umpty replied.

9# sent to them again to say >#t will be better to obey.>

The fishes answered with a grin, >)hy, what a temper you are in0>

# told them once, # told them twice They would not listen to advice.

# took a kettle large and new, it for the deed # had to do.

<y heart went hop, my heart went thump8 # filled the kettle at the pump.

Then some one came to me and said, >The little fishes are in bed.>

# said to him, # said it plain, >Then you must wake them up again.>

# said it very loud and clear8 # went and shouted in his ear.!

+umpty umpty raised his voice almost to a scream as he repeated this verse, and Alice thought with ashudder, 9# wouldn!t have been the messenger for A':T+#'*0!



9-ut he was very stiff and proud8 +e said >:ou needn!t shout so loud0>

And he was very proud and stiff8 +e said >#!d go and wake them, if %% >

# took a corkscrew from the shelf # went to wake them up myself.

And when # found the door was locked, # pulled and pushed and knocked.

And when # found the door was shut, # tried to turn the handle, but %% !

There was a long pause.

9#s that all;! Alice timidly asked.

9That!s all,! said +umpty umpty. *ood%bye.!

This was rather sudden, Alice thought but, after such a "E3: strong hint that she ought to be going, she feltthat it would hardly be civil to stay. &o she got up, and held out her hand. 9*ood%bye, till we meet again0! shesaid as cheerfully as she could.

9# shouldn!t know you again if we # meet,! +umpty umpty replied in a discontented tone, giving her oneof his fingers to shake8 9you!re so e$actly like other people.!

9The face is what one goes by, generally,! Alice remarked in a thoughtful tone.

9That9s (ust what # complain of,! said +umpty umpty. 9:our face is that same as everybody has %% the twoeyes, so %% ! 6marking their places in the air with this thumb7 9nose in the middle, mouth under. #t!s always thesame. 'ow if you had the two eyes on the same side of the nose, for instance %% or the mouth at the top %% thatwould be &O<E help.!

9#t wouldn!t look nice,! Alice ob(ected. -ut +umpty umpty only shut his eyes and said 9)ait till you!ve tried.!

Alice waited a minute to see if he would speak again, but as he never opened his eyes or took any furthernotice of her, she said 9*ood%bye0! once more, and, getting no answer to this, she /uietly walked away but shecouldn!t help saying to herself as she went, 9Of all the unsatisfactory %% ! 6she repeated this aloud, as it was a greatcomfort have such a long word to say7 9of all the unsatisfactory people # E"E3 met %% ! &he never finished thesentence, for at this moment a heavy crash shook the forest from end to end.

2+A1TE3 "##

The Lion and the 4nicorn

The ne$t moment soldiers cam running through the wood, at first in twos and threes, then ten or twentytogether, and at last in such crowds that they seemed to fill the whole forest. Alice got behind a tree, for fear of

being run over, and watched them go by.

&he thought that in all her life she had never seen soldiers so uncertain on their feet they were always trippingover something or other, and whenever one went down, several more always fell over him, so that the groundwas soon covered with little heaps of men.

Then came the horses. +aving four feet, these managed rather better than the foot%soldiers but even T+E:

stumbled now and then8 and it seemed to be a regular rule that, whenever a horse stumbled the rider fell offinstantly. The confusion got worse every moment, and Alice was very glad to get out of the wood into an open place, where she found the )hite King seated on the ground, busily writing in his memorandum%book.

9#!ve sent them all0! the King cried in a tone of delight, on seeing Alice. 9 id you happen to meet any soldiers,my dear, as you came through the wood;!



9:es, # did,! said Alice several thousand, # should think.!

9 our thousand two hundred and seven, that!s the e$act number,! the King said, referring to his book. 9#couldn!t send all the horses, you know, because two of them are wanted in the game. And # haven!t sent the two<essengers, either. They!re both gone to the town. =ust look along the road, and tell me if you can see either ofthem.!

9# see nobody on the road,! said Alice.

9# only wish # had such eyes,! the King remarked in a fretful tone. 9To be able to see 'obody0 And at thatdistance, too0 )hy, it!s as much as # can do to see real people, by this light0!

All this was lost on Alice, who was still looking intently along the road, shading her eyes with one hand. 9# seesomebody now0! she e$claimed at last. 9-ut he!s coming very slowly %% and what curious attitudes he goes into0!6 or the messenger kept skipping up and down, and wriggling like an eel, as he came along, with his great handsspread out like fans on each side.7

9'ot at all,! said the King. 9+e!s an Anglo%&a$on <essenger %% and those are Anglo%&a$on attitudes. +e only

does them when he!s happy. +is name ia +aigha.! 6+e pronounced it so as to rhyme with 9mayor.!

9# love my love with an +,! Alice couldn!t help beginning,! because he is +appy. # hate him with an +, becausehe is +ideous. # fed him with %% with %% with +am%sandwiches and +ay. +is name is +aigha, and he lives %% !

9+e lives on the +ill,! the King remarked simply, without the least idea that he was (oining in the game, whileAlice was still hesitating for the name of a town beginning with +. 9The other <essenger!s called +atta. # musthave T)O, you know %% to come and go. Once to come, and one to go.!

9# beg your pardon;! said Alice.

9#t isn!t respectable to beg,! said the King.

9# only meant that # didn!t understand,! said Alice. 9)hy one to come and one to go;!

9 on!t # tell you;! the King repeated impatiently. 9# must have Two %% to fetch and carry. One to fetch, and oneto carry.!

At this moment the <essenger arrived he was far too much out of breath to say a word, and could only wavehis hands about, and make the most fearful faces at the poor King.

9This young lady loves you with an +,! the King said, introducing Alice in the hope of turning off the<essenger!s attention from himself %% but it was no use %% the Anglo%&a$on attitudes only got more e$traordinaryevery moment, while the great eyes rolled wildly from side to side.

9:ou alarm me0! said the King. 9# feel faint %% *ive me a ham sandwich0!

On which the <essenger, to Alice!s great amusement, opened a bag that hung round his neck, and handed asandwich to the King, who devoured it greedily.

9Another sandwich0! said the King.

9There!s nothing but hay left now,! the <essenger said, peeping into the bag. 9+ay, then,! the King murmured in a faint whisper.

Alice was glad to see that it revived him a good deal. 9There!s nothing like eating hay when you!re faint,! heremarked to her, as he munched away.



9# should think throwing cold water over you would be better,! Alice suggested 9or some sal%volatile.!

9# didn!t say there was nothing -ETTE3,! the King replied. 9# said there was nothing L#KE it.! )hich Alice didnot venture to deny.

9)ho did you pass on the road;! the King went on, holding out his hand to the <essenger for some more hay.

9'obody,! said the <essenger.

9?uite right,! said the King 9this young lady saw him too. &o of course 'obody walks slower than you.

9# do my best,! the <essenger said in a sulky tone. 9#!m sure nobody walks much faster than # do0!

9+e can!t do that,! said the King, 9or else he!d have been here first. +owever, now you!ve got your breath, youmay tell us what!s happened in the town.!

9#!ll whisper it,! said the <essenger, putting his hands to his mouth in the shape of a trumpet, and stooping soas to get close to the King!s ear. Alice was sorry for this, as she wanted to hear the news too. +owever, instead of

whispering, he simply shouted at the top of his voice 9They!re at it again0!

9 o you call T+AT a whisper;! cried the poor King, (umping up and shaking himself. 9#f you do such a thingagain, #!ll have you buttered0 #t went through and through my head like an earth/uake0!

9#t would have to be a very tiny earth/uake0! thought Alice. 9)ho are at it again;! she ventured to ask.

9)hy the Lion and the 4nicorn, of course,! said the King.

9 ighting for the crown;!

9:es, to be sure,! said the King 9and the best of the (oke is, that it!s <: crown all the while0 Let!s run and seethem.! And they trotted off, Alice repeating to herself, as she ran, the words of the old song %%

9The Lion and the 4nicorn were fighting for the crown The Lion beat the 4nicorn all round the town. &omegave them white bread, some gave them brown8 &ome gave them plum%cake and drummed them out of town.!

9 oes %% the one %% that wins %% get the crown;! she asked, as well as she could, for the run was putting her/uite out of breath.

9 ear me, no0! said the King. 9)hat an idea0!

9)ould you %% be good enough,! Alice panted out, after running a little further, 9to stop a minute %% (ust to get %%one!s breath again;!

9#!m *OO enough,! the King said, 9only #!m not strong enough. :ou see, a minute goes by so fearfully /uick.:ou might as well try to stop a -andersnatch0!

Alice had no more breath for talking, so the trotted on in silence, till they came in sight of a great crowd, in themiddle of which the Lion and 4nicorn were fighting. They were in such a cloud of dust, that at first Alice couldnot make out which was which but she soon managed to distinguish the 4nicorn by his horn.

They placed themselves close to where +atta, the other messenger, was standing watching the fight, with acup of tea in one hand and a piece of bread%and%butter in the other.

9+e!s only (ust out of prison, and he hadn!t finished his tea when he was sent in,! +aigha whispered to Alice9and they only give them oyster%shells in there %% so you see he!s very hungry and thirsty. +ow are you, dearchild;! he went on, putting his arm affectionately round +atta!s neck.



+atta looked round and nodded, and went on with his bread and butter.

9)ere you happy in prison, dear child;! said +aigha.

+atta looked round once more, and this time a tear or two trickled down his cheek but not a word would hesay.

9&peak, can!t you0! +aigha cried impatiently. -ut +atta only munched away, and drank some more tea.

9&peak, won!t you0! cried the King. !+ow are they getting on with the fight;!

+atta made a desperate effort, and swallowed a large piece of bread%and%butter. 9They!re getting on very well,!he said in a choking voice 9each of them has been down about eighty%seven times.!

9Then # suppose they!ll soon bring the white bread and the brown;! Alice ventured to remark.

9#t!s waiting for !em now,! said +atta 9this is a bit of it as #!m eating.!

There was a pause in the fight (ust then, and the Lion and the 4nicorn sat down, panting, while the King calledout 9Ten minutes allowed for refreshments0! +aigha and +atta set to work at once, carrying rough trays of whiteand brown bread. Alice took a piece to taste, but it was "E3: dry.

9# don!t think they!ll fight any more to%day,! the King said to +atta 9go and order the drums to begin.! And+atta went bounding away like a grasshopper.

or a minute or two Alice stood silent, watching him. &uddenly she brightened up. 9Look, look0! she cried, pointing eagerly. >There!s the )hite ?ueen running across the country0 &he came flying out of the wood overyonder %% +ow fast those ?ueens 2A' run0!

9There!s some enemy after, her no doubt,! the King said, without even looking round. 9That wood!s full ofthem.!

9-ut aren!t you going to run and help her;! Alice asked, very much surprised at his taking it so /uietly.

9'o use, no use0! said the King. 9&he runs so fearfully /uick.

:ou might as well try to catch a -andersnatch0 -ut #!ll make a memorandum about her, if you like %% &he!s adear good creature,! he repeated softly to himself, as he opened his memorandum%book. 9 o you spell >creature>with a double >e>;!

At this moment the 4nicorn sauntered by them, with his hands in his pockets. 9# had the best of it this time;!he said to the King, (ust glancing at him as he passed.

9A little %% a little,! the King replied, rather nervously. 9:ou shouldn!t have run him through with your horn, youknow.!

9#t didn!t hurt him,! the 4nicorn said carelessly, and he was going on, when his eye happened to fall uponAlice he turned round rather instantly, and stood for some time looking at her with an air of the deepest disgust.

9)hat %% is %% this;! he said at last.

9This is a child0! +aigha replied eagerly, coming in front of Alice to introduce her, and spreading out both hishands towards her in an Anglo%&a$on attitude. 9)e only found it to%day. #t!s as large as life, and twice as natural0!

9# always thought they were fabulous monsters0! said the 4nicorn. 9#s at alive;!



9#t can talk,! said +aigha, solemnly.

The 4nicorn looked dreamily at Alice, and said 9Talk, child.!

Alice could not help her lips curing up into a smile as she began 9 o you know, # always thought 4nicornswere fabulous monsters, too0 # never saw one alive before0!

9)ell, now that we +A"E seen each other,! said the 4nicorn, 9if you!ll believe in me, #!ll believe in you. #s that

a bargain;!

9:es, if you like,! said Alice.

92ome, fetch out the plum%cake, old man0! the 4nicorn went on, turning from her to the King. 9'one of your brown bread for me0!

92ertainly %% certainly0! the King muttered, and beckoned to +aigha. 9Open the bag0! he whispered. 9?uick0 'ot that one %% that!s full of hay0!

+aigha took a large cake out of the bag, and gave it to Alice to hold, while he got out a dish and carving%knife.

+ow they all came out of it Alice couldn!t guess. #t was (ust like a con(uring%trick, she thought.

The Lion had (oined them while this was going on he looked very tired and sleepy, and his eyes were halfshut. 9)hat!s this0! he said, blinking la@ily at Alice, and speaking in a deep hollow tone that sounded like thetolling of a great bell.

9Ah, what #& it, now;! the 4nicorn cried eagerly. 9:ou!ll never guess0 # couldn!t.!

The Lion looked at Alice wearily. 9Are you animal %% vegetable %% or mineral;! he said, yawning at every otherword.

9#t!s a fabulous monster0! the 4nicorn cried out, before Alice could reply.

9Then hand round the plum%cake, <onster,! the Lion said, lying down and putting his chin on this paws. 9Andsit down, both of you,! 6to the King and the 4nicorn7 9fair play with the cake, you know0!

The King was evidently very uncomfortable at laving to sit down between the two great creatures8 but therewas no other place for him.

9)hat a fight we might have for the crown, 'O)0! the 4nicorn said, looking slyly up at the crown, which the poor King was nearly shaking off his head, he trembled so much.

9# should win easy,! said the Lion.

9#!m not so sure of that,! said the 4nicorn.

9)hy, # beat you all round the town, you chicken0! the Lion replied angrily, half getting up as he spoke.

+ere the King interrupted, to prevent the /uarrel going on he was very nervous, and his voice /uite /uivered.9All round the town;! he said. 9That!s a good long way. id you go by the old bridge, or the market%place; :ouget the best view by the old bridge.!

9#!m sure # don!t know,! the Lion growled out as he lay down again. 9There was too much dust to see anything.)hat a time the <onster is, cutting up that cake0!

Alice had seated herself on the bank of a little brook, with the great dish on her knees, and was sawing awaydiligently with the knife. 9#t!s very provoking0! she said, in reply to the Lion 6she was getting /uite used to beingcalled 9the <onster!7. 9#!ve cut several slices already, but they always (oin on again0!



9:ou don!t know how to manage Looking%glass cakes,! the 4nicorn remarked. 9+and it round first, and cut itafterwards.!

This sounded nonsense, but Alice very obediently got up, and carried the dish round, and the cake divideditself into three pieces as she did so. 9'O) cut it up,! said the Lion, as she returned to her place with the emptydish.

9# say, this isn!t fair0! cried the 4nicorn, as Alice sat with the knife in her hand, very much pu@@led how to begin. 9The <onster has given the Lion twice as much as me0!

9&he!s kept none for herself, anyhow,! said the Lion. 9 o you like plum%cake, <onster;!

-ut before Alice could answer him, the drums began.

)here the noise came from, she couldn!t make out the air seemed full of it, and it rang through and throughher head till she felt /uite deafened. &he started to her feet and sprang across the little brook in her terror,

B B B B B B B

B B B B B B

B B B B B B B

and had (ust time to see the Lion and the 4nicorn rise to their feet, with angry looks at being interrupted intheir feast, before she dropped to her knees, and put her hands over her hears, vainly trying to shut out thedreadful uproar.

9#f T+AT doesn!t >drum them out of town,>! she thought to herself, !nothing ever will0!

2+A1TE3 "###

9#t!s my own #nvention!

After a while the noise seemed gradually to die away, till all was dead silence, and Alice lifted up her head insome alarm. There was no one to be seen, and her first thought was that she must have been dreaming about theLion and the 4nicorn and those still lying at her feet, on which she had tried to cut the plum% cake, 9&o # wasn!tdreaming, after all,! she said to herself, 9unless %% unless we!re all part of the same dream. Only # do hope it!s <:dream, and not the 3ed King!s0 # don!t like belonging to another person!s dream,! she went on in a rathercomplaining tone 9#!ve a great mind to go and wake him, and see what happens0!

At this moment her thoughts were interrupted by a loud shouting of 9Ahoy0 Ahoy0 2heck0 and a Knightdressed in crimson armour, came galloping down upon her, brandishing a great club. =ust as he reached her, thehorse stopped suddenly 9:ou!re my prisoner0! the Knight cried, as he tumbled off his horse.

&tartled as she was, Alice was more frightened for him than for herself at the moment, and watched him withsome an$iety as he mounted again. As soon as he was comfortably in the saddle, he began once more 9:ou!re my%% ! but here another voice broke in 9Ahoy0 Ahoy0 2heck0! and Alice looked round in some surprise for the newenemy.

This time it was a )hite Knight. +e drew up at Alice!s side, and tumbled off his horse (ust as the 3ed Knight

had done then he got on again, and the two Knights sat and looked at each other for some time withoutspeaking. Alice looked from one to the other in some bewilderment.

9&he!s <: prisoner, you know0! the 3ed Knight said at last.

9:es, but then # came and rescued her0! the )hite Knight replied.



9)ell, we must fight for her, then,! said the 3ed Knight, as he took up his helmet 6which hung from the saddle,and was something the shape of a horse!s head, and put it on.

9:ou will observe the 3ules of -attle, of course;! the )hite Knight remarked, putting on his helmet too.

9# always do,! said the 3ed Knight, and they began banging away at each other with such fury that Alice got behind a tree to be out of the way of the blows.

9# wonder, now, what the 3ules of -attle are,! she said to herself, as she watched the fight, timidly peeping outfrom her hiding%place 9one 3ule seems to be, that if one Knight hits the other, he knocks him off his horse, andif he misses, he tumbles off himself %% and another 3ule seems to be that they hold their clubs with their arms, asif they were 1unch and =udy %% )hat a noise they make when they tumble0 =ust like a whole set of fire% ironsfalling into the fender0 And how /uiet the horses are0 They let them get on and off them (ust as if they weretables0!

Another 3ule of -attle, that Alice had not noticed, seemed to be that they always fell on their heads, and the battle ended with their both falling off in this way, side by side when they got up again, they shook hands, andthen the 3ed Knight mounted and galloped off.

9#t was a glorious victory, wasn!t it;! said the )hite Knight, as he came up panting.

9# don!t know,! Alice said doubtfully. 9# don!t want to be anybody!s prisoner. # want to be a ?ueen.!

9&o you will, when you!ve crossed the ne$t brook,! said the )hite Knight. 9#!ll see you safe to the end of thewood %% and then # must go back, you know. That!s the end of my move.!

9Thank you very much,! said Alice. 9<ay # help you off with your helmet;! #t was evidently more than hecould manage by himself8 however, she managed to shake him out of it at last.

9'ow one can breathe more easily,! said the Knight, putting back his shaggy hair with both hands, and turninghis gentle face and large mild eyes to Alice. &he thought she had never seen such a strange%looking soldier in allher life.

+e was dressed in tin armour, which seemed to fit him very badly, and he had a /ueer%shaped little deal bo$fastened across his shoulder, upside%down, and with the lid hanging open. Alice looked at it with great curiosity.

9# see you!re admiring my little bo$.! the Knight said in a friendly tone. 9#t!s my own invention %% to keepclothes and sandwiches in. :ou see # carry it upside%down, so that the rain can!t get in.!

9-ut the things can get O4T,! Alice gently remarked. 9 o you know the lid!s open;!

9# didn!t know it,! the Knight said, a shade of ve$ation passing over his face. 9Then all the things much havefallen out0 And the bo$ is no use without them.! +e unfastened it as he spoke, and was (ust going to throw it intothe bushes, when a sudden though seemed to strike him, and he hung it carefully on a tree. 92an you guess why #did that;! he said to Alice.

Alice shook her head.

9#n hopes some bees my make a nest in it %% then # should get the honey.!

9-ut you!ve got a bee%hive %% or something like one %% fastened to the saddle,! said Alice. 9:es, it!s a very good bee%hive,! the Knight said in a discontented tone, 9one of the best kind. -ut not a single

bee has come near it yet. And the other thing is a mouse%trap. # suppose the mice keep the bees out %% or the beeskeep the mice out, # don!t know which.!



9# was wondering what the mouse%trap was for,! said Alice. 9#t isn!t very likely there would be any mice on thehorse!s back.!

9'ot very likely, perhaps,! said the Knight 9but if they O come, # don!t choose to have them running allabout.!

9:ou see,! he went on after a pause, 9it!s as well to be provided for E"E3:T+#'*. That!s the reason the horsehas all those anklets round his feet.!

9-ut what are they for;! Alice asked in a tone of great curiosity.

9To guard against the bites of sharks,! the Knight replied. 9#t!s an invention of my own. And now help me on.#!ll go with you to the end of the wood %% )hat!s the dish for;!

9#t!s meant for plum%cake,! said Alice.

9)e!d better take it with us, the Knight said. 9#t!ll some in handy if we find any plum%cake. +elp me to get itinto this bag.!

This took a very long time to manage, though Alice held the bag open very carefully, because the Knight wasso "E3: awkward in putting in the dish the first two or three times that he tried he fell in himself instead. 9#t!srather a tight fit, you see,! he said, as they got it in a last8 9There are so many candlesticks in the bag.! And hehung it to the saddle, which was already loaded with bunches of carrots, and fire%irons, and many other things.

9# hope you!ve got your hair well fastened on;! he continued, as they set off.

9Only in the usual way,! Alice said, smiling.

9That!s hardly enough,! he said, an$iously. 9:ou see the wind is so "E3: strong here. #t!s as strong as soup.!

9+ave you invented a plan for keeping the hair from being blown off;! Alice en/uired.

9'ot yet,! said the Knight. 9-ut #!ve got a plan for keeping it from ALL#'* off.!

9# should like to hear it, very much.!

9 irst you take an upright stick,! said the Knight. 9Then you make your hair creep up it, like a fruit%tree. 'owthe reason hair falls off is because it hangs O)' %% things never fall 41)A3 &, you know. #t!s a plan of myown invention. :ou may try it if you like.

#t didn!t sound a comfortable plan, Alice thought, and for a few minutes she walked on in silence, pu@@lingover the idea, and every now and then stopping to help the poor Knight, who certainly was 'OT a good rider.

)henever the horse stopped 6which it did very often7, he fell off in front8 and whenever it went on again6which it generally did rather suddenly7, he fell off behind. Otherwise he kept on pretty well, e$cept that he had ahabit of now and then falling off sideways8 and as he generally did this on the side on which Alice was walking,she soon found that it was the best plan not to walk ?4#TE close to the horse.

9#!m afraid you!ve not had much practice in riding,! she ventured to say, as she was helping him up from hisfifth tumble.

The Knight looked very much surprised, and a little offended at the remark. 9)hat makes you say that;! heasked, as he scrambled back into the saddle, keeping hold of Alice!s hair with one hand, to save himself fromfalling over on the other side.

9-ecause people don!t fall off /uite so often, when they!ve had much practice.!



9#!ve had plenty of practice,! the Knight said very gravely 9plenty of practice0!

Alice could think of nothing better to say than 9#ndeed;! but she said it as heartily as she could. They went on alittle way in silence after this, the Knight with his eyes shut, muttering to himself, and Alice watching an$iouslyfor the ne$t tumble.

9The great art of riding,! the Knight suddenly began in a loud voice, waving his right arm as he spoke, 9is to

keep %% ! +ere the sentence ended as suddenly as it had begun, as the Knight fell heavily on the top of his heade$actly in the path were Alice was walking. &he was /uite frightened this time, and said in an an$ious tone, asshe picked him up, 9# hope no bones are broken;!

9'one to speak of,! the Knight said, as if he didn!t mind breaking two or three of them. 9The great art of riding,as # was saying, is %% to keep your balance properly. Like this, you know %% !

+e let go the bridle, and stretched out both his arms to show Alice what he meant, and this time he fell flat onhis back, right under the horse!s feet.

91lenty of practice;! he went on repeating, all the time that Alice was getting him on his feet again. 91lenty of

practice0!

9#t!s too ridiculous0! cried Alice, losing all her patience this time. 9:ou ought to have a wooden horse onwheels, that you ought0!

9 oes that kind go smoothly;! the Knight asked in a tone of great interest, clasping his arms round the horse!sneck as he spoke, (ust in time to save himself from tumbling off again.

9<uch more smoothly than a live horse,! Alice said, with a little scream of laughter, in spite of all she could doto prevent it.

9#!ll get one,! the Knight said thoughtfully to himself. 9One or two %% several.!

There was a short silence after this, and then the Knight went on again. 9#!m a great hand at inventing things. 'ow, # daresay you noticed, that last time you picked me up, that # was looking rather thoughtful;!

9:ou )E3E a little grave,! said Alice.

9)ell, (ust then # was inventing a new way of getting over a gate %% would you like to hear it;!

9"ery much indeed,! Alice said politely.

9#!ll tell you how # came to think of it,! said the Knight. 9:ou see, # said to myself, >The only difficulty is withthe feet the +EA is high enough already.> 'ow, first # put my head on the top of the gate %% then # stand on myhead %% then the feet are high enough, you see %% then #!m over, you see.!

9:es, # suppose you!d be over when that was done,! Alice said thoughtfully 9but don!t you think it would berather hard;!

9# haven!t tried it yet,! the Knight said, gravely 9so # can!t tell for certain %% but #!m afraid it )O4L be a littlehard.!

+e looked so ve$ed at the idea, that Alice changed the sub(ect hastily. 9)hat a curious helmet you!ve got0! shesaid cheerfully. 9#s that your invention too;!

The Knight looked down proudly at his helmet, which hung from the saddle. 9:es,! he said, 9but #!ve inventeda better one than that %% like a sugar loaf. )hen # used to wear it, if # fell of the horse, it always touched theground directly. &o # had a "E3: little way to fall, you see %% -ut there )A& the danger of falling #'TO it, to be



sure. T+at happened to me once %% and the worst of it was, before # could get out again, the other )hite Knightcame and put it on. +e thought it was his own helmet.!

The knight looked so solemn about it that Alice did not dare to laugh. 9#!m afraid you must have hurt him,! shesaid in a trembling voice, 9being on the top of his head.!

9# had to kick him, of course,! the Knight said, very seriously. 9And then he took the helmet off again %% but ittook hours and hours to get me out. # was as fast as %% as lightning, you know.!

9-ut that!s a different kind of fastness,! Alice ob(ected.

The Knight shook his head. 9#t was all kinds of fastness with me, # can assure you0! he said. +e raised hishands in some e$citement as he said this, and instantly rolled out of the saddle, and fell headlong into a deepditch.

Alice ran to the side of the ditch to look for him. &he was rather startled by the fall, as for some time he hadkept on very well, and she was afraid that he really )A& hurt this time. +owever, though she could see nothing

but the soles of his feet, she was much relieved to hear that he was talking on in his usual tone. 9All kinds offastness,! he repeated 9but it was careless of him to put another man!s helmet on %% with the man in it, too.!

9+ow 2A' you go on talking so /uietly, head downwards;! Alice asked, as she dragged him out by the feet,and laid him in a heap on the bank.

The Knight looked surprised at the /uestion. 9)hat does it matter where my body happens to be;! he said. 9<ymind goes on working all the same. #n fact, the more head downwards # am, the more # keep inventing newthings.!

9'ow the cleverest thing of the sort that # ever did,! he went on after a pause, 9was inventing a new puddingduring the meat% course.!

9#n time to have it cooked for the ne$t course;! said Alice. 9)ell, not the 'EIT course,! the Knight said in aslow thoughtful tone 9no, certainly not the ne$t 2O43&E.!

9Then it would have to be the ne$t day. # suppose you wouldn!t have two pudding%courses in one dinner;!

9)ell, not the 'EIT day,! the Knight repeated as before 9not the ne$t A:. #n fact,! he went on, holding hishead down, and his voice getting lower and lower, 9# don!t believe that pudding ever )A& cooked0 #n fact, # don!t

believe that pudding ever )#LL be cooked0 And yet it was a very clever pudding to invent.!

9)hat did you mean it to be made of;! Alice asked, hoping to cheer him up, for the poor Knight seemed /uitelow%spirited about it.

#t began with blotting paper,! the Knight answered with a groan.

9That wouldn!t be very nice, #!m afraid %% !

9'ot very nice ALO'E,! he interrupted, /uite eagerly 9but you!ve no idea what a difference it makes mi$ing itwith other things %% such as gunpowder and sealing%wa$. And here # must leave you.! They had (ust come to theend of the wood.

Alice could only look pu@@led she was thinking of the pudding.

9:ou are sad,! the Knight said in an an$ious tone 9let me sing you a song to comfort you.!

9#s it very long;! Alice asked, for she had heard a good deal of poetry that day.



9#t!s long,! said the Knight, 9but very, "E3: beautiful. Everybody that hears me sing it %% either it brings theTEA3& into their eyes, or else %% !

9Or else what;! said Alice, for the Knight had made a sudden pause.

9Or else it doesn!t, you know. The name of the song is called >+A O2K&! E:E&.>!

9Oh, that!s the name of the song, is it;! Alice said, trying to feel interested.

9'o, you don!t understand,! the Knight said, looking a little ve$ed. 9That!s what the name is 2ALLE . Thename really #& >T+E A*E A*E <A'.>!

9Then # ought to have said >That!s what the &O'* is called>;! Alice corrected herself.

9'o, you oughtn!t that!s /uite another thing0 The &O'* is called >)A:& A' <EA'&> but that!s only whatit!s 2ALLE , you know0!

9)ell, what #& the song, then;! said Alice, who was by this time completely bewildered.

9# was coming to that,! the Knight said. 9The song really #& >A%&#TT#'* O' A *ATE> and the tune!s my owninvention.!

&o saying, he stopped his horse and let the reins fall on its neck then, slowly beating time with one hand, andwith a faint smile lighting up his gentle foolish face, as if he en(oyed the music of his song, he began.

Of all the strange things that Alice saw in her (ourney Through The Looking%*lass, this was the one that shealways remembered most clearly. :ears afterwards she could bring the whole scene back again, as if it had beenonly yesterday %% the mild blue eyes and kindly smile of the Knight %% the setting sun gleaming through his hair,and shining on his armour in a bla@e of light that /uite da@@led her %% the horse /uietly moving about, with thereins hanging loose on his neck, cropping the grass at her feet %% and the black shadows of the forest behind %% allthis she took in like a picture, as, with one hand shading her eyes, she leant against a green, watching the strange

pair, and listening, in a half dream, to the melancholy music of the song.

9-ut the tune #&'!T his own invention,! she said to herself 9it!s ># *#"E T+EE ALL, # 2A' 'O <O3E.>! &hestood and listened very attentively, but no tears came into her eyes.

9#!ll tell thee everything # can8 There!s little to relate. # saw an aged aged man, A%sitting on a gate. >)ho areyou, aged man;! # said. >and how is it you live;> And his answer trickled through my head Like water through asieve.

+e said ># look for butterflies That sleep among the wheat # make them into mutton%pies, And sell them in thestreet. # sell them unto men,! he said, >)ho sail on stormy seas8 And that!s the way # get my bread %% A trifle, ifyou please.>

-ut # was thinking of a plan To dye one!s whiskers green, And always use so large a fan That they could not beseen. &o, having no reply to give To what the old man said, # cried, >2ome, tell me how you live0> And thumpedhim on the head.

+is accents mild took up the tale +e said ># go my ways, And when # find a mountain%rill, # set it in a bla@e8And thence they make a stuff they call 3olands! <acassar Oil %% :et twopence%halfpenny is all They give me formy toil.>

-ut # was thinking of a way To feed oneself on batter, And so go on from day to day *etting a little fatter. #shook him well from side to side, 4ntil his face was blue >2ome, tell me how you live,> # cried, >And what it isyou do0>



+e said ># hunt for haddocks! eyes Among the heather bright, And work them into waistcoat%buttons #n thesilent night. And these # do not sell for gold Or coin of silvery shine -ut for a copper halfpenny, And that will

purchase nine.

># sometimes dig for buttered rolls, Or set limed twigs for crabs8 # sometimes search the grassy knolls orwheels of +ansom%cabs. And that!s the way> 6he gave a wink7 >-y which # get my wealth %% And very gladly will# drink :our +onour!s noble health.>

# heard him then, for # had (ust 2ompleted my design To keep the <enai bridge from rust -y boiling it inwine. # thanked much for telling me The way he got his wealth, -ut chiefly for his wish that he <ight drink mynoble health.

And not, if e!er by chance # put <y fingers into glue Or madly s/uee@e a right%hand foot #nto a left%hand shoe,Or if # drop upon my toe A very heavy weight, # weep, for it reminds me so, Of that old man # used to know %%

)hose look was mild, whose speech was slow, )hose hair was whiter than the snow, )hose face was verylike a crow, )ith eyes, like cinders, all aglow, )ho seemed distracted with his woe, )ho rocked his body to andfro, And muttered mumblingly and low, As if his mouth were full of dough, )ho snorted like a buffalo %% Thatsummer evening, long ago, A%sitting on a gate.! As the Knight sang the last words of the ballad, he gathered up

the reins, and turned his horse!s head along the road by which they had come. 9:ou!ve only a few yards to go,! hesaid,! down the hill and over that little brook, and then you!ll be a ?ueen % %-ut you!ll stay and see me off first;!he added as Alice turned with an eager look in the direction to which he pointed. 9# shan!t be long. :ou!ll waitand wave your handkerchief when # get to that turn in the road; # think it!ll encourage me, you see.!

9Of course #!ll wait,! said Alice 9and thank you very much for coming so far %% and for the song %% # liked itvery much.!

9# hope so,! the Knight said doubtfully 9but you didn!t cry so much as # thought you would.!

&o they shook hands, and then the Knight rode slowly away into the forest. 9#t won!t take long to see him O ,# e$pect,! Alice said to herself, as she stood watching him. 9There he goes0 3ight on his head as usual0 +owever,he gets on again pretty easily %% that comes of having so many things hung round the horse %% ! &o she went ontalking to herself, as she watched the horse walking leisurely along the road, and the Knight tumbling off, first onone side and then on the other. After the fourth or fifth tumble he reached the turn, and then she waved herhandkerchief to him, and waited till he was out of sight.

9# hope it encouraged him,! she said, as he turned to run down the hill 9and now for the last brook, and to be a?ueen0 +ow grand it sounds0! A very few steps brought her to the edge of the brook. 9The Eighth &/uare at last0!she cried as she bounded across,

B B B B B B B

B B B B B B

B B B B B B B

and threw herself down to rest on a lawn as soft as moss, with little flower%beds dotted about it here and there.9Oh, how glad # am to get here0 And what #& this on my head;! she e$claimed in a tone of dismay, as she put herhands up to something very heavy, and fitted tight all round her head.

9-ut how 2A' it have got there without my knowing it;! she said to herself, as she lifted it off, and set it on

her lap to make out what it could possibly be. #t was a golden crown.

2+A1TE3 #I



?ueen Alice

9)ell, this #& grand0! said Alice. 9# never e$pected # should be a ?ueen so soon %% and #!ll tell you what it is,your ma(esty,! she went on in a severe tone 6she was always rather fond of scolding herself7, 9it!ll never do foryou to be lolling about on the grass like that0 ?ueens have to be dignified, you know0!

&o she got up and walked about %% rather stiffly (ust at first, as she was afraid that the crown might come off but she comforted herself with the thought that there was nobody to see her, 9and if # really am a ?ueen,! she said

as she sat down again, 9# shall be able to manage it /uite well in time.!

Everything was happening so oddly that she didn!t feel a bit surprised at finding the 3ed ?ueen and the )hite?ueen sitting close to her, one on each side she would have like very much to ask them how they came there,

but she feared it would not be /uite civil. +owever, there would be no harm, she thought, in asking if the gamewas over. 91lease, would you tell me %% ! she began, looking timidly at the 3ed ?ueen.

9&peak when you!re spoken to0! The ?ueen sharply interrupted her.

9-ut if everybody obeyed that rule,! said Alice, who was always ready for a little argument, 9and if you onlyspoke when you were spoken to, and the other person always waited for :O4 to begin, you see nobody would

ever say anything, so that %% !

93idiculous0! cried the ?ueen. 9)hy, don!t you see, child %% ! here she broke off with a frown, and, afterthinking for a minute, suddenly changed the sub(ect of the conversation. 9)hat do you mean by 9#f you really area ?ueen>; )hat right have you to all yourself so; :ou can!t be a ?ueen, you know, till you!ve passed the propere$amination. And the sooner we begin it, the better.!

9# only said >if>0! poor Alice pleaded in a piteous tone.

The two ?ueens looked at each other, and the 3ed ?ueen remarked, with a little shudder, 9&he &A:& she onlysaid >if> % !

9-ut she said a great deal more than that0! the )hite ?ueen moaned, wringing her hands. 9Oh, ever so muchmore than that0!

9&o you did, you know,! the 3ed ?ueen said to Alice. 9Always speak the truth %% think before you speak %% andwrite it down afterwards.!

9#!m sure # didn!t mean %% ! Alice was beginning, but the 3ed ?ueen interrupted her impatiently.

9That!s (ust what # complain of0 :ou &+O4L have meant0 )hat do you suppose is the use of child withoutany meaning; Even a (oke should have some meaning %% and a child!s more important than a (oke, # hope. :oucouldn!t deny that, even if you tried with both hands.!

9# don!t deny things with my +A' &,! Alice ob(ected.

9'obody said you did,! said the 3ed ?ueen. 9# said you couldn!t if you tried.!

9&he!s in that state of mind,! said the )hite ?ueen, 9that she wants to deny &O<ET+#'* %% only she doesn!tknow what to deny0!

9A nasty, vicious temper,! the 3ed ?ueen remarked8 and then there was an uncomfortable silence for a minute

or two. The 3ed ?ueen broke the silence by saying to the )hite ?ueen, 9# invite you to Alice!s dinner%party thisafternoon.!

The )hite ?ueen smiled feebly, and said 9And # invite :O4.!



9# didn!t know # was to have a party at all,! said Alice8 9but if there is to be one, # think # ought to invite theguests.!

9)e gave you the opportunity of doing it,! the 3ed ?ueen remarked 9but # daresay you!ve not had manylessons in manners yet;!

9<anners are not taught in lessons,! said Alice. 9Lessons teach you to do sums, and things of that sort.!

9And you do Addition;! the )hite ?ueen asked. 9)hat!s one and one and one and one and one and one andone and one and one and one;!

9# don!t know,! said Alice. 9# lost count.!

9&he can!t do Addition,! the 3ed ?ueen interrupted. 92an you do &ubtraction; Take nine from eight.!

9'ine from eight # can!t, you know,! Alice replied very readily 9but %% !

9&he can!t do &ubtraction,! said the )hite ?ueen. 92an you do ivision; ivide a loaf by a knife %% what!s the

answer to that;!

9# suppose %% ! Alice was beginning, but the 3ed ?ueen answered for her. 9-read%and%butter, of course. Tryanother &ubtraction sum. Take a bone from a dog what remains;!

Alice considered. 9The bone wouldn!t remain, of course, if # took it %% and the dog wouldn!t remain8 it wouldcome to bite me %% and #!m sure # shouldn!t remain0!

9Then you think nothing would remain;! said the 3ed ?ueen.

9# think that!s the answer.!

9)rong, as usual,! said the 3ed ?ueen 9the dog!s temper would remain.!

9-ut # don!t see how %% !

9)hy, look here0! the 3ed ?ueen cried. 9The dog would lose its temper, wouldn!t it;!

91erhaps it would,! Alice replied cautiously.

9Then if the dog went away, its temper would remain0! the ?ueen e$claimed triumphantly.

Alice said, as gravely as she could, 9They might go different ways.! -ut she couldn!t help thinking to herself,9)hat dreadful nonsense we A3E talking0!

9&he can!t do sums a -#T0! the ?ueens said together, with great emphasis.

92an :O4 do sums;! Alice said, turning suddenly on the )hite ?ueen, for she didn!t like being found faultwith so much.

The ?ueen gasped and shut her eyes. 9# can do Addition,! 9if you give me time %% but # can do &ubtraction,under A': circumstances0!

9Of course you know your A - 2;! said the 3ed ?ueen.

9To be sure # do.! said Alice.



9&o do #,! the )hite ?ueen whispered 9we!ll often say it over together, dear. And #!ll tell you a secret %% # canread words of one letter0 #sn!t T+AT grand0 +owever, don!t be discouraged. :ou!ll come to it in time.!

+ere the 3ed ?ueen began again. 92an you answer useful /uestions;! she said. 9+ow is bread made;!

9# know T+AT0! Alice cried eagerly. 9:ou take some flour %% !

9)here do you pick the flower;! the )hite ?ueen asked. 9#n a garden, or in the hedges;!

9)ell, it isn!t 1#2KE at all,! Alice e$plained 9it!s *3O4' %% !

9+ow many acres of ground;! said the )hite ?ueen. 9:ou mustn!t leave out so many things.!

9 an her head0! the 3ed ?ueen an$iously interrupted. 9&he!ll be feverish after so much thinking.! &o they set towork and fanned her with bunches of leaves, till she had to beg them to leave off, it blew her hair about so.

9&he!s all right again now,! said the 3ed ?ueen. 9 o you know Languages; )hat!s the rench for fiddle%de%dee;!

9 iddle%de%dee!s not English,! Alice replied gravely.

9)ho ever said it was;! said the 3ed ?ueen.

Alice thought she saw a way out of the difficulty this time. 9#f you!ll tell me what language >fiddle%de%dee> is,#!ll tell you the rench for it0! she e$claimed triumphantly.

-ut the 3ed ?ueen drew herself up rather stiffly, and said 9?ueens never make bargains.!

9# wish ?ueens never asked /uestions,! Alice thought to herself.

9 on!t let us /uarrel,! the )hite ?ueen said in an an$ious tone. 9)hat is the cause of lightning;!

9The cause of lightning,! Alice said very decidedly, for she felt /uite certain about this, 9is the thunder %% no,no0! she hastily corrected herself. 9# meant the other way.!

9#t!s too late to correct it,! said the 3ed ?ueen 9when you!ve once said a thing, that fi$es it, and you must takethe conse/uences.!

9)hich reminds me %% ! the )hite ?ueen said, looking down and nervously clasping and unclasping her hands,9we had &42+ a thunderstorm last Tuesday %% # mean one of the last set of Tuesdays, you know.!

Alice was pu@@led. 9#n O43 country,! she remarked, 9there!s only one day at a time.!

The 3ed ?ueen said, 9That!s a poor thin way of doing things. 'ow +E3E, we mostly have days and nightstwo or three at a time, and sometimes in the winter we take as many as five nights together %% for warmth, youknow.!

9Are five nights warmer than one night, then;! Alice ventured to ask.

9 ive times as warm, of course.!

9-ut they should be five times as 2OL , by the same rule %% ! 9=ust so0! cried the 3ed ?ueen. 9 ive times as warm, A' five times as cold %% (ust as #!m five times as rich asyou are, A' five times as clever0!

Alice sighted and gave it up. 9#t!s e$actly like a riddle with no answer0! she thought.



The snoring got more distinct every minute, and sounded more like a tune at last she could even make out thewords, and she listened so eagerly that, when the two great heads vanished from her lap, she hardly missed them.

&he was standing before an arched doorway over which were the words ?4EE' AL#2E in large letters, andon each side of the arch there was a bell%handle8 one was marked 9"isitors! -ell,! and the other 9&ervants! -ell.!

9#!ll wait till the song!s over,! thought Alice, 9and then #!ll ring %% the %% )+#2+ bell must # ring;! she went on,very much pu@@led by the names. 9#!m not a visitor, and #!m not a servant. There O4*+T to be one marked

>?ueen,> you know %% !

=ust then the door opened a little way, and a creature with a long beak put its head out for a moment and said9'o admittance till the week after ne$t0! and shut the door again with a bang.

Alice knocked and rang in vain for a long time, but at last, a very old rog, who was sitting under a tree, gotup and hobbled slowly towards her he was dressed in bright yellow, and had enormous boots on.

9)hat is it, now;! the rog said in a deep hoarse whisper.

Alice turned round, ready to find fault with anybody. 9)here!s the servant whose business it is to answer the

door;! she began angrily.

9)hich door;! said the rog.

Alice almost stamped with irritation at the slow drawl in which he spoke. 9T+#& door, of course0!

The rog looked at the door with his large dull eyes for a minute then he went nearer and rubbed it with histhumb, as if he were trying whether the paint would come off8 then he looked at Alice.

9To answer the door;! he said. 9)hat!s it been asking of;! +e was so hoarse that Alice could scarcely hear him.

9# don!t know what you mean,! she said.

9# talks English, doesn!t #;! the rog went on. 9Or are you deaf; )hat did it ask you;!

9'othing0! Alice said impatiently. 9#!ve been knocking at it0!

9&houldn!t do that %% shouldn!t do that %% ! the rog muttered. 9)e$es it, you know.! Then he went up and gavethe door a kick with one of his great feet. 9:ou let #T alone,! he panted out, as he hobbled back to his tree, 9andit!ll let :O4 alone, you know.!

At this moment the door was flung open, and a shrill voice was heard singing

9To the Looking%*lass world it was Alice that said, >#!ve a sceptre in hand, #!ve a crown on my head8 Let theLooking%*lass creatures, whatever they be, 2ome and dine with the 3ed ?ueen, the )hite ?ueen, and me.>!

And hundreds of voices (oined in the chorus

9Then fill up the glasses as /uick as you can, And sprinkle the table with buttons and bran 1ut cats in thecoffee, and mice in the tea %% And welcome ?ueen Alice with thirty%times%three0!

Then followed a confused noise of cheering, and Alice thought to herself, 9Thirty times three makes ninety. #

wonder if any one!s counting;! #n a minute there was silence again, and the same shrill voice sang another verse8 9>O Looking%*lass creatures,> /uothe Alice, >draw near0 !Tis and honour to see me, a favour to hear !Tis a

privilege high to have dinner and tea Along with the 3ed ?ueen, the )hite ?ueen, and me0>!

Then came the chorus again %%



9Then fill up the glasses with treacle and ink, Or anything else that is pleasant to drink <i$ sand with thecider, and wool with the wine %% And welcome ?ueen Alice with ninety%times%nine0!

9'inety times nine0! Alice repeated in despair, 9Oh, that!ll never be done0 #!d better go in at once %% ! and therewas a dead silence the moment she appeared.

Alice glanced nervously along the table, as she walked up the large hall, and noticed that there were about fifty

/uests, of all kinds some were animals, some birds, and there were even a few flowers among them. 9#!m gladthey!ve come without waiting to be asked,! she thought 9# should never have known who were the right people toinvite0!

There were three chairs at the head of the table8 the 3ed and )hite ?ueens had already taken two of them, butthe middle one was empty. Alice sat down in it, rather uncomfortable in the silence, and longing for some one tospeak.

At last the 3ed ?ueen began. 9:ou!ve missed the soup and fish,! she said. 91ut on the (oint0! And the waiters seta leg of mutton before Alice, who looked at it rather an$iously, as she had never had to carve a (oint before.

9:ou look a little shy8 let me introduce you to that leg of mutton,! said the 3ed ?ueen. 9Alice %% <utton8<utton %% Alice.! The leg of mutton got up in the dish and made a little bow to Alice8 and Alice returned the bow,not knowing whether to be frightened or amused.

9<ay # give you a slice;! she said, taking up the knife and fork, and looking from one ?ueen to the other.

92ertainly not,! the 3ed ?ueen, very decidedly 9it isn!t eti/uette to cut any one you!ve been introduced to.3emove the (oint0! And the waiters carried it off, and brought a large plum%pudding in its place.

9# won!t be introduced to the pudding, please,! Alice said rather hastily, 9or shall we get no dinner at all. <ay #give you some;!

-ut the 3ed ?ueen looked sulky, and growled 91udding %% Alice8 Alice %% 1udding. 3emove the pudding0! andthe waiters took it always so /uickly that Alice couldn!t return its bow.

+owever, she didn!t see why the 3ed ?ueen should be the only one to give orders, so, as an e$periment, shecalled out 9)aiter0 -ring back the pudding0! and there it was again in a moment like a con(uring%trick. #t was solarge that she couldn!t help feeling a L#TTLE shy with it, as she had been with the mutton8 however, shecon/uered her shyness by a great effort and cut a slice and handed it to the 3ed ?ueen.

9)hat impertinence0! said the 1udding. 9# wonder how you!d like it, if # were to cut a slice out of :O4, youcreature0!

9#t spoke in a thick, suety sort of voice, and Alice hadn!t a word to say in reply she could only sit and look at itand gasp.

9<ake a remark,! said the 3ed ?ueen 9it!s ridiculous to leave all the conversation to the pudding0!

9 o you know, #!ve had such a /uantity of poetry repeated to me to%day,! Alice began, a little frightened atfinding that, the moment she opened her lips, there was dead silence, and all eyes were fi$ed upon her8 9and it!s avery curious thing, # think %% every poem was about fishes in some way. o you know why they!re so fond offishes, all about here;!

&he spoke to the 3ed ?ueen, whose answer was a little wide of the mark. 9As to fishes,! she said, very slowlyand solemnly, putting her mouth close to Alice!s ear, 9her )hite <a(esty knows a lovely riddle %% all in poetry %%all about fishes. &hall she repeat it;!



9+er 3ed <a(esty!s very kind to mention it,! the )hite ?ueen murmured into Alice!s other ear, in a voice likethe cooing of a pigeon. 9#t would be &42+ a treat0 <ay #;!

91lease do,! Alice said very politely.

The )hite ?ueen laughed with delight, and stroked Alice!s cheek. Then she began

9> irst, the fish must be caught.! That is easy a baby, # think, could have caught it. >'e$t, the fish must be

bought.! That is easy a penny, # think, would have bought it.

>'ow cook me the fish0! That is easy, and will not take more than a minute. Let it lie in a dish0> That is easy, because it already is in it.

>-ring it here0 Let me sup0> #t is easy to set such a dish on the table. >Take the dish%cover up0! Ah, T+AT is sohard that # fear #!m unable0

or it holds it like glue %% +olds the lid to the dish, while it lies in the middle )hich is easiest to do, 4n%dish%cover the fish, or dishcover the riddle;!

9Take a minute to think about it, and then guess,! said the 3ed ?ueen. 9<eanwhile, we!ll drink your health %%?ueen Alice!s health0! she screamed at the top of her voice, and all the guests began drinking it directly, and very/ueerly they managed it some of them put their glasses upon their heads like e$tinguishers, and drank all thattrickled down their faces %% others upset the decanters, and drank the wine as it ran off the edges of the table %%and three of them 6who looked like kangaroos7 scrambled into the dish of roast mutton, and began eagerlylapping up the gravy, 9(ust like pigs in a trough0! thought Alice.

9:ou ought to return thanks in a neat speech,! the 3ed ?ueen said, frowning at Alice as she spoke.

9)e must support you, you know,! the )hite ?ueen whispered, as Alice got up to do it, very obediently, but alittle frightened.

9Thank you very much,! she whispered in reply, 9but # can do /uite well without.!

9That wouldn!t be at all the thing,! the 3ed ?ueen said very decidedly so Alice tried to submit to it with agood grace.

6And they # push so0! she said afterwards, when she was telling her sister the history of the feast. 9:ouwould have thought they wanted to s/uee@e me flat0!7

#n fact it was rather difficult for her to keep in her place while she made her speech the two ?ueens pushedher so, one on each side, that they nearly lifted her up into the air 9# rise to return thanks %% ! Alice began and shereally # rise as she spoke, several inches8 but she got hold of the edge of the table, and managed to pullherself down again.

9Take care of yourself0! screamed the )hite ?ueen, sei@ing Alice!s hair with both her hands. 9&omething!sgoing to happen0!

And then 6as Alice afterwards described it7 all sorts of thing happened in a moment. The candles all grew up tothe ceiling, looking something like a bed of rushes with fireworks at the top. As to the bottles, they each took a

pair of plates, which they hastily fitted on as wings, and so, with forks for legs, went fluttering about in alldirections 9and very like birds they look,! Alice thought to herself, as well as she could in the dreadful confusion

that was beginning. At this moment she heard a hoarse laugh at her side, and turn to see what was the matter with the )hite?ueen8 but, instead of the ?ueen, there was the leg of mutton sitting in the chair. 9+ere # am0! cried a voice fromthe soup tureen, and Alice turned again, (ust in time to see the ?ueen!s broad good%natured face grinning at thefor a moment over the edge of the tureen, before she disappeared into the soup.



There was not a moment to be lost. Already several of the guests were lying down in the dishes, and the soupladle was walking up the table towards Alice!s chair, and beckoning to her impatiently to get out of its way.

9# can!t stand this any longer0! she cried as she (umped up and sei@ed the table%cloth with both hands one good pull, and plates, dishes, guests, and candles came crashing down together in a heap on the floor.

9And as for :O4,! she went on, turning fiercly upon the 3ed ?ueen, who she considered as the cause of all the

mischief %% but the ?ueen was no longer at her side %% she had suddenly dwindled down to the si@e of a little doll,and was now on the table, merrily running round and round after her own shawl, which was trailing behind her.

At any other time, Alice would have felt surprised at this, but she was far too much e$cited to be surprised atanything 'O). 9As for :O4,! she repeated, catching hold of the little creature in the very act of (umping over a

bottle which had (ust lighted upon the table, 9#!ll shake you into a kitten, that # will0!

2+A1TE3 I

&haking

&he took her off the table as she spoke, and shook her backwards and forwards with all her might.

The 3ed ?ueen made no resistance whatever8 only her face grew very small, and her eyes got large and greenand still, as Alice went on shaking her, she kept on growing shorter %% and fatter %% and softer %% and rounder %%and %%

2+A1TE3 I#

)aking

%% and it really )A& a kitten, after all.

2+A1TE3 I##

)hich reamed it;

9:our ma(esty shouldn!t purr so loud,! Alice said, rubbing her eyes, and addressing the kitten, respectfully, yetwith some severity. 9:ou woke me out of oh0 such a nice dream0 And you!ve been along with me, Kitty %% allthrough the Looking%*lass world. id you know it, dear;!

#t is a very inconvenient habit of kittens 6Alice had once made the remark7 that, whatever you say to them,they Always purr. 9#f them would only purr for >yes> and mew for >no,> or any rule of that sort,! she had said, 9sothat one could keep up a conversation0 -ut how 2A' you talk with a person if they always say the same thing;!

On this occasion the kitten only purred and it was impossible to guess whether it meant 9yes! or 9no.!

&o Alice hunted among the chessmen on the table till she had found the 3ed ?ueen then she went down onher knees on the hearth%rug, and put the kitten and the ?ueen to look at each other. >'ow, Kitty0! she cried,clapping her hands triumphantly. 92onfess that was what you turned into0!

69-ut it wouldn!t look at it,! she said, when she was e$plaining the thing afterwards to her sister 9it turnedaway its head, and pretended not to see it but it looked a L#TTLE ashamed of itself, so # think it <4&T have

been the 3ed ?ueen.!7 9&it up a little more stiffly, dear0! Alice cried with a merry laugh. 9And curtsey while you!re thinking what to %%what to purr. #t saves time, remember0! And she caught it up and gave it one little kiss, 9(ust in honour of having

been a 3ed ?ueen.!



9&nowdrop, my pet0! she went on, looking over her shoulder at the )hite Kitten, which was still patientlyundergoing its toilet, 9when )#LL inah have finished with your )hite <a(esty, # wonder; That must be thereason you were so untidy in my dream % % inah0 do you know that you!re scrubbing a )hite ?ueen; 3eally, it!smost disrespectful of you0

9And what did #'A+ turn to, # wonder;! she prattled on, as she settled comfortably down, with one elbow inthe rug, and her chin in her hand, to watch the kittens. 9Tell me, inah, did you turn to +umpty umpty; #T+#'K you did %% however, you!d better not mention it to your friends (ust yet, for #!m not sure.

9-y the way, Kitty, of only you!d been really with me in my dream, there was one thing you )O4L haveen(oyed %% # had such a /uantity of poetry said to me, all about fishes0 To%morrow morning you shall have a realtreat. All the time you!re eating your breakfast, #!ll repeat >The )alrus and the 2arpenter> to you8 and then youcan make believe it!s oysters, dear0

9'ow, Kitty, let!s consider who it was that dreamed it all. This is a serious /uestion, my dear, and you should 'OT go on licking your paw like that %% as if inah hadn!t washed you this morning0 :ou see, Kitty, it <4&Thave been either me or the 3ed King. +e was part of my dream, of course %% but then # was part of his dream,too0 )A& it the 3ed King, Kitty. :ou were his wife, my dear, so you ought to know %% Oh, Kitty, O help tosettle it0 #!m sure your paw can wait0! -ut the provoking kitten only began on the other paw, and pretended it

hadn!t heard the /uestion.

)hich do :O4 think it was;

%%%

A boat beneath a sunny sky, Lingering onward dreamily #n an evening of =uly %%

2hildren three that nestle near, Eager eye and willing ear, 1leased a simple tale to hear %%

Long had paled that sunny sky Echoes fade and memories die. Autumn frosts have slain =uly.

&till she haunts me, phantomwise, Alice moving under skies 'ever seen by waking eyes.

2hildren yet, the tale to hear, Eager eye and willing ear, Lovingly shall nestle near.

#n a )onderland they lie, reaming as the days go by, reaming as the summers die

Ever drifting down the stream %% Lingering in the golden gleam %% Life, what is it but a dream;

T+E E'

the enchanted knife story

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