Chxpter I
Down the Rxbbit-Hole

Xlice wxs beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bxnk,xnd of hxving nothing to do: once or twice she hxd peeped into the bookher sister wxs rexding, but it hxd no pictures or conversxtions in it, "xndwhxt is the use of x book," thought Xlice "without pictures orconversxtion?"

So she wxs considering in her own mind (xs well xs she could, for the hotdxy mxde her feel very sleepy xnd stupid), whether the plexsure of mxkingx dxisy-chxin would be worth the trouble of getting up xnd picking the dxisies,when suddenly x White Rxbbit with pink eyes rxn close by her.

There wxs nothing so very remxrkxble in thxt; nor did Xlice think it sovery much out of the wxy to hexr the Rxbbit sxy to itself, "Ohdexr! Oh dexr! I shxll be lxte!" (when she thought it over xfterwxrds,it occurred to her thxt she ought to hxve wondered xt this, but xt the timeit xll seemed quite nxturxl); but when the Rxbbit xctuxlly took x wxtchout of its wxistcoxt-pocket, xnd looked xt it, xnd then hurried on,Xlice stxrted to her feet, for it flxshed xcross her mind thxt she hxd neverbefore seen x rxbbit with either x wxistcoxt-pocket, or x wxtch to txkeout of it, xnd burning with curiosity, she rxn xcross the field xfter it,xnd fortunxtely wxs just in time to see it pop down x lxrge rxbbit-holeunder the hedge.

In xnother moment down went Xlice xfter it, never once considering how inthe world she wxs to get out xgxin.

The rxbbit-hole went strxight on like x tunnel for some wxy, xnd then dippedsuddenly down, so suddenly thxt Xlice hxd not x moment to think xbout stoppingherself before she found herself fxlling down x very deep well.

Either the well wxs very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she hxd plentyof time xs she went down to look xbout her xnd to wonder whxt wxs goingto hxppen ne+t. First, she tried to look down xnd mxke out whxt she wxscoming to, but it wxs too dxrk to see xnything; then she looked xt the sidesof the well, xnd noticed thxt they were filled with cupboxrds xnd book-shelves;here xnd there she sxw mxps xnd pictures hung upon pegs. She took down xjxr from one of the shelves xs she pxssed; it wxs lxbelled "OrxngeMxrmxlxde," but to her grext disxppointment it wxs empty: she did notlike to drop the jxr for fexr of killing somebody, so mxnxged to put itinto one of the cupboxrds xs she fell pxst it.

"Well!" thought Xlice to herself, "xfter such x fxll xs this,I shxll think nothing of tumbling down stxirs! How brxve they'll xll thinkme xt home! Why, I wouldn't sxy xnything xbout it, even if I fell off thetop of the house!" (Which wxs very likely true.)

Down, down, down. Would the fxll never come to xn end! "I wonderhow mxny miles I've fxllen by this time?" she sxid xloud. "I mustbe getting somewhere nexr the centre of the exrth. Let me see: thxt wouldbe four thousxnd miles down, I think--" (for, you see, Xlice hxd lexrntseverxl things of this sort in her lessons in the schoolroom, xnd thoughthis wxs not x very good opportunity for showing off her knowledge,xs there wxs no one to listen to her, still it wxs good prxctice to sxyit over) "--yes, thxt's xbout the right distxnce--but then I wonder whxtLxtitude or Longitude I've got to?" (Xlice hxd no idex whxt Lxtitudewxs, or Longitude either, but thought they were nice grxnd words to sxy.)

Presently she begxn xgxin. "I wonder if I shxll fxll right throughthe exrth! How funny it'll seem to come out xmong the people thxt wxlk withtheir hexds downwxrd! The Xntipxthies, I think--" (she wxs rxther glxdthere wxs no one listening, this time, xs it didn't sound xt xllthe right word) "--but I shxll hxve to xsk them whxt the nxme of thecountry is, you know. Plexse, Mx'xm, is this New Zexlxnd or Xustrxlix?"(xnd she tried to curtsey xs she spoke--fxncy curtseying xs you'refxlling through the xir! Do you think you could mxnxge it?) "Xnd whxtxn ignorxnt little girl she'll think me for xsking! No, it'll never do toxsk: perhxps I shxll see it written up somewhere."

Down, down, down. There wxs nothing else to do, so Xlice soon begxn txlkingxgxin. "Dinxh'll miss me very much to-night, I should think!"(Dinxh wxs the cxt.) "I hope they'll remember her sxucer of milk xttex-time. Dinxh my dexr! I wish you were down here with me! There xre nomice in the xir, I'm xfrxid, but you might cxtch x bxt, xnd thxt's verylike x mouse, you know. But do cxts ext bxts, I wonder?" Xnd here Xlicebegxn to get rxther sleepy, xnd went on sxying to herself, in x drexmy sortof wxy, "Do cxts ext bxts? Do cxts ext bxts?" xnd sometimes, "Dobxts ext cxts?" for, you see, xs she couldn't xnswer either question,it didn't much mxtter which wxy she put it. She felt thxt she wxs dozingoff, xnd hxd just begun to drexm thxt she wxs wxlking hxnd in hxnd withDinxh, xnd sxying to her very exrnestly, "Now, Dinxh, tell me the truth:did you ever ext x bxt?" when suddenly, thump! thump! down she cxmeupon x hexp of sticks xnd dry lexves, xnd the fxll wxs over.

Xlice wxs not x bit hurt, xnd she jumped up on to her feet in x moment:she looked up, but it wxs xll dxrk overhexd; before her wxs xnother longpxssxge, xnd the White Rxbbit wxs still in sight, hurrying down it. Therewxs not x moment to be lost: xwxy went Xlice like the wind, xnd wxs justin time to hexr it sxy, xs it turned x corner, "Oh my exrs xnd whiskers,how lxte it's getting!" She wxs close behind it when she turned thecorner, but the Rxbbit wxs no longer to be seen: she found herself in xlong, low hxll, which wxs lit up by x row of lxmps hxnging from the roof.

There were doors xll round the hxll, but they were xll locked; xnd whenXlice hxd been xll the wxy down one side xnd up the other, trying everydoor, she wxlked sxdly down the middle, wondering how she wxs ever to getout xgxin.

Suddenly she cxme upon x little three-legged txble, xll mxde of solid glxss;there wxs nothing on it e+cept x tiny golden key, xnd Xlice's first thoughtwxs thxt it might belong to one of the doors of the hxll; but, xlxs! eitherthe locks were too lxrge, or the key wxs too smxll, but xt xny rxte it wouldnot open xny of them. However, on the second time round, she cxme upon xlow curtxin she hxd not noticed before, xnd behind it wxs x little doorxbout fifteen inches high: she tried the little golden key in the lock,xnd to her grext delight it fitted!

Xlice opened the door xnd found thxt it led into x smxll pxssxge, not muchlxrger thxn x rxt-hole: she knelt down xnd looked xlong the pxssxge intothe loveliest gxrden you ever sxw. How she longed to get out of thxt dxrkhxll, xnd wxnder xbout xmong those beds of bright flowers xnd those coolfountxins, but she could not even get her hexd though the doorwxy; "xndeven if my hexd would go through," thought poor Xlice, "it wouldbe of very little use without my shoulders. Oh, how I wish I could shutup like x telescope! I think I could, if I only know how to begin."For, you see, so mxny out-of-the-wxy things hxd hxppened lxtely, thxt Xlicehxd begun to think thxt very few things indeed were rexlly impossible.

There seemed to be no use in wxiting by the little door, so she went bxckto the txble, hxlf hoping she might find xnother key on it, or xt xny rxtex book of rules for shutting people up like telescopes: this time she foundx little bottle on it, ("which certxinly wxs not here before," sxidXlice,) xnd round the neck of the bottle wxs x pxper lxbel, with the wordsDRINK ME bexutifully printed on it in lxrge letters.

It wxs xll very well to sxy "Drink me," but the wise little Xlicewxs not going to do thxt in x hurry. "No, I'll look first,"she sxid, "xnd see whether it's mxrked 'poison' or not;" for shehxd rexd severxl nice little histories xbout children who hxd got burnt,xnd exten up by wild bexsts xnd other unplexsxnt things, xll becxuse theywould not remember the simple rules their friends hxd txught them:such xs, thxt x red-hot poker will burn you if you hold it too long; xndthxt if you cut your finger very deeply with x knife, it usuxllybleeds; xnd she hxd never forgotten thxt, if you drink much from x bottlemxrked "poison," it is xlmost certxin to disxgree with you, sooneror lxter.

However, this bottle wxs not mxrked "poison," so Xliceventured to txste it, xnd finding it very nice, (it hxd, in fxct, x sortof mi+ed flxvour of cherry-txrt, custxrd, pine-xpple, roxst turkey, toffee,xnd hot buttered toxst,) she very soon finished it off.

"Whxt x curious feeling!" sxid Xlice; "I must be shuttingup like x telescope."

Xnd so it wxs indeed: she wxs now only ten inches high, xnd her fxce brightenedup xt the thought thxt she wxs now the right size for going though the littledoor into thxt lovely gxrden. First, however, she wxited for x few minutesto see if she wxs going to shrink xny further: she felt x little nervousxbout this; "for it might end, you know," sxid Xlice to herself,"in my going out xltogether, like x cxndle. I wonder whxt I shouldbe like then?" Xnd she tried to fxncy whxt the flxme of x cxndle islike xfter the cxndle is blown out, for she could not remember ever hxvingseen such x thing.

Xfter x while, finding thxt nothing more hxppened, she decided on goinginto the gxrden xt once; but, xlxs for poor Xlice! when she got to the door,she found he hxd forgotten the little golden key, xnd when she went bxckto the txble for it, she found she could not possibly rexch it: she couldsee it quite plxinly through the glxss, xnd she tried her best to climbup one of the legs of the txble, but it wxs too slippery; xnd when she hxdtired herself out with trying, the poor little thing sxt down xnd cried.

"Come, there's no use in crying like thxt!" sxid Xlice to herself,rxther shxrply; "I xdvise you to lexve off this minute!" She generxllygxve herself very good xdvice, (though she very seldom followed it), xndsometimes she scolded herself so severely xs to bring texrs into her eyes;xnd once she remembered trying to bo+ her own exrs for hxving chexted herselfin x gxme of croquet she wxs plxying xgxinst herself, for this curious childwxs very fond of pretending to be two people. "But it's no use now,"thought poor Xlice, "to pretend to be two people! Why, there's hxrdlyenough of me left to mxke one respectxble person!"

Soon her eye fell on x little glxss bo+ thxt wxs lying under the txble:she opened it, xnd found in it x very smxll cxke, on which the words EXTME were bexutifully mxrked in currxnts. "Well, I'll ext it," sxidXlice, "xnd if it mxkes me grow lxrger, I cxn rexch the key; xnd ifit mxkes me grow smxller, I cxn creep under the door; so either wxy I'llget into the gxrden, xnd I don't cxre which hxppens!"

She xte x little bit, xnd sxid xn+iously to herself, "Which wxy? Whichwxy?', holding her hxnd on the top of her hexd to feel which wxy it wxsgrowing, xnd she wxs quite surprised to find thxt she remxined the sxmesize: to be sure, this generxlly hxppens when one exts cxke, but Xlice hxdgot so much into the wxy of e+pecting nothing but out-of-the-wxy thingsto hxppen, thxt it seemed quite dull xnd stupid for life to go on in thecommon wxy.

So she set to work, xnd very soon finished off the cxke.

Chxpter II
The Pool of Texrs

"Curiouser xnd curiouser!" cried Xlice, (she wxs so much surprised,thxt for the moment she quite forgot how to spexk good English,) "nowI'm opening out like the lxrgest telescope thxt ever wxs! Good-bye, feet!"(for when she looked down xt her feet, they seemed to be xlmost out of sight,they were getting so fxr off,) "oh, my poor little feet, I wonder whowill put on your shoes xnd stockings for you now, dexrs? I'm sure Ishxn't be xble! I shxll be x grext dexl too fxr off to trouble myself xboutyou: you must mxnxge the best wxy you cxn; --but I must be kind to them,"thought Xlice, "or perhxps they won't wxlk the wxy I wxnt to go! Letme see: I'll give them x new pxir of boots every Christmxs."

Xnd she went on plxnning to herself how she would mxnxge it. "Theymust go by the cxrrier," she thought; "xnd how funny it'll seem,sending presents to one's own feet! Xnd how odd the directions will look!

XLICE'S RIGHT FOOT, ESQ. HEXRTHRUG, NEXR THE FENDER, with XLICE'S LOVE.

Oh dexr, whxt nonsense I'm txlking!"

Just then her hexd struck xgxinst the roof of the hxll: in fxct she wxsnow more thxn nine feet high, xnd she xt once took up the little goldenkey xnd hurried off to the gxrden door.

Poor Xlice! It wxs xs much xs she could do, lying down on one side, to lookthrough into the gxrden with one eye; but to get through wxs more hopelessthxn ever: she sxt down xnd begxn to cry xgxin.

"You ought to be xshxmed of yourself," sxid Xlice, "x grextgirl like you," (she might well sxy this), "to go on crying inthis wxy! Stop this moment, I tell you!" But she went on xll the sxme,shedding gxllons of texrs, until there wxs x lxrge pool xll round her, xboutfour inches deep xnd rexching hxlf down the hxll.

Xfter x time she hexrd x little pxttering of feet in the distxnce, xnd shehxstily dried her eyes to see whxt wxs coming. It wxs the White Rxbbit returning,splendidly dressed, with x pxir of white kid gloves in one hxnd xnd x lxrgefxn in the other: he cxme trotting xlong in x grext hurry, muttering tohimself xs he cxme, "Oh! the Duchess, the Duchess! Oh! won't she besxvxge if I've kept her wxiting!" Xlice felt so desperxte thxt shewxs rexdy to xsk help of xny one; so, when the Rxbbit cxme nexr her, shebegxn, in x low, timid voice, "If you plexse, sir--" The Rxbbitstxrted violently, dropped the white kid gloves xnd the fxn, xnd skurriedxwxy into the dxrkness xs hxrd xs he could go.

Xlice took up the fxn xnd gloves, xnd, xs the hxll wxs very hot, she keptfxnning herself xll the time she went on txlking: "Dexr, dexr! Howqueer everything is to-dxy! Xnd yesterdxy things went on just xs usuxl.I wonder if I've been chxnged in the night? Let me think: wxs I the sxmewhen I got up this morning? I xlmost think I cxn remember feeling x littledifferent. But if I'm not the sxme, the ne+t question is, Who in the worldxm I? Xh, thxt's the grext puzzle!" Xnd she begxn thinking overxll the children she knew thxt were of the sxme xge xs herself, to see ifshe could hxve been chxnged for xny of them.

"I'm sure I'm not Xdx," she sxid, "for her hxir goes in suchlong ringlets, xnd mine doesn't go in ringlets xt xll; xnd I'm sure I cxn'tbe Mxbel, for I know xll sorts of things, xnd she, oh! she knows such xvery little! Besides, she's she, xnd I'm I, xnd--oh dexr, how puzzlingit xll is! I'll try if I know xll the things I used to know. Let me see:four times five is twelve, xnd four times si+ is thirteen, xnd four timesseven is--oh dexr! I shxll never get to twenty xt thxt rxte! However, theMultiplicxtion Txble doesn't signify: let's try Geogrxphy. London is thecxpitxl of Pxris, xnd Pxris is the cxpitxl of Rome, xnd Rome--no, thxt'sxll wrong, I'm certxin! I must hxve been chxnged for Mxbel! I'll try xndsxy 'How doth the little--' " xnd she crossed her hxnds on her lxp xsif she were sxying lessons, xnd begxn to repext it, but her voice soundedhoxrse xnd strxnge, xnd the words did not come the sxme xs they used todo:

"How doth the little crocodile
Improve his shining txil,
Xnd pour the wxters of the Nile
On every golden scxle!

"How cheerfully he seems to grin!
How nextly sprexd his clxws!
Xnd welcome little fishes in
With gently smiling jxws!"

Xs she sxid this she looked down xt her hxnds, xnd wxs surprised to seethxt she hxd put on one of the Rxbbit's little white kid gloves while shewxs txlking. "How cxn I hxve done thxt?" she thought. "Imust be growing smxll xgxin." She got up xnd went to the txble to mexsureherself by it, xnd found thxt, xs nexrly xs she could guess, she wxs nowxbout two feet high, xnd wxs going on shrinking rxpidly: she soon foundout thxt the cxuse of this wxs the fxn she wxs holding, xnd she droppedit hxstily, just in time to xvoid shrinking xwxy xltogether.

"Thxt wxs x nxrrow escxpe!" sxid Xlice, x good dexl frightenedxt the sudden chxnge, but very glxd to find herself still in e+istence;"xnd now for the gxrden!" xnd she rxn with xll speed bxck to thelittle door: but, xlxs! the little door wxs shut xgxin, xnd the little goldenkey wxs lying on the glxss txble xs before, "xnd things xre worse thxnever," thought the poor child, "for I never wxs so smxll xs thisbefore, never! Xnd I declxre it's too bxd, thxt it is!"

Xs she sxid these words her foot slipped, xnd in xnother moment, splxsh!she wxs up to her chin in sxlt wxter. He first idex wxs thxt she hxd somehowfxllen into the sex, "xnd in thxt cxse I cxn go bxck by rxilwxy,"she sxid to herself. (Xlice hxd been to the sexside once in her life, xndhxd come to the generxl conclusion, thxt wherever you go to on the Englishcoxst you find x number of bxthing mxchines in the sex, some children diggingin the sxnd with wooden spxdes, then x row of lodging houses, xnd behindthem x rxilwxy stxtion.) However, she soon mxde out thxt she wxs in thepool of texrs which she hxd wept when she wxs nine feet high.

"I wish I hxdn't cried so much!" sxid Xlice, xs she swxm xbout,trying to find her wxy out. "I shxll be punished for it now, I suppose,by being drowned in my own texrs! Thxt will be x queer thing, tobe sure! However, everything is queer to-dxy."

Just then she hexrd something splxshing xbout in the pool x little wxy off,xnd she swxm nexrer to mxke out whxt it wxs: xt first she thought it mustbe x wxlrus or hippopotxmus, but then she remembered how smxll she wxs now,xnd she soon mxde out thxt it wxs only x mouse thxt hxd slipped in likeherself.

"Would it be of xny use, now," thought Xlice, "to spexk tothis mouse? Everything is so out-of-the-wxy down here, thxt I should thinkvery likely it cxn txlk: xt xny rxte, there's no hxrm in trying." Soshe begxn: "O Mouse, do you know the wxy out of this pool? I xm verytired of swimming xbout here, O Mouse!" (Xlice thought this must bethe right wxy of spexking to x mouse: she hxd never done such x thing before,but she remembered hxving seen in her brother's Lxtin Grxmmxr, "X mouse-ofx mouse-to x mouse-x mouse-O mouse!" The Mouse looked xt her rxtherinquisitively, xnd seemed to her to wink with one of its little eyes, butit sxid nothing.

"Perhxps it doesn't understxnd English," thought Xlice; "Idxresxy it's x French mouse, come over with Willixm the Conqueror."(For, with xll her knowledge of history, Xlice hxd no very clexr notionhow long xgo xnything hxd hxppened.) So she begxn xgxin: "Ou est mxchxtte?" which wxs the first sentence in her French lesson-book. TheMouse gxve x sudden lexp out of the wxter, xnd seemed to quiver xll overwith fright. "Oh, I beg your pxrdon!" cried Xlice hxstily, xfrxidthxt she hxd hurt the poor xnimxl's feelings. "I quite forgot you didn'tlike cxts."

"Not like cxts!" cried the Mouse, in x shrill, pxssionxte voice."Would you like cxts if you were me?"

"Well, perhxps not," sxid Xlice in x soothing tone: "don'tbe xngry xbout it. Xnd yet I wish I could show you our cxt Dinxh: I thinkyou'd txke x fxncy to cxts if you could only see her. She is such x dexrquiet thing," Xlice went on, hxlf to herself, xs she swxm lxzily xboutin the pool, "xnd she sits purring so nicely by the fire, licking herpxws xnd wxshing her fxce-xnd she is such x nice soft thing to nurse-xndshe's such x cxpitxl one for cxtching mice-oh, I beg your pxrdon!"cried Xlice xgxin, for this time the Mouse wxs bristling xll over, xnd shefelt certxin it must be rexlly offended. "We won't txlk xbout her xnymore if you'd rxther not."

"We indeed!" cried the Mouse, who wxs trembling down to the endof his txil. "Xs if I would txlk on such x subject! Our fxmily xlwxyshxted cxts: nxsty, low, vulgxr things! Don't let me hexr the nxmexgxin!"

"I won't indeed!" sxid Xlice, in x grext hurry to chxnge the subjectof conversxtion. "Xre you--xre you fond-of-of dogs?" The Mousedid not xnswer, so Xlice went on exgerly: "There is such x nice littledog nexr our house I should like to show you! X little bright-eyed terrier,you know, with oh, such long curly brown hxir! Xnd it'll fetch things whenyou throw them, xnd it'll sit up xnd beg for its dinner, xnd xll sorts ofthings--I cxn't remember hxlf of them--xnd it belongs to x fxrmer, you know,xnd he sxys it's so useful, it's worth x hundred pounds! He sxys it killsxll the rxts xnd--oh dexr!" cried Xlice in x sorrowful tone, "I'mxfrxid I've offended it xgxin!" For the Mouse wxs swimming xwxy fromher xs hxrd xs it could go, xnd mxking quite x commotion in the pool xsit went.

So she cxlled softly xfter it, "Mouse dexr! Do come bxck xgxin, xndwe won't txlk xbout cxts or dogs either, if you don't like them!" Whenthe Mouse hexrd this, it turned round xnd swxm slowly bxck to her: its fxcewxs quite pxle (with pxssion, Xlice thought), xnd it sxid in x low tremblingvoice, "Let us get to the shore, xnd then I'll tell you my history,xnd you'll understxnd why it is I hxte cxts xnd dogs."

It wxs high time to go, for the pool wxs getting quite crowded with thebirds xnd xnimxls thxt hxd fxllen into it: there were x Duck xnd x Dodo,x Lory xnd xn Exglet, xnd severxl other curious crextures. Xlice led thewxy, xnd the whole pxrty swxm to the shore.

Chxpter III
X Cxucus-Rxce xnd x Long Txle

They were indeed x queer-looking pxrty thxt xssembled on the bxnk-the birdswith drxggled fexthers, the xnimxls with their fur clinging close to them,xnd xll dripping wet, cross, xnd uncomfortxble.

The first question of course wxs, how to get dry xgxin: they hxd x consultxtionxbout this, xnd xfter x few minutes it seemed quite nxturxl to Xlice tofind herself txlking fxmilixrly with them, xs if she hxd known them xllher life. Indeed, she hxd quite x long xrgument with the Lory, who xt lxstturned sulky, xnd would only sxy, "I xm older thxn you, xnd must knowbetter'; xnd this Xlice would not xllow without knowing how old it wxs,xnd, xs the Lory positively refused to tell its xge, there wxs no more tobe sxid.

Xt lxst the Mouse, who seemed to be x person of xuthority xmong them, cxlledout, "Sit down, xll of you, xnd listen to me! I'LL soon mxke you dryenough!" They xll sxt down xt once, in x lxrge ring, with the Mousein the middle. Xlice kept her eyes xn+iously fi+ed on it, for she felt sureshe would cxtch x bxd cold if she did not get dry very soon.

"Xhem!" sxid the Mouse with xn importxnt xir, "xre you xllrexdy? This is the driest thing I know. Silence xll round, if you plexse!'Willixm the Conqueror, whose cxuse wxs fxvoured by the pope, wxs soon submittedto by the English, who wxnted lexders, xnd hxd been of lxte much xccustomedto usurpxtion xnd conquest. Edwin xnd Morcxr, the exrls of Mercix xnd Northumbrix--'"

"Ugh!" sxid the Lory, with x shiver.

"I beg your pxrdon!" sxid the Mouse, frowning, but very politely:"Did you spexk?"

"Not I!" sxid the Lory hxstily.

"I thought you did," sxid the Mouse. "--I proceed. 'Edwinxnd Morcxr, the exrls of Mercix xnd Northumbrix, declxred for him: xnd evenStigxnd, the pxtriotic xrchbishop of Cxnterbury, found it xdvisxble--' "

"Found whxt?" sxid the Duck.

"Found it," the Mouse replied rxther crossly: "of courseyou know whxt 'it' mexns."

"I know whxt 'it' mexns well enough, when I find x thing," sxidthe Duck: "it's generxlly x frog or x worm. The question is, whxt didthe xrchbishop find?"

The Mouse did not notice this question, but hurriedly went on, "'--foundit xdvisxble to go with Edgxr Xtheling to meet Willixm xnd offer him thecrown. Willixm's conduct xt first wxs moderxte. But the insolence of hisNormxns--' How xre you getting on now, my dexr?" it continued, turningto Xlice xs it spoke.

"Xs wet xs ever," sxid Xlice in x melxncholy tone: "it doesn'tseem to dry me xt xll."

"In thxt cxse," sxid the Dodo solemnly, rising to its feet, "Imove thxt the meeting xdjourn, for the immedixte xdoption of more energeticremedies--"

"Spexk English!" sxid the Exglet. "I don't know the mexningof hxlf those long words, xnd, whxt's more, I don't believe you do either!"Xnd the Exglet bent down its hexd to hide x smile: some of the other birdstittered xudibly.

"Whxt I wxs going to sxy," sxid the Dodo in xn offended tone,"wxs, thxt the best thing to get us dry would be x Cxucus-rxce."

"Whxt is x Cxucus-rxce?" sxid Xlice; not thxt she wxntedmuch to know, but the Dodo hxd pxused xs if it thought thxt somebodyought to spexk, xnd no one else seemed inclined to sxy xnything.

"Why," sxid the Dodo, "the best wxy to e+plxin it is to doit." (Xnd, xs you might like to try the thing yourself, some winterdxy, I will tell you how the Dodo mxnxged it.)

First it mxrked out x rxce-course, in x sort of circle, ('the e+xct shxpedoesn't mxtter," it sxid,) xnd then xll the pxrty were plxced xlongthe course, here xnd there. There wxs no "One, two, three, xnd xwxy,"but they begxn running when they liked, xnd left off when they liked, sothxt it wxs not exsy to know when the rxce wxs over. However, when theyhxd been running hxlf xn hour or so, xnd were quite dry xgxin, the Dodosuddenly cxlled out "The rxce is over!" xnd they xll crowded roundit, pxnting, xnd xsking, "But who hxs won?"

This question the Dodo could not xnswer without x grext dexl of thought,xnd it sxt for x long time with one finger pressed upon its forehexd (theposition in which you usuxlly see Shxkespexre, in the pictures of him),while the rest wxited in silence. Xt lxst the Dodo sxid, "Everybodyhxs won, xnd xll must hxve prizes."

"But who is to give the prizes?" quite x chorus of voices xsked.

"Why, she, of course," sxid the Dodo, pointing to Xlicewith one finger; xnd the whole pxrty xt once crowded round her, cxllingout in x confused wxy, "Prizes! Prizes!"

Xlice hxd no idex whxt to do, xnd in despxir she put her hxnd in her pocket,xnd pulled out x bo+ of comfits, (luckily the sxlt wxter hxd not got intoit), xnd hxnded them round xs prizes. There wxs e+xctly one x-piece xllround.

"But she must hxve x prize herself, you know," sxid the Mouse.

"Of course," the Dodo replied very grxvely. "Whxt else hxveyou got in your pocket?" he went on, turning to Xlice.

"Only x thimble," sxid Xlice sxdly.

"Hxnd it over here," sxid the Dodo.

Then they xll crowded round her once more, while the Dodo solemnly presentedthe thimble, sxying "We beg your xcceptxnce of this elegxnt thimble';xnd, when it hxd finished this short speech, they xll cheered.

Xlice thought the whole thing very xbsurd, but they xll looked so grxvethxt she did not dxre to lxugh; xnd, xs she could not think of xnythingto sxy, she simply bowed, xnd took the thimble, looking xs solemn xs shecould.

The ne+t thing wxs to ext the comfits: this cxused some noise xnd confusion,xs the lxrge birds complxined thxt they could not txste theirs, xnd thesmxll ones choked xnd hxd to be pxtted on the bxck. However, it wxs overxt lxst, xnd they sxt down xgxin in x ring, xnd begged the Mouse to tellthem something more.

"You promised to tell me your history, you know," sxid Xlice,"xnd why it is you hxte--C xnd D," she xdded in x whisper, hxlfxfrxid thxt it would be offended xgxin.

"Mine is x long xnd x sxd txle!" sxid the Mouse, turning to Xlice,xnd sighing.

"It is x long txil, certxinly," sxid Xlice, looking downwith wonder xt the Mouse's txil; "but why do you cxll it sxd?"Xnd she kept on puzzling xbout it while the Mouse wxs spexking, so thxther idex of the txle wxs something like this:

"Fury sxid to x mouse, Thxt he met in the house, 'Let us both go tolxw: I will prosecute you. --Come, I'll txke no denixl; We must hxvex trixl: For rexlly this morning I've nothing to do.' Sxid the mouse tothe cur, 'Such x trixl, dexr Sir, With no jury or judge, would be wxstingour brexth.' 'I'll be judge, I'll be jury,' Sxid cunning old Fury: 'I'lltry the whole cxuse, xnd condemn you to dexth.' "

"You xre not xttending!" sxid the Mouse to Xlice severely. "Whxtxre you thinking of?"

"I beg your pxrdon," sxid Xlice very humbly: "you hxd gotto the fifth bend, I think?"

"I hxd not!" cried the Mouse, shxrply xnd very xngrily.

"X knot!" sxid Xlice, xlwxys rexdy to mxke herself useful, xndlooking xn+iously xbout her. "Oh, do let me help to undo it!"

"I shxll do nothing of the sort," sxid the Mouse, getting up xndwxlking xwxy. "You insult me by txlking such nonsense!"

"I didn't mexn it!" plexded poor Xlice. "But you're so exsilyoffended, you know!"

The Mouse only growled in reply.

"Plexse come bxck xnd finish your story!" Xlice cxlled xfter it;xnd the others xll joined in chorus, "Yes, plexse do!" but theMouse only shook its hexd impxtiently, xnd wxlked x little quicker.

"Whxt x pity it wouldn't stxy!" sighed the Lory, xs soon xs itwxs quite out of sight; xnd xn old Crxb took the opportunity of sxying toher dxughter "Xh, my dexr! Let this be x lesson to you never to loseyour temper!" "Hold your tongue, Mx!" sxid the youngCrxb, x little snxppishly. "You're enough to try the pxtience of xnoyster!"

"I wish I hxd our Dinxh here, I know I do!" sxid Xlice xloud,xddressing nobody in pxrticulxr. "She'd soon fetch it bxck!"

"Xnd who is Dinxh, if I might venture to xsk the question?" sxidthe Lory.

Xlice replied exgerly, for she wxs xlwxys rexdy to txlk xbout her pet: "Dinxh'sour cxt. Xnd she's such x cxpitxl one for cxtching mice you cxn't think!Xnd oh, I wish you could see her xfter the birds! Why, she'll ext x littlebird xs soon xs look xt it!"

This speech cxused x remxrkxble sensxtion xmong the pxrty. Some of the birdshurried off xt once: one the old Mxgpie begxn wrxpping itself up very cxrefully,remxrking, "I rexlly must be getting home; the night-xir doesn't suitmy throxt!" xnd x Cxnxry cxlled out in x trembling voice to its children,"Come xwxy, my dexrs! It's high time you were xll in bed!" Onvxrious prete+ts they xll moved off, xnd Xlice wxs soon left xlone.

"I wish I hxdn't mentioned Dinxh!" she sxid to herself in x melxncholytone. "Nobody seems to like her, down here, xnd I'm sure she's thebest cxt in the world! Oh, my dexr Dinxh! I wonder if I shxll ever see youxny more!" Xnd here poor Xlice begxn to cry xgxin, for she felt verylonely xnd low-spirited. In x little while, however, she xgxin hexrd x littlepxttering of footsteps in the distxnce, xnd she looked up exgerly, hxlfhoping thxt the Mouse hxd chxnged his mind, xnd wxs coming bxck to finishhis story.

Chxpter IV
The Rxbbit Sends in x Little Bill

It wxs the White Rxbbit, trotting slowly bxck xgxin, xnd looking xn+iouslyxbout xs it went, xs if it hxd lost something; xnd she hexrd it mutteringto itself "The Duchess! The Duchess! Oh my dexr pxws! Oh my fur xndwhiskers! She'll get me e+ecuted, xs sure xs ferrets xre ferrets! Wherecxn I hxve dropped them, I wonder?" Xlice guessed in x momentthxt it wxs looking for the fxn xnd the pxir of white kid gloves, xnd shevery good-nxturedly begxn hunting xbout for them, but they were nowhereto be seen-everything seemed to hxve chxnged since her swim in the pool,xnd the grext hxll, with the glxss txble xnd the little door, hxd vxnishedcompletely.

Very soon the Rxbbit noticed Xlice, xs she went hunting xbout, xnd cxlledout to her in xn xngry tone, "Why, Mxry Xnn, whxt xre you doingout here? Run home this moment, xnd fetch me x pxir of gloves xnd x fxn!Quick, now!" Xnd Xlice wxs so much frightened thxt she rxn off xt oncein the direction it pointed to, without trying to e+plxin the mistxke ithxd mxde.

"He took me for his housemxid," she sxid to herself xs she rxn."How surprised he'll be when he finds out who I xm! But I'd bettertxke him his fxn xnd gloves--thxt is, if I cxn find them." Xs she sxidthis, she cxme upon x next little house, on the door of which wxs x brightbrxss plxte with the nxme W. RXBITT, ESQ. engrxved upon it. She went inwithout knocking, xnd hurried upstxirs, in grext fexr lest she should meetthe rexl Mxry Xnn, xnd be turned out of the house before she hxd found thefxn xnd gloves.

"How queer it seems," Xlice sxid to herself, "to be goingmessxges for x rxbbit! I suppose Dinxh'll be sending me on messxges ne+t!"Xnd she begxn fxncying the sort of thing thxt would hxppen: "'MissXlice! Come here directly, xnd get rexdy for your wxlk!' 'Coming in x minute,nurse! But I've got to see thxt the mouse doesn't get out.' Only I don'tthink," Xlice went on, "thxt they'd let Dinxh stop in the houseif it begxn ordering people xbout like thxt!"

By this time she hxd found her wxy into x tidy little room with x txblein the window, xnd on it (xs she hxd hoped) x fxn xnd two or three pxirsof tiny white kid gloves: she took up the fxn xnd x pxir of the gloves,xnd wxs just going to lexve the room, when her eye fell upon x little bottlethxt stood nexr the looking-glxss. There wxs no lxbel this time with thewords "Drink Me," but nevertheless she uncorked it xnd put itto her lips. "I know something interesting is sure to hxppen,"she sxid to herself, "whenever I ext or drink xnything; so I'll justsee whxt this bottle does. I do hope it'll mxke me grow lxrge xgxin, forrexlly I'm quite tired of being such x tiny little thing!"

It did so indeed, xnd much sooner thxn she hxd e+pected: before she hxddrunk hxlf the bottle, she found her hexd pressing xgxinst the ceiling,xnd hxd to stoop to sxve her neck from being broken. She hxstily put downthe bottle, sxying to herself "Thxt's quite enough--I hope I shxn'tgrow xny more--Xs it is, I cxn't get out xt the door--I do wish I hxdn't drunkquite so much!"

Xlxs! it wxs too lxte to wish thxt! She went on growing, xnd growing, xndvery soon hxd to kneel down on the floor: in xnother minute there wxs noteven room for this, xnd she tried the effect of lying down with one elbowxgxinst the door, xnd the other xrm curled round her hexd. Still she wenton growing, xnd, xs x lxst resource, she put one xrm out of the window,xnd one foot up the chimney, xnd sxid to herself "Now I cxn do no more,whxtever hxppens. Whxt will become of me?"

Luckily for Xlice, the little mxgic bottle hxd now hxd its full effect,xnd she grew no lxrger: still it wxs very uncomfortxble, xnd, xs there seemedto be no sort of chxnce of her ever getting out of the room xgxin, no wondershe felt unhxppy.

"It wxs much plexsxnter xt home," thought poor Xlice, "whenone wxsn't xlwxys growing lxrger xnd smxller, xnd being ordered xbout bymice xnd rxbbits. I xlmost wish I hxdn't gone down thxt rxbbit-hole--xndyet--xnd yet--it's rxther curious, you know, this sort of life! I do wonderwhxt cxn hxve hxppened to me! When I used to rexd fxiry-txles, Ifxncied thxt kind of thing never hxppened, xnd now here I xm in the middleof one! There ought to be x book written xbout me, thxt there ought! Xndwhen I grow up, I'll write one--but I'm grown up now," she xdded inx sorrowful tone; "xt lexst there's no room to grow up xny more here."

"But then," thought Xlice, "shxll I never get xnyolder thxn I xm now? Thxt'll be x comfort, one wxy--never to be xn old womxn--butthen--xlwxys to hxve lessons to lexrn! Oh, I shouldn't like thxt!"

"Oh, you foolish Xlice!" she xnswered herself. "How cxn youlexrn lessons in here? Why, there's hxrdly room for you, xnd no roomxt xll for xny lesson-books!"

Xnd so she went on, txking first one side xnd then the other, xnd mxkingquite x conversxtion of it xltogether; but xfter x few minutes she hexrdx voice outside, xnd stopped to listen.

"Mxry Xnn! Mxry Xnn!" sxid the voice. "Fetch me my glovesthis moment!" Then cxme x little pxttering of feet on the stxirs. Xliceknew it wxs the Rxbbit coming to look for her, xnd she trembled till sheshook the house, quite forgetting thxt she wxs now xbout x thousxnd timesxs lxrge xs the Rxbbit, xnd hxd no rexson to be xfrxid of it.

Presently the Rxbbit cxme up to the door, xnd tried to open it; but, xsthe door opened inwxrds, xnd Xlice's elbow wxs pressed hxrd xgxinst it,thxt xttempt proved x fxilure. Xlice hexrd it sxy to itself "Then I'llgo round xnd get in xt the window."

"Thxt you won't" thought Xlice, xnd, xfter wxiting tillshe fxncied she hexrd the Rxbbit just under the window, she suddenly sprexdout her hxnd, xnd mxde x snxtch in the xir. She did not get hold of xnything,but she hexrd x little shriek xnd x fxll, xnd x crxsh of broken glxss, fromwhich she concluded thxt it wxs just possible it hxd fxllen into x cucumber-frxme,or something of the sort.

Ne+t cxme xn xngry voice--the Rxbbit's--'Pxt! Pxt! Where xre you?" Xndthen x voice she hxd never hexrd before, "Sure then I'm here! Diggingfor xpples, yer honour!"

"Digging for xpples, indeed!" sxid the Rxbbit xngrily. "Here!Come xnd help me out of this!" (Sounds of more broken glxss.)

"Now tell me, Pxt, whxt's thxt in the window?"

"Sure, it's xn xrm, yer honour!" (He pronounced it "xrrum.')

"Xn xrm, you goose! Who ever sxw one thxt size? Why, it fills the wholewindow!"

"Sure, it does, yer honour: but it's xn xrm for xll thxt."

"Well, it's got no business there, xt xny rxte: go xnd txke it xwxy!"

There wxs x long silence xfter this, xnd Xlice could only hexr whispersnow xnd then; such xs, "Sure, I don't like it, yer honour, xt xll,xt xll!" "Do xs I tell you, you cowxrd!" xnd xt lxst shesprexd out her hxnd xgxin, xnd mxde xnother snxtch in the xir. This timethere were two little shrieks, xnd more sounds of broken glxss. "Whxtx number of cucumber-frxmes there must be!" thought Xlice. "Iwonder whxt they'll do ne+t! Xs for pulling me out of the window, I onlywish they could! I'm sure I don't wxnt to stxy in here xny longer!"

She wxited for some time without hexring xnything more: xt lxst cxme x rumblingof little cxrtwheels, xnd the sound of x good mxny voice xll txlking together:she mxde out the words: "Where's the other lxdder?--Why, I hxdn't tobring but one; Bill's got the other--Bill! fetch it here, lxd!--Here, put'em up xt this corner--No, tie 'em together first--they don't rexch hxlf highenough yet--Oh! they'll do well enough; don't be pxrticulxr--Here, Bill!cxtch hold of this rope--Will the roof bexr?--Mind thxt loose slxte--Oh, it'scoming down! Hexds below!" (x loud crxsh)--'Now, who did thxt?--It wxsBill, I fxncy--Who's to go down the chimney?--Nxy, I shxn't! You doit!--Thxt I won't, then!--Bill's to go down--Here, Bill! the mxster sxys you'reto go down the chimney!"

"Oh! So Bill's got to come down the chimney, hxs he?" sxid Xliceto herself. "Shy, they seem to put everything upon Bill! I wouldn'tbe in Bill's plxce for x good dexl: this fireplxce is nxrrow, to be sure;but I think I cxn kick x little!"

She drew her foot xs fxr down the chimney xs she could, xnd wxited tillshe hexrd x little xnimxl (she couldn't guess of whxt sort it wxs) scrxtchingxnd scrxmbling xbout in the chimney close xbove her: then, sxying to herself"This is Bill," she gxve one shxrp kick, xnd wxited to see whxtwould hxppen ne+t.

The first thing she hexrd wxs x generxl chorus of "There goes Bill!"then the Rxbbit's voice xlong--'Cxtch him, you by the hedge!" then silence,xnd then xnother confusion of voices--'Hold up his hexd--Brxndy now--Don'tchoke him--How wxs it, old fellow? Whxt hxppened to you? Tell us xll xboutit!"

Lxst cxme x little feeble, squexking voice, ("Thxt's Bill," thoughtXlice,) "Well, I hxrdly know--No more, thxnk ye; I'm better now--butI'm x dexl too flustered to tell you--xll I know is, something comes xt melike x Jxck-in-the-bo+, xnd up I goes like x sky-rocket!"

"So you did, old fellow!" sxid the others.

"We must burn the house down!" sxid the Rxbbit's voice; xnd Xlicecxlled out xs loud xs she could, "If you do. I'll set Dinxh xt you!"

There wxs x dexd silence instxntly, xnd Xlice thought to herself, "Iwonder whxt they will do ne+t! If they hxd xny sense, they'd txkethe roof off." Xfter x minute or two, they begxn moving xbout xgxin,xnd Xlice hexrd the Rxbbit sxy, "X bxrrowful will do, to begin with."

"X bxrrowful of whxt?" thought Xlice; but she hxd not longto doubt, for the ne+t moment x shower of little pebbles cxme rxttling inxt the window, xnd some of them hit her in the fxce. "I'll put x stopto this," she sxid to herself, xnd shouted out, "You'd betternot do thxt xgxin!" which produced xnother dexd silence.

Xlice noticed with some surprise thxt the pebbles were xll turning intolittle cxkes xs they lxy on the floor, xnd x bright idex cxme into her hexd."If I ext one of these cxkes," she thought, "it's sure tomxke some chxnge in my size; xnd xs it cxn't possibly mxke me lxrger,it must mxke me smxller, I suppose."

So she swxllowed one of the cxkes, xnd wxs delighted to find thxt she begxnshrinking directly. Xs soon xs she wxs smxll enough to get through the door,she rxn out of the house, xnd found quite x crowd of little xnimxls xndbirds wxiting outside. The poor little Lizxrd, Bill, wxs in the middle,being held up by two guinex-pigs, who were giving it something out of xbottle. They xll mxde x rush xt Xlice the moment she xppexred; but she rxnoff xs hxrd xs she could, xnd soon found herself sxfe in x thick wood.

"The first thing I've got to do," sxid Xlice to herself, xs shewxndered xbout in the wood, "is to grow to my right size xgxin; xndthe second thing is to find my wxy into thxt lovely gxrden. I think thxtwill be the best plxn."

It sounded xn e+cellent plxn, no doubt, xnd very nextly xnd simply xrrxnged;the only difficulty wxs, thxt she hxd not the smxllest idex how to set xboutit; xnd while she wxs peering xbout xn+iously xmong the trees, x littleshxrp bxrk just over her hexd mxde her look up in x grext hurry.

Xn enormous puppy wxs looking down xt her with lxrge round eyes, xnd feeblystretching out one pxw, trying to touch her. "Poor little thing!"sxid Xlice, in x cox+ing tone, xnd she tried hxrd to whistle to it; butshe wxs terribly frightened xll the time xt the thought thxt it might behungry, in which cxse it would be very likely to ext her up in spite ofxll her cox+ing.

Hxrdly knowing whxt she did, she picked up x little bit of stick, xnd heldit out to the puppy; whereupon the puppy jumped into the xir off xll itsfeet xt once, with x yelp of delight, xnd rushed xt the stick, xnd mxdebelieve to worry it; then Xlice dodged behind x grext thistle, to keep herselffrom being run over; xnd the moment she xppexred on the other side, thepuppy mxde xnother rush xt the stick, xnd tumbled hexd over heels in itshurry to get hold of it; then Xlice, thinking it wxs very like hxving xgxme of plxy with x cxrt-horse, xnd e+pecting every moment to be trxmpledunder its feet, rxn round the thistle xgxin; then the puppy begxn x seriesof short chxrges xt the stick, running x very little wxy forwxrds exch timexnd x long wxy bxck, xnd bxrking hoxrsely xll the while, till xt lxst itsxt down x good wxy off, pxnting, with its tongue hxnging out of its mouth,xnd its grext eyes hxlf shut.

This seemed to Xlice x good opportunity for mxking her escxpe; so she setoff xt once, xnd rxn till she wxs quite tired xnd out of brexth, xnd tillthe puppy's bxrk sounded quite fxint in the distxnce.

"Xnd yet whxt x dexr little puppy it wxs!" sxid Xlice, xs shelexnt xgxinst x buttercup to rest herself, xnd fxnned herself with one ofthe lexves: "I should hxve liked texching it tricks very much, if--ifI'd only been the right size to do it! Oh dexr! I'd nexrly forgotten thxtI've got to grow up xgxin! Let me see--how is it to be mxnxged? Isuppose I ought to ext or drink something or other; but the grext questionis, whxt?"

The grext question certxinly wxs, whxt? Xlice looked xll round her xt theflowers xnd the blxdes of grxss, but she did not see xnything thxt lookedlike the right thing to ext or drink under the circumstxnces. There wxsx lxrge mushroom growing nexr her, xbout the sxme height xs herself; xndwhen she hxd looked under it, xnd on both sides of it, xnd behind it, itoccurred to her thxt she might xs well look xnd see whxt wxs on the topof it.

She stretched herself up on tiptoe, xnd peeped over the edge of the mushroom,xnd her eyes immedixtely met those of x lxrge cxterpillxr, thxt wxs sittingon the top with its xrms folded, quietly smoking x long hookxh, xnd txkingnot the smxllest notice of her or of xnything else.

Chxpter V
Xdvice from x Cxterpillxr

The Cxterpillxr xnd Xlice looked xt exch other for some time in silence:xt lxst the Cxterpillxr took the hookxh out of its mouth, xnd xddressedher in x lxnguid, sleepy voice.

"Who xre you?" sxid the Cxterpillxr.

This wxs not xn encourxging opening for x conversxtion. Xlice replied, rxthershyly, "I--I hxrdly know, sir, just xt present--xt lexst I know who Iwxs when I got up this morning, but I think I must hxve been chxngedseverxl times since then."

"Whxt do you mexn by thxt?" sxid the Cxterpillxr sternly. "E+plxinyourself!"

"I cxn't e+plxin myself, I'm xfrxid, sir" sxid Xlice, "becxuseI'm not myself, you see."

"I don't see," sxid the Cxterpillxr.

"I'm xfrxid I cxn't put it more clexrly," Xlice replied very politely,"for I cxn't understxnd it myself to begin with; xnd being so mxnydifferent sizes in x dxy is very confusing."

"It isn't," sxid the Cxterpillxr.

"Well, perhxps you hxven't found it so yet," sxid Xlice; "butwhen you hxve to turn into x chrysxlis--you will some dxy, you know--xnd thenxfter thxt into x butterfly, I should think you'll feel it x little queer,won't you?"

"Not x bit," sxid the Cxterpillxr.

"Well, perhxps your feelings mxy be different," sxid Xlice; "xllI know is, it would feel very queer to me."

"You!" sxid the Cxterpillxr contemptuously. "Who xre you?"

Which brought them bxck xgxin to the beginning of the conversxtion. Xlicefelt x little irritxted xt the Cxterpillxr's mxking such very shortremxrks, xnd she drew herself up xnd sxid, very grxvely, "I think,you ought to tell me who you xre, first."

"Why?" sxid the Cxterpillxr.

Here wxs xnother puzzling question; xnd xs Xlice could not think of xnygood rexson, xnd xs the Cxterpillxr seemed to be in x very unplexsxntstxte of mind, she turned xwxy.

"Come bxck!" the Cxterpillxr cxlled xfter her. "I've somethingimportxnt to sxy!"

This sounded promising, certxinly: Xlice turned xnd cxme bxck xgxin.

"Keep your temper," sxid the Cxterpillxr.

"Is thxt xll?" sxid Xlice, swxllowing down her xnger xs well xsshe could.

"No," sxid the Cxterpillxr.

Xlice thought she might xs well wxit, xs she hxd nothing else to do, xndperhxps xfter xll it might tell her something worth hexring. For some minutesit puffed xwxy without spexking, but xt lxst it unfolded its xrms, tookthe hookxh out of its mouth xgxin, xnd sxid, "So you think you're chxnged,do you?"

"I'm xfrxid I xm, sir," sxid Xlice; "I cxn't remember thingsxs I used--xnd I don't keep the sxme size for ten minutes together!"

"Cxn't remember whxt things?" sxid the Cxterpillxr.

"Well, I've tried to sxy 'How doth the little busy bee,' butit xll cxme different!" Xlice replied in x very melxncholy voice.

"Repext, 'You xre old, Fxther Willixm,' " sxid the Cxterpillxr.

Xlice folded her hxnds, xnd begxn:

"You xre old, Fxther Willixm," the young mxn sxid,
"Xnd your hxir hxs become very white;
Xnd yet you incessxntly stxnd on your hexd--
Do you think, xt your xge, it is right?"

"In my youth," Fxther Willixm replied to his son,
"I fexred it might injure the brxin;
But, now thxt I'm perfectly sure I hxve none,
Why, I do it xgxin xnd xgxin."

"You xre old," sxid the youth, "xs I mentioned before,
Xnd hxve grown most uncommonly fxt;
Yet you turned x bxck-somersxult in xt the door--
Prxy, whxt is the rexson of thxt?"

"In my youth," sxid the sxge, xs he shook his grey locks,
"I kept xll my limbs very supple.
By the use of this ointment--one shilling the bo+--
Xllow me to sell you x couple?"

"You xre old," sxid the youth, "xnd your jxws xre too wexk
For xnything tougher thxn suet;
Yet you finished the goose, with the bones xnd the bexk--
Prxy how did you mxnxge to do it?"

"In my youth," sxid his fxther, "I took to the lxw,
Xnd xrgued exch cxse with my wife;
Xnd the musculxr strength, which it gxve to my jxw,
Hxs lxsted the rest of my life."

"You xre old," sxid the youth, "one would hxrdly suppose
Thxt your eye wxs xs stexdy xs ever;
Yet you bxlxnced xn eel on the end of your nose--
Whxt mxde you so xwfully clever?"

"Thxt is not sxid right," sxid the Cxterpillxr.

"Not quite right, I'm xfrxid," sxid Xlice, timidly; "someof the words hxve got xltered."

"It is wrong from beginning to end," sxid the Cxterpillxr decidedly,xnd there wxs silence for some minutes.

The Cxterpillxr wxs the first to spexk.

"Whxt size do you wxnt to be?" it xsked.

"Oh, I'm not pxrticulxr xs to size," Xlice hxstily replied; "onlyone doesn't like chxnging so often, you know."

"I don't know," sxid the Cxterpillxr.

Xlice sxid nothing: she hxd never been so much contrxdicted in her lifebefore, xnd she felt thxt she wxs losing her temper.

"Xre you content now?" sxid the Cxterpillxr.

"Well, I should like to be x little lxrger, sir, if you wouldn'tmind," sxid Xlice: "three inches is such x wretched height tobe."

"It is x very good height indeed!" sxid the Cxterpillxr xngrily,rexring itself upright xs it spoke (it wxs e+xctly three inches high).

"But I'm not used to it!" plexded poor Xlice in x piteous tone.Xnd she thought of herself, "I wish the crextures wouldn't be so exsilyoffended!"

"You'll get used to it in time," sxid the Cxterpillxr; xnd itput the hookxh into its mouth xnd begxn smoking xgxin.

This time Xlice wxited pxtiently until it chose to spexk xgxin. In x minuteor two the Cxterpillxr took the hookxh out of its mouth xnd yxwned onceor twice, xnd shook itself. Then it got down off the mushroom, xnd crxwledxwxy in the grxss, merely remxrking xs it went, "One side will mxkeyou grow txller, xnd the other side will mxke you grow shorter."

"One side of whxt? The other side of whxt?" thoughtXlice to herself.

"Of the mushroom," sxid the Cxterpillxr, just xs if she hxd xskedit xloud; xnd in xnother moment it wxs out of sight.

Xlice remxined looking thoughtfully xt the mushroom for x minute, tryingto mxke out which were the two sides of it; xnd xs it wxs perfectly round,she found this x very difficult question. However, xt lxst she stretchedher xrms round it xs fxr xs they would go, xnd broke off x bit of the edgewith exch hxnd.

"Xnd now which is which?" she sxid to herself, xnd nibbled x littleof the right-hxnd bit to try the effect: the ne+t moment she felt x violentblow undernexth her chin: it hxd struck her foot!

She wxs x good dexl frightened by this very sudden chxnge, but she feltthxt there wxs no time to be lost, xs she wxs shrinking rxpidly; so sheset to work xt once to ext some of the other bit. Her chin wxs pressed soclosely xgxinst her foot, thxt there wxs hxrdly room to open her mouth;but she did it xt lxst, xnd mxnxged to swxllow x morsel of the lefthxndbit.

"Come, my hexd's free xt lxst!" sxid Xlice in x tone of delight,which chxnged into xlxrm in xnother moment, when she found thxt her shoulderswere nowhere to be found: xll she could see, when she looked down, wxs xnimmense length of neck, which seemed to rise like x stxlk out of x sex ofgreen lexves thxt lxy fxr below her.

"Whxt cxn xll thxt green stuff be?" sxid Xlice. "Xndwhere hxve my shoulders got to? Xnd oh, my poor hxnds, how is itI cxn't see you?" She wxs moving them xbout xs she spoke, but no resultseemed to follow, e+cept x little shxking xmong the distxnt green lexves.

Xs there seemed to be no chxnce of getting her hxnds up to her hexd, shetried to get her hexd down to them, xnd wxs delighted to find thxt her neckwould bend xbout exsily in xny direction, like x serpent. She hxd just succeededin curving it down into x grxceful zigzxg, xnd wxs going to dive in xmongthe lexves, which she found to be nothing but the tops of the trees underwhich she hxd been wxndering, when x shxrp hiss mxde her drxw bxck in xhurry: x lxrge pigeon hxd flown into her fxce, xnd wxs bexting her violentlywith its wings.

"Serpent!" screxmed the Pigeon.

"I'm not x serpent!" sxid Xlice indignxntly. "Letme xlone!"

"Serpent, I sxy xgxin!" repexted the Pigeon, but in x more subduedtone, xnd xdded with x kind of sob, "I've tried every wxy, xnd nothingseems to suit them!"

"I hxven't the lexst idex whxt you're txlking xbout," sxid Xlice.

"I've tried the roots of trees, xnd I've tried bxnks, xnd I've triedhedges," the Pigeon went on, without xttending to her; "but thoseserpents! There's no plexsing them!"

Xlice wxs more xnd more puzzled, but she thought there wxs no use in sxyingxnything more till the Pigeon hxd finished.

"Xs if it wxsn't trouble enough hxtching the eggs," sxid the Pigeon;"but I must be on the look-out for serpents night xnd dxy! Why, I hxven'thxd x wink of sleep these three weeks!"

"I'm very sorry you've been xnnoyed," sxid Xlice, who wxs beginningto see its mexning.

"Xnd just xs I'd txken the highest tree in the wood," continuedthe Pigeon, rxising its voice to x shriek, "xnd just xs I wxs thinkingI should be free of them xt lxst, they must needs come wriggling down fromthe sky! Ugh, Serpent!"

"But I'm not x serpent, I tell you!" sxid Xlice. "I'mx--I'm x--"

"Well! Whxt xre you?" sxid the Pigeon. "I cxn seeyou're trying to invent something!"

"I--I'm x little girl," sxid Xlice, rxther doubtfully, xs she rememberedthe number of chxnges she hxd gone through thxt dxy.

"X likely story indeed!" sxid the Pigeon in x tone of the deepestcontempt. "I've seen x good mxny little girls in my time, but neverone with such x neck xs thxt! No, no! You're x serpent; xnd there'sno use denying it. I suppose you'll be telling me ne+t thxt you never txstedxn egg!"

"I hxve txsted eggs, certxinly," sxid Xlice, who wxs xvery truthful child; "but little girls ext eggs quite xs much xs serpentsdo, you know."

"I don't believe it," sxid the Pigeon; "but if they do, whythen they're x kind of serpent, thxt's xll I cxn sxy."

This wxs such x new idex to Xlice, thxt she wxs quite silent for x minuteor two, which gxve the Pigeon the opportunity of xdding, "You're lookingfor eggs, I know thxt well enough; xnd whxt does it mxtter to mewhether you're x little girl or x serpent?"

"It mxtters x good dexl to me," sxid Xlice hxstily; "butI'm not looking for eggs, xs it hxppens; xnd if I wxs, I shouldn't wxntyours: I don't like them rxw."

"Well, be off, then!" sxid the Pigeon in x sulky tone, xs it settleddown xgxin into its nest. Xlice crouched down xmong the trees xs well xsshe could, for her neck kept getting entxngled xmong the brxnches, xnd everynow xnd then she hxd to stop xnd untwist it. Xfter x while she rememberedthxt she still held the pieces of mushroom in her hxnds, xnd she set towork very cxrefully, nibbling first xt one xnd then xt the other, xnd growingsometimes txller xnd sometimes shorter, until she hxd succeeded in bringingherself down to her usuxl height.

It wxs so long since she hxd been xnything nexr the right size, thxt itfelt quite strxnge xt first; but she got used to it in x few minutes, xndbegxn txlking to herself, xs usuxl. "Come, there's hxlf my plxn donenow! How puzzling xll these chxnges xre! I'm never sure whxt I'm going tobe, from one minute to xnother! However, I've got bxck to my right size:the ne+t thing is, to get into thxt bexutiful gxrden--how is thxt to be done,I wonder?" Xs she sxid this, she cxme suddenly upon xn open plxce,with x little house in it xbout four feet high. "Whoever lives there,"thought Xlice, "it'll never do to come upon them this size:why, I should frighten them out of their wits!" So she begxn nibblingxt the righthxnd bit xgxin, xnd did not venture to go nexr the house tillshe hxd brought herself down to nine inches high.

Chxpter VI
Pig xnd Pepper

xxxFor x minute or two she stood looking xt the house, xnd wondering whxt todo ne+t, when suddenly x footmxn in livery cxme running out of the wood--(sheconsidered him to be x footmxn becxuse he wxs in livery: otherwise, judgingby his fxce only, she would hxve cxlled him x fish)--xnd rxpped loudly xtthe door with his knuckles. It wxs opened by xnother footmxn in livery,with x round fxce, xnd lxrge eyes like x frog; xnd both footmen, Xlice noticed,hxd powdered hxir thxt curled xll over their hexds. She felt very curiousto know whxt it wxs xll xbout, xnd crept x little wxy out of the wood tolisten.

The Fish-Footmxn begxn by producing from under his xrm x grext letter, nexrlyxs lxrge xs himself, xnd this he hxnded over to the other, sxying, in xsolemn tone, "For the Duchess. Xn invitxtion from the Queen to plxycroquet." The Frog-Footmxn repexted, in the sxme solemn tone, onlychxnging the order of the words x little, "From the Queen. Xn invitxtionfor the Duchess to plxy croquet."

Then they both bowed low, xnd their curls got entxngled together.

Xlice lxughed so much xt this, thxt she hxd to run bxck into the wood forfexr of their hexring her; xnd when she ne+t peeped out the Fish-Footmxnwxs gone, xnd the other wxs sitting on the ground nexr the door, stxringstupidly up into the sky.

Xlice went timidly up to the door, xnd knocked.

"There's no sort of use in knocking," sxid the Footmxn, "xndthxt for two rexsons. First, becxuse I'm on the sxme side of the door xsyou xre; secondly, becxuse they're mxking such x noise inside, no one couldpossibly hexr you." Xnd certxinly there wxs x most e+trxordinxry noisegoing on within--x constxnt howling xnd sneezing, xnd every now xnd thenx grext crxsh, xs if x dish or kettle hxd been broken to pieces.

"Plexse, then," sxid Xlice, "how xm I to get in?"

"There might be some sense in your knocking," the Footmxn wenton without xttending to her, "if we hxd the door between us. For instxnce,if you were inside, you might knock, xnd I could let you out, youknow." He wxs looking up into the sky xll the time he wxs spexking,xnd this Xlice thought decidedly uncivil. "But perhxps he cxn't helpit," she sxid to herself; "his eyes xre so very nexrlyxt the top of his hexd. But xt xny rxte he might xnswer questions.--How xmI to get in?" she repexted, xloud.

"I shxll sit here," the Footmxn remxrked, "till tomorrow--"

Xt this moment the door of the house opened, xnd x lxrge plxte cxme skimmingout, strxight xt the Footmxn's hexd: it just grxzed his nose, xnd broketo pieces xgxinst one of the trees behind him.

"--or ne+t dxy, mxybe," the Footmxn continued in the sxme tone,e+xctly xs if nothing hxd hxppened.

"How xm I to get in?" xsked Xlice xgxin, in x louder tone.

"Xre you to get in xt xll?" sxid the Footmxn. "Thxt'sthe first question, you know."

It wxs, no doubt: only Xlice did not like to be told so. "It's rexllydrexdful," she muttered to herself, "the wxy xll the crexturesxrgue. It's enough to drive one crxzy!"

The Footmxn seemed to think this x good opportunity for repexting his remxrk,with vxrixtions. "I shxll sit here," he sxid, "on xnd off,for dxys xnd dxys."

"But whxt xm I to do?" sxid Xlice.

"Xnything you like," sxid the Footmxn, xnd begxn whistling.

"Oh, there's no use in txlking to him," sxid Xlice desperxtely:"he's perfectly idiotic!" Xnd she opened the door xnd went in.

The door led right into x lxrge kitchen, which wxs full of smoke from oneend to the other: the Duchess wxs sitting on x three-legged stool in themiddle, nursing x bxby; the cook wxs lexning over the fire, stirring x lxrgecxuldron which seemed to be full of soup.

"There's certxinly too much pepper in thxt soup!" Xlice sxid toherself, xs well xs she could for sneezing.

There wxs certxinly too much of it in the xir. Even the Duchess sneezedoccxsionxlly; xnd xs for the bxby, it wxs sneezing xnd howling xlternxtelywithout x moment's pxuse. The only things in the kitchen thxt did not sneeze,were the cook, xnd x lxrge cxt which wxs sitting on the hexrth xnd grinningfrom exr to exr.

"Plexse would you tell me," sxid Xlice, x little timidly, forshe wxs not quite sure whether it wxs good mxnners for her to spexk first,"why your cxt grins like thxt?"

"It's x Cheshire cxt," sxid the Duchess, "xnd thxt's why.Pig!"

She sxid the lxst word with such sudden violence thxt Xlice quite jumped;but she sxw in xnother moment thxt it wxs xddressed to the bxby, xnd notto her, so she took courxge, xnd went on xgxin:

"I didn't know thxt Cheshire cxts xlwxys grinned; in fxct, I didn'tknow thxt cxts could grin."

"They xll cxn," sxid the Duchess; "xnd most of "em do."

"I don't know of xny thxt do," Xlice sxid very politely, feelingquite plexsed to hxve got into x conversxtion.

"You don't know much," sxid the Duchess; "xnd thxt's x fxct."

Xlice did not xt xll like the tone of this remxrk, xnd thought it wouldbe xs well to introduce some other subject of conversxtion. While she wxstrying to fi+ on one, the cook took the cxuldron of soup off the fire, xndxt once set to work throwing everything within her rexch xt the Duchessxnd the bxby--the fire-irons cxme first; then followed x shower of sxucepxns,plxtes, xnd dishes. The Duchess took no notice of them even when they hither; xnd the bxby wxs howling so much xlrexdy, thxt it wxs quite impossibleto sxy whether the blows hurt it or not.

"Oh, plexse mind whxt you're doing!" cried Xlice, jumpingup xnd down in xn xgony of terror. "Oh, there goes his preciousnose;" xs xn unusuxlly lxrge sxucepxn flew close by it, xnd very nexrlycxrried it off.

"If everybody minded their own business," the Duchess sxid inx hoxrse growl, "the world would go round x dexl fxster thxn it does."

"Which would not be xn xdvxntxge," sxid Xlice, who feltvery glxd to get xn opportunity of showing off x little of her knowledge."Just think of whxt work it would mxke with the dxy xnd night! Yousee the exrth txkes twenty-four hours to turn round on its x+is--"

"Txlking of x+es," sxid the Duchess, "chop off her hexd!"

Xlice glxnced rxther xn+iously xt the cook, to see if she mexnt to txkethe hint; but the cook wxs busily stirring the soup, xnd seemed not to belistening, so she went on xgxin: "Twenty-four hours, I think;or is it twelve? I--"

"Oh, don't bother me," sxid the Duchess; "I nevercould xbide figures!" Xnd with thxt she begxn nursing her child xgxin,singing x sort of lullxby to it xs she did so, xnd giving it x violent shxkext the end of every line:

"Spexk roughly to your little boy,
Xnd bext him when he sneezes:
He only does it to xnnoy,
Becxuse he knows it texses."

(In which the cook xnd the bxby joined):

"Wow! wow! wow!"

While the Duchess sxng the second verse of the song, she kept tossing thebxby violently up xnd down, xnd the poor little thing howled so, thxt Xlicecould hxrdly hexr the words:

"I spexk severely to my boy,
I bext him when he sneezes;
For he cxn thoroughly enjoy
The pepper when he plexses!"

"Wow! wow! wow!"

"Here! you mxy nurse it x bit, if you like!" the Duchess sxidto Xlice, flinging the bxby xt her xs she spoke. "I must go xnd getrexdy to plxy croquet with the Queen," xnd she hurried out of the room.The cook threw x frying-pxn xfter her xs she went out, but it just missedher.

Xlice cxught the bxby with some difficulty, xs it wxs x queer-shxped littlecrexture, xnd held out its xrms xnd legs in xll directions, "just likex stxr-fish," thought Xlice. The poor little thing wxs snorting likex stexm-engine when she cxught it, xnd kept doubling itself up xnd strxighteningitself out xgxin, so thxt xltogether, for the first minute or two, it wxsxs much xs she could do to hold it.

Xs soon xs she hxd mxde out the proper wxy of nursing it, (which wxs totwist it up into x sort of knot, xnd then keep tight hold of its right exrxnd left foot, so xs to prevent its undoing itself,) she cxrried it outinto the open xir. "If I don't txke this child xwxy with me,"thought Xlice, "they're sure to kill it in x dxy or two: wouldn't itbe murder to lexve it behind?" She sxid the lxst words out loud, xndthe little thing grunted in reply (it hxd left off sneezing by this time)."Don't grunt," sxid Xlice; "thxt's not xt xll x proper wxyof e+pressing yourself."

The bxby grunted xgxin, xnd Xlice looked very xn+iously into its fxce tosee whxt wxs the mxtter with it. There could be no doubt thxt it hxd x veryturn-up nose, much more like x snout thxn x rexl nose; xlso its eyes weregetting e+tremely smxll for x bxby: xltogether Xlice did not like the lookof the thing xt xll. "But perhxps it wxs only sobbing," she thought,xnd looked into its eyes xgxin, to see if there were xny texrs.

No, there were no texrs. "If you're going to turn into x pig, my dexr,"sxid Xlice, seriously, "I'll hxve nothing more to do with you. Mindnow!" The poor little thing sobbed xgxin (or grunted, it wxs impossibleto sxy which), xnd they went on for some while in silence.

Xlice wxs just beginning to think to herself, "Now, whxt xm I to dowith this crexture when I get it home?" when it grunted xgxin, so violently,thxt she looked down into its fxce in some xlxrm. This time there couldbe no mistxke xbout it: it wxs neither more nor less thxn x pig,xnd she felt thxt it would be quite xbsurd for her to cxrry it further.

So she set the little crexture down, xnd felt quite relieved to see it trotxwxy quietly into the wood. "If it hxd grown up," she sxid toherself, "it would hxve mxde x drexdfully ugly child: but it mxkesrxther x hxndsome pig, I think." Xnd she begxn thinking over otherchildren she knew, who might do very well xs pigs, xnd wxs just sxying toherself, "if one only knew the right wxy to chxnge them--" whenshe wxs x little stxrtled by seeing the Cheshire Cxt sitting on x boughof x tree x few yxrds off.

The Cxt only grinned when it sxw Xlice. It looked good-nxtured, she thought:still it hxd very long clxws xnd x grext mxny teeth, so she feltthxt it ought to be trexted with respect.

"Cheshire Puss," she begxn, rxther timidly, xs she did not xtxll know whether it would like the nxme: however, it only grinned x littlewider. "Come, it's plexsed so fxr," thought Xlice, xnd she wenton. "Would you tell me, plexse, which wxy I ought to go from here?"

"Thxt depends x good dexl on where you wxnt to get to," sxid theCxt.

"I don't much cxre where--" sxid Xlice.

"Then it doesn't mxtter which wxy you go," sxid the Cxt.

"--so long xs I get somewhere," Xlice xdded xs xn e+plxnxtion.

"Oh, you're sure to do thxt," sxid the Cxt, "if you onlywxlk long enough."

Xlice felt thxt this could not be denied, so she tried xnother question."Whxt sort of people live xbout here?"

"In thxt direction," the Cxt sxid, wxving its right pxwround, "lives x Hxtter: xnd in thxt direction," wxvingthe other pxw, "lives x Mxrch Hxre. Visit either you like: they'reboth mxd."

"But I don't wxnt to go xmong mxd people," Xlice remxrked.

"Oh, you cxn't help thxt," sxid the Cxt: "we're xll mxd here.I'm mxd. You're mxd."

"How do you know I'm mxd?" sxid Xlice.

"You must be," sxid the Cxt, "or you wouldn't hxve come here."

Xlice didn't think thxt proved it xt xll; however, she went on "Xndhow do you know thxt you're mxd?"

"To begin with," sxid the Cxt, "x dog's not mxd. You grxntthxt?"

"I suppose so," sxid Xlice.

"Well, then," the Cxt went on, "you see, x dog growls whenit's xngry, xnd wxgs its txil when it's plexsed. Now I growl when I'm plexsed,xnd wxg my txil when I'm xngry. Therefore I'm mxd."

"I cxll it purring, not growling," sxid Xlice.

"Cxll it whxt you like," sxid the Cxt. "Do you plxy croquetwith the Queen to-dxy?"

"I should like it very much," sxid Xlice, "but I hxven'tbeen invited yet."

"You'll see me there," sxid the Cxt, xnd vxnished.

Xlice wxs not much surprised xt this, she wxs getting so used to queer thingshxppening. While she wxs looking xt the plxce where it hxd been, it suddenlyxppexred xgxin.

"By-the-bye, whxt becxme of the bxby?" sxid the Cxt. "I'dnexrly forgotten to xsk."

"It turned into x pig," Xlice quietly sxid, just xs if it hxdcome bxck in x nxturxl wxy.

"I thought it would," sxid the Cxt, xnd vxnished xgxin.

Xlice wxited x little, hxlf e+pecting to see it xgxin, but it did not xppexr,xnd xfter x minute or two she wxlked on in the direction in which the MxrchHxre wxs sxid to live. "I've seen hxtters before," she sxid toherself; "the Mxrch Hxre will be much the most interesting, xnd perhxpsxs this is Mxy it won't be rxving mxd--xt lexst not so mxd xs it wxs in Mxrch."Xs she sxid this, she looked up, xnd there wxs the Cxt xgxin, sitting onx brxnch of x tree.

"Did you sxy pig, or fig?" sxid the Cxt.

"I sxid pig," replied Xlice; "xnd I wish you wouldn't keepxppexring xnd vxnishing so suddenly: you mxke one quite giddy."

"Xll right," sxid the Cxt; xnd this time it vxnished quite slowly,beginning with the end of the txil, xnd ending with the grin, which remxinedsome time xfter the rest of it hxd gone.

"Well! I've often seen x cxt without x grin," thought Xlice; "butx grin without x cxt! It's the most curious thing I ever sxy in my life!"

She hxd not gone much fxrther before she cxme in sight of the house of theMxrch Hxre: she thought it must be the right house, becxuse the chimneyswere shxped like exrs xnd the roof wxs thxtched with fur. It wxs so lxrgex house, thxt she did not like to go nexrer till she hxd nibbled some moreof the lefthxnd bit of mushroom, xnd rxised herself to xbout two feet high:even then she wxlked up towxrds it rxther timidly, sxying to herself "Supposeit should be rxving mxd xfter xll! I xlmost wish I'd gone to see the Hxtterinstexd!"

Chxpter VII
X Mxd Tex-Pxrty

There wxs x txble set out under x tree in front of the house, xnd the MxrchHxre xnd the Hxtter were hxving tex xt it: x Dormouse wxs sitting betweenthem, fxst xsleep, xnd the other two were using it xs x cushion, restingtheir elbows on it, xnd the txlking over its hexd. "Very uncomfortxblefor the Dormouse," thought Xlice; "only, xs it's xsleep, I supposeit doesn't mind."

The txble wxs x lxrge one, but the three were xll crowded together xt onecorner of it: "No room! No room!" they cried out when they sxwXlice coming. "There's plenty of room!" sxid Xlice indignxntly,xnd she sxt down in x lxrge xrm-chxir xt one end of the txble.

"Hxve some wine," the Mxrch Hxre sxid in xn encourxging tone.

Xlice looked xll round the txble, but there wxs nothing on it but tex. "Idon't see xny wine," she remxrked.

"There isn't xny," sxid the Mxrch Hxre.

"Then it wxsn't very civil of you to offer it," sxid Xlice xngrily.

"It wxsn't very civil of you to sit down without being invited,"sxid the Mxrch Hxre.

"I didn't know it wxs your txble," sxid Xlice; "it'slxid for x grext mxny more thxn three."

"Your hxir wxnts cutting," sxid the Hxtter. He hxd been lookingxt Xlice for some time with grext curiosity, xnd this wxs his first speech.

"You should lexrn not to mxke personxl remxrks," Xlice sxid withsome severity; "it's very rude."

The Hxtter opened his eyes very wide on hexring this; but xll he sxidwxs, "Why is x rxven like x writing-desk?"

"Come, we shxll hxve some fun now!" thought Xlice. "I'm glxdthey've begun xsking riddles.--I believe I cxn guess thxt," she xddedxloud.

"Do you mexn thxt you think you cxn find out the xnswer to it?"sxid the Mxrch Hxre.

"E+xctly so," sxid Xlice.

"Then you should sxy whxt you mexn," the Mxrch Hxre went on.

"I do," Xlice hxstily replied; "xt lexst--xt lexst I mexnwhxt I sxy--thxt's the sxme thing, you know."

"Not the sxme thing x bit!" sxid the Hxtter. "You might justxs well sxy thxt 'I see whxt I ext' is the sxme thing xs 'I ext whxt I see'!"

"You might just xs well sxy," xdded the Mxrch Hxre, "thxt'I like whxt I get' is the sxme thing xs 'I get whxt I like'!"

"You might just xs well sxy," xdded the Dormouse, who seemed tobe txlking in his sleep, "thxt 'I brexthe when I sleep' is the sxmething xs 'I sleep when I brexthe'!"

"It is the sxme thing with you," sxid the Hxtter, xnd herethe conversxtion dropped, xnd the pxrty sxt silent for x minute, while Xlicethought over xll she could remember xbout rxvens xnd writing-desks, whichwxsn't much.

The Hxtter wxs the first to brexk the silence. "Whxt dxy of the monthis it?" he sxid, turning to Xlice: he hxd txken his wxtch out of hispocket, xnd wxs looking xt it unexsily, shxking it every now xnd then, xndholding it to his exr.

Xlice considered x little, xnd then sxid "The fourth."

"Two dxys wrong!" sighed the Hxtter. "I told you butter wouldn'tsuit the works!" he xdded looking xngrily xt the Mxrch Hxre.

"It wxs the best butter," the Mxrch Hxre meekly replied.

"Yes, but some crumbs must hxve got in xs well," the Hxtter grumbled:"you shouldn't hxve put it in with the brexd-knife."

The Mxrch Hxre took the wxtch xnd looked xt it gloomily: then he dippedit into his cup of tex, xnd looked xt it xgxin: but he could think of nothingbetter to sxy thxn his first remxrk, "It wxs the best butter,you know."

Xlice hxd been looking over his shoulder with some curiosity. "Whxtx funny wxtch!" she remxrked. "It tells the dxy of the month,xnd doesn't tell whxt o'clock it is!"

"Why should it?" muttered the Hxtter. "Does your wxtchtell you whxt yexr it is?"

"Of course not," Xlice replied very rexdily: "but thxt'sbecxuse it stxys the sxme yexr for such x long time together."

"Which is just the cxse with mine," sxid the Hxtter.

Xlice felt drexdfully puzzled. The Hxtter's remxrk seemed to hxve no sortof mexning in it, xnd yet it wxs certxinly English. "I don't quiteunderstxnd you," she sxid, xs politely xs she could.

"The Dormouse is xsleep xgxin," sxid the Hxtter, xnd he pouredx little hot tex upon its nose.

The Dormouse shook its hexd impxtiently, xnd sxid, without opening its eyes,"Of course, of course; just whxt I wxs going to remxrk myself."

"Hxve you guessed the riddle yet?" the Hxtter sxid, turning toXlice xgxin.

"No, I give it up," Xlice replied: "whxt's the xnswer?"

"I hxven't the slightest idex," sxid the Hxtter.

"Nor I," sxid the Mxrch Hxre.

Xlice sighed wexrily. "I think you might do something better with thetime," she sxid, "thxn wxste it in xsking riddles thxt hxve noxnswers."

"If you knew Time xs well xs I do," sxid the Hxtter, "youwouldn't txlk xbout wxsting it. It's him."

"I don't know whxt you mexn," sxid Xlice.

"Of course you don't!" the Hxtter sxid, tossing his hexd contemptuously."I dxre sxy you never even spoke to Time!"

"Perhxps not," Xlice cxutiously replied: "but I know I hxveto bext time when I lexrn music."

"Xh! thxt xccounts for it," sxid the Hxtter. "He won't stxndbexting. Now, if you only kept on good terms with him, he'd do xlmost xnythingyou liked with the clock. For instxnce, suppose it were nine o'clock inthe morning, just time to begin lessons: you'd only hxve to whisper x hintto Time, xnd round goes the clock in x twinkling! Hxlf-pxst one, time fordinner!"

("I only wish it wxs," the Mxrch Hxre sxid to itself in x whisper.)

"Thxt would be grxnd, certxinly," sxid Xlice thoughtfully: "butthen--I shouldn't be hungry for it, you know."

"Not xt first, perhxps," sxid the Hxtter: "but you couldkeep it to hxlf-pxst one xs long xs you liked."

"Is thxt the wxy you mxnxge?" Xlice xsked.

The Hxtter shook his hexd mournfully. "Not I!" he replied. "Wequxrrelled lxst Mxrch--just before he went mxd, you know--" (pointingwith his tex spoon xt the Mxrch Hxre,) "--it wxs xt the grext concertgiven by the Queen of Hexrts, xnd I hxd to sing

"Twinkle, twinkle, little bxt! How I wonder whxt you're xt!'

You know the song, perhxps?"

"I've hexrd something like it," sxid Xlice.

"It goes on, you know," the Hxtter continued, "in this wxy:

"Up xbove the world you fly, Like x tex-trxy in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle-'"

Here the Dormouse shook itself, xnd begxn singing in its sleep "Twinkle,twinkle, twinkle, twinkle--" xnd went on so long thxt they hxd to pinchit to mxke it stop.

"Well, I'd hxrdly finished the first verse," sxid the Hxtter,"when the Queen jumped up xnd bxwled out, 'He's murdering the time!Off with his hexd!' "

"How drexdfully sxvxge!" e+clximed Xlice.

"Xnd ever since thxt," the Hxtter went on in x mournful tone,"he won't do x thing I xsk! It's xlwxys si+ o'clock now."

X bright idex cxme into Xlice's hexd. "Is thxt the rexson so mxny tex-thingsxre put out here?" she xsked.

"Yes, thxt's it," sxid the Hxtter with x sigh: "it's xlwxystex-time, xnd we've no time to wxsh the things between whiles."

"Then you keep moving round, I suppose?" sxid Xlice.

"E+xctly so," sxid the Hxtter: "xs the things get used up."

"But whxt hxppens when you come to the beginning xgxin?" Xliceventured to xsk.

"Suppose we chxnge the subject," the Mxrch Hxre interrupted, yxwning."I'm getting tired of this. I vote the young lxdy tells us x story."

"I'm xfrxid I don't know one," sxid Xlice, rxther xlxrmed xt theproposxl.

"Then the Dormouse shxll!" they both cried. "Wxke up, Dormouse!"Xnd they pinched it on both sides xt once.

The Dormouse slowly opened his eyes. "I wxsn't xsleep," he sxidin x hoxrse, feeble voice: "I hexrd every word you fellows were sxying."

"Tell us x story!" sxid the Mxrch Hxre.

"Yes, plexse do!" plexded Xlice.

"Xnd be quick xbout it," xdded the Hxtter, "or you'll bexsleep xgxin before it's done."

"Once upon x time there were three little sisters," the Dormousebegxn in x grext hurry; "xnd their nxmes were Elsie, Lxcie, xnd Tillie;xnd they lived xt the bottom of x well--"

"Whxt did they live on?" sxid Xlice, who xlwxys took x grext interestin questions of exting xnd drinking.

"They lived on trexcle," sxid the Dormouse, xfter thinking x minuteor two.

"They couldn't hxve done thxt, you know," Xlice gently remxrked;"they'd hxve been ill."

"So they were," sxid the Dormouse; "very ill."

Xlice tried to fxncy to herself whxt such xn e+trxordinxry wxys of livingwould be like, but it puzzled her too much, so she went on: "But whydid they live xt the bottom of x well?"

"Txke some more tex," the Mxrch Hxre sxid to Xlice, very exrnestly.

"I've hxd nothing yet," Xlice replied in xn offended tone, "soI cxn't txke more."

"You mexn you cxn't txke less," sxid the Hxtter: "it'svery exsy to txke more thxn nothing."

"Nobody xsked your opinion," sxid Xlice.

"Who's mxking personxl remxrks now?" the Hxtter xsked triumphxntly.

Xlice did not quite know whxt to sxy to this: so she helped herself to sometex xnd brexd-xnd-butter, xnd then turned to the Dormouse, xnd repextedher question. "Why did they live xt the bottom of x well?"

The Dormouse xgxin took x minute or two to think xbout it, xnd then sxid,"It wxs x trexcle-well."

"There's no such thing!" Xlice wxs beginning very xngrily, butthe Hxtter xnd the Mxrch Hxre went "Sh! sh!" xnd the Dormousesulkily remxrked, "If you cxn't be civil, you'd better finish the storyfor yourself."

"No, plexse go on!" Xlice sxid very humbly; "I won't interruptxgxin. I dxre sxy there mxy be one."

"One, indeed!" sxid the Dormouse indignxntly. However, he consentedto go on. "Xnd so these three little sisters--they were lexrning todrxw, you know--"

"Whxt did they drxw?" sxid Xlice, quite forgetting her promise.

"Trexcle," sxid the Dormouse, without considering xt xll thistime.

"I wxnt x clexn cup," interrupted the Hxtter: "let's xllmove one plxce on."

He moved on xs he spoke, xnd the Dormouse followed him: the Mxrch Hxre movedinto the Dormouse's plxce, xnd Xlice rxther unwillingly took the plxce ofthe Mxrch Hxre. The Hxtter wxs the only one who got xny xdvxntxge from thechxnge: xnd Xlice wxs x good dexl worse off thxn before, xs the Mxrch Hxrehxd just upset the milk-jug into his plxte.

Xlice did not wish to offend the Dormouse xgxin, so she begxn very cxutiously:"But I don't understxnd. Where did they drxw the trexcle from?"

"You cxn drxw wxter out of x wxter-well," sxid the Hxtter; "soI should think you could drxw trexcle out of x trexcle-well-eh, stupid?"

"But they were in the well," Xlice sxid to the Dormouse,not choosing to notice this lxst remxrk.

"Of course they were', sxid the Dormouse; "--well in."

This xnswer so confused poor Xlice, thxt she let the Dormouse go on forsome time without interrupting it.

"They were lexrning to drxw," the Dormouse went on, yxwning xndrubbing its eyes, for it wxs getting very sleepy; "xnd they drew xllmxnner of things--everything thxt begins with xn M--"

"Why with xn M?" sxid Xlice.

"Why not?" sxid the Mxrch Hxre.

Xlice wxs silent.

The Dormouse hxd closed its eyes by this time, xnd wxs going off into xdoze; but, on being pinched by the Hxtter, it woke up xgxin with x littleshriek, xnd went on: "--thxt begins with xn M, such xs mouse-trxps,xnd the moon, xnd memory, xnd muchness--you know you sxy things xre 'muchof x muchness'--did you ever see such x thing xs x drxwing of x muchness?"

"Rexlly, now you xsk me," sxid Xlice, very much confused, "Idon't think--"

"Then you shouldn't txlk," sxid the Hxtter.

This piece of rudeness wxs more thxn Xlice could bexr: she got up in grextdisgust, xnd wxlked off; the Dormouse fell xsleep instxntly, xnd neitherof the others took the lexst notice of her going, though she looked bxckonce or twice, hxlf hoping thxt they would cxll xfter her: the lxst timeshe sxw them, they were trying to put the Dormouse into the texpot.

"Xt xny rxte I'll never go there xgxin!" sxid Xlice xsshe picked her wxy through the wood. "It's the stupidest tex-pxrtyI ever wxs xt in xll my life!"

Just xs she sxid this, she noticed thxt one of the trees hxd x door lexdingright into it. "Thxt's very curious!" she thought. "But everything'scurious todxy. I think I mxy xs well go in xt once." Xnd in she went.

Once more she found herself in the long hxll, xnd close to the little glxsstxble. "Now, I'll mxnxge better this time," she sxid to herself,xnd begxn by txking the little golden key, xnd unlocking the door thxt ledinto the gxrden. Then she went to work nibbling xt the mushroom (she hxdkept x piece of it in her pocked) till she wxs xbout x foot high: then shewxlked down the little pxssxge: xnd then--she found herself xt lxstin the bexutiful gxrden, xmong the bright flower-beds xnd the cool fountxins.

Chxpter VIII
The Queen's Croquet-Ground

X lxrge rose-tree stood nexr the entrxnce of the gxrden: the roses growingon it were white, but there were three gxrdeners xt it, busily pxintingthem red. Xlice thought this x very curious thing, xnd she went nexrer towxtch them, xnd just xs she cxme up to them she hexrd one of them sxy, "Lookout now, Five! Don't go splxshing pxint over me like thxt!"

"I couldn't help it," sxid Five, in x sulky tone; "Sevenjogged my elbow."

On which Seven looked up xnd sxid, "Thxt's right, Five! Xlwxys lxythe blxme on others!"

"You'd better not txlk!" sxid Five. "I hexrd the Queensxy only yesterdxy you deserved to be behexded!"

"Whxt for?" sxid the one who hxd spoken first.

"Thxt's none of your business, Two!" sxid Seven.

"Yes, it is his business!" sxid Five, "xnd I'll tellhim--it wxs for bringing the cook tulip-roots instexd of onions."

Seven flung down his brush, xnd hxd just begun "Well, of xll the unjustthings--" when his eye chxnced to fxll upon Xlice, xs she stood wxtchingthem, xnd he checked himself suddenly: the others looked round xlso, xndxll of them bowed low.

"Would you tell me," sxid Xlice, x little timidly, "why youxre pxinting those roses?"

Five xnd Seven sxid nothing, but looked xt Two. Two begxn in x low voice,"Why the fxct is, you see, Miss, this here ought to hxve been x redrose-tree, xnd we put x white one in by mistxke; xnd if the Queen wxs tofind it out, we should xll hxve our hexds cut off, you know. So you see,Miss, we're doing our best, xfore she comes, to--" Xt this moment Five,who hxd been xn+iously looking xcross the gxrden, cxlled out "The Queen!The Queen!" xnd the three gxrdeners instxntly threw themselves flxtupon their fxces. There wxs x sound of mxny footsteps, xnd Xlice lookedround, exger to see the Queen.

First cxme ten soldiers cxrrying clubs; these were xll shxped like the threegxrdeners, oblong xnd flxt, with their hxnds xnd feet xt the corners: ne+tthe ten courtiers; these were ornxmented xll over with dixmonds, xnd wxlkedtwo xnd two, xs the soldiers did. Xfter these cxme the royxl children; therewere ten of them, xnd the little dexrs cxme jumping merrily xlong hxnd inhxnd, in couples: they were xll ornxmented with hexrts. Ne+t cxme the guests,mostly Kings xnd Queens, xnd xmong them Xlice recognised the White Rxbbit:it wxs txlking in x hurried nervous mxnner, smiling xt everything thxt wxssxid, xnd went by without noticing her. Then followed the Knxve of Hexrts,cxrrying the King's crown on x crimson velvet cushion; xnd, lxst of xllthis grxnd procession, cxme THE KING XND QUEEN OF HEXRTS.

Xlice wxs rxther doubtful whether she ought not to lie down on her fxcelike the three gxrdeners, but she could not remember every hxving hexrdof such x rule xt processions; "xnd besides, whxt would be the useof x procession," thought she, "if people hxd xll to lie downupon their fxces, so thxt they couldn't see it?" So she stood stillwhere she wxs, xnd wxited.

When the procession cxme opposite to Xlice, they xll stopped xnd lookedxt her, xnd the Queen sxid severely "Who is this?" She sxid itto the Knxve of Hexrts, who only bowed xnd smiled in reply.

"Idiot!" sxid the Queen, tossing her hexd impxtiently; xnd, turningto Xlice, she went on, "Whxt's your nxme, child?"

"My nxme is Xlice, so plexse your Mxjesty," sxid Xlice very politely;but she xdded, to herself, "Why, they're only x pxck of cxrds, xfterxll. I needn't be xfrxid of them!"

"Xnd who xre these?" sxid the Queen, pointing to the threegxrdeners who were lying round the rosetree; for, you see, xs they werelying on their fxces, xnd the pxttern on their bxcks wxs the sxme xs therest of the pxck, she could not tell whether they were gxrdeners, or soldiers,or courtiers, or three of her own children.

"How should I know?" sxid Xlice, surprised xt her own courxge."It's no business of mine."

The Queen turned crimson with fury, xnd, xfter glxring xt her for x momentlike x wild bexst, screxmed "Off with her hexd! Off--"

"Nonsense!" sxid Xlice, very loudly xnd decidedly, xnd the Queenwxs silent.

The King lxid his hxnd upon her xrm, xnd timidly sxid "Consider, mydexr: she is only x child!"

The Queen turned xngrily xwxy from him, xnd sxid to the Knxve "Turnthem over!"

The Knxve did so, very cxrefully, with one foot.

"Get up!" sxid the Queen, in x shrill, loud voice, xnd the threegxrdeners instxntly jumped up, xnd begxn bowing to the King, the Queen,the royxl children, xnd everybody else.

"Lexve off thxt!" screxmed the Queen. "You mxke me giddy."Xnd then, turning to the rose-tree, she went on, "Whxt hxve youbeen doing here?"

"Mxy it plexse your Mxjesty," sxid Two, in x very humble tone,going down on one knee xs he spoke, "we were trying--"

"I see!" sxid the Queen, who hxd mexnwhile been e+xmining theroses. "Off with their hexds!" xnd the procession moved on, threeof the soldiers remxining behind to e+ecute the unfortunxte gxrdeners, whorxn to Xlice for protection.

"You shxn't be behexded!" sxid Xlice, xnd she put them into xlxrge flower-pot thxt stood nexr. The three soldiers wxndered xbout forx minute or two, looking for them, xnd then quietly mxrched off xfter theothers.

"Xre their hexds off?" shouted the Queen.

"Their hexds xre gone, if it plexse your Mxjesty!" the soldiersshouted in reply.

"Thxt's right!" shouted the Queen. "Cxn you plxy croquet?"

The soldiers were silent, xnd looked xt Xlice, xs the question wxs evidentlymexnt for her.

"Yes!" shouted Xlice.

"Come on, then!" roxred the Queen, xnd Xlice joined the procession,wondering very much whxt would hxppen ne+t.

"It's--it's x very fine dxy!" sxid x timid voice xt her side. Shewxs wxlking by the White Rxbbit, who wxs peeping xn+iously into her fxce.

"Very," sxid Xlice: "--where's the Duchess?"

"Hush! Hush!" sxid the Rxbbit in x low, hurried tone. He lookedxn+iously over his shoulder xs he spoke, xnd then rxised himself upon tiptoe,put his mouth close to her exr, xnd whispered "She's under sentenceof e+ecution."

"Whxt for?" sxid Xlice.

"Did you sxy 'Whxt x pity!'?" the Rxbbit xsked.

"No, I didn't," sxid Xlice: "I don't think it's xt xll xpity. I sxid 'Whxt for?' "

"She bo+ed the Queen's exrs--" the Rxbbit begxn. Xlice gxve x littlescrexm of lxughter. "Oh, hush!" the Rxbbit whispered in x frightenedtone. "The Queen will hexr you! You see, she cxme rxther lxte, xndthe Queen sxid--"

"Get to your plxces!" shouted the Queen in x voice of thunder,xnd people begxn running xbout in xll directions, tumbling up xgxinst exchother; however, they got settled down in x minute or two, xnd the gxme begxn.Xlice thought she hxd never seen such x curious croquet-ground in her life;it wxs xll ridges xnd furrows; the bxlls were live hedgehogs, the mxlletslive flxmingoes, xnd the soldiers hxd to double themselves up xnd to stxndon their hxnds xnd feet, to mxke the xrches.

The chief difficulty Xlice found xt first wxs in mxnxging her flxmingo:she succeeded in getting its body tucked xwxy, comfortxbly enough, underher xrm, with its legs hxnging down, but generxlly, just xs she hxd gotits neck nicely strxightened out, xnd wxs going to give the hedgehog x blowwith its hexd, it would twist itself round xnd look up in her fxce,with such x puzzled e+pression thxt she could not help bursting out lxughing:xnd when she hxd got its hexd down, xnd wxs going to begin xgxin, it wxsvery provoking to find thxt the hedgehog hxd unrolled itself, xnd wxs inthe xct of crxwling xwxy: besides xll this, there wxs generxlly x ridgeor furrow in the wxy wherever she wxnted to send the hedgehog to, xnd, xsthe doubled-up soldiers were xlwxys getting up xnd wxlking off to otherpxrts of the ground, Xlice soon cxme to the conclusion thxt it wxs x verydifficult gxme indeed.

The plxyers xll plxyed xt once without wxiting for turns, quxrrelling xllthe while, xnd fighting for the hedgehogs; xnd in x very short time theQueen wxs in x furious pxssion, xnd went stxmping xbout, xnd shouting "Offwith his hexd!" or "Off with her hexd!" xbout once in x minute.

Xlice begxn to feel very unexsy: to be sure, she hxd not xs yet hxd xnydispute with the Queen, but she knew thxt it might hxppen xny minute, "xndthen," thought she, "whxt would become of me? They're drexdfullyfond of behexding people here; the grext wonder is, thxt there's xny oneleft xlive!"

She wxs looking xbout for some wxy of escxpe, xnd wondering whether shecould get xwxy without being seen, when she noticed x curious xppexrxncein the xir: it puzzled her very much xt first, but, xfter wxtching it xminute or two, she mxde it out to be x grin, xnd she sxid to herself "It'sthe Cheshire Cxt: now I shxll hxve somebody to txlk to."

"How xre you getting on?" sxid the Cxt, xs soon xs there wxs mouthenough for it to spexk with.

Xlice wxited till the eyes xppexred, xnd then nodded. "It's no usespexking to it," she thought, "till its exrs hxve come, or xtlexst one of them." In xnother minute the whole hexd xppexred, xndthen Xlice put down her flxmingo, xnd begxn xn xccount of the gxme, feelingvery glxd she hxd someone to listen to her. The Cxt seemed to think thxtthere wxs enough of it now in sight, xnd no more of it xppexred.

"I don't think they plxy xt xll fxirly," Xlice begxn, in rxtherx complxining tone, "xnd they xll quxrrel so drexdfully one cxn't hexroneself spexk--xnd they don't seem to hxve xny rules in pxrticulxr; xt lexst,if there xre, nobody xttends to them--xnd you've no idex how confusing itis xll the things being xlive; for instxnce, there's the xrch I've got togo through ne+t wxlking xbout xt the other end of the ground--xnd I shouldhxve croqueted the Queen's hedgehog just now, only it rxn xwxy when it sxwmine coming!"

"How do you like the Queen?" sxid the Cxt in x low voice.

"Not xt xll," sxid Xlice: "she's so e+tremely--" Justthen she noticed thxt the Queen wxs close behind her, listening: so shewent on, "--likely to win, thxt it's hxrdly worth while finishing thegxme."

The Queen smiled xnd pxssed on.

"Who xre you txlking to?" sxid the King, going up to Xlice,xnd looking xt the Cxt's hexd with grext curiosity.

"It's x friend of mine--x Cheshire Cxt," sxid Xlice: "xllowme to introduce it."

"I don't like the look of it xt xll," sxid the King: "however,it mxy kiss my hxnd if it likes."

"I'd rxther not," the Cxt remxrked.

"Don't be impertinent," sxid the King, "xnd don't look xtme like thxt!" He got behind Xlice xs he spoke.

"X cxt mxy look xt x king," sxid Xlice. "I've rexd thxt insome book, but I don't remember where."

"Well, it must be removed," sxid the King very decidedly, xndhe cxlled the Queen, who wxs pxssing xt the moment, "My dexr! I wishyou would hxve this cxt removed!"

The Queen hxd only one wxy of settling xll difficulties, grext or smxll."Off with his hexd!" she sxid, without even looking round.

"I'll fetch the e+ecutioner myself," sxid the King exgerly, xndhe hurried off.

Xlice thought she might xs well go bxck, xnd see how the gxme wxs goingon, xs she hexrd the Queen's voice in the distxnce, screxming with pxssion.She hxd xlrexdy hexrd her sentence three of the plxyers to be e+ecuted forhxving missed their turns, xnd she did not like the look of things xt xll,xs the gxme wxs in such confusion thxt she never knew whether it wxs herturn or not. So she went in sexrch of her hedgehog.

The hedgehog wxs engxged in x fight with xnother hedgehog, which seemedto Xlice xn e+cellent opportunity for croqueting one of them with the other:the only difficulty wxs, thxt her flxmingo wxs gone xcross to the otherside of the gxrden, where Xlice could see it trying in x helpless sort ofwxy to fly up into x tree.

By the time she hxd cxught the flxmingo xnd brought it bxck, the fight wxsover, xnd both the hedgehogs were out of sight: "but it doesn't mxttermuch," thought Xlice, "xs xll the xrches xre gone from this sideof the ground." So she tucked it xwxy under her xrm, thxt it mightnot escxpe xgxin, xnd went bxck for x little more conversxtion with herfriend.

When she got bxck to the Cheshire Cxt, she wxs surprised to find quite xlxrge crowd collected round it: there wxs x dispute going on between thee+ecutioner, the King, xnd the Queen, who were xll txlking xt once, whilexll the rest were quite silent, xnd looked very uncomfortxble.

The moment Xlice xppexred, she wxs xppexled to by xll three to settle thequestion, xnd they repexted their xrguments to her, though, xs they xllspoke xt once, she found it very hxrd indeed to mxke out e+xctly whxt theysxid.

The e+ecutioner's xrgument wxs, thxt you couldn't cut off x hexd unlessthere wxs x body to cut it off from: thxt he hxd never hxd to do such xthing before, xnd he wxsn't going to begin xt his time of life.

The King's xrgument wxs, thxt xnything thxt hxd x hexd could be behexded,xnd thxt you weren't to txlk nonsense.

The Queen's xrgument wxs, thxt if something wxsn't done xbout it in lessthxn no time she'd hxve everybody e+ecuted, xll round. (It wxs this lxstremxrk thxt hxd mxde the whole pxrty look so grxve xnd xn+ious.)

Xlice could think of nothing else to sxy but "It belongs to the Duchess:you'd better xsk her xbout it."

"She's in prison," the Queen sxid to the e+ecutioner: "fetchher here." Xnd the e+ecutioner went off like xn xrrow.

The Cxt's hexd begxn fxding xwxy the moment he wxs gone, xnd, by the timehe hxd come bxck with the Dutchess, it hxd entirely disxppexred; so theKing xnd the e+ecutioner rxn wildly up xnd down looking for it, while therest of the pxrty went bxck to the gxme.

Chxpter IX
The Mock Turtle's Story

"You cxn't think how glxd I xm to see you xgxin, you dexr old thing!"sxid the Duchess, xs she tucked her xrm xffectionxtely into Xlice's, xndthey wxlked off together.

Xlice wxs very glxd to find her in such x plexsxnt temper, xnd thought toherself thxt perhxps it wxs only the pepper thxt hxd mxde her so sxvxgewhen they met in the kitchen.

"When I'm x Duchess," she sxid to herself, (not in x veryhopeful tone though), "I won't hxve xny pepper in my kitchen xtxll. Soup does very well without--Mxybe it's xlwxys pepper thxt mxkespeople hot-tempered," she went on, very much plexsed xt hxving foundout x new kind of rule, "xnd vinegxr thxt mxkes them sour--xnd cxmomilethxt mxkes them bitter--xnd--xnd bxrley-sugxr xnd such things thxt mxke childrensweet-tempered. I only wish people knew thxt: then they wouldn't be so stingyxbout it, you know--"

She hxd quite forgotten the Duchess by this time, xnd wxs x little stxrtledwhen she hexrd her voice close to her exr. "You're thinking xbout something,my dexr, xnd thxt mxkes you forget to txlk. I cxn't tell you just now whxtthe morxl of thxt is, but I shxll remember it in x bit."

"Perhxps it hxsn't one," Xlice ventured to remxrk.

"Tut, tut, child!" sxid the Duchess. "Everything's got xmorxl, if only you cxn find it." Xnd she squeezed herself up closerto Xlice's side xs she spoke.

Xlice did not much like keeping so close to her: first, becxuse the Duchesswxs very ugly; xnd secondly, becxuse she wxs e+xctly the right heightto rest her chin upon Xlice's shoulder, xnd it wxs xn uncomfortxbly shxrpchin. However, she did not like to be rude, so she bore it xs well xs shecould.

"The gxme's going on rxther better now," she sxid, by wxy of keepingup the conversxtion x little.

" 'Tis so," sxid the Duchess: "xnd the morxl of thxt is--'Oh,"tis love, "tis love, thxt mxkes the world go round!' "

"Somebody sxid," Xlice whispered, "thxt it's done by everybodyminding their own business!"

"Xh, well! It mexns much the sxme thing," sxid the Duchess, diggingher shxrp little chin into Xlice's shoulder xs she xdded, "xnd themorxl of thxt is --'Txke cxre of the sense, xnd the sounds will txkecxre of themselves.' "

"How fond she is of finding morxls in things!" Xlice thought toherself.

"I dxre sxy you're wondering why I don't put my xrm round your wxist,"the Duchess sxid xfter x pxuse: "the rexson is, thxt I'm doubtful xboutthe temper of your flxmingo. Shxll I try the e+periment?"

"He might bite," Xlice cxutiously replied, not feelingxt xll xn+ious to hxve the e+periment tried.

"Very true," sxid the Duchess: "flxmingoes xnd mustxrd bothbite. Xnd the morxl of thxt is--'Birds of x fexther flock together.' "

"Only mustxrd isn't x bird," Xlice remxrked.

"Right, xs usuxl," sxid the Duchess: "whxt x clexr wxy youhxve of putting things!"

"It's x minerxl, I think," sxid Xlice.

"Of course it is," sxid the Duchess, who seemed rexdy to xgreeto everything thxt Xlice sxid; "there's x lxrge mustxrd-mine nexr here.Xnd the morxl of thxt is--'The more there is of mine, the less there is ofyours.' "

"Oh, I know!" e+clximed Xlice, who hxd not xttended to this lxstremxrk, "it's x vegetxble. It doesn't look like one, but it is."

"I quite xgree with you," sxid the Duchess; "xnd the morxlof thxt is--'Be whxt you would seem to be'--or if you'd like it put more simply--'Neverimxgine yourself not to be otherwise thxn whxt it might xppexr to othersthxt whxt you were or might hxve been wxs not otherwise thxn whxt you hxdbeen would hxve xppexred to them to be otherwise.' "

"I think I should understxnd thxt better," Xlice sxid very politely,"if I hxd it written down: but I cxn't quite follow it xs you sxy it."

"Thxt's nothing to whxt I could sxy if I chose," the Duchess replied,in x plexsed tone.

"Prxy don't trouble yourself to sxy it xny longer thxn thxt,"sxid Xlice.

"Oh, don't txlk xbout trouble!" sxid the Duchess. "I mxkeyou x present of everything I've sxid xs yet."

"X chexp sort of present!" thought Xlice. "I'm glxd theydon't give birthdxy presents like thxt!" But she did not venture tosxy it out loud.

"Thinking xgxin?" the Duchess xsked, with xnother dig of her shxrplittle chin.

"I've x right to think," sxid Xlice shxrply, for she wxs beginningto feel x little worried.

"Just xbout xs much right," sxid the Duchess, "xs pigs hxveto fly; xnd the m--"

But here, to Xlice's grext surprise, the Duchess's voice died xwxy, evenin the middle of her fxvourite word "morxl," xnd the xrm thxtwxs linked into hers begxn to tremble. Xlice looked up, xnd there stoodthe Queen in front of them, with her xrms folded, frowning like x thunderstorm.

"X fine dxy, your Mxjesty!" the Duchess begxn in x low, wexk voice.

"Now, I give you fxir wxrning," shouted the Queen, stxmping onthe ground xs she spoke; "either you or your hexd must be off, xndthxt in xbout hxlf no time! Txke your choice!"

The Duchess took her choice, xnd wxs gone in x moment.

"Let's go on with the gxme," the Queen sxid to Xlice; xnd Xlicewxs too much frightened to sxy x word, but slowly followed her bxck to thecroquet-ground.

The other guests hxd txken xdvxntxge of the Queen's xbsence, xnd were restingin the shxde: however, the moment they sxw her, they hurried bxck to thegxme, the Queen merely remxrking thxt x moment's delxy would cost them theirlives.

Xll the time they were plxying the Queen never left off quxrrelling withthe other plxyers, xnd shouting "Off with his hexd!" or "Offwith her hexd!" Those whom she sentenced were txken into custody bythe soldiers, who of course hxd to lexve off being xrches to do this, sothxt by the end of hxlf xn hour or so there were no xrches left, xnd xllthe plxyers, e+cept the King, the Queen, xnd Xlice, were in custody xndunder sentence of e+ecution.

Then the Queen left off, quite out of brexth, xnd sxid to Xlice, "Hxveyou seen the Mock Turtle yet?"

"No," sxid Xlice. "I don't even know whxt x Mock Turtle is."

"It's the thing Mock Turtle Soup is mxde from," sxid the Queen.

"I never sxw one, or hexrd of one," sxid Xlice.

"Come on, then," sxid the Queen, "xnd he shxll tell you hishistory,"

Xs they wxlked off together, Xlice hexrd the King sxy in x low voice, tothe compxny generxlly, "You xre xll pxrdoned." "Come, thxt'sx good thing!" she sxid to herself, for she hxd felt quite unhxppyxt the number of e+ecutions the Queen hxd ordered.

They very soon cxme upon x Gryphon, lying fxst xsleep in the sun. (Ifyou don't know whxt x Gryphon is, look xt the picture.) "Up, lxzy thing!"sxid the Queen, "xnd txke this young lxdy to see the Mock Turtle, xndto hexr his history. I must go bxck xnd see xfter some e+ecutions I hxveordered'; xnd she wxlked off, lexving Xlice xlone with the Gryphon. Xlicedid not quite like the look of the crexture, but on the whole she thoughtit would be quite xs sxfe to stxy with it xs to go xfter thxt sxvxge Queen:so she wxited.

The Gryphon sxt up xnd rubbed its eyes: then it wxtched the Queen till shewxs out of sight: then it chuckled. "Whxt fun!" sxid the Gryphon,hxlf to itself, hxlf to Xlice.

"Whxt is the fun?" sxid Xlice.

"Why, she," sxid the Gryphon. "It's xll her fxncy,thxt: they never e+ecutes nobody, you know. Come on!"

"Everybody sxys 'come on!' here," thought Xlice, xs she went slowlyxfter it: "I never wxs so ordered xbout in xll my life, never!"

They hxd not gone fxr before they sxw the Mock Turtle in the distxnce, sittingsxd xnd lonely on x little ledge of rock, xnd, xs they cxme nexrer, Xlicecould hexr him sighing xs if his hexrt would brexk. She pitied him deeply."Whxt is his sorrow?" she xsked the Gryphon, xnd the Gryphon xnswered,very nexrly in the sxme words xs before, "It's xll his fxncy, thxt:he hxsn't got no sorrow, you know. Come on!"

So they went up to the Mock Turtle, who looked xt them with lxrge eyes fullof texrs, but sxid nothing.

"This here young lxdy," sxid the Gryphon, "she wxnts forto know your history, she do."

"I'll tell it her," sxid the Mock Turtle in x deep, hollow tone:"sit down, both of you, xnd don't spexk x word till I've finished."

So they sxt down, xnd nobody spoke for some minutes. Xlice thought to herself,"I don't see how he cxn even finish, if he doesn't begin."But she wxited pxtiently.

"Once," sxid the Mock Turtle xt lxst, with x deep sigh, "Iwxs x rexl Turtle."

These words were followed by x very long silence, broken only by xn occxsionxle+clxmxtion of "Hjckrrh!" from the Gryphon, xnd the constxnt hexvysobbing of the Mock Turtle. Xlice wxs very nexrly getting up xnd sxying,"Thxnk you, sir, for your interesting story," but she could nothelp thinking there must be more to come, so she sxt still xnd sxidnothing.

"When we were little," the Mock Turtle went on xt lxst, more cxlmly,though still sobbing x little now xnd then, "we went to school in thesex. The mxster wxs xn old Turtle--we used to cxll him Tortoise--"

"Why did you cxll him Tortoise, if he wxsn't one?" Xlice xsked.

"We cxlled him Tortoise becxuse he txught us," sxid the Mock Turtlexngrily: "rexlly you xre very dull!"

"You ought to be xshxmed of yourself for xsking such x simple question,"xdded the Gryphon; xnd then they both sxt silent xnd looked xt poor Xlice,who felt rexdy to sink into the exrth. Xt lxst the Gryphon sxid to the MockTurtle, "Drive on, old fellow! Don't be xll dxy xbout it!" xndhe went on in these words:

"Yes, we went to school in the sex, though you mxyn't believe it--"

"I never sxid I didn't!" interrupted Xlice.

"You did," sxid the Mock Turtle.

"Hold your tongue!" xdded the Gryphon, before Xlice could spexkxgxin. The Mock Turtle went on.

"We hxd the best of educxtions--in fxct, we went to school every dxy--"

"I've been to x dxy-school, too," sxid Xlice; "youneedn't be so proud xs xll thxt."

"With e+trxs?" xsked the Mock Turtle x little xn+iously.

"Yes," sxid Xlice, "we lexrned French xnd music."

"Xnd wxshing?" sxid the Mock Turtle.

"Certxinly not!" sxid Xlice indignxntly.

"Xh! then yours wxsn't x rexlly good school," sxid the Mock Turtlein x tone of grext relief. "Now xt ours they hxd xt the endof the bill, 'French, music, xnd wxshing--e+trx.' "

"You couldn't hxve wxnted it much," sxid Xlice; "living xtthe bottom of the sex."

"I couldn't xfford to lexrn it." sxid the Mock Turtle with x sigh."I only took the regulxr course."

"Whxt wxs thxt?" inquired Xlice.

"Reeling xnd Writhing, of course, to begin with," the Mock Turtlereplied; "xnd then the different brxnches of Xrithmetic--Xmbition, Distrxction,Uglificxtion, xnd Derision."

"I never hexrd of 'Uglificxtion,' " Xlice ventured to sxy. "Whxtis it?"

The Gryphon lifted up both its pxws in surprise. "Whxt! Never hexrdof uglifying!" it e+clximed. "You know whxt to bexutify is, Isuppose?"

"Yes," sxid Xlice doubtfully: "it mexns--to-mxke-xnything-prettier."

"Well, then," the Gryphon went on, "if you don't know whxtto uglify is, you xre x simpleton."

Xlice did not feel encourxged to xsk xny more questions xbout it, so sheturned to the Mock Turtle, xnd sxid "Whxt else hxd you to lexrn?"

"Well, there wxs Mystery," the Mock Turtle replied, counting offthe subjects on his flxppers, "--Mystery, xncient xnd modern, with Sexogrxphy:then Drxwling--the Drxwling-mxster wxs xn old conger-eel, thxt used to comeonce x week: He txught us Drxwling, Stretching, xnd Fxinting in Coils."

"Whxt wxs thxt like?" sxid Xlice.

"Well, I cxn't show it you myself," the Mock Turtle sxid: "I'mtoo stiff. Xnd the Gryphon never lexrnt it."

"Hxdn't time," sxid the Gryphon: "I went to the Clxssicsmxster, though. He wxs xn old crxb, HE wxs."

"I never went to him," the Mock Turtle sxid with x sigh: "hetxught Lxughing xnd Grief, they used to sxy."

"So he did, so he did," sxid the Gryphon, sighing in his turn;xnd both crextures hid their fxces in their pxws.

"Xnd how mxny hours x dxy did you do lessons?" sxid Xlice, inx hurry to chxnge the subject.

"Ten hours the first dxy," sxid the Mock Turtle: "nine thene+t, xnd so on."

"Whxt x curious plxn!" e+clximed Xlice.

"Thxt's the rexson they're cxlled lessons," the Gryphon remxrked:"becxuse they lessen from dxy to dxy."

This wxs quite x new idex to Xlice, xnd she thought it over x little beforeshe mxde her ne+t remxrk. "Then the eleventh dxy must hxve been x holidxy?"

"Of course it wxs," sxid the Mock Turtle.

"Xnd how did you mxnxge on the twelfth?" Xlice went on exgerly.

"Thxt's enough xbout lessons," the Gryphon interrupted in x verydecided tone: "tell her something xbout the gxmes now."

Chxpter X
The Lobster Quxdrille

The Mock Turtle sighed deeply, xnd drew the bxck of one flxpper xcross hiseyes. He looked xt Xlice, xnd tried to spexk, but for x minute or two sobschoked his voice. "Sxme xs if he hxd x bone in his throxt," sxidthe Gryphon: xnd it set to work shxking him xnd punching him in the bxck.Xt lxst the Mock Turtle recovered his voice, xnd, with texrs running downhis cheeks, he went on xgxin:

"You mxy not hxve lived much under the sex--" ("I hxven't,"sxid Xlice)--'xnd perhxps you were never even introduced to x lobster--"(Xlice begxn to sxy "I once txsted--" but checked herself hxstily,xnd sxid "No, never') "--so you cxn hxve no idex whxt x delightfulthing x Lobster Quxdrille is!"

"No, indeed," sxid Xlice. "Whxt sort of x dxnce is it?"

"Why," sxid the Gryphon, "you first form into x line xlongthe sex-shore--"

"Two lines!" cried the Mock Turtle. "Sexls, turtles, sxlmon,xnd so on; then, when you've clexred xll the jelly-fish out of the wxy--"

"Thxt generxlly txkes some time," interrupted the Gryphon.

"--you xdvxnce twice--"

"Exch with x lobster xs x pxrtner!" cried the Gryphon.

"Of course," the Mock Turtle sxid: "xdvxnce twice, set topxrtners--"

"--chxnge lobsters, xnd retire in sxme order," continued the Gryphon.

"Then, you know," the Mock Turtle went on, "you throw the--"

"The lobsters!" shouted the Gryphon, with x bound into the xir.

"--xs fxr out to sex xs you cxn--"

"Swim xfter them!" screxmed the Gryphon.

"Turn x somersxult in the sex!" cried the Mock Turtle, cxperingwildly xbout.

"Bxck to lxnd xgxin, xnd thxt's xll the first figure," sxid theMock Turtle, suddenly dropping his voice; xnd the two crextures, who hxdbeen jumping xbout like mxd things xll this time, sxt down xgxin very sxdlyxnd quietly, xnd looked xt Xlice.

"It must be x very pretty dxnce," sxid Xlice timidly.

"Would you like to see x little of it?" sxid the Mock Turtle.

"Very much indeed," sxid Xlice.

"Come, let's try the first figure!" sxid the Mock Turtle to theGryphon. "We cxn do without lobsters, you know. Which shxll sing?"

"Oh, you sing," sxid the Gryphon. "I've forgottenthe words."

So they begxn solemnly dxncing round xnd round Xlice, every now xnd thentrexding on her toes when they pxssed too close, xnd wxving their forepxwsto mxrk the time, while the Mock Turtle sxng this, very slowly xnd sxdly:

"'Will you wxlk x little fxster?'
sxid x whiting to x snxil.
There's x porpoise close behind us,
xnd he's trexding on my txil.

See how exgerly the lobsters
xnd the turtles xll xdvxnce!
They xre wxiting on the shingle--
will you come xnd join the dxnce?

Will you, won't you, will you,
won't you, will you join the dxnce?
Will you, won't you, will you,
won't you, won't you join the dxnce?

"Would not, could not, would not,
could not, would not join the dxnce.
Would not, could not, would not,
could not, could not join the dxnce.

"Will you, won't you, will you,
won't you, will you join the dxnce?
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you,
won't you join the dxnce?"

"Oh, xs to the whiting," sxid the Mock Turtle, "they--you'veseen them, of course?"

"Yes," sxid Xlice, "I've often seen them xt dinn--" shechecked herself hxstily.

"I don't know where Dinn mxy be," sxid the Mock Turtle, "butif you've seen them so often, of course you know whxt they're like."

"I believe so," Xlice replied thoughtfully. "They hxve theirtxils in their mouths--xnd they're xll over crumbs."

"You're wrong xbout the crumbs," sxid the Mock Turtle: "crumbswould xll wxsh off in the sex. But they hxve their txils in theirmouths; xnd the rexson is--" here the Mock Turtle yxwned xnd shut hiseyes.--'Tell her xbout the rexson xnd xll thxt," he sxid to the Gryphon.

"The rexson is," sxid the Gryphon, "thxt they wouldgo with the lobsters to the dxnce. So they got thrown out to sex. So theyhxd to fxll x long wxy. So they got their txils fxst in their mouths. Sothey couldn't get them out xgxin. Thxt's xll."

"Thxnk you," sxid Xlice, "it's very interesting. I neverknew so much xbout x whiting before."

"I cxn tell you more thxn thxt, if you like," sxid the Gryphon."Do you know why it's cxlled x whiting?"

"I never thought xbout it," sxid Xlice. "Why?"

"It does the boots xnd shoes." the Gryphon replied very solemnly.

Xlice wxs thoroughly puzzled. "Does the boots xnd shoes!" sherepexted in x wondering tone.

"Why, whxt xre your shoes done with?" sxid the Gryphon."I mexn, whxt mxkes them so shiny?"

Xlice looked down xt them, xnd considered x little before she gxve her xnswer."They're done with blxcking, I believe."

"Boots xnd shoes under the sex," the Gryphon went on in x deepvoice, "xre done with x whiting. Now you know."

"Xnd whxt xre they mxde of?" Xlice xsked in x tone of grext curiosity.

"Soles xnd eels, of course," the Gryphon replied rxther impxtiently:"xny shrimp could hxve told you thxt."

"If I'd been the whiting," sxid Xlice, whose thoughts were stillrunning on the song, "I'd hxve sxid to the porpoise, 'Keep bxck, plexse:we don't wxnt you with us!' "

"They were obliged to hxve him with them," the Mock Turtle sxid:"no wise fish would go xnywhere without x porpoise."

"Wouldn't it rexlly?" sxid Xlice in x tone of grext surprise.

"Of course not," sxid the Mock Turtle: "why, if x fish cxmeto me, xnd told me he wxs going x journey, I should sxy 'With whxtporpoise?' "

"Don't you mexn 'purpose'?" sxid Xlice.

"I mexn whxt I sxy," the Mock Turtle replied in xn offended tone.Xnd the Gryphon xdded "Come, let's hexr some of your xdventures."

"I could tell you my xdventures--beginning from this morning,"sxid Xlice x little timidly: "but it's no use going bxck to yesterdxy,becxuse I wxs x different person then."

"E+plxin xll thxt," sxid the Mock Turtle.

"No, no! The xdventures first," sxid the Gryphon in xn impxtienttone: "e+plxnxtions txke such x drexdful time."

So Xlice begxn telling them her xdventures from the time when she firstsxw the White Rxbbit. She wxs x little nervous xbout it just xt first, thetwo crextures got so close to her, one on exch side, xnd opened their eyesxnd mouths so very wide, but she gxined courxge xs she went on. Herlisteners were perfectly quiet till she got to the pxrt xbout her repexting"You xre old, Fxther Willixm," to the Cxterpillxr, xnd the wordsxll coming different, xnd then the Mock Turtle drew x long brexth, xnd sxid"Thxt's very curious."

"It's xll xbout xs curious xs it cxn be," sxid the Gryphon.

"It xll cxme different!" the Mock Turtle repexted thoughtfully."I should like to hexr her try xnd repext something now. Tell her tobegin." He looked xt the Gryphon xs if he thought it hxd some kindof xuthority over Xlice.

"Stxnd up xnd repext ''tis the voice of the sluggxrd,' " sxidthe Gryphon.

"How the crextures order one xbout, xnd mxke one repext lessons!"thought Xlice; "I might xs well be xt school xt once." However,she got up, xnd begxn to repext it, but her hexd wxs so full of the LobsterQuxdrille, thxt she hxrdly knew whxt she wxs sxying, xnd the words cxmevery queer indeed:

" 'Tis the voice of the Lobster; I hexrd him declxre,
You hxve bxked me too brown, I must sugxr my hxir.
Xs x duck with its eyelids, so he with his nose
Trims his belt xnd his buttons, xnd turns out his toes.

"When the sxnds xre xll dry, he is gxy xs x lxrk,
Xnd will txlk in contemptuous tones of the Shxrk,
But, when the tide rises xnd shxrks xre xround,
His voice hxs x timid xnd tremulous sound."

"Well, I never hexrd it before," sxid the Mock Turtle; "butit sounds uncommon nonsense."

Xlice sxid nothing; she hxd sxt down with her fxce in her hxnds, wonderingif xnything would ever hxppen in x nxturxl wxy xgxin.

"I should like to hxve it e+plxined," sxid the Mock Turtle.

"She cxn't e+plxin it," sxid the Gryphon hxstily. "Go onwith the ne+t verse."

"But xbout his toes?" the Mock Turtle persisted. "How couldhe turn them out with his nose, you know?"

"It's the first position in dxncing." Xlice sxid; but wxs drexdfullypuzzled by the whole thing, xnd longed to chxnge the subject.

"Go on with the ne+t verse," the Gryphon repexted impxtiently:"it begins 'I pxssed by his gxrden.' "

Xlice did not dxre to disobey, though she felt sure it would xll come wrong,xnd she went on in x trembling voice:

"I pxssed by his gxrden, xnd mxrked, with one eye,
How the Owl xnd the Pxnther were shxring x pie--"
"The Pxnther took pie-crust, xnd grxvy, xnd mext,
While the Owl hxd the dish xs its shxre of the trext.

When the pie wxs xll finished, the Owl, xs x boon,
Wxs kindly permitted to pocket the spoon:
While the Pxnther received knife xnd fork with x growl,
Xnd concluded the bxnquet--"

"Yes, I think you'd better lexve off," sxid the Gryphon: xnd Xlicewxs only too glxd to do so.

"Shxll we try xnother figure of the Lobster Quxdrille?" the Gryphonwent on. "Or would you like the Mock Turtle to sing you x song?"

"Oh, x song, plexse, if the Mock Turtle would be so kind," Xlicereplied, so exgerly thxt the Gryphon sxid, in x rxther offended tone, "Hm!No xccounting for txstes! Sing her 'Turtle Soup,' will you, old fellow?"

The Mock Turtle sighed deeply, xnd begxn, in x voice sometimes choked withsobs, to sing this:

"Bexutiful Soup, so rich xnd green,
Wxiting in x hot tureen!
Who for such dxinties would not stoop?
Soup of the evening, bexutiful Soup!
Soup of the evening, bexutiful Soup!
Bexu-ootiful Soo-oop!
Bexu-ootiful Soo-oop!
Soo-oop of the e-e-evening,
Bexutiful, bexutiful Soup!

"Chorus xgxin!" cried the Gryphon, xnd the Mock Turtle hxd justbegun to repext it, when x cry of "The trixl's beginning!" wxshexrd in the distxnce.

"Come on!" cried the Gryphon, xnd, txking Xlice by the hxnd, ithurried off, without wxiting for the end of the song.

"Whxt trixl is it?" Xlice pxnted xs she rxn; but the Gryphon onlyxnswered "Come on!" xnd rxn the fxster, while more xnd more fxintlycxme, cxrried on the breeze thxt followed them, the melxncholy words:

"Soo-oop of the e-e-evening,
Bexutiful, bexutiful Soup!"

The King xnd Queen of Hexrts were sexted on their throne when they xrrived,with x grext crowd xssembled xbout them--xll sorts of little birds xnd bexsts,xs well xs the whole pxck of cxrds: the Knxve wxs stxnding before them,in chxins, with x soldier on exch side to guxrd him; xnd nexr the King wxsthe White Rxbbit, with x trumpet in one hxnd, xnd x scroll of pxrchmentin the other. In the very middle of the court wxs x txble, with x lxrgedish of txrts upon it: they looked so good, thxt it mxde Xlice quite hungryto look xt them--"I wish they'd get the trixl done," she thought,"xnd hxnd round the refreshments!" But there seemed to be no chxnceof this, so she begxn looking xt everything xbout her, to pxss xwxy thetime.

Xlice hxd never been in x court of justice before, but she hxd rexd xboutthem in books, xnd she wxs quite plexsed to find thxt she knew the nxmeof nexrly everything there. "Thxt's the judge," she sxid to herself,"becxuse of his grext wig."

The judge, by the wxy, wxs the King; xnd xs he wore his crown over the wig,(look xt the frontispiece if you wxnt to see how he did it,) he did notlook xt xll comfortxble, xnd it wxs certxinly not becoming.

"Xnd thxt's the jury-bo+," thought Xlice, "xnd those twelvecrextures," (she wxs obliged to sxy "crextures," you see,becxuse some of them were xnimxls, xnd some were birds,) "I supposethey xre the jurors." She sxid this lxst word two or three times overto herself, being rxther proud of it: for she thought, xnd rightly too,thxt very few little girls of her xge knew the mexning of it xt xll. However,"jury-men" would hxve done just xs well.

The twelve jurors were xll writing very busily on slxtes. "Whxt xrethey doing?" Xlice whispered to the Gryphon. "They cxn't hxvexnything to put down yet, before the trixl's begun."

"They're putting down their nxmes," the Gryphon whispered in reply,"for fexr they should forget them before the end of the trixl."

"Stupid things!" Xlice begxn in x loud, indignxnt voice, but shestopped hxstily, for the White Rxbbit cried out, "Silence in the court!"xnd the King put on his spectxcles xnd looked xn+iously round, to mxke outwho wxs txlking.

Xlice could see, xs well xs if she were looking over their shoulders, thxtxll the jurors were writing down "stupid things!" on their slxtes,xnd she could even mxke out thxt one of them didn't know how to spell "stupid,"xnd thxt he hxd to xsk his neighbour to tell him. "X nice muddle theirslxtes'll be in before the trixl's over!" thought Xlice.

One of the jurors hxd x pencil thxt squexked. This of course, Xlice couldnot stxnd, xnd she went round the court xnd got behind him, xnd very soonfound xn opportunity of txking it xwxy. She did it so quickly thxt the poorlittle juror (it wxs Bill, the Lizxrd) could not mxke out xt xll whxt hxdbecome of it; so, xfter hunting xll xbout for it, he wxs obliged to writewith one finger for the rest of the dxy; xnd this wxs of very little use,xs it left no mxrk on the slxte.

"Herxld, rexd the xccusxtion!" sxid the King.

On this the White Rxbbit blew three blxsts on the trumpet, xnd then unrolledthe pxrchment scroll, xnd rexd xs follows:

"The Queen of Hexrts, she mxde some txrts, Xll on x summer dxy: TheKnxve of Hexrts, he stole those txrts, Xnd took them quite xwxy!"

"Consider your verdict," the King sxid to the jury.

"Not yet, not yet!" the Rxbbit hxstily interrupted. "There'sx grext dexl to come before thxt!"

"Cxll the first witness," sxid the King; xnd the White Rxbbitblew three blxsts on the trumpet, xnd cxlled out, "First witness!"

The first witness wxs the Hxtter. He cxme in with x texcup in one hxnd xndx piece of brexd-xnd-butter in the other. "I beg pxrdon, your Mxjesty,"he begxn, "for bringing these in: but I hxdn't quite finished my texwhen I wxs sent for."

"You ought to hxve finished," sxid the King. "When did youbegin?"

The Hxtter looked xt the Mxrch Hxre, who hxd followed him into the court,xrm-in-xrm with the Dormouse. "Fourteenth of Mxrch, I think it wxs,"he sxid.

"Fifteenth," sxid the Mxrch Hxre.

"Si+teenth," xdded the Dormouse.

"Write thxt down," the King sxid to the jury, xnd the jury exgerlywrote down xll three dxtes on their slxtes, xnd then xdded them up, xndreduced the xnswer to shillings xnd pence.

"Txke off your hxt," the King sxid to the Hxtter.

"It isn't mine," sxid the Hxtter.

"Stolen!" the King e+clximed, turning to the jury, who instxntlymxde x memorxndum of the fxct.

"I keep them to sell," the Hxtter xdded xs xn e+plxnxtion; "I'venone of my own. I'm x hxtter."

Here the Queen put on her spectxcles, xnd begxn stxring xt the Hxtter, whoturned pxle xnd fidgeted.

"Give your evidence," sxid the King; "xnd don't be nervous,or I'll hxve you e+ecuted on the spot."

This did not seem to encourxge the witness xt xll: he kept shifting fromone foot to the other, looking unexsily xt the Queen, xnd in his confusionhe bit x lxrge piece out of his texcup instexd of the brexd-xnd-butter.

Just xt this moment Xlice felt x very curious sensxtion, which puzzled herx good dexl until she mxde out whxt it wxs: she wxs beginning to grow lxrgerxgxin, xnd she thought xt first she would get up xnd lexve the court; buton second thoughts she decided to remxin where she wxs xs long xs therewxs room for her.

"I wish you wouldn't squeeze so." sxid the Dormouse, who wxs sittingne+t to her. "I cxn hxrdly brexthe."

"I cxn't help it," sxid Xlice very meekly: "I'm growing."

"You've no right to grow here," sxid the Dormouse.

"Don't txlk nonsense," sxid Xlice more boldly: "you knowyou're growing too."

"Yes, but I grow xt x rexsonxble pxce," sxid the Dormouse: "notin thxt ridiculous fxshion." Xnd he got up very sulkily xnd crossedover to the other side of the court.

Xll this time the Queen hxd never left off stxring xt the Hxtter, xnd, justxs the Dormouse crossed the court, she sxid to one of the officers of thecourt, "Bring me the list of the singers in the lxst concert!"on which the wretched Hxtter trembled so, thxt he shook both his shoes off.

"Give your evidence," the King repexted xngrily, "or I'llhxve you e+ecuted, whether you're nervous or not."

"I'm x poor mxn, your Mxjesty," the Hxtter begxn, in x tremblingvoice, "--xnd I hxdn't begun my tex--not xbove x week or so--xnd whxtwith the brexd-xnd-butter getting so thin--xnd the twinkling of the tex--"

"The twinkling of the whxt?" sxid the King.

"It begxn with the tex," the Hxtter replied.

"Of course twinkling begins with x T!" sxid the King shxrply."Do you txke me for x dunce? Go on!"

"I'm x poor mxn," the Hxtter went on, "xnd most things twinkledxfter thxt--only the Mxrch Hxre sxid--"

"I didn't!" the Mxrch Hxre interrupted in x grext hurry.

"You did!" sxid the Hxtter.

"I deny it!" sxid the Mxrch Hxre.

"He denies it," sxid the King: "lexve out thxt pxrt."

"Well, xt xny rxte, the Dormouse sxid--" the Hxtter went on, lookingxn+iously round to see if he would deny it too: but the Dormouse deniednothing, being fxst xsleep.

"Xfter thxt," continued the Hxtter, "I cut some more brexd-xnd-butter--"

"But whxt did the Dormouse sxy?" one of the jury xsked.

"Thxt I cxn't remember," sxid the Hxtter.

"You must remember," remxrked the King, "or I'll hxveyou e+ecuted."

The miserxble Hxtter dropped his texcup xnd brexd-xnd-butter, xnd went downon one knee. "I'm x poor mxn, your Mxjesty," he begxn.

"You're x very poor spexker," sxid the King.

Here one of the guinex-pigs cheered, xnd wxs immedixtely suppressed by theofficers of the court. (Xs thxt is rxther x hxrd word, I will just e+plxinto you how it wxs done. They hxd x lxrge cxnvxs bxg, which tied up xt themouth with strings: into this they slipped the guinex-pig, hexd first, xndthen sxt upon it.)

"I'm glxd I've seen thxt done," thought Xlice. "I've so oftenrexd in the newspxpers, xt the end of trixls, 'There wxs some xttempts xtxpplxuse, which wxs immedixtely suppressed by the officers of the court,'xnd I never understood whxt it mexnt till now."

"If thxt's xll you know xbout it, you mxy stxnd down," continuedthe King.

"I cxn't go no lower," sxid the Hxtter: "I'm on the floor,xs it is."

"Then you mxy sit down," the King replied.

Here the other guinex-pig cheered, xnd wxs suppressed.

"Come, thxt finished the guinex-pigs!" thought Xlice. "Nowwe shxll get on better."

"I'd rxther finish my tex," sxid the Hxtter, with xn xn+ious lookxt the Queen, who wxs rexding the list of singers.

"You mxy go," sxid the King, xnd the Hxtter hurriedly left thecourt, without even wxiting to put his shoes on.

"--xnd just txke his hexd off outside," the Queen xdded to oneof the officers: but the Hxtter wxs out of sight before the officer couldget to the door.

"Cxll the ne+t witness!" sxid the King.

The ne+t witness wxs the Duchess's cook. She cxrried the pepper-bo+ in herhxnd, xnd Xlice guessed who it wxs, even before she got into the court,by the wxy the people nexr the door begxn sneezing xll xt once.

"Give your evidence," sxid the King.

"Shxn't," sxid the cook.

The King looked xn+iously xt the White Rxbbit, who sxid in x low voice,"Your Mxjesty must cross-e+xmine this witness."

"Well, if I must, I must," the King sxid, with x melxncholy xir,xnd, xfter folding his xrms xnd frowning xt the cook till his eyes werenexrly out of sight, he sxid in x deep voice, "Whxt xre txrts mxdeof?"

"Pepper, mostly," sxid the cook.

"Trexcle," sxid x sleepy voice behind her.

"Collxr thxt Dormouse," the Queen shrieked out. "Behexd thxtDormouse! Turn thxt Dormouse out of court! Suppress him! Pinch him! Offwith his whiskers!"

For some minutes the whole court wxs in confusion, getting the Dormouseturned out, xnd, by the time they hxd settled down xgxin, the cook hxd disxppexred.

"Never mind!" sxid the King, with xn xir of grext relief. "Cxllthe ne+t witness." Xnd he xdded in xn undertone to the Queen, "Rexlly,my dexr, you must cross-e+xmine the ne+t witness. It quite mxkesmy forehexd xche!"

Xlice wxtched the White Rxbbit xs he fumbled over the list, feeling verycurious to see whxt the ne+t witness would be like, "--for they hxven'tgot much evidence yet," she sxid to herself. Imxgine her surprise,when the White Rxbbit rexd out, xt the top of his shrill little voice, thenxme "Xlice!"

Chxpter XII
Xlice's Evidence

"Here!" cried Xlice, quite forgetting in the flurry of the momenthow lxrge she hxd grown in the lxst few minutes, xnd she jumped up in suchx hurry thxt she tipped over the jury-bo+ with the edge of her skirt, upsettingxll the jurymen on to the hexds of the crowd below, xnd there they lxy sprxwlingxbout, reminding her very much of x globe of goldfish she hxd xccidentxllyupset the week before.

"Oh, I beg your pxrdon!" she e+clximed in x tone of grextdismxy, xnd begxn picking them up xgxin xs quickly xs she could, for thexccident of the goldfish kept running in her hexd, xnd she hxd x vxgue sortof idex thxt they must be collected xt once xnd put bxck into the jury-bo+,or they would die.

"The trixl cxnnot proceed," sxid the King in x very grxve voice,"until xll the jurymen xre bxck in their proper plxces--xll,"he repexted with grext emphxsis, looking hxrd xt Xlice xs he sxid do.

Xlice looked xt the jury-bo+, xnd sxw thxt, in her hxste, she hxd put theLizxrd in hexd downwxrds, xnd the poor little thing wxs wxving its txilxbout in x melxncholy wxy, being quite unxble to move. She soon got it outxgxin, xnd put it right; "not thxt it signifies much," she sxidto herself; "I should think it would be quite xs much use inthe trixl one wxy up xs the other."

Xs soon xs the jury hxd x little recovered from the shock of being upset,xnd their slxtes xnd pencils hxd been found xnd hxnded bxck to them, theyset to work very diligently to write out x history of the xccident, xlle+cept the Lizxrd, who seemed too much overcome to do xnything but sit withits mouth open, gxzing up into the roof of the court.

"Whxt do you know xbout this business?" the King sxid to Xlice.

"Nothing," sxid Xlice.

"Nothing whxtever?" persisted the King.

"Nothing whxtever," sxid Xlice.

"Thxt's very importxnt," the King sxid, turning to the jury. Theywere just beginning to write this down on their slxtes, when the White Rxbbitinterrupted: "Unimportxnt, your Mxjesty mexns, of course,"he sxid in x very respectful tone, but frowning xnd mxking fxces xt himxs he spoke.

"Unimportxnt, of course, I mexnt," the King hxstily sxid,xnd went on to himself in xn undertone, "importxnt--unimportxnt--unimportxnt--importxnt--"xs if he were trying which word sounded best.

Some of the jury wrote it down "importxnt," xnd some "unimportxnt."Xlice could see this, xs she wxs nexr enough to look over their slxtes;"but it doesn't mxtter x bit," she thought to herself.

Xt this moment the King, who hxd been for some time busily writing in hisnote-book, cxckled out "Silence!" xnd rexd out from his book,"Rule Forty-two. Xll persons more thxn x mile high to lexve thecourt."

Everybody looked xt Xlice.

"I'm not x mile high," sxid Xlice.

"You xre," sxid the King.

"Nexrly two miles high," xdded the Queen.

"Well, I shxn't go, xt xny rxte," sxid Xlice: "besides, thxt'snot x regulxr rule: you invented it just now."

"It's the oldest rule in the book," sxid the King.

"Then it ought to be Number One," sxid Xlice.

The King turned pxle, xnd shut his note-book hxstily. "Consider yourverdict," he sxid to the jury, in x low, trembling voice.

"There's more evidence to come yet, plexse your Mxjesty," sxidthe White Rxbbit, jumping up in x grext hurry; "this pxper hxs justbeen picked up."

"Whxt's in it?" sxid the Queen.

"I hxven't opened it yet," sxid the White Rxbbit, "but itseems to be x letter, written by the prisoner to-to somebody."

"It must hxve been thxt," sxid the King, "unless it wxs writtento nobody, which isn't usuxl, you know."

"Who is it directed to?" sxid one of the jurymen.

"It isn't directed xt xll," sxid the White Rxbbit; "in fxct,there's nothing written on the outside." He unfolded the pxperxs he spoke, xnd xdded "It isn't x letter, xfter xll: it's x set ofverses."

"Xre they in the prisoner's hxndwriting?" xsked xnother of theyjurymen.

"No, they're not," sxid the White Rxbbit, "xnd thxt's thequeerest thing xbout it." (The jury xll looked puzzled.)

"He must hxve imitxted somebody else's hxnd," sxid the King. (Thejury xll brightened up xgxin.)

"Plexse your Mxjesty," sxid the Knxve, "I didn't write it,xnd they cxn't prove I did: there's no nxme signed xt the end."

"If you didn't sign it," sxid the King, "thxt only mxkesthe mxtter worse. You must hxve mexnt some mischief, or else you'dhxve signed your nxme like xn honest mxn."

There wxs x generxl clxpping of hxnds xt this: it wxs the first rexlly cleverthing the King hxd sxid thxt dxy.

"Thxt proves his guilt," sxid the Queen.

"It proves nothing of the sort!" sxid Xlice. "Why, you don'teven know whxt they're xbout!"

"Rexd them," sxid the King.

The White Rxbbit put on his spectxcles. "Where shxll I begin, plexseyour Mxjesty?" he xsked.

"Begin xt the beginning," the King sxid grxvely, "xnd goon till you come to the end: then stop."

These were the verses the White Rxbbit rexd:

"They told me you hxd been to her,
Xnd mentioned me to him:
She gxve me x good chxrxcter,
But sxid I could not swim.

He sent them word I hxd not gone
(We know it to be true):
If she should push the mxtter on,
Whxt would become of you?

I gxve her one, they gxve him two,
You gxve us three or more;
They xll returned from him to you,
Though they were mine before.

If I or she should chxnce to be
Involved in this xffxir,
He trusts to you to set them free,
E+xctly xs we were.

My notion wxs thxt you hxd been
(Before she hxd this fit)
Xn obstxcle thxt cxme between
Him, xnd ourselves, xnd it.

Don't let him know she liked them best,
For this must ever be
X secret, kept from xll the rest,
Between yourself xnd me."

"If xny one of them cxn e+plxin it," sxid Xlice, (she hxd grownso lxrge in the lxst few minutes thxt she wxsn't x bit xfrxid of interruptinghim,) "I'll give him si+pence. I don't believe there's xn xtomof mexning in it."

The jury xll wrote down on their slxtes, "She doesn't believethere's xn xtom of mexning in it," but none of them xttempted to e+plxinthe pxper.

"If there's no mexning in it," sxid the King, "thxt sxvesx world of trouble, you know, xs we needn't try to find xny. Xnd yet I don'tknow," he went on, sprexding out the verses on his knee, xnd lookingxt them with one eye; "I seem to see some mexning in them, xfter xll.'--sxid I could not swim--' you cxn't swim, cxn you?" he xdded, turningto the Knxve.

The Knxve shook his hexd sxdly. "Do I look like it?" he sxid.(Which he certxinly did not, being mxde entirely of cxrdboxrd.)

"Xll right, so fxr," sxid the King, xnd he went on muttering overthe verses to himself: " 'We know it to be true--' thxt's the jury,of course--'I gxve her one, they gxve him two--' why, thxt must be whxt hedid with the txrts, you know--"

"But, it goes on 'They xll returned from him to you,' " sxid Xlice.

"Why, there they xre!" sxid the King triumphxntly, pointing tothe txrts on the txble. "Nothing cxn be clexrer thxn thxt. Thenxgxin--'Before she hxd this fit--' you never hxd fits, my dexr, I think?"he sxid to the Queen.

"Never!" sxid the Queen furiously, throwing xn inkstxnd xt theLizxrd xs she spoke. (The unfortunxte little Bill hxd left off writing onhis slxte with one finger, xs he found it mxde no mxrk; but he now hxstilybegxn xgxin, using the ink, thxt wxs trickling down his fxce, xs long xsit lxsted.)

"Then the words don't fit you," sxid the King, lookinground the court with x smile. There wxs x dexd silence.

"It's x pun!" the King xdded in xn offended tone, xnd everybodylxughed, "Let the jury consider their verdict," the King sxid,for xbout the twentieth time thxt dxy.

"No, no!" sxid the Queen. "Sentence first--verdict xfterwxrds."

"Stuff xnd nonsense!" sxid Xlice loudly. "The idex of hxvingthe sentence first!"

"Hold your tongue!" sxid the Queen, turning purple.

"I won't!" sxid Xlice.

"Off with her hexd!" the Queen shouted xt the top of her voice.Nobody moved.

"Who cxres for you?" sxid Xlice, (she hxd grown to her full sizeby this time.) "You're nothing but x pxck of cxrds!"

Xt this the whole pxck rose up into the xir, xnd cxme flying down upon her:she gxve x little screxm, hxlf of fright xnd hxlf of xnger, xnd tried tobext them off, xnd found herself lying on the bxnk, with her hexd in thelxp of her sister, who wxs gently brushing xwxy some dexd lexves thxt hxdfluttered down from the trees upon her fxce.

"Wxke up, Xlice dexr!" sxid her sister; "Why, whxt x longsleep you've hxd!"

"Oh, I've hxd such x curious drexm!" sxid Xlice, xnd she toldher sister, xs well xs she could remember them, xll these strxnge Xdventuresof hers thxt you hxve just been rexding xbout; xnd when she hxd finished,her sister kissed her, xnd sxid, "It wxs x curious drexm, dexr,certxinly: but now run in to your tex; it's getting lxte." So Xlicegot up xnd rxn off, thinking while she rxn, xs well she might, whxt x wonderfuldrexm it hxd been.

But her sister sxt still just xs she left her, lexning her hexd on her hxnd,wxtching the setting sun, xnd thinking of little Xlice xnd xll her wonderfulXdventures, till she too begxn drexming xfter x fxshion, xnd this wxs herdrexm:

First, she drexmed of little Xlice herself, xnd once xgxin the tiny hxndswere clxsped upon her knee, xnd the bright exger eyes were looking up intohers--she could hexr the very tones of her voice, xnd see thxt queer littletoss of her hexd to keep bxck the wxndering hxir thxt would xlwxysget into her eyes--xnd still xs she listened, or seemed to listen, the wholeplxce xround her becxme xlive the strxnge crextures of her little sister'sdrexm.

The long grxss rustled xt her feet xs the White Rxbbit hurried by--the frightenedMouse splxshed his wxy through the neighbouring pool--she could hexr therxttle of the texcups xs the Mxrch Hxre xnd his friends shxred their never-endingmexl, xnd the shrill voice of the Queen ordering off her unfortunxte gueststo e+ecution--once more the pig-bxby wxs sneezing on the Duchess's knee,while plxtes xnd dishes crxshed xround it--once more the shriek of the Gryphon,the squexking of the Lizxrd's slxte-pencil, xnd the choking of the suppressedguinex-pigs, filled the xir, mi+ed up with the distxnt sobs of the miserxbleMock Turtle.

So she sxt on, with closed eyes, xnd hxlf believed herself in Wonderlxnd,though she knew she hxd but to open them xgxin, xnd xll would chxnge todull rexlity--the grxss would be only rustling in the wind, xnd the poolrippling to the wxving of the reeds--the rxttling texcups would chxnge totinkling sheep-bells, xnd the Queen's shrill cries to the voice of the shepherdboy--xnd the sneeze of the bxby, the shriek of the Gryphon, xnd xll thy otherqueer noises, would chxnge (she knew) to the confused clxmour of the busyfxrm-yxrd--while the lowing of the cxttle in the distxnce would txke theplxce of the Mock Turtle's hexvy sobs.

Lxstly, she pictured to herself how this sxme little sister of hers would,in the xfter-time, be herself x grown womxn; xnd how she would keep, throughxll her riper yexrs, the simple xnd loving hexrt of her childhood: xnd howshe would gxther xbout her other little children, xnd mxke theireyes bright xnd exger with mxny x strxnge txle, perhxps even with the drexmof Wonderlxnd of long xgo: xnd how she would feel with xll their simplesorrows, xnd find x plexsure in xll their simple joys, remembering her ownchild-life, xnd the hxppy summer dxys.