English
'Curiouserandcuriouser!'criedAlice(shewassomuchsurprised,thatforthemomentshequiteforgothowtospeakgoodEnglish);'nowI'mopeningoutlikethelargesttelescopethateverwas!Good–bye,feet!'
(forwhenshelookeddownatherfeet,theyseemedtobealmostoutofsight,theyweregettingsofaroff).
'Oh,mypoorlittlefeet,Iwonderwhowillputonyourshoesandstockingsforyounow,dears?I'msureIshan'tbeable!
Ishallbeagreatdealtoofarofftotroublemyselfaboutyou:youmustmanagethebestwayyoucan;—butImustbekindtothem,'thoughtAlice,'orperhapstheywon'twalkthewayIwanttogo!
Letmesee:I'llgivethemanewpairofbootseveryChristmas.'
Andshewentonplanningtoherselfhowshewouldmanageit.
'Theymustgobythecarrier,'shethought;'andhowfunnyit'llseem,sendingpresentstoone'sownfeet!Andhowoddthedirectionswilllook!
ALICE'SRIGHTFOOT,ESQ.
HEARTHRUG,
NEARTHEFENDER,
(WITHALICE'SLOVE).
Ohdear,whatnonsenseI'mtalking!'
Justthenherheadstruckagainsttheroofofthehall:infactshewasnowmorethanninefeethigh,andsheatoncetookupthelittlegoldenkeyandhurriedofftothegardendoor.
PoorAlice!Itwasasmuchasshecoulddo,lyingdownononeside,tolookthroughintothegardenwithoneeye;buttogetthroughwasmorehopelessthanever:shesatdownandbegantocryagain.
'Yououghttobeashamedofyourself,'saidAlice,'agreatgirllikeyou,'(shemightwellsaythis),'togooncryinginthisway!Stopthismoment,Itellyou!'
Butshewentonallthesame,sheddinggallonsoftears,untiltherewasalargepoolallroundher,aboutfourinchesdeepandreachinghalfdownthehall.
Afteratimesheheardalittlepatteringoffeetinthedistance,andshehastilydriedhereyestoseewhatwascoming.
ItwastheWhiteRabbitreturning,splendidlydressed,withapairofwhitekidglovesinonehandandalargefanintheother:hecametrottingalonginagreathurry,mutteringtohimselfashecame,'Oh!theDuchess,theDuchess!Oh!
won'tshebesavageifI'vekeptherwaiting!'
Alicefeltsodesperatethatshewasreadytoaskhelpofanyone;so,whentheRabbitcamenearher,shebegan,inalow,timidvoice,'Ifyouplease,sir—'TheRabbitstartedviolently,droppedthewhitekidglovesandthefan,andskurriedawayintothedarknessashardashecouldgo.
Alicetookupthefanandgloves,and,asthehallwasveryhot,shekeptfanningherselfallthetimeshewentontalking:'Dear,dear!Howqueereverythingisto–day!
Andyesterdaythingswentonjustasusual.
IwonderifI'vebeenchangedinthenight?
Letmethink:wasIthesamewhenIgotupthismorning?
IalmostthinkIcanrememberfeelingalittledifferent.
ButifI'mnotthesame,thenextquestionis,WhointheworldamI?Ah,THAT'Sthegreatpuzzle!'
Andshebeganthinkingoverallthechildrensheknewthatwereofthesameageasherself,toseeifshecouldhavebeenchangedforanyofthem.
'I'msureI'mnotAda,'shesaid,'forherhairgoesinsuchlongringlets,andminedoesn'tgoinringletsatall;andI'msureIcan'tbeMabel,forIknowallsortsofthings,andshe,oh!sheknowssuchaverylittle!
Besides,SHE'Sshe,andI'mI,and—ohdear,howpuzzlingitallis!
I'lltryifIknowallthethingsIusedtoknow.
Letmesee:fourtimesfiveistwelve,andfourtimessixisthirteen,andfourtimessevenis—ohdear!
Ishallnevergettotwentyatthatrate!
However,theMultiplicationTabledoesn'tsignify:let'stryGeography.
LondonisthecapitalofParis,andParisisthecapitalofRome,andRome—no,THAT'Sallwrong,I'mcertain!ImusthavebeenchangedforMabel!
I'lltryandsay"Howdoththelittle—"'andshecrossedherhandsonherlapasifsheweresayinglessons,andbegantorepeatit,buthervoicesoundedhoarseandstrange,andthewordsdidnotcomethesameastheyusedtodo:—
'Howdoththelittlecrocodile
Improvehisshiningtail,
AndpourthewatersoftheNile
Oneverygoldenscale!<
'Howcheerfullyheseemstogrin,
Howneatlyspreadhisclaws,
Andwelcomelittlefishesin
Withgentlysmilingjaws!'
'I'msurethosearenottherightwords,'saidpoorAlice,andhereyesfilledwithtearsagainasshewenton,'ImustbeMabelafterall,andIshallhavetogoandliveinthatpokylittlehouse,andhavenexttonotoystoplaywith,andoh!eversomanylessonstolearn!
No,I'vemadeupmymindaboutit;ifI'mMabel,I'llstaydownhere!
It'llbenousetheirputtingtheirheadsdownandsaying"Comeupagain,dear!"
Ishallonlylookupandsay"WhoamIthen?
Tellmethatfirst,andthen,ifIlikebeingthatperson,I'llcomeup:ifnot,I'llstaydownheretillI'msomebodyelse"—but,ohdear!'
criedAlice,withasuddenburstoftears,'IdowishtheyWOULDputtheirheadsdown!
IamsoVERYtiredofbeingallalonehere!'
Asshesaidthisshelookeddownatherhands,andwassurprisedtoseethatshehadputononeoftheRabbit'slittlewhitekidgloveswhileshewastalking.'HowCANIhavedonethat?'shethought.'Imustbegrowingsmallagain.'
Shegotupandwenttothetabletomeasureherselfbyit,andfoundthat,asnearlyasshecouldguess,shewasnowabouttwofeethigh,andwasgoingonshrinkingrapidly:shesoonfoundoutthatthecauseofthiswasthefanshewasholding,andshedroppedithastily,justintimetoavoidshrinkingawayaltogether.
'ThatWASanarrowescape!'saidAlice,agooddealfrightenedatthesuddenchange,butverygladtofindherselfstillinexistence;'andnowforthegarden!'
andsheranwithallspeedbacktothelittledoor:but,alas!
thelittledoorwasshutagain,andthelittlegoldenkeywaslyingontheglasstableasbefore,'andthingsareworsethanever,'thoughtthepoorchild,'forIneverwassosmallasthisbefore,never!
AndIdeclareit'stoobad,thatitis!'
Asshesaidthesewordsherfootslipped,andinanothermoment,splash!shewasuptoherchininsaltwater.
Herfirstideawasthatshehadsomehowfallenintothesea,'andinthatcaseIcangobackbyrailway,'shesaidtoherself.
(Alicehadbeentotheseasideonceinherlife,andhadcometothegeneralconclusion,thatwhereveryougotoontheEnglishcoastyoufindanumberofbathingmachinesinthesea,somechildrendigginginthesandwithwoodenspades,thenarowoflodginghouses,andbehindthemarailwaystation.)
However,shesoonmadeoutthatshewasinthepooloftearswhichshehadweptwhenshewasninefeethigh.
'IwishIhadn'tcriedsomuch!'saidAlice,assheswamabout,tryingtofindherwayout.'
Ishallbepunishedforitnow,Isuppose,bybeingdrownedinmyowntears!ThatWILLbeaqueerthing,tobesure!However,everythingisqueerto–day.'
Justthensheheardsomethingsplashingaboutinthepoolalittlewayoff,andsheswamnearertomakeoutwhatitwas:atfirstshethoughtitmustbeawalrusorhippopotamus,butthensherememberedhowsmallshewasnow,andshesoonmadeoutthatitwasonlyamousethathadslippedinlikeherself.
'Woulditbeofanyuse,now,'thoughtAlice,'tospeaktothismouse?
Everythingissoout–of–the–waydownhere,thatIshouldthinkverylikelyitcantalk:atanyrate,there'snoharmintrying.'
Soshebegan:'OMouse,doyouknowthewayoutofthispool?
Iamverytiredofswimmingabouthere,OMouse!'
(Alicethoughtthismustbetherightwayofspeakingtoamouse:shehadneverdonesuchathingbefore,butsherememberedhavingseeninherbrother'sLatinGrammar,'Amouse—ofamouse—toamouse—amouse—Omouse!')
TheMouselookedatherratherinquisitively,andseemedtohertowinkwithoneofitslittleeyes,butitsaidnothing.
'Perhapsitdoesn'tunderstandEnglish,'thoughtAlice;'Idaresayit'saFrenchmouse,comeoverwithWilliamtheConqueror.'
(For,withallherknowledgeofhistory,Alicehadnoveryclearnotionhowlongagoanythinghadhappened.)Soshebeganagain:'Ouestmachatte?'
whichwasthefirstsentenceinherFrenchlesson–book.
TheMousegaveasuddenleapoutofthewater,andseemedtoquiveralloverwithfright.'Oh,Ibegyourpardon!'
criedAlicehastily,afraidthatshehadhurtthepooranimal'sfeelings.'Iquiteforgotyoudidn'tlikecats.'
'Notlikecats!'criedtheMouse,inashrill,passionatevoice.'WouldYOUlikecatsifyouwereme?'
'Well,perhapsnot,'saidAliceinasoothingtone:'don'tbeangryaboutit.
AndyetIwishIcouldshowyouourcatDinah:Ithinkyou'dtakeafancytocatsifyoucouldonlyseeher.
Sheissuchadearquietthing,'Alicewenton,halftoherself,assheswamlazilyaboutinthepool,'andshesitspurringsonicelybythefire,lickingherpawsandwashingherface—andsheissuchanicesoftthingtonurse—andshe'ssuchacapitaloneforcatchingmice—oh,Ibegyourpardon!'
criedAliceagain,forthistimetheMousewasbristlingallover,andshefeltcertainitmustbereallyoffended.
'Wewon'ttalkaboutheranymoreifyou'drathernot.'
'Weindeed!'criedtheMouse,whowastremblingdowntotheendofhistail.'AsifIwouldtalkonsuchasubject!
OurfamilyalwaysHATEDcats:nasty,low,vulgarthings!Don'tletmehearthenameagain!'
'Iwon'tindeed!'saidAlice,inagreathurrytochangethesubjectofconversation.'Areyou—areyoufond—of—ofdogs?'
TheMousedidnotanswer,soAlicewentoneagerly:'ThereissuchanicelittledognearourhouseIshouldliketoshowyou!
Alittlebright–eyedterrier,youknow,withoh,suchlongcurlybrownhair!
Andit'llfetchthingswhenyouthrowthem,andit'llsitupandbegforitsdinner,andallsortsofthings—Ican'trememberhalfofthem—anditbelongstoafarmer,youknow,andhesaysit'ssouseful,it'sworthahundredpounds!
Hesaysitkillsalltheratsand—ohdear!'
criedAliceinasorrowfultone,'I'mafraidI'veoffendeditagain!'
FortheMousewasswimmingawayfromherashardasitcouldgo,andmakingquiteacommotioninthepoolasitwent.
Soshecalledsoftlyafterit,'Mousedear!
Docomebackagain,andwewon'ttalkaboutcatsordogseither,ifyoudon'tlikethem!'
WhentheMouseheardthis,itturnedroundandswamslowlybacktoher:itsfacewasquitepale(withpassion,Alicethought),anditsaidinalowtremblingvoice,'Letusgettotheshore,andthenI'lltellyoumyhistory,andyou'llunderstandwhyitisIhatecatsanddogs.'
Itwashightimetogo,forthepoolwasgettingquitecrowdedwiththebirdsandanimalsthathadfallenintoit:therewereaDuckandaDodo,aLoryandanEaglet,andseveralothercuriouscreatures.
Aliceledtheway,andthewholepartyswamtotheshore.
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