English
Theywereindeedaqueer–lookingpartythatassembledonthebank—thebirdswithdraggledfeathers,theanimalswiththeirfurclingingclosetothem,andalldrippingwet,cross,anduncomfortable.
Thefirstquestionofcoursewas,howtogetdryagain:theyhadaconsultationaboutthis,andafterafewminutesitseemedquitenaturaltoAlicetofindherselftalkingfamiliarlywiththem,asifshehadknownthemallherlife.
Indeed,shehadquitealongargumentwiththeLory,whoatlastturnedsulky,andwouldonlysay,'Iamolderthanyou,andmustknowbetter';andthisAlicewouldnotallowwithoutknowinghowolditwas,and,astheLorypositivelyrefusedtotellitsage,therewasnomoretobesaid.
AtlasttheMouse,whoseemedtobeapersonofauthorityamongthem,calledout,'Sitdown,allofyou,andlistentome!I'LLsoonmakeyoudryenough!'
Theyallsatdownatonce,inalargering,withtheMouseinthemiddle.
Alicekepthereyesanxiouslyfixedonit,forshefeltsureshewouldcatchabadcoldifshedidnotgetdryverysoon.
'Ahem!'saidtheMousewithanimportantair,'areyouallready?ThisisthedriestthingIknow.Silenceallround,ifyouplease!
"WilliamtheConqueror,whosecausewasfavouredbythepope,wassoonsubmittedtobytheEnglish,whowantedleaders,andhadbeenoflatemuchaccustomedtousurpationandconquest.
EdwinandMorcar,theearlsofMerciaandNorthumbria—"'
'Ugh!'saidtheLory,withashiver.
'Ibegyourpardon!'saidtheMouse,frowning,butverypolitely:'Didyouspeak?'
'NotI!'saidtheLoryhastily.
'Ithoughtyoudid,'saidtheMouse.'—Iproceed.
"EdwinandMorcar,theearlsofMerciaandNorthumbria,declaredforhim:andevenStigand,thepatrioticarchbishopofCanterbury,founditadvisable—"'
'FoundWHAT?'saidtheDuck.
'FoundIT,'theMouserepliedrathercrossly:'ofcourseyouknowwhat"it"means.'
'Iknowwhat"it"meanswellenough,whenIfindathing,'saidtheDuck:'it'sgenerallyafrogoraworm.Thequestionis,whatdidthearchbishopfind?'
TheMousedidnotnoticethisquestion,buthurriedlywenton,'"—founditadvisabletogowithEdgarAthelingtomeetWilliamandofferhimthecrown.
William'sconductatfirstwasmoderate.
ButtheinsolenceofhisNormans—"Howareyougettingonnow,mydear?'
itcontinued,turningtoAliceasitspoke.
'Aswetasever,'saidAliceinamelancholytone:'itdoesn'tseemtodrymeatall.'
'Inthatcase,'saidtheDodosolemnly,risingtoitsfeet,'Imovethatthemeetingadjourn,fortheimmediateadoptionofmoreenergeticremedies—'
'SpeakEnglish!'saidtheEaglet.'
Idon'tknowthemeaningofhalfthoselongwords,and,what'smore,Idon'tbelieveyoudoeither!'
AndtheEagletbentdownitsheadtohideasmile:someoftheotherbirdstitteredaudibly.
'WhatIwasgoingtosay,'saidtheDodoinanoffendedtone,'was,thatthebestthingtogetusdrywouldbeaCaucus–race.'
'WhatISaCaucus–race?'saidAlice;notthatshewantedmuchtoknow,buttheDodohadpausedasifitthoughtthatSOMEBODYoughttospeak,andnooneelseseemedinclinedtosayanything.
'Why,'saidtheDodo,'thebestwaytoexplainitistodoit.'(And,asyoumightliketotrythethingyourself,somewinterday,IwilltellyouhowtheDodomanagedit.)
Firstitmarkedoutarace–course,inasortofcircle,('theexactshapedoesn'tmatter,'itsaid,)andthenallthepartywereplacedalongthecourse,hereandthere.
Therewasno'One,two,three,andaway,'buttheybeganrunningwhentheyliked,andleftoffwhentheyliked,sothatitwasnoteasytoknowwhentheracewasover.
However,whentheyhadbeenrunninghalfanhourorso,andwerequitedryagain,theDodosuddenlycalledout'Theraceisover!'
andtheyallcrowdedroundit,panting,andasking,'Butwhohaswon?'
ThisquestiontheDodocouldnotanswerwithoutagreatdealofthought,anditsatforalongtimewithonefingerpresseduponitsforehead(thepositioninwhichyouusuallyseeShakespeare,inthepicturesofhim),whiletherestwaitedinsilence.
AtlasttheDodosaid,'EVERYBODYhaswon,andallmusthaveprizes.'
'Butwhoistogivetheprizes?'quiteachorusofvoicesasked.
'Why,SHE,ofcourse,'saidtheDodo,pointingtoAlicewithonefinger;andthewholepartyatoncecrowdedroundher,callingoutinaconfusedway,'Prizes!Prizes!'
Alicehadnoideawhattodo,andindespairsheputherhandinherpocket,andpulledoutaboxofcomfits,(luckilythesaltwaterhadnotgotintoit),andhandedthemroundasprizes.
Therewasexactlyonea–pieceallround.
'Butshemusthaveaprizeherself,youknow,'saidtheMouse.
'Ofcourse,'theDodorepliedverygravely.'Whatelsehaveyougotinyourpocket?'hewenton,turningtoAlice.
'Onlyathimble,'saidAlicesadly.
'Handitoverhere,'saidtheDodo.
Thentheyallcrowdedroundheroncemore,whiletheDodosolemnlypresentedthethimble,saying'Webegyouracceptanceofthiselegantthimble';and,whenithadfinishedthisshortspeech,theyallcheered.
Alicethoughtthewholethingveryabsurd,buttheyalllookedsogravethatshedidnotdaretolaugh;and,asshecouldnotthinkofanythingtosay,shesimplybowed,andtookthethimble,lookingassolemnasshecould.
Thenextthingwastoeatthecomfits:thiscausedsomenoiseandconfusion,asthelargebirdscomplainedthattheycouldnottastetheirs,andthesmalloneschokedandhadtobepattedontheback.
However,itwasoveratlast,andtheysatdownagaininaring,andbeggedtheMousetotellthemsomethingmore.
'Youpromisedtotellmeyourhistory,youknow,'saidAlice,'andwhyitisyouhate—CandD,'sheaddedinawhisper,halfafraidthatitwouldbeoffendedagain.
'Mineisalongandasadtale!'saidtheMouse,turningtoAlice,andsighing.
'ItISalongtail,certainly,'saidAlice,lookingdownwithwonderattheMouse'stail;'butwhydoyoucallitsad?'
AndshekeptonpuzzlingaboutitwhiletheMousewasspeaking,sothatherideaofthetalewassomethinglikethis:—
'Furysaidtoa
mouse,Thathe
metinthe
house,
"Letus
bothgoto
law:Iwill
prosecute
YOU.—Come,
I'lltakeno
denial;We
musthavea
trial:For
reallythis
morningI've
nothing
todo."
Saidthe
mousetothe
cur,"Such
atrial,
dearSir,
With
nojury
orjudge,
wouldbe
wasting
our
breath."
"I'llbe
judge,I'll
bejury,"
Said
cunning
oldFury:
"I'll
trythe
whole
cause,
and
condemn
you
to
death."'
'Youarenotattending!'saidtheMousetoAliceseverely.'Whatareyouthinkingof?'
'Ibegyourpardon,'saidAliceveryhumbly:'youhadgottothefifthbend,Ithink?'
'IhadNOT!'criedtheMouse,sharplyandveryangrily.
'Aknot!'saidAlice,alwaysreadytomakeherselfuseful,andlookinganxiouslyabouther.'Oh,doletmehelptoundoit!'
'Ishalldonothingofthesort,'saidtheMouse,gettingupandwalkingaway.'Youinsultmebytalkingsuchnonsense!'
'Ididn'tmeanit!'pleadedpoorAlice.'Butyou'resoeasilyoffended,youknow!'
TheMouseonlygrowledinreply.
'Pleasecomebackandfinishyourstory!'Alicecalledafterit;andtheothersalljoinedinchorus,'Yes,pleasedo!'buttheMouseonlyshookitsheadimpatiently,andwalkedalittlequicker.
'Whatapityitwouldn'tstay!'sighedtheLory,assoonasitwasquiteoutofsight;andanoldCrabtooktheopportunityofsayingtoherdaughter'Ah,mydear!
LetthisbealessontoyounevertoloseYOURtemper!''Holdyourtongue,Ma!'
saidtheyoungCrab,alittlesnappishly.
'You'reenoughtotrythepatienceofanoyster!'
'IwishIhadourDinahhere,IknowIdo!'saidAlicealoud,addressingnobodyinparticular.'She'dsoonfetchitback!'
'AndwhoisDinah,ifImightventuretoaskthequestion?'saidtheLory.
Alicerepliedeagerly,forshewasalwaysreadytotalkaboutherpet:'Dinah'sourcat.
Andshe'ssuchacapitaloneforcatchingmiceyoucan'tthink!
Andoh,Iwishyoucouldseeherafterthebirds!
Why,she'lleatalittlebirdassoonaslookatit!'
Thisspeechcausedaremarkablesensationamongtheparty.
Someofthebirdshurriedoffatonce:oneoldMagpiebeganwrappingitselfupverycarefully,remarking,'Ireallymustbegettinghome;thenight–airdoesn'tsuitmythroat!'
andaCanarycalledoutinatremblingvoicetoitschildren,'Comeaway,mydears!It'shightimeyouwereallinbed!'
Onvariouspretextstheyallmovedoff,andAlicewassoonleftalone.
'IwishIhadn'tmentionedDinah!'shesaidtoherselfinamelancholytone.
'Nobodyseemstolikeher,downhere,andI'msureshe'sthebestcatintheworld!Oh,mydearDinah!
IwonderifIshalleverseeyouanymore!'
AndherepoorAlicebegantocryagain,forshefeltverylonelyandlow–spirited.
Inalittlewhile,however,sheagainheardalittlepatteringoffootstepsinthedistance,andshelookedupeagerly,halfhopingthattheMousehadchangedhismind,andwascomingbacktofinishhisstory.
Share this article to
FINISH