English
'Here!'criedAlice,quiteforgettingintheflurryofthemomenthowlargeshehadgrowninthelastfewminutes,andshejumpedupinsuchahurrythatshetippedoverthejury–boxwiththeedgeofherskirt,upsettingallthejurymenontotheheadsofthecrowdbelow,andtheretheylaysprawlingabout,remindingherverymuchofaglobeofgoldfishshehadaccidentallyupsettheweekbefore.
'Oh,IBEGyourpardon!'sheexclaimedinatoneofgreatdismay,andbeganpickingthemupagainasquicklyasshecould,fortheaccidentofthegoldfishkeptrunninginherhead,andshehadavaguesortofideathattheymustbecollectedatonceandputbackintothejury–box,ortheywoulddie.
'Thetrialcannotproceed,'saidtheKinginaverygravevoice,'untilallthejurymenarebackintheirproperplaces—ALL,'herepeatedwithgreatemphasis,lookinghardatAliceashesaiddo.
Alicelookedatthejury–box,andsawthat,inherhaste,shehadputtheLizardinheaddownwards,andthepoorlittlethingwaswavingitstailaboutinamelancholyway,beingquiteunabletomove.
Shesoongotitoutagain,andputitright;'notthatitsignifiesmuch,'shesaidtoherself;'IshouldthinkitwouldbeQUITEasmuchuseinthetrialonewayupastheother.'
Assoonasthejuryhadalittlerecoveredfromtheshockofbeingupset,andtheirslatesandpencilshadbeenfoundandhandedbacktothem,theysettoworkverydiligentlytowriteoutahistoryoftheaccident,allexcepttheLizard,whoseemedtoomuchovercometodoanythingbutsitwithitsmouthopen,gazingupintotheroofofthecourt.
'Whatdoyouknowaboutthisbusiness?'theKingsaidtoAlice.
'Nothing,'saidAlice.
'NothingWHATEVER?'persistedtheKing.
'Nothingwhatever,'saidAlice.
'That'sveryimportant,'theKingsaid,turningtothejury.
Theywerejustbeginningtowritethisdownontheirslates,whentheWhiteRabbitinterrupted:'UNimportant,yourMajestymeans,ofcourse,'hesaidinaveryrespectfultone,butfrowningandmakingfacesathimashespoke.
'UNimportant,ofcourse,Imeant,'theKinghastilysaid,andwentontohimselfinanundertone,
'important—unimportant—unimportant—important—'asifheweretryingwhichwordsoundedbest.
Someofthejurywroteitdown'important,'andsome'unimportant.'Alicecouldseethis,asshewasnearenoughtolookovertheirslates;'butitdoesn'tmatterabit,'shethoughttoherself.
AtthismomenttheKing,whohadbeenforsometimebusilywritinginhisnote–book,cackledout'Silence!'
andreadoutfromhisbook,'RuleForty–two.
ALLPERSONSMORETHANAMILEHIGHTOLEAVETHECOURT.'
EverybodylookedatAlice.
'I'Mnotamilehigh,'saidAlice.
'Youare,'saidtheKing.
'Nearlytwomileshigh,'addedtheQueen.
'Well,Ishan'tgo,atanyrate,'saidAlice:'besides,that'snotaregularrule:youinventeditjustnow.'
'It'stheoldestruleinthebook,'saidtheKing.
'ThenitoughttobeNumberOne,'saidAlice.
TheKingturnedpale,andshuthisnote–bookhastily.'Consideryourverdict,'hesaidtothejury,inalow,tremblingvoice.
'There'smoreevidencetocomeyet,pleaseyourMajesty,'saidtheWhiteRabbit,jumpingupinagreathurry;'thispaperhasjustbeenpickedup.'
'What'sinit?'saidtheQueen.
'Ihaven'topenedityet,'saidtheWhiteRabbit,'butitseemstobealetter,writtenbytheprisonerto—tosomebody.'
'Itmusthavebeenthat,'saidtheKing,'unlessitwaswrittentonobody,whichisn'tusual,youknow.'
'Whoisitdirectedto?'saidoneofthejurymen.
'Itisn'tdirectedatall,'saidtheWhiteRabbit;'infact,there'snothingwrittenontheOUTSIDE.'Heunfoldedthepaperashespoke,andadded'Itisn'taletter,afterall:it'sasetofverses.'
'Aretheyintheprisoner'shandwriting?'askedanotherofthejurymen.
'No,they'renot,'saidtheWhiteRabbit,'andthat'sthequeerestthingaboutit.'(Thejuryalllookedpuzzled.)
'Hemusthaveimitatedsomebodyelse'shand,'saidtheKing.(Thejuryallbrightenedupagain.)
'PleaseyourMajesty,'saidtheKnave,'Ididn'twriteit,andtheycan'tproveIdid:there'snonamesignedattheend.'
'Ifyoudidn'tsignit,'saidtheKing,'thatonlymakesthematterworse.YouMUSThavemeantsomemischief,orelseyou'dhavesignedyournamelikeanhonestman.'
Therewasageneralclappingofhandsatthis:itwasthefirstreallycleverthingtheKinghadsaidthatday.
'ThatPROVEShisguilt,'saidtheQueen.
'Itprovesnothingofthesort!'saidAlice.'Why,youdon'tevenknowwhatthey'reabout!'
'Readthem,'saidtheKing.
TheWhiteRabbitputonhisspectacles.'WhereshallIbegin,pleaseyourMajesty?'heasked.
'Beginatthebeginning,'theKingsaidgravely,'andgoontillyoucometotheend:thenstop.'
TheseweretheversestheWhiteRabbitread:—
'Theytoldmeyouhadbeentoher,
Andmentionedmetohim:
Shegavemeagoodcharacter,
ButsaidIcouldnotswim.
HesentthemwordIhadnotgone
(Weknowittobetrue):
Ifsheshouldpushthematteron,
Whatwouldbecomeofyou?
Igaveherone,theygavehimtwo,
Yougaveusthreeormore;
Theyallreturnedfromhimtoyou,
Thoughtheywereminebefore.IfIorsheshouldchancetobe
Involvedinthisaffair,
Hetruststoyoutosetthemfree,
Exactlyaswewere.
Mynotionwasthatyouhadbeen
(Beforeshehadthisfit)
Anobstaclethatcamebetween
Him,andourselves,andit.
Don'tlethimknowshelikedthembest,
Forthismusteverbe
Asecret,keptfromalltherest,
Betweenyourselfandme.'
'That'sthemostimportantpieceofevidencewe'veheardyet,'saidtheKing,rubbinghishands;'sonowletthejury—'
'Ifanyoneofthemcanexplainit,'saidAlice,(shehadgrownsolargeinthelastfewminutesthatshewasn'tabitafraidofinterruptinghim,)'I'llgivehimsixpence.
Idon'tbelievethere'sanatomofmeaninginit.'
Thejuryallwrotedownontheirslates,'SHEdoesn'tbelievethere'sanatomofmeaninginit,'butnoneofthemattemptedtoexplainthepaper.
'Ifthere'snomeaninginit,'saidtheKing,'thatsavesaworldoftrouble,youknow,asweneedn'ttrytofindany.
AndyetIdon'tknow,'hewenton,spreadingouttheversesonhisknee,andlookingatthemwithoneeye;'Iseemtoseesomemeaninginthem,afterall."
—SAIDICOULDNOTSWIM—"youcan'tswim,canyou?'headded,turningtotheKnave.
TheKnaveshookhisheadsadly.'DoIlooklikeit?'hesaid.(WhichhecertainlydidNOT,beingmadeentirelyofcardboard.)
'Allright,sofar,'saidtheKing,andhewentonmutteringovertheversestohimself:'"WEKNOWITTOBETRUE—"that'sthejury,ofcourse—"IGAVEHERONE,THEYGAVEHIMTWO—"why,thatmustbewhathedidwiththetarts,youknow—'
'But,itgoeson"THEYALLRETURNEDFROMHIMTOYOU,"'saidAlice.
'Why,theretheyare!'saidtheKingtriumphantly,pointingtothetartsonthetable.'NothingcanbeclearerthanTHAT.
Thenagain—"BEFORESHEHADTHISFIT—"youneverhadfits,mydear,Ithink?'hesaidtotheQueen.
'Never!'saidtheQueenfuriously,throwinganinkstandattheLizardasshespoke.
(TheunfortunatelittleBillhadleftoffwritingonhisslatewithonefinger,ashefounditmadenomark;buthenowhastilybeganagain,usingtheink,thatwastricklingdownhisface,aslongasitlasted.)
'Thenthewordsdon'tFITyou,'saidtheKing,lookingroundthecourtwithasmile.Therewasadeadsilence.
'It'sapun!'theKingaddedinanoffendedtone,andeverybodylaughed,'Letthejuryconsidertheirverdict,'theKingsaid,foraboutthetwentiethtimethatday.
'No,no!'saidtheQueen.'Sentencefirst—verdictafterwards.'
'Stuffandnonsense!'saidAliceloudly.'Theideaofhavingthesentencefirst!'
'Holdyourtongue!'saidtheQueen,turningpurple.
'Iwon't!'saidAlice.
'Offwithherhead!'theQueenshoutedatthetopofhervoice.Nobodymoved.
'Whocaresforyou?'saidAlice,(shehadgrowntoherfullsizebythistime.)'You'renothingbutapackofcards!'
Atthisthewholepackroseupintotheair,andcameflyingdownuponher:shegavealittlescream,halfoffrightandhalfofanger,andtriedtobeatthemoff,andfoundherselflyingonthebank,withherheadinthelapofhersister,whowasgentlybrushingawaysomedeadleavesthathadfluttereddownfromthetreesuponherface.
'Wakeup,Alicedear!'saidhersister;'Why,whatalongsleepyou'vehad!'
'Oh,I'vehadsuchacuriousdream!'saidAlice,andshetoldhersister,aswellasshecouldrememberthem,allthesestrangeAdventuresofhersthatyouhavejustbeenreadingabout;andwhenshehadfinished,hersisterkissedher,andsaid,'ItWASacuriousdream,dear,certainly:butnowrunintoyourtea;it'sgettinglate.'
SoAlicegotupandranoff,thinkingwhilesheran,aswellshemight,whatawonderfuldreamithadbeen.
Buthersistersatstilljustasshelefther,leaningherheadonherhand,watchingthesettingsun,andthinkingoflittleAliceandallherwonderfulAdventures,tillshetoobegandreamingafterafashion,andthiswasherdream:—
First,shedreamedoflittleAliceherself,andonceagainthetinyhandswereclaspeduponherknee,andthebrighteagereyeswerelookingupintohers—shecouldheartheverytonesofhervoice,andseethatqueerlittletossofherheadtokeepbackthewanderinghairthatWOULDalwaysgetintohereyes—andstillasshelistened,orseemedtolisten,thewholeplacearoundherbecamealivethestrangecreaturesofherlittlesister'sdream.
ThelonggrassrustledatherfeetastheWhiteRabbithurriedby—thefrightenedMousesplashedhiswaythroughtheneighbouringpool—shecouldheartherattleoftheteacupsastheMarchHareandhisfriendssharedtheirnever–endingmeal,andtheshrillvoiceoftheQueenorderingoffherunfortunategueststoexecution—oncemorethepig–babywassneezingontheDuchess'sknee,whileplatesanddishescrashedaroundit—oncemoretheshriekoftheGryphon,thesqueakingoftheLizard'sslate–pencil,andthechokingofthesuppressedguinea–pigs,filledtheair,mixedupwiththedistantsobsofthemiserableMockTurtle.
Soshesaton,withclosedeyes,andhalfbelievedherselfinWonderland,thoughsheknewshehadbuttoopenthemagain,andallwouldchangetodullreality—thegrasswouldbeonlyrustlinginthewind,andthepoolripplingtothewavingofthereeds—therattlingteacupswouldchangetotinklingsheep–bells,andtheQueen'sshrillcriestothevoiceoftheshepherdboy—andthesneezeofthebaby,theshriekoftheGryphon,andalltheotherqueernoises,wouldchange(sheknew)totheconfusedclamourofthebusyfarm–yard—whilethelowingofthecattleinthedistancewouldtaketheplaceoftheMockTurtle'sheavysobs.
Lastly,shepicturedtoherselfhowthissamelittlesisterofherswould,intheafter–time,beherselfagrownwoman;andhowshewouldkeep,throughallherriperyears,thesimpleandlovingheartofherchildhood:andhowshewouldgatheraboutherotherlittlechildren,andmakeTHEIReyesbrightandeagerwithmanyastrangetale,perhapsevenwiththedreamofWonderlandoflongago:andhowshewouldfeelwithalltheirsimplesorrows,andfindapleasureinalltheirsimplejoys,rememberingherownchild–life,andthehappysummerdays.
THEEND
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