`A knot! said Alice, always ready to make herself useful, and looking anxiously about her. `Oh, do let me help to undo it!
`Of course, the Dodo replied very gravely. `What else have you got in your pocket? he went on, turning to Alice.
Said the
death."
cunning
whole
judge, Ill
`Only a thimble, said Alice sadly.
`What a pity it wouldnt stay! sighed the Lory, as soon as it was quite out of sight; and an old Crab took the opportunity of saying to her daughter `Ah, my dear! Let this be a lesson to you never to lose YOUR temper! `Hold your tongue, Ma! said the young Crab, a little snappishly. `Youre enough to try the patience of an oyster!
old Fury:
`I had NOT! cried the Mouse, sharply and very angrily.
condemn
both go to
`Why, SHE, of course, said the Dodo, pointing to Alice with one finger; and the whole party at once crowded round her, calling out in a confused way, `Prizes! Prizes!
The Mouse only growled in reply.
`It IS a long tail, certainly, said Alice, looking down with wonder at the Mouses tail; `but why do you call it sad? And she kept on puzzling about it while the Mouse was speaking, so that her idea of the tale was something like this:--
you
`Why, said the Dodo, `the best way to explain it is to do it. (And, as you might like to try the thing yourself, some winter day, I will tell you how the Dodo managed it.)
A Caucus-Race and a Long Tale
This question the Dodo could not answer without a great deal of thought, and it sat for a long time with one finger pressed upon its forehead (the position in which you usually see Shakespeare, in the pictures of him), while the rest waited in silence. At last the Dodo said, `EVERYBODY has won, and all must have prizes.
our
would be
to do."
At last the Mouse, who seemed to be a person of authority among them, called out, `Sit down, all of you, and listen to me! ILL soon make you dry enough! They all sat down at once, in a large ring, with the Mouse in the middle. Alice kept her eyes anxiously fixed on it, for she felt sure she would catch a bad cold if she did not get dry very soon.
cur, "Such
Alice had no idea what to do, and in despair she put her hand in her pocket, and pulled out a box of comfits, (luckily the salt water had not got into it), and handed them round as prizes. There was exactly one a-piece all round.
wasting
dear Sir,
The first question of course was, how to get dry again: they had a consultation about this, and after a few minutes it seemed quite natural to Alice to find herself talking familiarly with them, as if she had known them all her life. Indeed, she had quite a long argument with the Lory, who at last turned sulky, and would only say, `I am older than you, and must know better; and this Alice would not allow without knowing how old it was, and, as the Lory positively refused to tell its age, there was no more to be said.
morning Ive
`I wish I hadnt mentioned Dinah! she said to herself in a melancholy tone. `Nobody seems to like her, down here, and Im sure shes the best ca九*九*藏*书*网t in the world! Oh, my dear Dinah! I wonder if I shall ever see you any more! And here poor Alice began to cry again, for she felt very lonely and low-spirited. In a little while, however, she again heard a little pattering of footsteps in the distance, and she looked up eagerly, half hoping that the Mouse had changed his mind, and was coming back to finish his story.
`As wet as ever, said Alice in a melancholy tone: `it doesnt seem to dry me at all.
`In that case, said the Dodo solemnly, rising to its feet, `I move that the meeting adjourn, for the immediate adoption of more energetic remedies--
`Mine is a long and a sad tale! said the Mouse, turning to Alice, and sighing.
YOU. --Come,
`I didnt mean it! pleaded poor Alice. `But youre so easily offended, you know!
Ill take no
`Found WHAT? said the Duck.
The Mouse did not notice this question, but hurriedly went on, `"--found it advisable to go with Edgar Atheling to meet William and offer him the crown. Williams conduct at first was moderate. But the insolence of his Normans--" How are you getting on now, my dear? it continued, turning to Alice as it spoke.
`You are not attending! said the Mouse to Alice severely. `What are you thinking of?
Alice replied eagerly, for she was always ready to talk about her pet: `Dinahs our cat. And shes such a capital one for catching mice you cant think! And oh, I wish you could see her after the birds! Why, shell eat a little bird as soon as look at it!
`But she must have a prize herself, ywww.99lib.netou know, said the Mouse.
nothing
`I beg your pardon, said Alice very humbly: `you had got to the fifth bend, I think?
This speech caused a remarkable sensation among the party. Some of the birds hurried off at once: one old Magpie began wrapping itself up very carefully, remarking, `I really must be getting home; the night-air doesnt suit my throat! and a Canary called out in a trembling voice to its children, `Come away, my dears! Its high time you were all in bed! On various pretexts they all moved off, and Alice was soon left alone.
`But who is to give the prizes? quite a chorus of voices asked.
"Let us
be jury,"
met in the
denial; We
no jury
`I shall do nothing of the sort, said the Mouse, getting up and walking away. `You insult me by talking such nonsense!
`I wish I had our Dinah here, I know I do! said Alice aloud, addressing nobody in particular. `Shed soon fetch it back!
"Ill
breath."
to
trial: For
`Not I! said the Lory hastily.
mouse, That he
law: I will
cause,
`Hand it over here, said the Dodo.
must have a
`I thought you did, said the Mouse. `--I proceed. "Edwin and Morcar, the earls of Mercia and Northumbria, declared for him: and even Stigand, the patriotic archbishop of Canterbury, found it advisable--"
"Ill be
Alice thought the whole thing very absurd, but they all looked so grave that she did not dare to laugh; and, as she could not think of anything to say, she simply bowed, and took the thimble, looking as solemn as she could.
Said
house,
`Fo99lib•netund IT, the Mouse replied rather crossly: `of course you know what "it" means.
mouse to the
prosecute
`Ugh! said the Lory, with a shiver.
`What IS a Caucus-race? said Alice; not that she wanted much to know, but the Dodo had paused as if it thought that SOMEBODY ought to speak, and no one else seemed inclined to say anything.
Then they all crowded round her once more, while the Dodo solemnly presented the thimble, saying `We beg your acceptance of this elegant thimble; and, when it had finished this short speech, they all cheered.
`What I was going to say, said the Dodo in an offended tone, `was, that the best thing to get us dry would be a Caucus-race.
`You promised to tell me your history, you know, said Alice, `and why it is you hate--C and D, she added in a whisper, half afraid that it would be offended again.
With
and
They were indeed a queer-looking party that assembled on the bank--the birds with draggled feathers, the animals with their fur clinging close to them, and all dripping wet, cross, and uncomfortable.
really this
First it marked out a race-course, in a sort of circle, (`the exact shape doesnt matter, it said,) and then all the party were placed along the course, here and there. There was no `One, two, three, and away, but they began running when they liked, and left off when they liked, so that it was not easy to know when the race was over. However, when they had been running half an hour or so, and were quite dry again, the Dodo suddenly called out `The race is over! and t99lib•nethey all crowded round it, panting, and asking, `But who has won?
or judge,
a trial,
`I beg your pardon! said the Mouse, frowning, but very politely: `Did you speak?
`Fury said to a
The next thing was to eat the comfits: this caused some noise and confusion, as the large birds complained that they could not taste theirs, and the small ones choked and had to be patted on the back. However, it was over at last, and they sat down again in a ring, and begged the Mouse to tell them something more.
`Please come back and finish your story! Alice called after it; and the others all joined in chorus, `Yes, please do! but the Mouse only shook its head impatiently, and walked a little quicker.
`I know what "it" means well enough, when I find a thing, said the Duck: `its generally a frog or a worm. The question is, what did the archbishop find?
`Ahem! said the Mouse with an important air, `are you all ready? This is the driest thing I know. Silence all round, if you please! "William the Conqueror, whose cause was favoured by the pope, was soon submitted to by the English, who wanted leaders, and had been of late much accustomed to usurpation and conquest. Edwin and Morcar, the earls of Mercia and Northumbria--"
`Speak English! said the Eaglet. `I dont know the meaning of half those long words, and, whats more, I dont believe you do either! And the Eaglet bent down its head to hide a smile: some of the other birds tittered audibly.
`And who is Dinah, if I might venture to ask the question? said the Lory.