`I wish I had our Dinah here, I know I do! said Alice aloud, addressing nobody in particular. `Shed soon fetch it back!
Said
death."
Ill take no
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!
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.
`Of course, the Dodo replied very gravely. `What else have you got in your pocket? he went on, turning to Alice.
breath."
would be
no jury
`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.
both go to
`And who is Dinah, if I might venture to ask the question? said the Lory.
`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--
be jury,"
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.
to
cur, "Such
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.
house,
`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.
`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 totry the patience of an oyster!
`As wet as ever, said Alice in a melancholy tone: `it doesnt seem to dry me at all.
condemn
to do."
`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!
`But she must have a prize herself, you know, said the Mouse.
`Ugh! said the Lory, with a shiver.
`I beg your pardon, said Alice very humbly: `you had got to the fifth bend, I think?
`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--"
`I had NOT! cried the Mouse, sharply and very angrily.
mouse, That he
judge, Ill
cause,
a trial,
law: I will
`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 cat 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.
you
`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?
really this
`I didnt mean it! pleaded poor Alice. `But youre so easily offended, you know!
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 they all crowded round it, panting, and asking, `But who has won?
`Fury said to a
try the
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.
morning Ive
`You are not attending! said the Mouse to Alice severely. `What are you thinking of?
mouse to the
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.
trial: For
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.
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.
`Mine is a long and a sad tale! said the Mouse, turning to Alice, and sighing.
`I beg your pardon! said the Mouse, frowning, but very politely: `Did you speak?
`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.
dear Sir,
nothing
old Fury:
denial; We
`Hand it over here, said the Dodo.
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.
`I shall do nothing of the sort, said the Mouse, getting up and walking away. `You insult me by talking such nonsense!
or judge,
met in the
`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:--
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 theinsolence of his Normans--" How are you getting on now, my dear? it continued, turning to Alice as it spoke.
`Found WHAT? said the Duck.
`Only a thimble, said Alice sadly.
`Found IT, the Mouse replied rather crossly: `of course you know what "it" means.
`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.
A Caucus-Race and a Long Tale
cunning
`Not I! said the Lory hastily.
`But who is to give the prizes? quite a chorus of voices asked.
Said the
must have a
With
The Mouse only growled in reply.
prosecute
"Ill
our
`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.)
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.
`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--"
"Ill be
YOU. --Come,
whole
"Let us
`A knot! said Alice, always ready to make herself useful, and looking anxiously about her. `Oh, do let me help to undo it!
`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.
wasting
