Reading Help Alice's adventure in wonderland
`We had the best of educations--in fact, we went to school `
` every day--' `
` `
` `I'VE been to a day-school, too,' said Alice; `you needn't be `
` so proud as all that.' `
` `
` `With extras?' asked the Mock Turtle a little anxiously. `
` `
` `Yes,' said Alice, `we learned French and music.' `
` `
` `And washing?' said the Mock Turtle. `
` `
` `Certainly not!' said Alice indignantly. `
` `
` `Ah! then yours wasn't a really good school,' said the Mock `
` Turtle in a tone of great relief. `Now at OURS they had at the `
` end of the bill, "French, music, AND WASHING--extra."' `
` `
` `You couldn't have wanted it much,' said Alice; `living at the `
` bottom of the sea.' `
` `
` `I couldn't afford to learn it.' said the Mock Turtle with a `
` sigh. `I only took the regular course.' `
` `
` `What was that?' inquired Alice. `
` `
` `Reeling and Writhing, of course, to begin with,' the Mock `
` Turtle replied; `and then the different branches of Arithmetic-- `
` Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and Derision.' `
` `
` `I never heard of "Uglification,"' Alice ventured to say. `What is it?' `
` `
` The Gryphon lifted up both its paws in surprise. `What! Never `
` heard of uglifying!' it exclaimed. `You know what to beautify is, `
` I suppose?' `
` `
` `Yes,' said Alice doubtfully: `it means--to--make--anything--prettier.' `
` `
` `Well, then,' the Gryphon went on, `if you don't know what to `
` uglify is, you ARE a simpleton.' `
` `
` Alice did not feel encouraged to ask any more questions about `
` it, so she turned to the Mock Turtle, and said `What else had you `
` to learn?' `
` `
` `Well, there was Mystery,' the Mock Turtle replied, counting `
` off the subjects on his flappers, `--Mystery, ancient and modern, `
` with Seaography: then Drawling--the Drawling-master was an old `
` conger-eel, that used to come once a week: HE taught us `
` Drawling, Stretching, and Fainting in Coils.' `
` `
` `What was THAT like?' said Alice. `
` `
` `Well, I can't show it you myself,' the Mock Turtle said: `I'm `
` too stiff. And the Gryphon never learnt it.' `
` `
` `Hadn't time,' said the Gryphon: `I went to the Classics `
` master, though. He was an old crab, HE was.' `
` `
` `I never went to him,' the Mock Turtle said with a sigh: `he `
` taught Laughing and Grief, they used to say.' `
` `
` `So he did, so he did,' said the Gryphon, sighing in his turn; `
` and both creatures hid their faces in their paws. `
` `
` `And how many hours a day did you do lessons?' said Alice, in a `
` hurry to change the subject. `
` `
` `Ten hours the first day,' said the Mock Turtle: `nine the `
` next, and so on.' `
` `
` `What a curious plan!' exclaimed Alice. `
` `
` `That's the reason they're called lessons,' the Gryphon `
` remarked: `because they lessen from day to day.' `
` `
` This was quite a new idea to Alice, and she thought it over a `
` little before she made her next remark. `Then the eleventh day `
` must have been a holiday?' `
` `
` `Of course it was,' said the Mock Turtle. `
` `
` `And how did you manage on the twelfth?' Alice went on eagerly. `
` `
` `That's enough about lessons,' the Gryphon interrupted in a `
` very decided tone: `tell her something about the games now.' `
` `
` `
` `
` CHAPTER X `
` `
` The Lobster Quadrille `
` `
` `
` The Mock Turtle sighed deeply, and drew the back of one flapper `
` across his eyes. He looked at Alice, and tried to speak, but for `
` a minute or two sobs choked his voice. `Same as if he had a bone `
` in his throat,' said the Gryphon: and it set to work shaking him `
` and punching him in the back. At last the Mock Turtle recovered `
` his voice, and, with tears running down his cheeks, he went on `
` again:-- `
` `
` `You may not have lived much under the sea--' (`I haven't,' said Alice)-- `
` `and perhaps you were never even introduced to a lobster--' `
` (Alice began to say `I once tasted--' but checked herself hastily, `
` and said `No, never') `--so you can have no idea what a delightful `
` thing a Lobster Quadrille is!' `
` `
` `No, indeed,' said Alice. `What sort of a dance is it?' `
` `
` `Why,' said the Gryphon, `you first form into a line along the sea-shore--' `
` `
` `Two lines!' cried the Mock Turtle. `Seals, turtles, salmon, and so on; `
` then, when you've cleared all the jelly-fish out of the way--' `
` `
` `THAT generally takes some time,' interrupted the Gryphon. `
` `
` `--you advance twice--' `
` `
` `Each with a lobster as a partner!' cried the Gryphon. `
` `
` `Of course,' the Mock Turtle said: `advance twice, set to `
` partners--' `
` `
` `--change lobsters, and retire in same order,' continued the `
` Gryphon. `
` `
` `Then, you know,' the Mock Turtle went on, `you throw the--' `
` `
` `The lobsters!' shouted the Gryphon, with a bound into the air. `
` `
` `--as far out to sea as you can--' `
` `
` `Swim after them!' screamed the Gryphon. `
` `
` `Turn a somersault in the sea!' cried the Mock Turtle, `
` capering wildly about. `
` `
` `Change lobsters again!' yelled the Gryphon at the top of its voice. `
` `
` `Back to land again, and that's all the first figure,' said the `
` Mock Turtle, suddenly dropping his voice; and the two creatures, `
` who had been jumping about like mad things all this time, sat `
` down again very sadly and quietly, and looked at Alice. `
` `
` `It must be a very pretty dance,' said Alice timidly. `
` `
` `Would you like to see a little of it?' said the Mock Turtle. `
` `
` `Very much indeed,' said Alice. `
` `
` `Come, let's try the first figure!' said the Mock Turtle to the `
` Gryphon. `We can do without lobsters, you know. Which shall `
` sing?' `
` `
` `Oh, YOU sing,' said the Gryphon. `I've forgotten the words.' `
` `
` So they began solemnly dancing round and round Alice, every now `
` and then treading on her toes when they passed too close, and `
` waving their forepaws to mark the time, while the Mock Turtle `
` sang this, very slowly and sadly:-- `
` `
` `
` `"Will you walk a little faster?" said a whiting to a snail. `
` "There's a porpoise close behind us, and he's treading on my `
` tail. `
` See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance! `
` They are waiting on the shingle--will you come and join the `
` dance? `
` `
` Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the `
` dance? `
` Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join the `
` dance? `
` `
` `
` "You can really have no notion how delightful it will be `
` When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to `
` sea!" `
` But the snail replied "Too far, too far!" and gave a look `
` askance-- `
` Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the `
` dance. `
` Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join `
` the dance. `
` Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join `
` the dance. `
` `
` `"What matters it how far we go?" his scaly friend replied. `
` "There is another shore, you know, upon the other side. `
` The further off from England the nearer is to France-- `
` Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance. `
` `
` Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the `
` dance? `
` Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join the `
` dance?"' `
` `
` `
` `
` `Thank you, it's a very interesting dance to watch,' said `
`
` every day--' `
` `
` `I'VE been to a day-school, too,' said Alice; `you needn't be `
` so proud as all that.' `
` `
` `With extras?' asked the Mock Turtle a little anxiously. `
` `
` `Yes,' said Alice, `we learned French and music.' `
` `
` `And washing?' said the Mock Turtle. `
` `
` `Certainly not!' said Alice indignantly. `
` `
` `Ah! then yours wasn't a really good school,' said the Mock `
` Turtle in a tone of great relief. `Now at OURS they had at the `
` end of the bill, "French, music, AND WASHING--extra."' `
` `
` `You couldn't have wanted it much,' said Alice; `living at the `
` bottom of the sea.' `
` `
` `I couldn't afford to learn it.' said the Mock Turtle with a `
` sigh. `I only took the regular course.' `
` `
` `What was that?' inquired Alice. `
` `
` `Reeling and Writhing, of course, to begin with,' the Mock `
` Turtle replied; `and then the different branches of Arithmetic-- `
` Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and Derision.' `
` `
` `I never heard of "Uglification,"' Alice ventured to say. `What is it?' `
` `
` The Gryphon lifted up both its paws in surprise. `What! Never `
` heard of uglifying!' it exclaimed. `You know what to beautify is, `
` I suppose?' `
` `
` `Yes,' said Alice doubtfully: `it means--to--make--anything--prettier.' `
` `
` `Well, then,' the Gryphon went on, `if you don't know what to `
` uglify is, you ARE a simpleton.' `
` `
` Alice did not feel encouraged to ask any more questions about `
` it, so she turned to the Mock Turtle, and said `What else had you `
` to learn?' `
` `
` `Well, there was Mystery,' the Mock Turtle replied, counting `
` off the subjects on his flappers, `--Mystery, ancient and modern, `
` with Seaography: then Drawling--the Drawling-master was an old `
` conger-eel, that used to come once a week: HE taught us `
` Drawling, Stretching, and Fainting in Coils.' `
` `
` `What was THAT like?' said Alice. `
` `
` `Well, I can't show it you myself,' the Mock Turtle said: `I'm `
` too stiff. And the Gryphon never learnt it.' `
` `
` `Hadn't time,' said the Gryphon: `I went to the Classics `
` master, though. He was an old crab, HE was.' `
` `
` `I never went to him,' the Mock Turtle said with a sigh: `he `
` taught Laughing and Grief, they used to say.' `
` `
` `So he did, so he did,' said the Gryphon, sighing in his turn; `
` and both creatures hid their faces in their paws. `
` `
` `And how many hours a day did you do lessons?' said Alice, in a `
` hurry to change the subject. `
` `
` `Ten hours the first day,' said the Mock Turtle: `nine the `
` next, and so on.' `
` `
` `What a curious plan!' exclaimed Alice. `
` `
` `That's the reason they're called lessons,' the Gryphon `
` remarked: `because they lessen from day to day.' `
` `
` This was quite a new idea to Alice, and she thought it over a `
` little before she made her next remark. `Then the eleventh day `
` must have been a holiday?' `
` `
` `Of course it was,' said the Mock Turtle. `
` `
` `And how did you manage on the twelfth?' Alice went on eagerly. `
` `
` `That's enough about lessons,' the Gryphon interrupted in a `
` very decided tone: `tell her something about the games now.' `
` `
` `
` `
` CHAPTER X `
` `
` The Lobster Quadrille `
` `
` `
` The Mock Turtle sighed deeply, and drew the back of one flapper `
` across his eyes. He looked at Alice, and tried to speak, but for `
` a minute or two sobs choked his voice. `Same as if he had a bone `
` in his throat,' said the Gryphon: and it set to work shaking him `
` and punching him in the back. At last the Mock Turtle recovered `
` his voice, and, with tears running down his cheeks, he went on `
` again:-- `
` `
` `You may not have lived much under the sea--' (`I haven't,' said Alice)-- `
` `and perhaps you were never even introduced to a lobster--' `
` (Alice began to say `I once tasted--' but checked herself hastily, `
` and said `No, never') `--so you can have no idea what a delightful `
` thing a Lobster Quadrille is!' `
` `
` `No, indeed,' said Alice. `What sort of a dance is it?' `
` `
` `Why,' said the Gryphon, `you first form into a line along the sea-shore--' `
` `
` `Two lines!' cried the Mock Turtle. `Seals, turtles, salmon, and so on; `
` then, when you've cleared all the jelly-fish out of the way--' `
` `
` `THAT generally takes some time,' interrupted the Gryphon. `
` `
` `--you advance twice--' `
` `
` `Each with a lobster as a partner!' cried the Gryphon. `
` `
` `Of course,' the Mock Turtle said: `advance twice, set to `
` partners--' `
` `
` `--change lobsters, and retire in same order,' continued the `
` Gryphon. `
` `
` `Then, you know,' the Mock Turtle went on, `you throw the--' `
` `
` `The lobsters!' shouted the Gryphon, with a bound into the air. `
` `
` `--as far out to sea as you can--' `
` `
` `Swim after them!' screamed the Gryphon. `
` `
` `Turn a somersault in the sea!' cried the Mock Turtle, `
` capering wildly about. `
` `
` `Change lobsters again!' yelled the Gryphon at the top of its voice. `
` `
` `Back to land again, and that's all the first figure,' said the `
` Mock Turtle, suddenly dropping his voice; and the two creatures, `
` who had been jumping about like mad things all this time, sat `
` down again very sadly and quietly, and looked at Alice. `
` `
` `It must be a very pretty dance,' said Alice timidly. `
` `
` `Would you like to see a little of it?' said the Mock Turtle. `
` `
` `Very much indeed,' said Alice. `
` `
` `Come, let's try the first figure!' said the Mock Turtle to the `
` Gryphon. `We can do without lobsters, you know. Which shall `
` sing?' `
` `
` `Oh, YOU sing,' said the Gryphon. `I've forgotten the words.' `
` `
` So they began solemnly dancing round and round Alice, every now `
` and then treading on her toes when they passed too close, and `
` waving their forepaws to mark the time, while the Mock Turtle `
` sang this, very slowly and sadly:-- `
` `
` `
` `"Will you walk a little faster?" said a whiting to a snail. `
` "There's a porpoise close behind us, and he's treading on my `
` tail. `
` See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance! `
` They are waiting on the shingle--will you come and join the `
` dance? `
` `
` Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the `
` dance? `
` Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join the `
` dance? `
` `
` `
` "You can really have no notion how delightful it will be `
` When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to `
` sea!" `
` But the snail replied "Too far, too far!" and gave a look `
` askance-- `
` Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the `
` dance. `
` Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join `
` the dance. `
` Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join `
` the dance. `
` `
` `"What matters it how far we go?" his scaly friend replied. `
` "There is another shore, you know, upon the other side. `
` The further off from England the nearer is to France-- `
` Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance. `
` `
` Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the `
` dance? `
` Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join the `
` dance?"' `
` `
` `
` `
` `Thank you, it's a very interesting dance to watch,' said `
`