Reading Help Alice's adventure in wonderland
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. `
` `
` `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. `
` `
` `Mine is a long and a sad tale!' said the Mouse, turning to `
` Alice, and sighing. `
` `
` `It IS a long tail, certainly,' said Alice, looking down with `
` wonder at the Mouse's 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:-- `
` `
` `Fury said to a `
` mouse, That he `
` met in the `
` house, `
` "Let us `
` both go to `
` law: I will `
` prosecute `
` YOU. --Come, `
` I'll take no `
` denial; We `
` must have a `
` trial: For `
` really this `
` morning I've `
` nothing `
` to do." `
` Said the `
` mouse to the `
` cur, "Such `
` a trial, `
` dear Sir, `
` With `
` no jury `
` or judge, `
` would be `
` wasting `
` our `
` breath." `
` "I'll be `
` judge, I'll `
` be jury," `
` Said `
` cunning `
` old Fury: `
` "I'll `
` try the `
` whole `
` cause, `
` and `
` condemn `
` you `
` to `
` death."' `
` `
` `
` `You are not attending!' said the Mouse to Alice severely. `
` `What are you thinking of?' `
` `
` `I beg your pardon,' said Alice very humbly: `you had got to `
` the fifth bend, I think?' `
` `
` `I had NOT!' cried the Mouse, sharply and very angrily. `
` `
` `A knot!' said Alice, always ready to make herself useful, and `
` looking anxiously about her. `Oh, do let me help to undo it!' `
` `
` `I shall do nothing of the sort,' said the Mouse, getting up `
` and walking away. `You insult me by talking such nonsense!' `
` `
` `I didn't mean it!' pleaded poor Alice. `But you're so easily `
` offended, you know!' `
` `
` The Mouse only growled in reply. `
` `
` `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. `
` `
` `What a pity it wouldn't 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. `You're enough to try the `
` patience of an oyster!' `
` `
` `I wish I had our Dinah here, I know I do!' said Alice aloud, `
` addressing nobody in particular. `She'd soon fetch it back!' `
` `
` `And who is Dinah, if I might venture to ask the question?' `
` said the Lory. `
` `
` Alice replied eagerly, for she was always ready to talk about `
` her pet: `Dinah's our cat. And she's such a capital one for `
` catching mice you can't think! And oh, I wish you could see her `
` after the birds! Why, she'll eat a little bird as soon as look `
` at it!' `
` `
` 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 doesn't suit my throat!' and a Canary `
` called out in a trembling voice to its children, `Come away, my `
` dears! It's high time you were all in bed!' On various pretexts `
` they all moved off, and Alice was soon left alone. `
` `
` `I wish I hadn't mentioned Dinah!' she said to herself in a `
` melancholy tone. `Nobody seems to like her, down here, and I'm `
` sure she's 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. `
` `
` `
` `
` CHAPTER IV `
` `
` The Rabbit Sends in a Little Bill `
` `
` `
` It was the White Rabbit, trotting slowly back again, and `
` looking anxiously about as it went, as if it had lost something; `
` and she heard it muttering to itself `The Duchess! The Duchess! `
` Oh my dear paws! Oh my fur and whiskers! She'll get me `
` executed, as sure as ferrets are ferrets! Where CAN I have `
` dropped them, I wonder?' Alice guessed in a moment that it was `
` looking for the fan and the pair of white kid gloves, and she `
` very good-naturedly began hunting about for them, but they were `
` nowhere to be seen--everything seemed to have changed since her `
` swim in the pool, and the great hall, with the glass table and `
` the little door, had vanished completely. `
` `
` Very soon the Rabbit noticed Alice, as she went hunting about, `
` and called out to her in an angry tone, `Why, Mary Ann, what ARE `
` you doing out here? Run home this moment, and fetch me a pair of `
` gloves and a fan! Quick, now!' And Alice was so much frightened `
` that she ran off at once in the direction it pointed to, without `
` trying to explain the mistake it had made. `
` `
` `He took me for his housemaid,' she said to herself as she ran. `
` `How surprised he'll be when he finds out who I am! But I'd `
` better take him his fan and gloves--that is, if I can find them.' `
` As she said this, she came upon a neat little house, on the door `
` of which was a bright brass plate with the name `W. RABBIT' `
` engraved upon it. She went in without knocking, and hurried `
` upstairs, in great fear lest she should meet the real Mary Ann, `
` and be turned out of the house before she had found the fan and `
` gloves. `
` `
` `How queer it seems,' Alice said to herself, `to be going `
` messages for a rabbit! I suppose Dinah'll be sending me on `
` messages next!' And she began fancying the sort of thing that `
` would happen: `"Miss Alice! Come here directly, and get ready `
` for your walk!" "Coming in a minute, nurse! But I've got to see `
` that the mouse doesn't get out." Only I don't think,' Alice went `
` on, `that they'd let Dinah stop in the house if it began ordering `
` people about like that!' `
` `
` By this time she had found her way into a tidy little room with `
` a table in the window, and on it (as she had hoped) a fan and two `
` or three pairs of tiny white kid gloves: she took up the fan and `
` a pair of the gloves, and was just going to leave the room, when `
` her eye fell upon a little bottle that stood near the looking- `
` glass. There was no label this time with the words `DRINK ME,' `
` but nevertheless she uncorked it and put it to her lips. `I know `
` SOMETHING interesting is sure to happen,' she said to herself, `
` `whenever I eat or drink anything; so I'll just see what this `
` bottle does. I do hope it'll make me grow large again, for `
` really I'm quite tired of being such a tiny little thing!' `
` `
` It did so indeed, and much sooner than she had expected: `
` before she had drunk half the bottle, she found her head pressing `
` against the ceiling, and had to stoop to save her neck from being `
` broken. She hastily put down the bottle, saying to herself `
` `That's quite enough--I hope I shan't grow any more--As it is, I `
` can't get out at the door--I do wish I hadn't drunk quite so `
` much!' `
` `
` Alas! it was too late to wish that! She went on growing, and `
` growing, and very soon had to kneel down on the floor: in `
` another minute there was not even room for this, and she tried `
` the effect of lying down with one elbow against the door, and the `
` other arm curled round her head. Still she went on growing, and, `
` as a last resource, she put one arm out of the window, and one `
` foot up the chimney, and said to herself `Now I can do no more, `
` whatever happens. What WILL become of me?' `
` `
` Luckily for Alice, the little magic bottle had now had its full `
` effect, and she grew no larger: still it was very uncomfortable, `
`
` 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. `
` `
` `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. `
` `
` `Mine is a long and a sad tale!' said the Mouse, turning to `
` Alice, and sighing. `
` `
` `It IS a long tail, certainly,' said Alice, looking down with `
` wonder at the Mouse's 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:-- `
` `
` `Fury said to a `
` mouse, That he `
` met in the `
` house, `
` "Let us `
` both go to `
` law: I will `
` prosecute `
` YOU. --Come, `
` I'll take no `
` denial; We `
` must have a `
` trial: For `
` really this `
` morning I've `
` nothing `
` to do." `
` Said the `
` mouse to the `
` cur, "Such `
` a trial, `
` dear Sir, `
` With `
` no jury `
` or judge, `
` would be `
` wasting `
` our `
` breath." `
` "I'll be `
` judge, I'll `
` be jury," `
` Said `
` cunning `
` old Fury: `
` "I'll `
` try the `
` whole `
` cause, `
` and `
` condemn `
` you `
` to `
` death."' `
` `
` `
` `You are not attending!' said the Mouse to Alice severely. `
` `What are you thinking of?' `
` `
` `I beg your pardon,' said Alice very humbly: `you had got to `
` the fifth bend, I think?' `
` `
` `I had NOT!' cried the Mouse, sharply and very angrily. `
` `
` `A knot!' said Alice, always ready to make herself useful, and `
` looking anxiously about her. `Oh, do let me help to undo it!' `
` `
` `I shall do nothing of the sort,' said the Mouse, getting up `
` and walking away. `You insult me by talking such nonsense!' `
` `
` `I didn't mean it!' pleaded poor Alice. `But you're so easily `
` offended, you know!' `
` `
` The Mouse only growled in reply. `
` `
` `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. `
` `
` `What a pity it wouldn't 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. `You're enough to try the `
` patience of an oyster!' `
` `
` `I wish I had our Dinah here, I know I do!' said Alice aloud, `
` addressing nobody in particular. `She'd soon fetch it back!' `
` `
` `And who is Dinah, if I might venture to ask the question?' `
` said the Lory. `
` `
` Alice replied eagerly, for she was always ready to talk about `
` her pet: `Dinah's our cat. And she's such a capital one for `
` catching mice you can't think! And oh, I wish you could see her `
` after the birds! Why, she'll eat a little bird as soon as look `
` at it!' `
` `
` 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 doesn't suit my throat!' and a Canary `
` called out in a trembling voice to its children, `Come away, my `
` dears! It's high time you were all in bed!' On various pretexts `
` they all moved off, and Alice was soon left alone. `
` `
` `I wish I hadn't mentioned Dinah!' she said to herself in a `
` melancholy tone. `Nobody seems to like her, down here, and I'm `
` sure she's 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. `
` `
` `
` `
` CHAPTER IV `
` `
` The Rabbit Sends in a Little Bill `
` `
` `
` It was the White Rabbit, trotting slowly back again, and `
` looking anxiously about as it went, as if it had lost something; `
` and she heard it muttering to itself `The Duchess! The Duchess! `
` Oh my dear paws! Oh my fur and whiskers! She'll get me `
` executed, as sure as ferrets are ferrets! Where CAN I have `
` dropped them, I wonder?' Alice guessed in a moment that it was `
` looking for the fan and the pair of white kid gloves, and she `
` very good-naturedly began hunting about for them, but they were `
` nowhere to be seen--everything seemed to have changed since her `
` swim in the pool, and the great hall, with the glass table and `
` the little door, had vanished completely. `
` `
` Very soon the Rabbit noticed Alice, as she went hunting about, `
` and called out to her in an angry tone, `Why, Mary Ann, what ARE `
` you doing out here? Run home this moment, and fetch me a pair of `
` gloves and a fan! Quick, now!' And Alice was so much frightened `
` that she ran off at once in the direction it pointed to, without `
` trying to explain the mistake it had made. `
` `
` `He took me for his housemaid,' she said to herself as she ran. `
` `How surprised he'll be when he finds out who I am! But I'd `
` better take him his fan and gloves--that is, if I can find them.' `
` As she said this, she came upon a neat little house, on the door `
` of which was a bright brass plate with the name `W. RABBIT' `
` engraved upon it. She went in without knocking, and hurried `
` upstairs, in great fear lest she should meet the real Mary Ann, `
` and be turned out of the house before she had found the fan and `
` gloves. `
` `
` `How queer it seems,' Alice said to herself, `to be going `
` messages for a rabbit! I suppose Dinah'll be sending me on `
` messages next!' And she began fancying the sort of thing that `
` would happen: `"Miss Alice! Come here directly, and get ready `
` for your walk!" "Coming in a minute, nurse! But I've got to see `
` that the mouse doesn't get out." Only I don't think,' Alice went `
` on, `that they'd let Dinah stop in the house if it began ordering `
` people about like that!' `
` `
` By this time she had found her way into a tidy little room with `
` a table in the window, and on it (as she had hoped) a fan and two `
` or three pairs of tiny white kid gloves: she took up the fan and `
` a pair of the gloves, and was just going to leave the room, when `
` her eye fell upon a little bottle that stood near the looking- `
` glass. There was no label this time with the words `DRINK ME,' `
` but nevertheless she uncorked it and put it to her lips. `I know `
` SOMETHING interesting is sure to happen,' she said to herself, `
` `whenever I eat or drink anything; so I'll just see what this `
` bottle does. I do hope it'll make me grow large again, for `
` really I'm quite tired of being such a tiny little thing!' `
` `
` It did so indeed, and much sooner than she had expected: `
` before she had drunk half the bottle, she found her head pressing `
` against the ceiling, and had to stoop to save her neck from being `
` broken. She hastily put down the bottle, saying to herself `
` `That's quite enough--I hope I shan't grow any more--As it is, I `
` can't get out at the door--I do wish I hadn't drunk quite so `
` much!' `
` `
` Alas! it was too late to wish that! She went on growing, and `
` growing, and very soon had to kneel down on the floor: in `
` another minute there was not even room for this, and she tried `
` the effect of lying down with one elbow against the door, and the `
` other arm curled round her head. Still she went on growing, and, `
` as a last resource, she put one arm out of the window, and one `
` foot up the chimney, and said to herself `Now I can do no more, `
` whatever happens. What WILL become of me?' `
` `
` Luckily for Alice, the little magic bottle had now had its full `
` effect, and she grew no larger: still it was very uncomfortable, `
`