Reading Help Alice's adventure in wonderland
the circumstances. There was a large mushroom growing near her, `
` about the same height as herself; and when she had looked under `
` it, and on both sides of it, and behind it, it occurred to her `
` that she might as well look and see what was on the top of it. `
` `
` She stretched herself up on tiptoe, and peeped over the edge of `
` the mushroom, and her eyes immediately met those of a large `
` caterpillar, that was sitting on the top with its arms folded, `
` quietly smoking a long hookah, and taking not the smallest notice `
` of her or of anything else. `
` `
` `
` `
` CHAPTER V `
` `
` Advice from a Caterpillar `
` `
` `
` The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in `
` silence: at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its `
` mouth, and addressed her in a languid, sleepy voice. `
` `
` `Who are YOU?' said the Caterpillar. `
` `
` This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice `
` replied, rather shyly, `I--I hardly know, sir, just at present-- `
` at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think `
` I must have been changed several times since then.' `
` `
` `What do you mean by that?' said the Caterpillar sternly. `
` `Explain yourself!' `
` `
` `I can't explain MYSELF, I'm afraid, sir' said Alice, `because `
` I'm not myself, you see.' `
` `
` `I don't see,' said the Caterpillar. `
` `
` `I'm afraid I can't put it more clearly,' Alice replied very `
` politely, `for I can't understand it myself to begin with; and `
` being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing.' `
` `
` `It isn't,' said the Caterpillar. `
` `
` `Well, perhaps you haven't found it so yet,' said Alice; `but `
` when you have to turn into a chrysalis--you will some day, you `
` know--and then after that into a butterfly, I should think you'll `
` feel it a little queer, won't you?' `
` `
` `Not a bit,' said the Caterpillar. `
` `
` `Well, perhaps your feelings may be different,' said Alice; `
` `all I know is, it would feel very queer to ME.' `
` `
` `You!' said the Caterpillar contemptuously. `Who are YOU?' `
` `
` Which brought them back again to the beginning of the `
` conversation. Alice felt a little irritated at the Caterpillar's `
` making such VERY short remarks, and she drew herself up and said, `
` very gravely, `I think, you ought to tell me who YOU are, first.' `
` `
` `Why?' said the Caterpillar. `
` `
` Here was another puzzling question; and as Alice could not `
` think of any good reason, and as the Caterpillar seemed to be in `
` a VERY unpleasant state of mind, she turned away. `
` `
` `Come back!' the Caterpillar called after her. `I've something `
` important to say!' `
` `
` This sounded promising, certainly: Alice turned and came back `
` again. `
` `
` `Keep your temper,' said the Caterpillar. `
` `
` `Is that all?' said Alice, swallowing down her anger as well as `
` she could. `
` `
` `No,' said the Caterpillar. `
` `
` Alice thought she might as well wait, as she had nothing else `
` to do, and perhaps after all it might tell her something worth `
` hearing. For some minutes it puffed away without speaking, but `
` at last it unfolded its arms, took the hookah out of its mouth `
` again, and said, `So you think you're changed, do you?' `
` `
` `I'm afraid I am, sir,' said Alice; `I can't remember things as `
` I used--and I don't keep the same size for ten minutes together!' `
` `
` `Can't remember WHAT things?' said the Caterpillar. `
` `
` `Well, I've tried to say "HOW DOTH THE LITTLE BUSY BEE," but it `
` all came different!' Alice replied in a very melancholy voice. `
` `
` `Repeat, "YOU ARE OLD, FATHER WILLIAM,"' said the Caterpillar. `
` `
` Alice folded her hands, and began:-- `
` `
` `You are old, Father William,' the young man said, `
` `And your hair has become very white; `
` And yet you incessantly stand on your head-- `
` Do you think, at your age, it is right?' `
` `
` `In my youth,' Father William replied to his son, `
` `I feared it might injure the brain; `
` But, now that I'm perfectly sure I have none, `
` Why, I do it again and again.' `
` `
` `You are old,' said the youth, `as I mentioned before, `
` And have grown most uncommonly fat; `
` Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door-- `
` Pray, what is the reason of that?' `
` `
` `In my youth,' said the sage, as he shook his grey locks, `
` `I kept all my limbs very supple `
` By the use of this ointment--one shilling the box-- `
` Allow me to sell you a couple?' `
` `
` `You are old,' said the youth, `and your jaws are too weak `
` For anything tougher than suet; `
` Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak-- `
` Pray how did you manage to do it?' `
` `
` `In my youth,' said his father, `I took to the law, `
` And argued each case with my wife; `
` And the muscular strength, which it gave to my jaw, `
` Has lasted the rest of my life.' `
` `
` `You are old,' said the youth, `one would hardly suppose `
` That your eye was as steady as ever; `
` Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose-- `
` What made you so awfully clever?' `
` `
` `I have answered three questions, and that is enough,' `
` Said his father; `don't give yourself airs! `
` Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff? `
` Be off, or I'll kick you down stairs!' `
` `
` `
` `That is not said right,' said the Caterpillar. `
` `
` `Not QUITE right, I'm afraid,' said Alice, timidly; `some of the `
` words have got altered.' `
` `
` `It is wrong from beginning to end,' said the Caterpillar `
` decidedly, and there was silence for some minutes. `
` `
` The Caterpillar was the first to speak. `
` `
` `What size do you want to be?' it asked. `
` `
` `Oh, I'm not particular as to size,' Alice hastily replied; `
` `only one doesn't like changing so often, you know.' `
` `
` `I DON'T know,' said the Caterpillar. `
` `
` Alice said nothing: she had never been so much contradicted in `
` her life before, and she felt that she was losing her temper. `
` `
` `Are you content now?' said the Caterpillar. `
` `
` `Well, I should like to be a LITTLE larger, sir, if you `
` wouldn't mind,' said Alice: `three inches is such a wretched `
` height to be.' `
` `
` `It is a very good height indeed!' said the Caterpillar `
` angrily, rearing itself upright as it spoke (it was exactly three `
` inches high). `
` `
` `But I'm not used to it!' pleaded poor Alice in a piteous tone. `
` And she thought of herself, `I wish the creatures wouldn't be so `
` easily offended!' `
` `
` `You'll get used to it in time,' said the Caterpillar; and it `
` put the hookah into its mouth and began smoking again. `
` `
` This time Alice waited patiently until it chose to speak again. `
` In a minute or two the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its `
` mouth and yawned once or twice, and shook itself. Then it got `
` down off the mushroom, and crawled away in the grass, merely `
` remarking as it went, `One side will make you grow taller, and `
` the other side will make you grow shorter.' `
` `
` `One side of WHAT? The other side of WHAT?' thought Alice to `
` herself. `
` `
` `Of the mushroom,' said the Caterpillar, just as if she had `
` asked it aloud; and in another moment it was out of sight. `
` `
` Alice remained looking thoughtfully at the mushroom for a `
` minute, trying to make out which were the two sides of it; and as `
` it was perfectly round, she found this a very difficult question. `
` However, at last she stretched her arms round it as far as they `
` would go, and broke off a bit of the edge with each hand. `
` `
` `And now which is which?' she said to herself, and nibbled a `
` little of the right-hand bit to try the effect: the next moment `
` she felt a violent blow underneath her chin: it had struck her `
` foot! `
` `
` She was a good deal frightened by this very sudden change, but `
` she felt that there was no time to be lost, as she was shrinking `
`
` about the same height as herself; and when she had looked under `
` it, and on both sides of it, and behind it, it occurred to her `
` that she might as well look and see what was on the top of it. `
` `
` She stretched herself up on tiptoe, and peeped over the edge of `
` the mushroom, and her eyes immediately met those of a large `
` caterpillar, that was sitting on the top with its arms folded, `
` quietly smoking a long hookah, and taking not the smallest notice `
` of her or of anything else. `
` `
` `
` `
` CHAPTER V `
` `
` Advice from a Caterpillar `
` `
` `
` The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in `
` silence: at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its `
` mouth, and addressed her in a languid, sleepy voice. `
` `
` `Who are YOU?' said the Caterpillar. `
` `
` This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice `
` replied, rather shyly, `I--I hardly know, sir, just at present-- `
` at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think `
` I must have been changed several times since then.' `
` `
` `What do you mean by that?' said the Caterpillar sternly. `
` `Explain yourself!' `
` `
` `I can't explain MYSELF, I'm afraid, sir' said Alice, `because `
` I'm not myself, you see.' `
` `
` `I don't see,' said the Caterpillar. `
` `
` `I'm afraid I can't put it more clearly,' Alice replied very `
` politely, `for I can't understand it myself to begin with; and `
` being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing.' `
` `
` `It isn't,' said the Caterpillar. `
` `
` `Well, perhaps you haven't found it so yet,' said Alice; `but `
` when you have to turn into a chrysalis--you will some day, you `
` know--and then after that into a butterfly, I should think you'll `
` feel it a little queer, won't you?' `
` `
` `Not a bit,' said the Caterpillar. `
` `
` `Well, perhaps your feelings may be different,' said Alice; `
` `all I know is, it would feel very queer to ME.' `
` `
` `You!' said the Caterpillar contemptuously. `Who are YOU?' `
` `
` Which brought them back again to the beginning of the `
` conversation. Alice felt a little irritated at the Caterpillar's `
` making such VERY short remarks, and she drew herself up and said, `
` very gravely, `I think, you ought to tell me who YOU are, first.' `
` `
` `Why?' said the Caterpillar. `
` `
` Here was another puzzling question; and as Alice could not `
` think of any good reason, and as the Caterpillar seemed to be in `
` a VERY unpleasant state of mind, she turned away. `
` `
` `Come back!' the Caterpillar called after her. `I've something `
` important to say!' `
` `
` This sounded promising, certainly: Alice turned and came back `
` again. `
` `
` `Keep your temper,' said the Caterpillar. `
` `
` `Is that all?' said Alice, swallowing down her anger as well as `
` she could. `
` `
` `No,' said the Caterpillar. `
` `
` Alice thought she might as well wait, as she had nothing else `
` to do, and perhaps after all it might tell her something worth `
` hearing. For some minutes it puffed away without speaking, but `
` at last it unfolded its arms, took the hookah out of its mouth `
` again, and said, `So you think you're changed, do you?' `
` `
` `I'm afraid I am, sir,' said Alice; `I can't remember things as `
` I used--and I don't keep the same size for ten minutes together!' `
` `
` `Can't remember WHAT things?' said the Caterpillar. `
` `
` `Well, I've tried to say "HOW DOTH THE LITTLE BUSY BEE," but it `
` all came different!' Alice replied in a very melancholy voice. `
` `
` `Repeat, "YOU ARE OLD, FATHER WILLIAM,"' said the Caterpillar. `
` `
` Alice folded her hands, and began:-- `
` `
` `You are old, Father William,' the young man said, `
` `And your hair has become very white; `
` And yet you incessantly stand on your head-- `
` Do you think, at your age, it is right?' `
` `
` `In my youth,' Father William replied to his son, `
` `I feared it might injure the brain; `
` But, now that I'm perfectly sure I have none, `
` Why, I do it again and again.' `
` `
` `You are old,' said the youth, `as I mentioned before, `
` And have grown most uncommonly fat; `
` Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door-- `
` Pray, what is the reason of that?' `
` `
` `In my youth,' said the sage, as he shook his grey locks, `
` `I kept all my limbs very supple `
` By the use of this ointment--one shilling the box-- `
` Allow me to sell you a couple?' `
` `
` `You are old,' said the youth, `and your jaws are too weak `
` For anything tougher than suet; `
` Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak-- `
` Pray how did you manage to do it?' `
` `
` `In my youth,' said his father, `I took to the law, `
` And argued each case with my wife; `
` And the muscular strength, which it gave to my jaw, `
` Has lasted the rest of my life.' `
` `
` `You are old,' said the youth, `one would hardly suppose `
` That your eye was as steady as ever; `
` Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose-- `
` What made you so awfully clever?' `
` `
` `I have answered three questions, and that is enough,' `
` Said his father; `don't give yourself airs! `
` Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff? `
` Be off, or I'll kick you down stairs!' `
` `
` `
` `That is not said right,' said the Caterpillar. `
` `
` `Not QUITE right, I'm afraid,' said Alice, timidly; `some of the `
` words have got altered.' `
` `
` `It is wrong from beginning to end,' said the Caterpillar `
` decidedly, and there was silence for some minutes. `
` `
` The Caterpillar was the first to speak. `
` `
` `What size do you want to be?' it asked. `
` `
` `Oh, I'm not particular as to size,' Alice hastily replied; `
` `only one doesn't like changing so often, you know.' `
` `
` `I DON'T know,' said the Caterpillar. `
` `
` Alice said nothing: she had never been so much contradicted in `
` her life before, and she felt that she was losing her temper. `
` `
` `Are you content now?' said the Caterpillar. `
` `
` `Well, I should like to be a LITTLE larger, sir, if you `
` wouldn't mind,' said Alice: `three inches is such a wretched `
` height to be.' `
` `
` `It is a very good height indeed!' said the Caterpillar `
` angrily, rearing itself upright as it spoke (it was exactly three `
` inches high). `
` `
` `But I'm not used to it!' pleaded poor Alice in a piteous tone. `
` And she thought of herself, `I wish the creatures wouldn't be so `
` easily offended!' `
` `
` `You'll get used to it in time,' said the Caterpillar; and it `
` put the hookah into its mouth and began smoking again. `
` `
` This time Alice waited patiently until it chose to speak again. `
` In a minute or two the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its `
` mouth and yawned once or twice, and shook itself. Then it got `
` down off the mushroom, and crawled away in the grass, merely `
` remarking as it went, `One side will make you grow taller, and `
` the other side will make you grow shorter.' `
` `
` `One side of WHAT? The other side of WHAT?' thought Alice to `
` herself. `
` `
` `Of the mushroom,' said the Caterpillar, just as if she had `
` asked it aloud; and in another moment it was out of sight. `
` `
` Alice remained looking thoughtfully at the mushroom for a `
` minute, trying to make out which were the two sides of it; and as `
` it was perfectly round, she found this a very difficult question. `
` However, at last she stretched her arms round it as far as they `
` would go, and broke off a bit of the edge with each hand. `
` `
` `And now which is which?' she said to herself, and nibbled a `
` little of the right-hand bit to try the effect: the next moment `
` she felt a violent blow underneath her chin: it had struck her `
` foot! `
` `
` She was a good deal frightened by this very sudden change, but `
` she felt that there was no time to be lost, as she was shrinking `
`