Alice's Adventure in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
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up the little golden key and hurried off to_the garden door .

poor Alice ! it_was as_much as she_could do, lying down on one side, to look through into_the garden with one eye; but to_get through was more hopeless than ever: she sat down and began to cry again .

' you ought_to_be ashamed of yourself,' said Alice, 'a great girl like you,' ( she might well say this), ' to_go on crying in_this_way ! stop this moment, I tell you ! ' but she went on all the same, shedding gallons of tears, until there_was a large pool all round her, about four inches deep and reaching half down the hall .

after a time she heard a little pattering of feet in_the distance, and she hastily dried her eyes to_see what_was coming . it was_the white rabbit returning, splendidly dressed, with a pair of white kid gloves in one hand and a large fan in_the other: he_came trotting along in a great hurry, muttering to himself as he_came, 'Oh ! the duchess, the duchess ! Oh ! won't she be savage if I've kept her waiting ! ' Alice felt so desperate that she was ready to ask help of any_one; so, when_the rabbit came near her, she began, in a low, timid voice, ' if_you please, sir--' the rabbit started violently, dropped the white kid gloves and_the fan, and skurried away into_the darkness as hard as he_could go .

Alice took up the fan and gloves, and, as_the hall was very hot, she kept fanning herself all the time she went on talking: ' dear, dear ! how queer everything is to- day ! and yesterday things went on just as usual .I wonder if I've been changed in_the night ? let me think: was I the same when I got up this_morning ? I almost think I_can remember feeling a little different . but if I'm not the same, the next question is, who in_the_world am I ? Ah, that's the great puzzle ! ' and she began thinking over all the children she knew that were of_the same age as herself, to_see if she could_have_been changed for any of_them .

'I'm sure I'm not Ada,' she said, ' for her hair goes in_such long ringlets, and mine doesn't go in ringlets at all; and I'm sure I_can't be Mabel, for I_know all sorts of things, and she, oh ! she knows such a very little ! besides, she's she, and I'm I, and--oh dear, how puzzling it all is ! I'll try if I_know all the things I used to_know . let me see: four times five is twelve, and four times six is thirteen, and four times seven is--oh dear ! I_shall never get to twenty at_that rate ! however, the multiplication table doesn't signify: let's try geography . London is_the capital of Paris, and Paris is_the capital of Rome, and Rome-- no, that's all wrong, I'm certain ! I_must_have been changed for Mabel ! I'll try and say " how doth the little--"' and she crossed her hands on her lap as_if she were saying lessons, and began to repeat it, but her voice sounded hoarse and strange, and_the words did_not come the same as_they used to_do:--

' how doth the little crocodile improve his shining tail, and pour the waters of_the Nile on every golden scale !

' how cheerfully he seems to grin, how neatly spread his claws, and welcome little fishes in with gently smiling jaws ! '

'I'm sure those are_not the right words,' said poor Alice, and her eyes filled with tears again as she went on, ' I_must_be Mabel after all, and I_shall_have to_go and live in_that poky little house, and_have next to no toys to play with, and oh ! ever so_many lessons to learn ! no, I've made up my mind about_it; if I'm Mabel, I'll stay down here ! it'll be no use their putting their heads down and saying " come up again, dear ! " I_shall only look up and say " who am I then ? tell me that first, and then, if I like being that person, I'll come up: if_not, I'll stay down here till I'm somebody else"-- but, oh dear ! ' cried Alice, with a sudden burst of tears, ' I_do wish they_would put their heads down ! I_am so very tired of being all alone here ! '

as she said this she looked down at her hands, and was surprised to_see that she had put on one_of_the rabbit's little white kid gloves while she was talking .' how can I_have_done that ? ' she thought .' I_must_be growing small again .' she got up and went to_the table to measure herself by_it, and found that, as nearly as she_could guess, she was now about two feet high, and was going on shrinking rapidly: she soon found out that_the cause of this_was the fan she was holding, and she dropped it hastily, just in_time to avoid shrinking away altogether .

' that was a narrow escape ! ' said Alice, a good_deal frightened at_the sudden change, but very_glad to_find herself still in existence; ' and now for_the garden ! ' and she ran with all speed back to_the little door: but, alas ! the little door was shut again, and_the little golden key was lying on_the glass table as before, ' and things are worse than ever,' thought the poor child, ' for I never was so small as_this before, never ! and I declare it's too bad, that_it_is ! '

as she said these words her foot slipped, and in another moment, splash ! she was up_to her chin in salt water . her first idea was_that she had somehow fallen into_the sea, ' and in_that case I_can go back by railway,' she said to herself .(Alice had_been to_the seaside once in her life, and had come to_the general conclusion, that wherever you go to on_the English coast you find a number of bathing machines in_the sea, some children digging in_the sand with wooden spades, then a row of lodging houses, and behind them a railway station .) however, she soon made out that she was in_the pool of tears which she had wept when she was nine feet high .

' i_wish I hadn't cried so_much ! ' said Alice, as she swam about, trying to_find her way out .' I_shall_be punished for_it now, I suppose, by being drowned in my own tears ! that_will_be a queer thing, to_be_sure ! however, everything is queer to- day .'

just then she heard something splashing about in_the pool a little way off, and she swam nearer to_make out what it_was: at first she thought it must_be a walrus or hippopotamus, but then she remembered how small she was now, and she soon made out that_it_was only a mouse that had slipped in like herself .

' would it be of any use, now,' thought Alice, ' to_speak to_this mouse ? everything is so out- of- the- way down here, that i_should think very likely it can talk: at any rate, there's no harm in trying .' so she began: 'O mouse, do_you_know the way out of_this pool ? I_am very tired of swimming about here, O mouse ! ' (Alice thought this must_be the right way of speaking to a mouse: she had never done such a thing before, but she remembered having seen in her brother's Latin grammar, 'A mouse-- of a mouse-- to a mouse--a mouse--O mouse ! ' the mouse looked at her rather inquisitively, and seemed to her to wink with one of_its little eyes, but it said nothing .

' perhaps it doesn't understand English,' thought Alice; 'I daresay it's a French mouse, come over with William the conqueror .' ( for, with all her knowledge of history, Alice had no very clear notion how long_ago anything had happened .) so she began again: 'Ou EST MA chatte ? ' which_was the first sentence in her French lesson- book . the mouse gave a sudden leap out_of_the water, and seemed to quiver all over with fright .'Oh, I beg your pardon ! ' cried Alice hastily, afraid that she had hurt the poor animal's feelings .'I quite forgot you didn't like cats .'

' not like cats ! ' cried the mouse, in a shrill, passionate voice .' would you like cats if_you were me ? '

' well, perhaps not,' said Alice in asoothing tone: 'don't be angry about_it . and yet i_wish I_could show you our cat Dinah: i_think you'd take a fancy to cats if_you_could only see her . she_is such a dear quiet thing,' Alice went on, half to herself, as she swam lazily about in_the pool, ' and she sits purring so nicely by_the fire, licking her paws and washing her face-- and she_is such a nice soft thing to nurse-- and she's such a capital one for catching mice--oh, I beg your pardon ! ' cried Alice again, for this_time the mouse was bristling all over, and she felt certain it must_be really offended .' we won't talk about her any more if_you'd rather not .'

' we indeed ! ' cried the mouse, who was trembling down to_the end of_his tail .' as_if i_would talk on_such a subject ! our family always hated cats: nasty, low, vulgar things ! Don't let me hear the name again ! '

'I won't indeed ! ' said Alice, in a great hurry to_change the subject of conversation .' are_you-- are_you fond-- of-- of dogs ? ' the mouse did_not answer, so Alice went on eagerly: ' there_is such a nice little dog near our house i_should like to show you ! a little bright- eyed terrier, you_know, with oh, such long curly brown hair ! and it'll fetch things when_you throw them, and it'll sit up and beg for its dinner, and all sorts of thins-- I_can't remember half of_them-- and it belongs to a farmer, you_know, and he_says it's so useful, it's worth a hundred pounds ! he_says it kills all the rats and--oh dear ! ' cried Alice in a sorrowful tone, 'I'm afraid I've offended it again ! ' for_the mouse was swimming away from her as hard as it could go, and making quite a commotion in_the pool as it went .

so she called softly after it, ' mouse dear ! do come back again, and we won't talk about cats or dogs either, if_you don't like them ! ' when_the mouse heard this, it turned round and swam slowly back to her: its face was quite pale ( with passion, Alice thought), and it said in a low trembling voice, ' let_us get to_the shore, and then I'll tell you my history, and you'll understand why it_is I hate cats and dogs .'

it_was high time to_go, for_the pool was getting quite crowded with_the birds and animals that had fallen into_it: there were a duck and a dodo, aLory and an eaglet, and several_other curious creatures .Alice led the way, and_the whole party swam to_the shore .

chapter III: a caucus- race and a long tale

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 .

the first question of_course was, how to_get dry again: they had aconsultation 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 .

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 ! I'll 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 .

'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- -"'

'Ugh ! ' said the Lory, with a shiver .

'I beg your pardon ! ' said the mouse, frowning, but very politely: ' did you speak ? '

' not I ! ' said the Lory hastily .

' 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--"'

' found what ? ' said the duck .

' found it,' the mouse replied rather crossly: ' of_course you_know what " it" means .'

' I_know what " it" means well enough, when I_find a thing,' said the duck: ' it's generally a frog or a worm . the question is, what did the archbishop find ? '

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 .William's 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 .

' as wet as ever,' said Alice in a melancholy tone: ' it doesn't 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--'

' speak English ! ' said the eaglet .'I don't know the meaning of half those long words, and, what's more, I don't believe you_do either ! ' and_the eaglet bent down its head to hide a smile: some_of_the other birds tittered audibly .

' 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_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 .

' why,' said the dodo, ' the best way to explain it_is to_do_it .' (

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