Through the Looking-Glass

thing very like learning geography,' thought Alice, as she stood on tiptoe in hopes of being able to see a little fur

w bees a mile off, you know-' and for some time she stood silent, watching one of them that was bustling

s put to them-and what quantities of honey they must make! I think I'll go down and-no, I won't just yet,' she went on, checking herself just as she was beginning to run down the hill, and trying to find some excuse for turning shy so suddenly. 'It'll never do to go down

pause: 'and perhaps I may visit the elephants later o

n the hill and jumped over the

* *

*

* *

w. In a moment everybody was holding out a ticket: they were about

d a great many voices all said together ('like the chorus of a song,' thought Alice)

ket-office where I came from.' And again the chorus of voices went on. 'There wasn't

ngine-driver.' And once more the chorus of voices went on with 'The man that

spoken, but to her great surprise, they all thought in chorus (I hope you understand what thinking in chorus m

usand pounds tonight, I kn

en through a microscope, and then through an opera-glass. At last he said

o her (he was dressed in white paper), 'ought to know whi

his eyes and said in a loud voice, 'She ought to know her wa

of passengers altogether), and, as the rule seemed to be that they should all

eetle, but a hoarse voice spoke next. 'Change e

tremely small voice, close to her ear, said, 'You might make

distance said, 'She must be labe

ught Alice), saying, 'She must go by post, as she's got a head on her-' 'She must be sent as

nd whispered in her ear, 'Never mind what they all say, my

don't belong to this railway journey at all-I was i

little voice close to her ear: 'something

see where the voice came from; 'if you're so anxious

e other people!' she thought. But this was such a wonderfully small sigh, that she wouldn't have heard it at all, if it hadn't come quite close to he

went on; 'a dear friend, and an old friend.

she really wanted to know was, whether it could sting or not,

it was drowned by a shrill scream from the engine, an

h Alice felt a little nervous at the idea of trains jumping at all. 'However, it'll take us into the Fourth Square, that's some comfort!' she said to herself. In ano

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quietly under a tree-while the Gnat (for that was the insect she had been talking t

chicken,' Alice thought. Still, she couldn't feel nervo

cts?' the Gnat went on, as qui

k,' Alice said. 'None of them

u rejoice in, where you com

'because I'm rather afraid of them-at least the larg

to their names?' the Gn

knew them

ing names,' the Gnat said, '

eful to the people who name them, I suppos

e wood down there, they've got no names-however, go

y,' Alice began, counting o

ee a Rocking-horse-fly, if you look. It's made entirely of w

on?' Alice asked, w

said the Gnat. 'G

st, and made up her mind that it must have been just repai

e's the D

u'll find a snap-dragon-fly. Its body is made of plum-pudding, its

does it

Gnat replied; 'and it makes

sect with its head on fire, and had thought to herself, 'I wonder if that's the reason ins

larm), 'you may observe a Bread-and-Butterfly. Its wings are thin slices o

does it

with cre

ice's head. 'Supposing it cou

ould die,

very often,' Alice r

happens,' s

mused itself meanwhile by humming round and round her head: at last it

lice said, a li

ome without it! For instance, if the governess wanted to call you to your lessons, she would call out "come here-," and there s

uld never think of excusing me lessons for that. If she couldn

more,' the Gnat remarked, 'of course you'd miss y

made it?' Alice asked

ply, while two large tears c

es,' Alice said, 'if it

have sighed itself away, for, when Alice looked up, there was nothing whatever to be seen on th

wood, and Alice felt a little timid about going into it. However, on second thoughts, she made up her mind to

ve me another, and it would be almost certain to be an ugly one. But then the fun would be trying to find the creature that had got my old name! That's just like the advertisements, you know, when

the trees, 'after being so hot, to get into the-into what?' she went on, rather surprised at not being able to think of the word. 'I mean to get under the-under t

ter all! And now, who am I? I will remember, if I can! I'm determined to do it!' But being determined di

't seem at all frightened. 'Here then! Here then!' Alice said, as she held out her hand and

' the Fawn said at last. Su

r Alice. She answered, rathe

' it said: 't

would you tell me what you call yourself?' she s

a little further on,' the Faw

field, and here the Fawn gave a sudden bound into the air, and shook itself free from Alice's arms. 'I'm a Fawn!' it cried out in a voice of delight, '

llow-traveller so suddenly. 'However, I know my name now.' she said, 'that's some comfort. Alice-

ough the wood, and the two finger-posts both pointed along it. 'I'll settle it

ever the road divided there were sure to be two finger-posts pointing the same w

o?" and ask them the way out of the wood. If I could only get to the Eighth Square before it gets dark!' So she wandered on, talking to herself as she went, till, on turning a