- the Fawn said at last. Such a soft
sweet voice it had!
- I wish I knew! - thought poor Alice. She answered, rather sadly, -
Nothing, just now.
- Think again, - it said: - that won't do. Alice thought, but nothing
came of it. - Please, would you tell me
what YOU call yourself? - she said timidly. - I think that might help a
little.
- I'll tell you, of you'll move a little further on, - the Fawn said.
- I can't remember here.
So they walked on together though the wood, Alice with her arms
clasped lovingly round the soft neck of the Fawn, till they came out into
another open 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, - and, dear me! you're a human child! - A sudden look of
alarm came into its beautiful brown eyes, and in another moment it had
darted away a full speed.
Alice stood looking after it, almost ready to cry with vexation at
having lost her dear little fellow-traveller so suddenly. - However, I
know my name now. - she said, - that's SOME comfort. Alice - Alice I won't
forget it again. And now, which of these finger-posts ought I to follow, I
wonder?
It was not a very difficult question to answer, as there was only one
road through the wood, and the two finger-posts both pointed along it. -
I'll settle it, - Alice said to herself, - when the road divides and they
point different ways.
But this did not seem likely to happen. She went on and on, a long
way, but wherever the road divided there were sure to be two finger-posts
pointing the same way, one marked - TO TWEEDLEDUM'S HOUSE - and the other
- TO THE HOUSE OF TWEEDLEDEE.
- I do believe, - said Alice at last, - that they live in the same
house! I wonder I never thought of that before - But I can't stay there
long. I'll just call and say "how d'you do?" and ask them the way out of
the wood. If I could only get the Eighth Square before it gets dark! - So
she wandered on, talking to herself as she went, till, on turning a sharp
corner, she came upon two fat little men, so suddenly that she could not
help starting back, but in another moment she recovered herself, feeling
sure that they must be




CHAPTER IV

TWEEDLEDUM AND TWEEDLEDEE


They were standing under a tree, each with an arm round the other's
neck, and Alice knew which was which in a moment, because one of them had
- DUM - embroidered on his collar, and the other - DEE. - I suppose
they've each got "TWEEDLE" round at the back of the collar, - she said to
herself.
They stood so still that she quite forgot they were alive, and she
was just looking round to see if the word "TWEEDLE" was written at the
back of each collar, when she was startled by a voice coming from the one
marked - DUM.
- If you think we're wax-works, - he said, - you ought to pay, you
know. Wax-works weren't made to be looked at for nothing, Nohow!
- Contrariwise, - added the one marked - DEE, - if you think we're
alive, you ought to speak.
- I'm sure I'm very sorry, - was all Alice could say; for the words
of the old song kept ringing through her head like the ticking of a clock,
and she could hardly help saying them out loud:

- Tweedledum and Tweedledee
Agreed to have a battle;
For Tweedledum said Tweedledee
Had spoiled his nice new rattle.

Just then flew down a monstrous crow,
As black as a tar-barrel;
Which frightened both the heroes so,
They quite forgot their quarrel.

- I know what you're thinking about, - said Tweedledum: - but it
isn't so, nohow.
- Contrariwise, - continued Tweedledee, - if it was so, it might be;
and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic.
- I was thinking, - Alice said very politely, - which is the best way
out of this wood: it's getting so dark. Would you tell me, please?
But the little men only looked at each other and grinned.
They looked so exactly like a couple of great schoolboys, that Alice
couldn't help pointing her finger at Tweedledum, and saying - First Boy!
- Nohow! - Tweedledum cried out briskly, and shut his mouth up again
with a snap.
- Next Boy! - said Alice, passing on to Tweedledee, though she felt
quite certain he would only shout out "Contrariwise! - and so he did.
- You've been wrong! - cried Tweedledum. - The first thing in a visit
is to say "How d'ye do?" and shake hands! - And here the two brothers gave
each other a hug, and then they held out the two hands that were free, to
shake hands with her.
Alice did not like shaking hands with either of them first, for fear
of hurting the other one's feelings; so, as the best way out of the
difficulty, she took hold of both hands at once: the next moment they were
dancing found in a ring. This seemed quite natural (she remembered
afterwards), and she was not even surprised to hear music playing: it
seemed to come from the tree under which they were dancing, and it was
done (as well as she could make it out) by the branches rubbing one across
the other, like fiddles and fiddle-sticks.
- But it certainly WAS funny, - (Alice said afterwards, when she was
telling her sister the history of all this,) - to find myself singing
"HERE WE GO ROUND THE MULBERRY BUSH." I don't know when I began it, but
somehow I felt as if I'd been singing it a long long time!
The other two dancers were fat, and very soon out of breath. - Four
times round is enough for one dance, - Tweedledum panted out, and they
left off dancing as suddenly as they had begun: the music stopped at the
same moment.
Then they let go of Alice's hands, and stood looking at her for a
minute: there was a rather awkward pause, as Alice didn't know how to
begin a conversation with people she had just been dancing with. - It
would never do to say "How d'ye do?" NOW, - she said to herself: - we seem
to have got beyond that, somehow!
- I hope you're not much tired? - she said at last.
- Nohow. And thank you VERY much for asking, - said Tweedledum.
- So much obliged! - added Tweedledee. - You like poetry?
- Ye-es. pretty well - SOME poetry, - Alice said doubtfully. - Would
you tell me which road leads out of the wood?
- What shall I repeat to her? - said Tweedledee, looking round at
Tweedledum with great solemn eyes, and not noticing Alice's question.
- "THE WALRUS AND THE CARPENTER" is the longest, - Tweedledum
replied, giving his brother an affectionate hug.
Tweedledee began instantly:

- The sun was shining

Here Alice ventured to interrupt him. - If it's VERY long, - she
said, as politely as she could, - would you please tell me first which
road
Tweedledee smiled gently, and began again:

- The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.

The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done
"It's very rude of him," she said,
"To come and spoil the fun!"

The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud, because
No cloud was in the sky:
No birds were flying over head
There were no birds to fly.

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:
"If this were only cleared away,"
They said, "it WOULD be grand!"

"If seven maids with seven mops
Swept it for half a year,
Do you suppose," the Walrus said,
"That they could get it clear?"
"I doubt it," said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.

"O Oysters, come and walk with us!"
The Walrus did beseech.
"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach:
We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hand to each."

The eldest Oyster looked at him.
But never a word he said:
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the oyster-bed.

But four young oysters hurried up,
All eager for the treat:
Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their shoes were clean and neat
And this was odd, because, you know,
They hadn't any feet.

Four other Oysters followed them,
And yet another four;
And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Walked on a mile or so,
And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently low:
And all the little Oysters stood
And waited in a row.

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes - and ships - and sealing-wax
Of cabbages - and kings
And why the sea is boiling hot
And whether pigs have wings."

"But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,
"Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!"
"No hurry!" said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.

"A loaf of bread," the Walrus said,
"Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed
Now if you're ready Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed."

"But not on us!" the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue,
"After such kindness, that would be
A dismal thing to do!"
"The night is fine," the Walrus said
"Do you admire the view?

"It was so kind of you to come!
And you are very nice!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"Cut us another slice:
I wish you were not quite so deaf
I've had to ask you twice!"

"It seems a shame," the Walrus said,
"To play them such a trick,
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"The butter's spread too thick!"

"I weep for you," the Walrus said.
"I deeply sympathize."
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size.
Holding his pocket handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.

"O Oysters," said the Carpenter.
"You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?"
But answer came there none
And that was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one.

- I like the Walrus best, - said Alice: - because you see he was a
LITTLE sorry for the poor oysters.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15