Reading: Looking-Glass, Queen Alice, Part B
Looking-Glass: Queen Alice
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" Well this is amazing!" said Alice. I never expected I should be a Queen this soon- and Ill tell you what it is, your majesty." she went on in a serious tone. She often liked to scold herself. " It wil never do for you to be waiting time trolling about the grass like that! Queens have to be poise and dignified!"
She got up and walked about - stiffly at first, as she was afraid that the crown might fall off. She comforted herself thinking that nobody was there to see her and if she really is the Queen she will be able to manage it quite well in time.
Everything was happening so oddly that she didn't feel surprised that the Red Queen and the White Queen sitting close to her on each side of her. She wanted to ask how they got to be there =, but she feared it would not be polite to do so. She did not think it would be rude to ask if the game was over.
"Please would you mind telling me-" she began to say timidly.
"Speak when you are spoken to!" the queen interrupted her quickly
Alice was always ready for an argument, " but you see, that makes no sense. If everyone listened to that rule no one would ever speak. if someone waits to speak until the other persons speak and they are waiting for the other person as well, then no one would ever speak. "
" That's ridiculous! " Yelled the Queen. " You see, child- " she paused there for a moment and changed the conversation.
" What right do you have to call yourself a Queen? You can not be a queen until you pass the proper examination. The sooner we begin this the better."
"I only said if!" said, Alice
The two Queens looked at each other, and the Red queen said " She SAYS she only said, "if"-
"She meant more than that she did!" The white queen said.
I am sure I didn't mean- Alice began
That's the pint you don't mean anything! Even a joke should have some meaning - a child is more important than a joke, YOU cannot deny that. Not even if you tied with both hands.
" I don't deny with my hands," Alice replied.
'Nobody said you did,' said the Red Queen. 'I said you couldn't if you tried.'
'She's in that state of mind,' said the White Queen, 'that she wants to deny SOMETHING — only she doesn't know what to deny!'
'A nasty, vicious temper,' the Red Queen remarked, and then there was an uncomfortable silence for a minute or two.
The silence was broken by the Red Queen " I invite you to alices dinner party this afternoon."
The white queen smiled " And I invite YOU."
" I didn't know there was a party for me at all, but don't you think I should invite the guest. After all, it is my party. Alice said
" We gave you the opportunity, Have you not had any manner lessons, child," the Red Queen remarked.
'And you do Addition?' the White Queen asked. 'What's one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one?'
'I don't know,' said Alice. 'I lost count.'
She can't do Addition,' the Red Queen interrupted. 'Can you do Subtraction? Take nine from eight.'
'Nine from eight I can't, you know,' Alice replied very readily, 'but — '
'She can't do Subtraction,' said the White Queen. 'Can you do Division? Divide a loaf by a knife — what's the answer to that?'
'I suppose — ' Alice was beginning, but the Red Queen answered for her. 'Bread-and-butter, of course. Try another Subtraction sum. Take a bone from a dog: what remains?'
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| Alice, the Red Queen, and the White Queen |
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