Reading Notes: Wonderland A Mad Tea-Party, Part B
Bibliography: This story is part of the Alice in Wonderland unit. Story source: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865).
There was a table outside in front of a house under a tree. March Hare and the Hatter were having tea at this table. A Dormouse sitting in between them, fast asleep, and the other two were using it as a cushion, resting their elbows on it and talking over its head.
The Dormouse must be very comfortable though, Alice, to herself
As long as it is asleep I guess it won't mind.
Although there were only three people, the table was large and they were all crowed to one corner of it.
"No room! No room!" they yelled out when they saw Alice approaching.
Alice persisted, " There's plenty of room!" Alice then sat down in a large armchair at one end of the table.
" Have some wine" the March Hare said encouragingly
Alice looked around, but there was nothing on it but tea. "I don't see any wine" Alice remarked.
" There is not any," said the March Hare
" It wasn't very nice for you to offer some" Alice said annoyed.
" Well it wasn't very nice of you to sit down without being invited", said March Hare as he sipped his tea.
" I did not know it was YOUR table beside, it has plenty of room for more than three people.
" You need to get a hair cut", replied the Hatter after spending a great deal of time staring at her without saying a word.
"You should learn to keep your remarks to yourself, it is very rude," Alice said in a very irked tone.
The Hatter hearing this his eyes opened very wide and he said, " why is a raven like a writing-desk?"
"Oh, we shall have some fun now!" thought Alice. She was relieved they had started asking riddles because she believed that she could guess them.
" Do you think you can figure out?" said March Hare.
" Precisely," Alice said.
"Then you should say what you mean" the March Hare went on.
" I do " Alice replied. " At least I mean what I say, you know its the same thing.
" IT IS NOT THE SAME THING, not even a little. You might as well say I see what I eat is the same thing as I eat what I see " exclaimed the Hatter."
" or you might as well say I like what I get is the same thing as I get what I like," Said the Hare.
" You might as well say that I breathe when I sleep is the same thing as I sleep when I breathe" added the dormouse in a sleepy way.
It is the same thing with you" said the hatter, and here the conversation dropped, and the party sat silent for a minute while Alice thought over all she could remember about ravens and writing-desk, which wasn't much.
The hatter was the first to break the silence. " what day of the month is it?' he asked Alice as he turned to look at her. He took his watch out of his pocket and was looking at it in a worried manner. He started shaking it every now and then and holding it to his ear.
Alice pondered for a little while and said, " the fourth."
" Two days wrong" sighed the Hatter.
" I told you butter wouldn't suit the works!" he added to the Hare.
The Hare said meekly " It was the best butter."
" Yes but some of the crumbs have got in it too. You shouldn't have put in with the bread-knife" said the Hatter.
The march Hare took the watch and look at it sadly, then he dipped it into his cup of tea and looked at it again He could not think of anything better to say than his first remark " It was the BEST butter, you know."
Alice had been looking over her shoulder curiously. " what a funny watch! she said. " It tells the day of the month and doesn't tell what time it is!"
" Why should it?" muttered the Hatter." Does your watch tell you what year it is?"
" Of course not," Alice replied, "but that is because it stays the same for the whole year.
" The SAME as mine," said the Hatter.
Alice felt so confused. What the Hatter was saying seemed to have no meaning and yet it was surely English.
" I dont really understand you," she said as nicely as she could.
 | ||
| Tea Party |
There was a table outside in front of a house under a tree. March Hare and the Hatter were having tea at this table. A Dormouse sitting in between them, fast asleep, and the other two were using it as a cushion, resting their elbows on it and talking over its head.
The Dormouse must be very comfortable though, Alice, to herself
As long as it is asleep I guess it won't mind.
Although there were only three people, the table was large and they were all crowed to one corner of it.
"No room! No room!" they yelled out when they saw Alice approaching.
Alice persisted, " There's plenty of room!" Alice then sat down in a large armchair at one end of the table.
" Have some wine" the March Hare said encouragingly
Alice looked around, but there was nothing on it but tea. "I don't see any wine" Alice remarked.
" There is not any," said the March Hare
" It wasn't very nice for you to offer some" Alice said annoyed.
" Well it wasn't very nice of you to sit down without being invited", said March Hare as he sipped his tea.
" I did not know it was YOUR table beside, it has plenty of room for more than three people.
" You need to get a hair cut", replied the Hatter after spending a great deal of time staring at her without saying a word.
"You should learn to keep your remarks to yourself, it is very rude," Alice said in a very irked tone.
The Hatter hearing this his eyes opened very wide and he said, " why is a raven like a writing-desk?"
"Oh, we shall have some fun now!" thought Alice. She was relieved they had started asking riddles because she believed that she could guess them.
" Do you think you can figure out?" said March Hare.
" Precisely," Alice said.
"Then you should say what you mean" the March Hare went on.
" I do " Alice replied. " At least I mean what I say, you know its the same thing.
" IT IS NOT THE SAME THING, not even a little. You might as well say I see what I eat is the same thing as I eat what I see " exclaimed the Hatter."
" or you might as well say I like what I get is the same thing as I get what I like," Said the Hare.
" You might as well say that I breathe when I sleep is the same thing as I sleep when I breathe" added the dormouse in a sleepy way.
It is the same thing with you" said the hatter, and here the conversation dropped, and the party sat silent for a minute while Alice thought over all she could remember about ravens and writing-desk, which wasn't much.
The hatter was the first to break the silence. " what day of the month is it?' he asked Alice as he turned to look at her. He took his watch out of his pocket and was looking at it in a worried manner. He started shaking it every now and then and holding it to his ear.
Alice pondered for a little while and said, " the fourth."
" Two days wrong" sighed the Hatter.
" I told you butter wouldn't suit the works!" he added to the Hare.
The Hare said meekly " It was the best butter."
" Yes but some of the crumbs have got in it too. You shouldn't have put in with the bread-knife" said the Hatter.
The march Hare took the watch and look at it sadly, then he dipped it into his cup of tea and looked at it again He could not think of anything better to say than his first remark " It was the BEST butter, you know."
Alice had been looking over her shoulder curiously. " what a funny watch! she said. " It tells the day of the month and doesn't tell what time it is!"
" Why should it?" muttered the Hatter." Does your watch tell you what year it is?"
" Of course not," Alice replied, "but that is because it stays the same for the whole year.
" The SAME as mine," said the Hatter.
Alice felt so confused. What the Hatter was saying seemed to have no meaning and yet it was surely English.
" I dont really understand you," she said as nicely as she could.
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