Complete Works of Lewis Carroll by Lewis Carroll Read Free Book Online

at poor Alice, who felt ready to sink into the earth: at last the Gryphon said to the Mock Turtle, "get on, old fellow! Don't be all day!" and the Mock Turtle went on in these words:
    "You may not have lived much under the sea—" ("I haven't," said Alice,) "and perhaps you were never even introduced to a lobster—" (Alice began to say "I once tasted—" but hastily checked herself, and said "no, never," instead,) "so you can have no idea what a delightful thing a Lobster Quadrille is!"
    "No, indeed," said Alice, "what sort of a thing is it?"
    "Why," said the Gryphon, "you form into a line along the sea shore—"
    "Two lines!" cried the Mock Turtle, "seals, turtles, salmon, and so on—advance twice—"
    "Each with a lobster as partner!" cried the Gryphon.



 
    "Of course," the Mock Turtle said, "advance twice, set to partners—"
    "Change lobsters, and retire in same order—" interrupted the Gryphon.
    "Then, you know," continued the Mock Turtle, "you throw the—"
    "The lobsters!" shouted the Gryphon, with a bound into the air.
    "As far out to sea as you can—"
    "Swim after them!" screamed the Gryphon.
    "Turn a somersault in the sea!" cried the Mock Turtle, capering wildly about.
    "Change lobsters again!" yelled the Gryphon at the top of its voice, "and then—"

    "That's all," said the Mock Turtle, suddenly dropping its voice, and the two creatures, who had been jumping about like mad things all this time, sat down again very sadly and quietly, and looked at Alice.
    "It must be a very pretty dance," said Alice timidly.
    "Would you like to see a little of it?" said the Mock Turtle.
    "Very much indeed," said Alice.
    "Come, let's try the first figure!" said the Mock Turtle to the Gryphon, "we can do it without lobsters, you know. Which shall sing?"
    "Oh! you sing!" said the Gryphon, "I've forgotten the words."
    So they began solemnly dancing round and round Alice, every now and then treading on her toes when they came too close, and waving their fore-paws to mark the time, while the Mock Turtle sang, slowly and sadly, these words:
    "Beneath the waters of the sea Are lobsters thick as thick can be— They love to dance with you and me, My own, my gentle Salmon!"
    The Gryphon joined in singing the chorus, which was:
    "Salmon come up! Salmon go down! Salmon come twist your tail around! Of all the fishes of the sea There's none so good as Salmon!"
    "Thank you," said Alice, feeling very glad that the figure was over.
    "Shall we try the second figure?" said the Gryphon, "or would you prefer a song?"
    "Oh, a song, please!" Alice replied, so eagerly, that the Gryphon said, in a rather offended tone, "hm! no accounting for tastes! Sing her 'Mock Turtle Soup', will you, old fellow!"
    The Mock Turtle sighed deeply, and began, in a voice sometimes choked with sobs, to sing this:
    "Beautiful Soup, so rich and green, Waiting in a hot tureen! Who for such dainties would not stoop? Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup! Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup! Beau—ootiful Soo—oop! Beau—ootiful Soo—oop! Soo—oop of the e—e—evening, Beautiful beautiful Soup!
    "Chorus again!" cried the Gryphon, and the Mock Turtle had just begun to repeat it, when a cry of "the trial's beginning!" was heard in the distance.
    "Come on!" cried the Gryphon, and, taking Alice by the hand, he hurried off, without waiting for the end of the song.
    "What trial is it?" panted Alice as she ran, but the Gryphon only answered "come on!" and ran the faster, and more and more faintly came, borne on the breeze that followed them, the melancholy words:
    "Soo—oop of the e—e—evening, Beautiful beautiful Soup!"
    The King and Queen were seated on their throne when they arrived, with a great crowd assembled around them: the Knave was in custody: and before the King stood the white rabbit, with a trumpet in one hand, and a scroll of parchment in the other.
     



 
    "Herald! read the accusation!" said the King.
    On this the white rabbit blew three blasts on the