asleep, I suppose it doesnât mind.â
The table was a large one, but the three were all crowded together at one corner of it. âNo room! No room!â they cried out when they saw Alice coming. âThereâs plenty of room!â said Alice indignantly, and she sat down in a large arm-chair at one end of the table.
âHave some wine,â the March Hare said in an encouraging tone.
Alice looked all round the table, but there was nothing on it but tea. âI donât see any wine,â she remarked.
âThere isnât any,â said the March Hare.
âThen it wasnât very civil of you to offer it,â said Alice angrily.
âIt wasnât very civil of you to sit down without being invited,â said the March Hare.
âI didnât know it was your table,â said Alice; âitâs laid for a great many more than three.â
âYour hair wants cutting,â said the Hatter. He had been looking at Alice for some time with great curiosity, and this was his first speech.
âYou should learn not to make personal remarks,â Alice said with some severity; âitâs very rude.â
The Hatter opened his eyes very wide on hearing this; but all he said was, âWhy is a raven like a writing-desk?â
âCome, we shall have some fun now!â thought Alice.
âIâm glad theyâve begun asking riddles. â I believe I can guess that,â she added aloud.
âDo you mean that you think you can find out the answer to it?â said the March Hare.
âExactly so,â said Alice.
âThen you should say what you mean,â the March Hare went on.
âI do,â Alice hastily replied; âat least â at least I mean what I say â thatâs the same thing, you know.â
âNot the same thing a bit!â said the Hatter. âYou might just as well say that âI see what I eatâ is the same thing as âI eat what I seeâ!â
âYou might just as well say,â added the March Hare, âthat âI like what I getâ is the same thing as âI get what I likeâ!â
âYou might just as well say,â added the Dormouse, who seemed to be talking in his sleep, âthat âI breathe when I sleepâ is the same thing as âI sleep when I breatheâ!â
âIt is the same thing with you,â 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-desks, which wasnât much.
The Hatter was the first to break the silence.
âWhat day of the month is it?â he said, turning to Alice: he had taken his watch out of his pocket, and was looking at it uneasily, shaking it every now and then, and holding it to his ear.
Alice considered a little, and then said âThe fourth.â
âTwo days wrong!â sighed the Hatter. âI told you butter wouldnât suit the works!â he added, looking angrily at the March Hare.
âIt was the best butter,â the March Hare meekly replied.
âYes, but some crumbs must have got in as well,â the Hatter grumbled: âyou shouldnât have put it in with the bread-knife.â
The March Hare took the watch and looked at it gloomily: then he dipped it into his cup of tea, and looked at it again: but he could think of nothing better to say than his first remark, âIt was the best butter, you know.â
Alice had been looking over his shoulder with some curiosity. âWhat a funny watch!â she remarked. âIt tells the day of the month, and doesnât tell what oâclock it is!â
âWhy should it?â muttered the Hatter. âDoes your watch tell you what year it is?â
âOf course not,â Alice replied very readily: âbut thatâs because it stays the same year for such a long time together.â
âWhich is just
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