Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

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A Mad Tea-Party

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There was a table set out under a tree in front of the + house, and the March Hare and the Hatter were having tea at it; a Dormouse was sitting + between them, fast asleep.

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The table was a large one, but the three were all crowded together at one corner of + it. "No room! No room!" they cried out when they saw Alice coming. "There's + plenty of room!" said Alice indignantly, and she sat down in a large arm-chair + at one end of the table.

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The Hatter opened his eyes very wide on hearing this, but all he said was "Why is a + raven like a writing-desk?"

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"I'm glad they've begun asking riddles—I believe I can guess that," she added + aloud.

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"Do you mean that you think you can find out the answer to it?" said the March + Hare.

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"Exactly so," said Alice.

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"Then you should say what you mean," the March Hare went on.

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"I do," Alice hastily replied; "at least—at least I mean what I + say—that's the same thing, you know."

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"You might just as well say," added the Dormouse, which seemed to be talking in its + sleep, "that 'I breathe when I sleep' is the same thing as 'I sleep when I + breathe!'"

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"It is the same thing with you," said the Hatter, and he poured a little hot + tea upon its nose. The Dormouse shook its head impatiently and said, without opening + its eyes,"Ofcourse, of course; just what I was going to remark myself."

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"Have you guessed the riddle yet?" the Hatter said, turning to Alice again.

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"No, I give it up," Alice replied. "What's theanswer?"

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"I haven't the slightest idea," said the Hatter.

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"Nor I,"said the March Hare.

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Alice gave a weary sigh. "I think you might do something better with the time," she + said, "than wasting it in asking riddles that have no answers."

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"Take some more tea," the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.

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"I've had nothing yet," Alice replied in an offended tone, "so I can't take + more."

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"You mean you can't take less," said the Hatter; "it's very easy to take + more than nothing."

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At this, Alice got up and walked off. The Dormouse fell asleep instantly and neither + of the others took the least notice of her going, thoughshe looked back once or twice; the last time she saw them, they + were trying to put the Dormouse into the tea-pot.

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"At any rate, I'll never go there again!" said Alice, as she picked her way + through the wood. "It's the stupidest tea-party I ever was at in all my life!" Just as + she said this, she noticed that one of the trees had a door leading right into it. + "That's very curious!" she thought. "I think I may as well go in at once." And in she + went.

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Once more she foundherself in the long hall and close to the little glass table. + Taking the little golden key, she unlocked the door that led into the garden. Then she + set to work nibbling at the mushroom (she had kept a piece of it in her pocket) till + she was about a foot high; then she walked down the little passage; and + then—she found herself at last in the beautiful garden, among the bright + flower-beds and the cool fountains.

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