Lewis Carroll: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

CHAPTER 3: A Caucus-Race and a Long Tale (continued)

Alice thought the whole thing very absurd, but they all looked so grave that she did not dare to laugh; and, as she could not think of anything to say, she simply bowed, and took the thimble, looking as solemn as she could.

The next thing was to eat the comfits: this caused some noise and confusion, as the large birds complained that they could not taste theirs, and the small ones choked and had to be patted on the back. However, it was over at last, and they sat down again in a ring, and begged the Mouse to tell them something more.

`You promised to tell me your history, you know,' said Alice, `and why it is you hate--C and D,' she added in a whisper, half afraid that it would be offended again.

`Mine is a long and a sad tale!' said the Mouse, turning to Alice, and sighing.

`It IS a long tail, certainly,' said Alice, looking down with wonder at the Mouse's tail; `but why do you call it sad?' And she kept on puzzling about it while the Mouse was speaking, so that her idea of the tale was something like this:--

                     `Fury said to a
                    mouse, That he
                  met in the
                house,
             "Let us
               both go to
                 law:  I will
                   prosecute
                     YOU.  --Come,
                        I'll take no
                         denial; We
                      must have a
                  trial:  For
               really this
            morning I've
           nothing
          to do."
            Said the
              mouse to the
                cur, "Such
                  a trial,
                    dear Sir,
                          With
                      no jury
                   or judge,
                 would be
               wasting
              our
               breath."
                "I'll be
                  judge, I'll
                    be jury,"
                          Said
                     cunning
                       old Fury:
                      "I'll
                       try the
                          whole
                           cause,
                              and
                         condemn
                        you
                       to
                        death."'

`You are not attending!' said the Mouse to Alice severely. `What are you thinking of?'

`I beg your pardon,' said Alice very humbly: `you had got to the fifth bend, I think?'

`I had NOT!' cried the Mouse, sharply and very angrily.