Lewis Carroll: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

CHAPTER 5: Advice from a Caterpillar (continued)

     `You are old,' said the youth, `as I mentioned before,
       And have grown most uncommonly fat;
     Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door--
       Pray, what is the reason of that?'

     `In my youth,' said the sage, as he shook his grey locks,
       `I kept all my limbs very supple
     By the use of this ointment--one shilling the box--
       Allow me to sell you a couple?'

     `You are old,' said the youth, `and your jaws are too weak
       For anything tougher than suet;
     Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak--
       Pray how did you manage to do it?'

     `In my youth,' said his father, `I took to the law,
       And argued each case with my wife;
     And the muscular strength, which it gave to my jaw,
       Has lasted the rest of my life.'

     `You are old,' said the youth, `one would hardly suppose
       That your eye was as steady as ever;
     Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose--
       What made you so awfully clever?'

     `I have answered three questions, and that is enough,'
       Said his father; `don't give yourself airs!
     Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff?
       Be off, or I'll kick you down stairs!'

`That is not said right,' said the Caterpillar.

`Not QUITE right, I'm afraid,' said Alice, timidly; `some of the words have got altered.'

`It is wrong from beginning to end,' said the Caterpillar decidedly, and there was silence for some minutes.

The Caterpillar was the first to speak.

`What size do you want to be?' it asked.

`Oh, I'm not particular as to size,' Alice hastily replied; `only one doesn't like changing so often, you know.'