Lewis Carroll: Through the Looking Glass

CHAPTER 4: TWEEDLEDUM AND TWEEDLEDEE (continued)

`I hope you're not much tired?' she said at last.

`Nohow. And thank you VERY much for asking,' said Tweedledum.

`So much obliged!' added Tweedledee. `You like poetry?'

`Ye-es. pretty well--SOME poetry,' Alice said doubtfully. `Would you tell me which road leads out of the wood?'

`What shall I repeat to her?' said Tweedledee, looking round at Tweedledum with great solemn eyes, and not noticing Alice's question.

`"THE WALRUS AND THE CARPENTER" is the longest,' Tweedledum replied, giving his brother an affectionate hug.

Tweedledee began instantly:

                `The sun was shining--'

Here Alice ventured to interrupt him. `If it's VERY long,' she said, as politely as she could, `would you please tell me first which road--'

Tweedledee smiled gently, and began again:

            `The sun was shining on the sea,
               Shining with all his might:
             He did his very best to make
               The billows smooth and bright--
             And this was odd, because it was
               The middle of the night.

            The moon was shining sulkily,
               Because she thought the sun
             Had got no business to be there
               After the day was done--
             "It's very rude of him," she said,
               "To come and spoil the fun!"

            The sea was wet as wet could be,
               The sands were dry as dry.
             You could not see a cloud, because
               No cloud was in the sky:
             No birds were flying over head--
               There were no birds to fly.

            The Walrus and the Carpenter
               Were walking close at hand;
             They wept like anything to see
               Such quantities of sand:
             "If this were only cleared away,"
               They said, "it WOULD be grand!"