Lewis Carroll: Through the Looking Glass

CHAPTER 5: Wool and Water (continued)

`Are there many crabs here?' said Alice.

`Crabs, and all sorts of things,' said the Sheep: `plenty of choice, only make up your mind. Now, what DO you want to buy?'

`To buy!' Alice echoed in a tone that was half astonished and half frightened--for the oars, and the boat, and the river, had vanished all in a moment, and she was back again in the little dark shop.

`I should like to buy an egg, please,' she said timidly. `How do you sell them?'

`Fivepence farthing for one--Twopence for two,' the Sheep replied.

`Then two are cheaper than one?' Alice said in a surprised tone, taking out her purse.

`Only you MUST eat them both, if you buy two,' said the Sheep.

`Then I'll have ONE, please,' said Alice, as she put the money down on the counter. For she thought to herself, `They mightn't be at all nice, you know.'

The Sheep took the money, and put it away in a box: then she said `I never put things into people's hands--that would never do--you must get it for yourself.' And so saying, she went off to the other end of the shop, and set the egg upright on a shelf.

`I wonder WHY it wouldn't do?' thought Alice, as she groped her way among the tables and chairs, for the shop was very dark towards the end. `The egg seems to get further away the more I walk towards it. Let me see, is this a chair? Why, it's got branches, I declare! How very odd to find trees growing here! And actually here's a little brook! Well, this is the very queerest shop I ever saw!'

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