Lewis Carroll: Through the Looking Glass

CHAPTER 1: Looking-Glass house (continued)

The poor King look puzzled and unhappy, and struggled with the pencil for some time without saying anything; but Alice was too strong for him, and at last he panted out, `My dear! I really MUST get a thinner pencil. I can't manage this one a bit; it writes all manner of things that I don't intend--'

`What manner of things?' said the Queen, looking over the book (in which Alice had put `THE WHITE KNIGHT IS SLIDING DOWN THE POKER. HE BALANCES VERY BADLY') `That's not a memorandum of YOUR feelings!'

There was a book lying near Alice on the table, and while she sat watching the White King (for she was still a little anxious about him, and had the ink all ready to throw over him, in case he fainted again), she turned over the leaves, to find some part that she could read, `--for it's all in some language I don't know,' she said to herself.

It was like this.

                           YKCOWREBBAJ
 
            sevot yhtils eht dna ,gillirb sawT`
               ebaw eht ni elbmig dna eryg diD
                   ,sevogorob eht erew ysmim llA
                  .ebargtuo shtar emom eht dnA

She puzzled over this for some time, but at last a bright thought struck her. `Why, it's a Looking-glass book, of course! And if I hold it up to a glass, the words will all go the right way again.'

This was the poem that Alice read.

                           JABBERWOCKY
 
            'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
               Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
             All mimsy were the borogoves,
               And the mome raths outgrabe.

            `Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
               The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
             Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
               The frumious Bandersnatch!'

            He took his vorpal sword in hand:
               Long time the manxome foe he sought--
             So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
               And stood awhile in thought.