Lewis Carroll: Through the Looking Glass

CHAPTER 9: Queen Alice (continued)

However, she didn't see why the Red Queen should be the only one to give orders, so, as an experiment, she called out `Waiter! Bring back the pudding!' and there it was again in a moment like a conjuring-trick. It was so large that she couldn't help feeling a LITTLE shy with it, as she had been with the mutton; however, she conquered her shyness by a great effort and cut a slice and handed it to the Red Queen.

`What impertinence!' said the Pudding. `I wonder how you'd like it, if I were to cut a slice out of YOU, you creature!'

It spoke in a thick, suety sort of voice, and Alice hadn't a word to say in reply: she could only sit and look at it and gasp.

`Make a remark,' said the Red Queen: `it's ridiculous to leave all the conversation to the pudding!'

`Do you know, I've had such a quantity of poetry repeated to me to-day,' Alice began, a little frightened at finding that, the moment she opened her lips, there was dead silence, and all eyes were fixed upon her; `and it's a very curious thing, I think-- every poem was about fishes in some way. Do you know why they're so fond of fishes, all about here?'

She spoke to the Red Queen, whose answer was a little wide of the mark. `As to fishes,' she said, very slowly and solemnly, putting her mouth close to Alice's ear, `her White Majesty knows a lovely riddle--all in poetry--all about fishes. Shall she repeat it?'

`Her Red Majesty's very kind to mention it,' the White Queen murmured into Alice's other ear, in a voice like the cooing of a pigeon. `It would be SUCH a treat! May I?'

`Please do,' Alice said very politely.

The White Queen laughed with delight, and stroked Alice's cheek. Then she began: