1Your majesty shouldn’t purr so loud,” Alice said, rubbing her eyes, and addressing the kitten, respectfully, yet with some severity. You woke me out of oh! such a nice dream! And youve been along with me, Kittyall through the Looking-Glass world. Did you know it, dear?”

2It is a very inconvenient habit of kittens (Alice had once made the remark) that, whatever you say to them, they always purr. If they would only purr foryesand mew forno,’ or any rule of that sort,” she had said, “so that one could keep up a conversation! But how can you talk with a person if they always say the same thing?”

3On this occasion the kitten only purred: and it was impossible to guess whether it meantyesorno.”

4So Alice hunted among the chessmen on the table till she had found the Red Queen: then she went down on her knees on the hearth-rug, and put the kitten and the Queen to look at each other. Now, Kitty!” she cried, clapping her hands triumphantly. Confess that was what you turned into!”

5(“But it wouldn’t look at it,” she said, when she was explaining the thing afterwards to her sister: “it turned away its head, and pretended not to see it: but it looked a little ashamed of itself, so I think it must have been the Red Queen.”)

6Sit up a little more stiffly, dear!” Alice cried with a merry laugh. “And curtsey while youre thinking what towhat to purr. It saves time, remember!” And she caught it up and gave it one little kiss, “just in honour of having been a Red Queen.”

7Snowdrop, my pet!” she went on, looking over her shoulder at the White Kitten, which was still patiently undergoing its toilet, “when will Dinah have finished with your White Majesty, I wonder? That must be the reason you were so untidy in my dream—Dinah! do you know that youre scrubbing a White Queen? Really, its most disrespectful of you!

8And what did Dinah turn to, I wonder?” she prattled on, as she settled comfortably down, with one elbow in the rug, and her chin in her hand, to watch the kittens. Tell me, Dinah, did you turn to Humpty Dumpty? I think you didhowever, youd better not mention it to your friends just yet, for Im not sure.

9By the way, Kitty, if only youd been really with me in my dream, there was one thing you would have enjoyedI had such a quantity of poetry said to me, all about fishes! To-morrow morning you shall have a real treat. All the time youre eating your breakfast, Ill repeatThe Walrus and the Carpenterto you; and then you can make believe its oysters, dear!

10Now, Kitty, lets consider who it was that dreamed it all. This is a serious question, my dear, and you should not go on licking your paw like thatas if Dinah hadn’t washed you this morning! You see, Kitty, it must have been either me or the Red King. He was part of my dream, of coursebut then I was part of his dream, too! Was it the Red King, Kitty? You were his wife, my dear, so you ought to knowOh, Kitty, do help to settle it! Im sure your paw can wait!” But the provoking kitten only began on the other paw, and pretended it hadn’t heard the question.

11Which do you think it was?

12A boat beneath a sunny sky,

13Lingering onward dreamily

14In an evening of July

15Children three that nestle near,

16Eager eye and willing ear,

17Pleased a simple tale to hear

18Long has paled that sunny sky:

19Echoes fade and memories die.

20Autumn frosts have slain July.

21Still she haunts me, phantomwise,

22Alice moving under skies

23Never seen by waking eyes.

24Children yet, the tale to hear,

25Eager eye and willing ear,

26Lovingly shall nestle near.

27In a Wonderland they lie,

28Dreaming as the days go by,

29Dreaming as the summers die:

30Ever drifting down the stream

31Lingering in the golden gleam

32Life, what is it but a dream?