So they went up to the Mock Turtle, who looked at them with large eyes full of tears, but said nothing.
'This here young lady, ' said the Gryphon, 'she wants for to know your history, she do. '
'I'll tell it her, ' said the Mock Turtle in a deep, hollow tone: 'sit down, both of you, and don't speak a word till I've finished. '
So they sat down, and nobody spoke for some minutes. Alice thought to herself, 'I don't see how he can
'Once, ' said the Mock Turtle at last, with a deep sigh, 'I was a real Turtle. '
These words were followed by a very long silence, broken only by an occasional exclamation of 'Hjckrrh!’ from the Gryphon, and the constant heavy sobbing of the Mock Turtle. Alice was very nearly getting up and saying, 'Thank you, sir, for your interesting story, ' but she could not help thinking there
'Yes, we went to school in the sea, though you mayn't believe it-'
'I never said I didn't!’ interrupted Alice.
'You did, ' said the Mock Turtle.
'Hold your tongue!’ added the Gryphon, before Alice could speak again. The Mock Turtle went on.
'We had the best of educations-in fact, we went to school every day-'
'
'With extras?’ asked the Mock Turtle a little anxiously.
'Yes, ' said Alice, 'we learned French and music. '
'And washing?’ said the Mock Turtle.
'Certainly not!’ said Alice indignantly.
'Ah! then yours wasn't a really good school, ' said the Mock Turtle in a tone of great relief. 'Now at
'I never heard of "Uglification, "' Alice ventured to say. 'What is it?’
The Gryphon lifted up both its paws in surprise. 'What! Never heard of uglifying!’ it exclaimed. 'You know what to beautify is, I suppose?’
'Yes, ' said Alice doubtfully: 'it means-to-make-anything-prettier. '
'Well, then, ' the Gryphon went on, 'if you don't know what to uglify is, you
Alice did not feel encouraged to ask any more questions about it, so she turned to the Mock Turtle, and said 'What else had you to learn?’
'Well, there was Mystery, ' the Mock Turtle replied, counting off the subjects on his flappers, '-Mystery, ancient and modern, with Seaography: then Drawling-the Drawling-master was an old conger-eel, that used to come once a week:
'Hadn't time, ' said the Gryphon: 'I went to the Classics master, though. He was an old crab,
'And how many hours a day did you do lessons?’ said Alice, in a hurry to change the subject.
'Ten hours the first day, ' said the Mock Turtle: 'nine the next, and so on. '
'What a curious plan!’ exclaimed Alice.
'That's the reason they're called lessons, ' the Gryphon remarked: 'because they lessen from day to day. '
This was quite a new idea to Alice, and she thought it over a little before she made her next remark. 'Then the eleventh day must have been a holiday?’
'Of course it was, ' said the Mock Turtle.
'And how did you manage on the twelfth?’ Alice went on eagerly.
'That's enough about lessons, ' the Gryphon interrupted in a very decided tone: 'tell her something about the games now. '
X. The Lobster Quadrille
The Mock Turtle sighed deeply, and drew the back of one flapper across his eyes. He looked at Alice, and tried to speak, but for a minute or two sobs choked his voice. 'Same as if he had a bone in his throat, ' said the Gryphon: and it set to work shaking him and punching him in the back. At last the Mock Turtle recovered his voice, and, with tears running down his cheeks, he went on again: -
'You may not have lived much under the sea-' ('I haven't, ' said Alice)- 'and perhaps you were never even introduced to a lobster-' (Alice began to say 'I once tasted-' but checked herself hastily, and said 'No, never') '-so you can have no idea what a delightful thing a Lobster Quadrille is!’
'No, indeed, ' said Alice. 'What sort of a dance is it?’
'Why, ' said the Gryphon, 'you first form into a line along the sea-shore-'
'Two lines!’ cried the Mock Turtle. 'Seals, turtles, salmon, and so on; then, when you've cleared all the jelly-fish out of the way-'
'THAT generally takes some time, ' interrupted the Gryphon.
'-you advance twice-'
'Each with a lobster as a partner!’ cried the Gryphon.
'Of course, ' the Mock Turtle said: 'advance twice, set to partners-'
'-change lobsters, and retire in same order, ' continued the Gryphon.
'Then, you know, ' the Mock Turtle went on, 'you throw the-'
'The lobsters!’ shouted the Gryphon, with a bound into the air.
'-as far out to sea as you can-'
'Swim after them!’ screamed the Gryphon.
'Turn a somersault in the sea!’ cried the Mock Turtle, capering wildly about.
'Change lobster's again!’ yelled the Gryphon at the top of its voice.
'Back to land again, and that's all the first figure, ' said the Mock Turtle, suddenly dropping his voice; and the two creatures, who had been jumping about like mad things all this time, sat down again very sadly and quietly, and looked at Alice.
'It must be a very pretty dance, ' said Alice timidly.
'Would you like to see a little of it?’ said the Mock Turtle.
'Very much indeed, ' said Alice.
'Come, let's try the first figure!’ said the Mock Turtle to the Gryphon. 'We can do without lobsters, you know. Which shall sing?’
'Oh,
So they began solemnly dancing round and round Alice, every now and then treading on her toes when they passed too close, and waving their forepaws to mark the time, while the Mock Turtle sang this, very slowly and sadly: -
'You're wrong about the crumbs, ' said the Mock Turtle: 'crumbs would all wash off in the sea. But they
'The reason is, ' said the Gryphon, 'that they
'I never thought about it, ' said Alice. 'Why?’
Alice was thoroughly puzzled. 'Does the boots and shoes!’ she repeated in a wondering tone.
'Why, what are
Alice looked down at them, and considered a little before she gave her answer. 'They're done with blacking, I believe. '
'Boots and shoes under the sea, ' the Gryphon went on in a deep voice, 'are done with a whiting. Now you know. '
'And what are they made of?’ Alice asked in a tone of great curiosity.
'Soles and eels, of course, ' the Gryphon replied rather impatiently: 'any shrimp could have told you that. '
'If I'd been the whiting, ' said Alice, whose thoughts were still running on the song, 'I'd have said to the porpoise, "Keep back, please: we don't want
'Wouldn't it really?’ said Alice in a tone of great surprise.
'Of course not, ' said the Mock Turtle: 'why, if a fish came to
'Don't you mean "purpose"?’ said Alice.
'I mean what I say, ' the Mock Turtle replied in an offended tone. And the Gryphon added 'Come, let's hear some of
'Explain all that, ' said the Mock Turtle.
'No, no! The adventures first, ' said the Gryphon in an impatient tone: 'explanations take such a dreadful time. '
So Alice began telling them her adventures from the time when she first saw the White Rabbit. She was a little nervous about it just at first, the two creatures got so close to her, one on each side, and opened their eyes and mouths so
'You are old, Father William, ' to the Caterpillar, and the words all coming different, and then the Mock Turtle drew a long breath, and said 'That's very curious. '