Alice said nothing: she had sat down with her face in her hands, wondering if anything would ever happen in a natural way again.

`I should like to have it explained,' said the Mock Turtle.

`She ca'n't explain it,' said the Gryphon hastily. `Go on with the next verse.'

`But about his toes?' the Mock Turtle persisted. `How could he turn them out with his nose, you know?'

`It's the first position in dancing,' Alice said; but she was dreadfully puzzled by the whole thing, and longed to change the subject.

`Go on with the next verse,' the Gryphon repeated: `it begins "I passed by his garden".'

Alice did not dare to disobey, though she felt sure it would all come wrong, and she went on in a trembling voice:

`I passed by his garden, and marked, with one eye,
How the Owl and the Panther were sharing a pie:
The Panther took pie-crust, and gravy, and meat,
While the Owl had the dish as its share of the treat.
When the pie was all finished, the Owl, as a boon,
Was kindly permitted to pocket the spoon:
While the Panther received knife and fork with a growl,
And concluded the banquet by--'

`What is the use of repeating all that stuff?' the Mock Turtle interrupted, `if you don't explain it as you go on? It's by far the most confusing thing that I ever heard!'

`Yes, I think you'd better leave off,' said the Gryphon, and Alice was only too glad to do so.

`Shall we try another figure of the Lobster Quadrille?' the Gryphon went on. `Or would you like the Mock Turtle to sing you another song?'

`Oh, a song, please, if the Mock Turtle would be so kind,' Alice replied, so eagerly that the Gryphon said, in a rather offended tone, `Hm! No accounting for tastes! Sing her "Turtle Soup", will you, old fellow?'

The Mock Turtle sighed deeply, and began, in a voice choked with sobs, to sing this:

`Beautiful Soup, so rich and green,
Waiting in a hot tureen!
Who for such dainties would not stoop?
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
   Beau--ootiful Soo--oop!
   Beau--ootiful Soo--oop!
Soo--oop of the e--e--evening,
Beautiful beautiful Soup!
`Beautiful Soup! Who cares for fish,
Game, or any other dish?
Who would not give all else for two p
ennyworth only of beautiful Soup?
Pennyworth only of beautiful Soup?
   Beau--ootiful Soo--oop!
   Beau--ootiful Soo--oop!

Soo--oop of the e--e--evening,
        Beautiful beauti--FUL SOUP!'

`Chorus again!' cried the Gryphon, and the Mock Turtle had just begun to repeat it, when a cry of `The trial's beginning!' was heard in the distance.

`Come on!' cried the Gryphon, and, taking Alice by the hand, it hurried off, without waiting for the end of the song.

`What trial is it?' Alice panted as she ran: but the Gryphon only answered `Come on!' and ran the faster, while more and more faintly came, carried on the breeze that followed them, the melancholy words:

`Soo--oop of the e--e--evening,
         Beautiful, beautiful Soup!'

  By PanEris using Melati.

Previous chapter/page Back Home Email this Search Discuss Bookmark Next chapter
Copyright: All texts on Bibliomania are © Bibliomania.com Ltd, and may not be reproduced in any form without our written permission. See our FAQ for more details.