`And what's to "gyre" and to "gimble"?'

`To "gyre" is to go round and round like a gyroscope. To "gimble" is to make holes like a gimlet.'

`And "the wabe" is the grass-plot round a sun-dial, I suppose?' said Alice, surprised at her own ingenuity.

`Of course it is. It's called "wabe" you know, because it goes a long way before it, and a long way behind it --'

`And a long way beyond it on each side,' Alice added.

`Exactly so. Well then, "mimsy" is "flimsy and miserable" (there's another portmanteau for you). And a "borogove" is a thin shabby-looking bird with its feathers sticking out all round -- something like a live mop.'

`And then "mome raths"?' said Alice. `I'm afraid I'm giving you a great deal of trouble.'

`Well, a "rath" is a sort of green pig: but "mome" I'm not certain about. I think it's short for "from home" -- meaning that they'd lost their way, you know.'

`And what does "outgrabe" mean?'

`Well, "outgribing" is something between bellowing and whistling, with a kind of sneeze in the middle: however, you'll hear it done, maybe -- down in the wood yonder -- and, when you've once heard it, you'll be quite content. Who's been repeating all that hard stuff to you?'

`I read it in a book,' said Alice. `But I had some poetry repeated to me much easier than that, by -- Tweedledee, I think.'

`As to poetry, you know,' said Humpty Dumpty, stretching out one of his great hands, `I can repeat poetry as well as other folk, if it comes to that --'

`Oh, it needn't come to that!' Alice hastily said, hoping to keep him from beginning.

`The piece I'm going to repeat,' he went on without noticing her remark, `was written entirely for your amusement.'

Alice felt that in that case she really ought to listen to it; so she sat down, and said `Thank you' rather sadly,

`In winter, when the fields are white,
I sing this song for your delight --

only I don't sing it,' he added, as an explanation.

`I see you don't,' said Alice.

`If you can see whether I'm singing or not, you've sharper eyes than most,' Humpty Dumpty remarked severely. Alice was silent.

`In spring, when woods are getting green,
I'll try and tell you what I mean:

`Thank you very much,' said Alice.

`In summer, when the days are long,
Perhaps you'll understand the song:

In autumn, when the leaves are brown,
Take pen and ink, and write it down.'