"Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!

How I wonder what you're at!"

You know the song, perhaps.

ALICE.

I've heard something like it.

DORMOUSE. Twinkle, twinkle, twinkle

HATTER. Well, I'd hardly finished the first verse when the Queen bawled out, "He's murdering the time! Off with his head!"

ALICE. How dreadfully savage!

HATTER. And ever since that, he won't do a thing I ask! It's always six o'clock now.

ALICE. Is that the reason so many tea-things are put out here?

HATTER. Yes, that's it; it's always tea time, and we've no time to wash the things between whiles.

ALICE. Then you keep moving round, I suppose?
HATTER. Exactly so, as the things get used up.

ALICE. But when you come to the beginning again?

MARCH HARE. Suppose we change the subject. I vote the young lady tells us a story.

ALICE. I'm afraid I don't know one.

MARCH HARE AND HATTER. Then the Dormouse shall. Wake up, Dormouse.

[They pinch him on both sides at once.

DORMOUSE (opens his eyes slowly and says, in a hoarse, feeble voice). I wasn't asleep; I heard every word you fellows were saying.

MARCH HARE. Tell us a story.

ALICE. Yes, please do!

HATTER. And be quick about it, or you'll be asleep again before it's done.

DORMOUSE. Once upon a time there were three little sisters, and their names were Elsie, Lacie, and Tillie, and they lived at the bottom of a well

ALICE. What did they live on?

DORMOUSE. They lived on treacle.

ALICE. They couldn't have done that, you know, they'd

have been ill.

DORMOUSE. So they were, very ill.

ALICE. But why did they live at the bottom of a well?

MARCH HARE. Take some more tea.

ALICE. I've had nothing yet, so I can't take more.

HATTER. You mean, you can't take less; it's very easy to

take more than nothing.

ALICE. Nobody asked your opinion.

HATTER. Who's making personal remarks now?

ALICE (helps herself to tea and bread and butter). Why did they live at the bottom of a well?

DORMOUSE (takes a minute or two to think). It was a treaclewell.

ALICE. There's no such a thing!

HATTER AND MARCH HARE. Sh! Sh!

DORMOUSE. If you can't be civil, you'd better finish the story for yourself.

ALICE (very humbly). No, please go on. I won't interrupt you again. I dare say there may be one.

DORMOUSE. One, indeed! And so these three little sisters they were learning to draw, you know

HATTER. I want a clean cup. Let's all move one place on. [Hatter moves on, Dormouse takes his place, March Hare takes Dormouse's place, and Alice unwillingly takes March Hare's place.

ALICE. I'm worse off than I was before. You've upset the milk jug into your plate.

MARCH HARE. It wasn't very civil of you to sit down without being invited.

ALICE.

Where did they draw the treacle from?

HATTER. You can draw water out of a water-well, so I should

think you could draw treacle out of a treacle-well eh? stupid?

ALICE. But they were in the well.

DORMOUSE. Of course they were well in. They were learning to draw, and they drew all manner of things-everything that begins with an M-ALICE. Why with an M?

MARCH HARE. Why not?

[Alice is silent and confused. Hatter pinches Dormouse to wake him up.

DORMOUSE (wakes with a little shriek and continues).

that

begins with an M, such as mouse-traps and the moon and memory and muchness - you know you say things are "much of a muchness" did you ever see such a thing as

a drawing of a muchness?

HATTER. Did you?

ALICE. Really, now you ask me, I don't think

HATTER. Then you shouldn't talk.

ALICE (rises and walks away). You are very rude. It's the stupidest tea party I ever was at in all my life

[White Rabbit enters, carrying a huge envelope with a seal and crown on it.

MARCH HARE AND HATTER. No room! no room!

[Rabbit pays no attention to them but goes to the house and raps loudly. A Footman in livery, with a round face and large eyes like a frog, and powdered hair, opens the door.

WHITE RABBIT. For the Duchess. An invitation from the Queen to play croquet.

FROG. From the Queen. An invitation for the Duchess to play croquet.

[White Rabbit bows and goes out.

MARCH HARE AND HATTER (to White Rabbit). No room! No room! No room!

[The Frog disappears into the house, but leaves the door open. There is a terrible din, and many saucepans fly out.

MARCH HARE. She's at it again.

HATTER. It's perfectly disgusting.

MARCH HARE. Let's move on.

[The platform moves off with table, chairs, March Hare, Hatter,

Frog."I shall sit here, till to-morrow." (The door opens and a large plate skims out straight at the Frog's head.)