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 yét, so I can't take more. HATTER You mean, you can't take less; it's very easy to take more than nothing. Nobody asked your opinion. ALICE 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 treacle-well. ALICE There's no such thing! HATTER and MARCH HARE Sh! Sh! DORMOUSE If you can't be civil, you'd better finish the story for your self. 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 ALICE What did they draw? DORMOUSE Treacle. 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 |