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Alice's
Adventures in Wonderland
Kapitel 3:
A caucus-race and a long tale, Lewis Carroll, Seite 2 ( von 4 )
"Why," said the Dodo, "the best way to explain it is to do
it." (And so you might like to try the thing yourself, some winter day, I
will tell you how the Dodo managed it.)
First it marked out a race-course, in a sort of circle, ("the exact shape
doesn't matter," it said,) and then all the party were placed along the
course, here and there. There was no "One, two, three, and away," but
they began running when they liked, and left off when they liked, so that it
was not easy to know when the race was over. However, when they had been
running half an hour or so, and were quite dry again, the Dodo suddenly called
out, "The race is over!" and they all crowded round it, panting, and
asking, "But who has won?"
This question the Dodo could not answer without a great deal of thought, and it
sat for a long time with one finger pressed upon its forehead, (the position in
which you usually see Shakespeare, in the pictures of him,) while the rest
waited in silence. At last the Dodo said, "Everybody has won,
and all must have prizes."
"But who is to give the prizes?" quite a chorus of voices asked.
"Why, she,
of course," said the Dodo, pointing to Alice with one finger; and the
whole party at once crowded round her, calling out in a confused way,
"Prizes! Prizes!"
Alice had no idea what to do, and in despair she put her hand in her pocket,
and pulled out a box of comfits, (luckily the salt water had not got into it,)
and handed them round as prizes. There was exactly one a-piece, all round.
"But she must have a prize herself, you know," said the Mouse.
"Of course," the Dodo replied very gravely. "What else have you
got in your pocket?" he went on, turning to Alice.
"Only a thimble," said Alice sadly.
"Hand it over here," said the Dodo.
Then they all crowded round her once more, while the Dodo solemnly presented
the thimble, saying "We beg your acceptance of this elegant thimble;"
and, when it had finished this short speech, they all cheered.
Alice thought the whole thing very absurd, but they all looked so grave that
she did not dare to laugh; and as she could not think of anything to say, she
simply bowed, and took the thimble, looking as solemn as she could.
The next thing was to eat the comfits: this caused some noise and confusion, as
the large birds complained that they could not taste theirs, and the small ones
choked and had to be patted on the back. However, it was over at last, and they
sat down again in a ring, and begged the Mouse to tell them something more.
"You promised to tell me your history, you know," said Alice,
"and why it is you hate - C and D," she added in a whisper, half
afraid that it would be offended again.
"Mine is a long and a sad tale!" said the Mouse, turning to Alice,
and sighing.
"It is a
long tail, certainly," said Alice, looking down with wonder at the Mouse's
tail; "but why do you call it said?"
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