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Through
the Looking-Glass
and what Alice
found there
Kapitel 6:
Humpty Dumpty, Lewis Carroll, Seite 5 ( von 7 )
"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 it was."
"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."
"I will, if I can remember it so long," said Alice.
"You needn't go on making remarks like that," Humpty Dumpty said:
"they're not sensible, and they put me out."
"I sent a
message to the fish:
I told them 'This is what I wish.'
The little fishes of the sea,
They sent an answer back to me.
The little fishes' answer was
'We cannot do it, Sir, because -'"
"I'm afraid I don't quite understand," said Alice.
"It gets easier further on," Humpty Dumpty replied.
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