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Alice's
Adventures in Wonderland
Kapitel 6:
Pig and pepper, Lewis Carroll, Seite 1 ( von 5 )
For a minute or two she stood looking at the house, and wondering what to do
next, when suddenly a footman in livery came running out of the wood - (she
considered him to be a footman because he was in livery: otherwise, judging by
his face only, she would have called him a fish) - and rapped loudly at the
door with his knuckles. It was opened by another footman in livery, with a
round face, and large eyes like a frog; and both footmen, Alice noticed, had
powdered hair that curled all over their heads. She felt very curious to know
what it was all about, and crept a little way out of the wood to listen.
The Fish-Footman began by producing from under his arm a great letter, nearly
as large as himself, and this he handed over to the other, saying, in a solemn
tone, "For the Duchess. An invitation from the Queen to play
croquet." The Frog-Footman repeated, in the same solemn tone, only
changing the order of the words a little, "From the Queen. An invitation
for the Duchess to play croquet."
Then they both bowed low, and their curls got entangled together.
Alice laughed so much at this, that she had to run back into the wood for fear
of their hearing her; and when she next peeped out the Fish-Footman was gone,
and the other was sitting on the ground near the door, staring stupidly up into
the sky.
Alice went timidly up to the door, and knocked.
"There's no sort of use in knocking," said the Footman, "and
that for two reasons. First, because I'm on the same side of the door as you
are; secondly, because they're making such a noise inside, no one could
possibly hear you." And certainly there
was a most
extraordinary noise going on within - a constant howling and sneezing, and
every now and then a great crash, as if a dish or kettle had been broken to
pieces.
"Please, then," said Alice, "how am I to get in?"
"There might be some sense in your knocking," the Footman went on,
without attending to her, "if we had the door between us. For instance, if
you were inside,
you might knock, and I could let you out, you know." He was looking up
into the sky all the time he was speaking, and this Alice thought decidedly
uncivil. "But perhaps he can't help it," she said to herself;
"his eyes are so
very nearly at
the top of his head. But at any rate he might answer questions. - How am I to
get in?" she repeated, aloud.
"I shall sit here," the Footman remarked, "till to-morrow
-"
At this moment the door of the house opened, and a large plate came skimming
out, straight at the Footman's head: it just grazed his nose, and broke to
pieces against one of the trees behind him.
"- or next day, maybe," the Footman continued in the same tone,
exactly as if nothing had happened.
"How am I to get in?" asked Alice again, in a louder tone.
"Are you to
get in at all?" said the Footman. "That's the first question, you
know."
It was, no doubt: only Alice did not like to be told so. "It's really
dreadful," she muttered to herself, "the way all the creatures argue.
It's enough to drive one crazy!"
The Footman seemed to think this a good opportunity for repeating his remark,
with variations. "I shall sit here," he said, "on and off, for
days and days."
"But what am I to do?" said
Alice.
"Anything you like," said the Footman, and began whistling.
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