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Through
the Looking-Glass
and what Alice
found there
Kapitel 7:
The lion and the unicorn, Lewis Carroll, Seite 4 ( von 5 )
"It didn't hurt him," the Unicorn said carelessly, and he was going
on, when his eye happened to fall upon Alice: he turned round instantly, and
stood for some time looking at her with an air of the deepest disgust.
"What - is - this?" he said at last.
"This is a child!" Haigha replied eagerly, coming in front of Alice
to introduce her, and spreading out both his hands towards her in an
Anglo-Saxon attitude. "We only found it to-day. It's as large as life, and
twice as natural!"
"I always thought they were fabulous monsters!" said the Unicorn.
"Is it alive?"
"It can talk," said Haigha, solemnly.
The Unicorn looked dreamily at Alice, and said "Talk, child."
Alice could not help her lips curling up into a smile as she began: "Do
you know, I always thought Unicorns were fabulous monsters, too! I never saw
one alive before!"
"Well, now that we
have seen each
other," said the Unicorn, "if you'll believe in me, I'll believe in
you. Is that a bargain?"
"Yes, if you like," said Alice.
"Come, fetch out the plum-cake, old man!" the Unicorn went on,
turning from her to the King. "None of your brown bread for me!"
"Certainly - certainly!" the King muttered, and beckoned to Haigha.
"Open the bag!" he whispered. "Quick! Not that one - that's full
of hay!"
Haigha took a large cake out of the bag, and gave it to Alice to hold, while he
got out a dish and carving-knife. How they all came out of it Alice couldn't
guess. It was just like a conjuring-trick, she thought.
The Lion had joined them while this was going on: he looked very tired and
sleepy, and his eyes were half shut. "What's this!" he said, blinking
lazily at Alice, and speaking in a deep hollow tone that sounded like the
tolling of a great bell.
"Ah, what is it, now?"
the Unicorn cried eagerly. "You'll never guess!
I
couldn't."
The Lion looked at Alice wearily. "Are you animal - or vegetable - or
mineral?" he said, yawning at every other word.
"It's a fabulous monster!" the Unicorn cried out, before Alice could
reply.
"Then hand round the plum-cake, Monster," the Lion said, lying down
and putting his chin on his paws. "And sit down, both of you," (to
the King and the Unicorn): "fair play with the cake, you know!"
The King was evidently very uncomfortable at having to sit down between the two
great creatures; but there was no other place for him.
"What a fight we might have for the crown,
now!" the
Unicorn said, looking slyly up at the crown, which the poor King was nearly
shaking off his head, he trembled so much.
"I should win easy," said the Lion.
"I'm not so sure of that," said the Unicorn.
"Why, I beat you all round the town, you chicken!" the Lion replied
angrily, half getting up as he spoke.
Here the King interrupted, to prevent the quarrel going on: he was very
nervous, and his voice quite quivered. "All round the town?" he said.
"That's a good long way. Did you go by the old bridge, or the
market-place? You get the best view by the old bridge."
"I'm sure I don't know," the Lion growled out as he lay down again.
"There was too much dust to see anything. What a time the Monster is,
cutting up that cake!"
Alice had seated herself on the bank of a little brook, with the great dish on
her knees, and was sawing away diligently with the knife.
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