Punched back to voice

The Mock Turtle sighed deeply, and drew the back of one flapper across his eyes. He looked at Alice, and tried to speak, but for a minute or two sobs choked his voice. “Same as if he had a bone in his throat,” said the Gryphon: and it set to work shaking him and punching him in the back. At last the Mock Turtle recovered his voice, and, with tears running down his cheeks, he went on again:—

"I once tasted—"

“No, indeed,” said Alice. “What sort of a dance is it?”

Jelly-fish on the sand

“That generally takes some time,” interrupted the Gryphon.

Advance twice

“Each with a lobster as a partner!” cried the Gryphon.

The Gryphon bounds up

“The lobsters!” shouted the Gryphon, with a bound into the air.

Capering like mad things

“Turn a somersault in the sea!” cried the Mock Turtle, capering wildly about.

Sat down very sadly

“Back to land again, and that’s all the first figure,” said the Mock Turtle, suddenly dropping his voice; and the two creatures, who had been jumping about like mad things all this time, sat down again very sadly and quietly, and looked at Alice.

A very pretty dance

“It must be a very pretty dance,” said Alice timidly.

Which shall sing?

“Oh, you sing,” said the Gryphon. “I’ve forgotten the words.”

Round and round Alice

So they began solemnly dancing round and round Alice, every now and then treading on her toes when they passed too close, and waving their forepaws to mark the time, while the Mock Turtle sang this, very slowly and sadly:—

Trodden toes

So they began solemnly dancing round and round Alice, every now and then treading on her toes when they passed too close, and waving their forepaws to mark the time, while the Mock Turtle sang this, very slowly and sadly:—

The whiting's song

“Will you walk a little faster?” said a whiting to a snail. “There’s a porpoise close behind us, and he’s treading on my tail. See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance! They are waiting on the shingle—will you come and join the dance? Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, will you join the dance? Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance?

The shingle waiting

“You can really have no notion how delightful it will be When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!” But the snail replied “Too far, too far!” and gave a look askance— Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the dance. Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance. Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join the dance.

The other shore

“What matters it how far we go?” his scaly friend replied. “There is another shore, you know, upon the other side. The further off from England the nearer is to France— Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance. Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, will you join the dance? Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance?”

Glad it was over

“Thank you, it’s a very interesting dance to watch,” said Alice, feeling very glad that it was over at last: “and I do so like that curious song about the whiting!”

Seen them at dinn—

“Yes,” said Alice, “I’ve often seen them at dinn—” she checked herself hastily.

Tell her the reason

“You’re wrong about the crumbs,” said the Mock Turtle: “crumbs would all wash off in the sea. But they have their tails in their mouths; and the reason is—” here the Mock Turtle yawned and shut his eyes.—“Tell her about the reason and all that,” he said to the Gryphon.

Does the boots and shoes

“It does the boots and shoes,” the Gryphon replied very solemnly.

Done with blacking

Alice looked down at them, and considered a little before she gave her answer. “They’re done with blacking, I believe.”

Soles and eels

“Soles and eels, of course,” the Gryphon replied rather impatiently: “any shrimp could have told you that.”

Keep back, porpoise

“They were obliged to have him with them,” the Mock Turtle said: “no wise fish would go anywhere without a porpoise.”

With what porpoise?

“Don’t you mean ‘purpose’?” said Alice.

Offended, change the subject

“I mean what I say,” the Mock Turtle replied in an offended tone. And the Gryphon added “Come, let’s hear some of your adventures.”

A different person then

“I could tell you my adventures—beginning from this morning,” said Alice a little timidly: “but it’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.”

Eyes and mouths so wide

So Alice began telling them her adventures from the time when she first saw the White Rabbit. She was a little nervous about it just at first, the two creatures got so close to her, one on each side, and opened their eyes and mouths so very wide, but she gained courage as she went on. Her listeners were perfectly quiet till she got to the part about her repeating “You are old, Father William,” to the Caterpillar, and the words all coming different, and then the Mock Turtle drew a long breath, and said “That’s very curious.”

Tell her to begin

“Stand up and repeat ‘’Tis the voice of the sluggard,’” said the Gryphon.

As well be at school

“How the creatures order one about, and make one repeat lessons!” thought Alice; “I might as well be at school at once.” However, she got up, and began to repeat it, but her head was so full of the Lobster Quadrille, that she hardly knew what she was saying, and the words came very queer indeed:—

Voice of the Lobster

“’Tis the voice of the Lobster; I heard him declare, “You have baked me too brown, I must sugar my hair.” As a duck with its eyelids, so he with his nose Trims his belt and his buttons, and turns out his toes.”

Face in her hands

Alice said nothing; she had sat down with her face in her hands, wondering if anything would ever happen in a natural way again.

But about his toes?

“But about his toes?” the Mock Turtle persisted. “How could he turn them out with his nose, you know?”

First position

“It’s the first position in dancing.” Alice said; but was dreadfully puzzled by the whole thing, and longed to change the subject.

In a trembling voice

Alice did not dare to disobey, though she felt sure it would all come wrong, and she went on in a trembling voice:—

Leave off

“Yes, I think you’d better leave off,” said the Gryphon: and Alice was only too glad to do so.

A song, please

“Oh, a song, please, if the Mock Turtle would be so kind,” Alice replied, so eagerly that the Gryphon said, in a rather offended tone, “Hm! No accounting for tastes! Sing her ‘Turtle Soup,’ will you, old fellow?”

Choked with sobs

The Mock Turtle sighed deeply, and began, in a voice sometimes choked with sobs, to sing this:—

Beauti—FUL SOUP

“Beautiful Soup! Who cares for fish,
Game, or any other dish?
Who would not give all else for two p
ennyworth only of beautiful Soup?
Pennyworth only of beautiful Soup?
Beau—ootiful Soo—oop!
Beau—ootiful Soo—oop!
Soo—oop of the e—e—evening,
Beautiful, beauti—FUL SOUP!”

The trial's beginning!

“Chorus again!” cried the Gryphon, and the Mock Turtle had just begun to repeat it, when a cry of “The trial’s beginning!” was heard in the distance.

Come on!

“Come on!” cried the Gryphon, and, taking Alice by the hand, it hurried off, without waiting for the end of the song.

What trial is it?

“What trial is it?” Alice panted as she ran; but the Gryphon only answered “Come on!” and ran the faster, while more and more faintly came, carried on the breeze that followed them, the melancholy words:—

Faintly on the breeze

“Soo—oop of the e—e—evening,
Beautiful, beautiful Soup!”

Singing to no one

“Soo—oop of the e—e—evening,
Beautiful, beautiful Soup!”