The Nursery Alice

Оглавление

Lewis Carroll. The Nursery Alice

PREFACE

I. THE WHITE RABBIT

II. HOW ALICE GREW TALL

III. THE POOL OF TEARS

IV. THE CAUCUS-RACE

V. BILL, THE LIZARD

VI. THE DEAR LITTLE PUPPY

VII. THE BLUE CATERPILLAR

VIII. THE PIG-BABY

IX. THE CHESHIRE-CAT

X. THE MAD TEA-PARTY

XI. THE QUEEN’S GARDEN

XII. THE LOBSTER-QUADRILLE

XIII. WHO STOLE THE TARTS?

XIV. THE SHOWER OF CARDS

AN EASTER GREETING TO EVERY CHILD WHO LOVES “ALICE.”

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS

Отрывок из книги

I have reason to believe that “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” has been read by some hundreds of English Children, aged from Five to Fifteen: also by Children, aged from Fifteen to Twenty-five: yet again by Children, aged from Twenty-five to Thirty-five: and even by Children – for there are such – Children in whom no waning of health and strength, no weariness of the solemn mockery, and the gaudy glitter, and the hopeless misery, of Life has availed to parch the pure fountain of joy that wells up in all child-like hearts – Children of a “certain” age, whose tale of years must be left untold, and buried in respectful silence.

And my ambition now is (is it a vain one?) to be read by Children aged from Nought to Five. To be read? Nay, not so! Say rather to be thumbed, to be cooed over, to be dogs’-eared, to be rumpled, to be kissed, by the illiterate, ungrammatical, dimpled Darlings, that fill your Nursery with merry uproar, and your inmost heart of hearts with a restful gladness!

.....

“Oh dear, oh dear!” said the Rabbit. “I shall be too late!” What would it be too late for, I wonder? Well, you see, it had to go and visit the Duchess (you’ll see a picture of the Duchess, soon, sitting in her kitchen): and the Duchess was a very cross old lady: and the Rabbit knew she’d be very angry indeed if he kept her waiting. So the poor thing was as frightened as frightened could be (Don’t you see how he’s trembling? Just shake the book a little, from side to side, and you’ll soon see him tremble), because he thought the Duchess would have his head cut off, for a punishment. That was what the Queen of Hearts used to do, when she was angry with people (you’ll see a picture of her, soon): at least she used to order their heads to be cut off, and she always thought it was done, though they never really did it.

And so, when the White Rabbit ran away, Alice wanted to see what would happen to it: so she ran after it: and she ran, and she ran, till she tumbled right down the rabbit-hole.

.....