Читать книгу Алиса в Стране чудес / Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Алиса в Зазеркалье / Through the Looking-glass, and What Alice Found There - Льюис Кэрролл, Льюїс Керролл, Furniss Harry - Страница 10

A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses were white, but there were three gardeners painting them red. Alice thought this was very curious, and she went nearer to watch them. They were quarrelling. Suddenly one of the gardeners noticed Alice who was standing and watching them. The others saw her too and all of them bowed low.

“Would you tell me,[119]” said Alice, a little timidly, “why you are painting those roses?”

One of the gardeners whose name was Two[120] explained: “It must be a RED rose-tree but we planted a white rose-tree by mistake. If the Queen knows about it we will all have our heads cut off.[121] So we are doing what we can before she comes…” At this moment the gardener whose name was Five cried: “The Queen! The Queen!” and the three gardeners fell down onto the ground. Alice heard the sound of many footsteps and looked round to see the Queen.

First came ten soldiers who looked like the three gardeners, with their hands and feet at the corners; next were the ten courtiers ornamented with diamonds. Then came ten royal children; they were all ornamented with hearts. Next came the guests, mostly Kings and Queens, and among them Alice recognised the White Rabbit: it didn’t notice her. Then followed the Knave of Hearts,[122] carrying the King’s crown on a cushion; and last came THE KING AND QUEEN OF HEARTS.

Alice stood still and waited. When the procession came near her, they all stopped and looked at her.

“What’s your name, child?” the Queen asked turning to Alice.

“My name is Alice, your Majesty,” said Alice very politely. And she added to herself, “They’re only a pack of cards. It’s stupid to be afraid of them!”

“And who are THESE?” said the Queen, pointing at the three gardeners lying round the rose-tree.

“How can I know?” said Alice, surprised at her own courage. “It’s no business of MINE.[123]”

The Queen became red with anger and screamed “Off with her head! Off – ”

“Nonsense!” said Alice, very loudly and decidedly, and the Queen was silent.

The King put his hand upon her arm, and timidly said “My dear, she is only a child!”

“Can you play croquet?[124]” the Queen shouted her question after a pause.

The soldiers were silent, and looked at Alice, as the question was for her.

“Yes!” Alice shouted back.

“Come on, then!” shouted the Queen, and Alice joined the procession.

“It’s – it’s a very fine day!” said a timid voice near her. She was walking near the White Rabbit, who was looking anxiously into her face.

“Very,” said Alice: “ – where’s the Duchess?”

“Hush! Hush![125]” said the Rabbit in a low tone. He looked anxiously around and whispered into Alice’s ear “She will be executed.[126]”

“What for?” said Alice.

“Did you say “What a pity!”?” the Rabbit asked.

“No, I didn’t,” said Alice: “I don’t think it’s a pity. I said “What for?””

“She boxed the Queen’s ears[127] – ” the Rabbit began. Alice laughed. “Oh, hush!” the Rabbit whispered in a frightened tone. “The Queen will hear you! You see, she came late, and the Queen said – ”

“Get to your places!” shouted the Queen very loudly and the game began. Alice had never seen such a curious croquet-ground in her life: the balls were live hedgehogs, the mallets live flamingoes and the arches were made of soldiers.

The main difficulty for Alice was to[128] use her flamingo: when she was going to hit the hedgehog with its head, it looked up in her face with such a puzzled expression that she began laughing; when she was ready to begin again the hedgehog was crawling away. So Alice soon came to the conclusion that it was really a very difficult game.

The players all played at once without waiting for each other, quarrelling all the time, and fighting for the hedgehogs; very soon the Queen became furious and shouted “Off with his head!” or “Off with her head!” every minute.

Alice began thinking how to get away. Suddenly she noticed something curious in the air. Soon she understood it was a grin of the Cheshire Cat.

“How are you getting on?[129]” said the Cat as soon as his mouth appeared.

Alice waited till the whole head appeared, put down her flamingo, and began to tell the Cat about the game. The Cat probably thought a head was enough, so no more of him appeared.[130]

“How do you like the Queen?” said the Cat in a low voice.

“Not at all,” said Alice: “she’s so – ” Just then she noticed that the Queen was behind her, listening: so she went on, “ – likely to win,[131] that it’s not interesting to finish the game.”

The Queen smiled and moved on.

“Who ARE you talking to?” said the King, coming up to Alice, and looking at the Cat’s head with great curiosity.

“It’s a friend of mine[132] – a Cheshire Cat,” said Alice: “allow me to introduce it.”

“I don’t like the look of it,” said the King: “however, it may kiss my hand if it likes.”

“I don’t,” the Cat remarked.

“Don’t be rude,” said the King, “and don’t look at me like that!” He stood behind Alice as he spoke.

“A cat may look at a king,[133]” said Alice. “I’ve read that in some book, but I don’t remember where.”

“Well, it must be removed,[134]” said the King very decidedly and called the Queen.

The Queen knew only one way. “Off with his head!” she said, without even looking.

“I’ll bring the executioner myself,” said the King, and hurried away.

Alice decided to go back and watch the game. When she caught her flamingo there were no hedgehogs or arches around. So she went back to talk with her friend a little more.

When she got back to the Cheshire Cat, she was surprised to see a large crowd around him.

Alice could only say “He belongs to the Duchess: ask HER about him.”

“She’s in prison,” the Queen said to the executioner: “bring her here.” And the executioner went off.

At that moment the Cat’s head began fading away[135] and when the executioner was back with the Duchess, it had disappeared completely.

So the King and the executioner began looking for it while all the others went back to the game.