Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgeson)
All in the golden afternoon
Full leisurely we glide;
For both our oars, with little skill,
By little arms are plied,
While little hands make vain pretense
Our wanderings to guide.
-- Opening poem, first verse.
Thus grew the tale of Wonderland:
Thus slowly, one by one,
Its quaint events were hammered out—
And now our tale is done
And home we steer, a merry crew,
Beneath the setting sun.
-- Opening poem, sixth verse
Alice! a childish story take,
And with a gentle hand
Lay it where Childhood's dreams are twined
In Memory's mystic band,
Like pilgrim's withered wreath of flowers
Plucked in a far-off land.
-- Opening poem, final verse
- Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, 'and what is the use of a book,' thought Alice, 'without pictures or conversations?' ~ First chapter, opening paragraph.
- There was nothing so very remarkable in that; nor did Alice think it so very much out of the ordinary to hear the Rabbit say to itself 'Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!' ...but when the Rabbit actually took a watch out its waistcoat pocket, and looked at it, and then hurried on, Alice startled to her feet. ~ First chapter
- After a fall such as this, I shall think nothing of tumbling downstairs! ~ Alice, first chapter.
- If you drink from a bottle marked 'poison' it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later. ~ first chapter
- Curiouser and curiouser! ~ Alice, Chapter 2
- Oh my fur and whiskers! ~ The White Rabbit, Chapter 4.
- 'I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, sir,' said Alice, 'Because I'm not myself you see.' ~ Chapter 5 (to the Caterpillar)
'You are old Father William,' the young man said,
'And your hair has become very white;
And yet you incessantly stand on your head—
Do you think at your age it is right?'
-- Alice, Chapter 5
- 'You don't know much,' said the Duchess,'And that's a fact.' ~ the Duchess, Chapter 6
"Speak roughly to your little boy,
And beat him when he sneezes:
He only does is to annoy,
Because he knows it teases."
Chorus
"Wow!wow!wow!"
"I speak severely to my boy,
I beat him when he sneezes;
For he can then throughly enjoy
The pepper when he pleases!"
Chorus
"Wow!wow!wow!"
-- the Duchess, Chapter 6
- 'In that direction,' the Cat said, waving its right paw round, 'lives a Hatter: and in that direction,' waving the other paw, 'lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they're both mad.' ~ Chapter 6
- Why is a raven like a writing desk? ~ The Mad Hatter, Chapter 7
- I told you butter wouldn't suit the works, The Mad Hatter (about his watch) ~ Chapter 7
- Twinkle twinkle little bat!/How I wonder what you're at! ~ Mad Hatter, Chapter 7
- You know you say that things are 'much of a muchness'— did you ever see a drawing of a muchness? ~ Mad Hatter, Chapter 7
- Off with his head! ~ The Queen of Hearts, Chapter 8 and passim
- We called him Tortoise because he taught us,' the Mock Turtle, Chapter 9
- Sentence first, verdict afterwards. The Queen of Hearts ~ Chapter 12
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