Алиса в зазеркалье
Looking-Glass Insects
‘Ilikethemwhentheycantalk,’Alicesaid.‘Noneofthemevertalk,whereIcomefrom.’
‘Whatsortofinsectsdoyourejoicein,whereyoucomefrom?’theGnatinquired.
‘Idon’trejoiceininsectsatall,’Aliceexplained,‘becauseI’mratherafraidofthem—atleastthelargekinds.ButIcantellyouthenamesofsomeofthem.’
‘Ofcoursetheyanswertotheirnames?’theGnatremarkedcarelessly.
‘Ineverknewthemdoit.’
‘What’stheuseoftheirhavingnamestheGnatsaid,‘iftheywon’tanswertothem?’
‘Nousetothem,’saidAlice;‘butit’susefultothepeoplewhonamethem,Isuppose.Ifnot,whydothingshavenamesatall?’
‘Ican’tsay,’theGnatreplied.‘Furtheron,inthewooddownthere,they’vegotnonames—however,goonwithyourlistofinsects:you’rewastingtime.’
‘Well,there’stheHorse-fly,’Alicebegan,countingoffthenamesonherfingers.
‘Allright,’saidtheGnat:‘halfwayupthatbush,you’llseeaRocking-horse-fly,ifyoulook.It’smadeentirelyofwood,andgetsaboutbyswingingitselffrombranchtobranch.’
‘Whatdoesitliveon?’Aliceasked,withgreatcuriosity.
‘Sapandsawdust,’saidtheGnat.‘Goonwiththelist.’
AlicelookedupattheRocking-horse-flywithgreatinterest,andmadeuphermindthatitmusthavebeenjustrepainted,itlookedsobrightandsticky;andthenshewenton.
‘Andthere’stheDragon-fly.’
