Алиса в зазеркалье
Queen Alice
TheRedQueenbrokethesilencebysayingtotheWhiteQueen,‘IinviteyoutoAlice’sdinner-partythisafternoon.’
TheWhiteQueensmiledfeebly,andsaid‘AndIinviteyou.’
‘Ididn’tknowIwastohaveapartyatall,’saidAlice;‘butifthereistobeone,IthinkIoughttoinvitetheguests.’
‘Wegaveyoutheopportunityofdoingit,’theRedQueenremarked:‘butIdaresayyou’venothadmanylessonsinmannersyet?’
‘Mannersarenottaughtinlessons,’saidAlice.‘Lessonsteachyoutodosums,andthingsofthatsort.’
‘AndyoudoAddition?’theWhiteQueenasked.‘What’soneandoneandoneandoneandoneandoneandoneandoneandoneandone?’
‘Idon’tknow,’saidAlice.‘Ilostcount.’
‘Shecan’tdoAddition,’theRedQueeninterrupted.‘CanyoudoSubtraction?Takeninefromeight.’
‘NinefromeightIcan’t,youknow,’Alicerepliedveryreadily:‘but—’
‘Shecan’tdoSubtraction,’saidtheWhiteQueen.‘CanyoudoDivision?Dividealoafbyaknife—what’stheanswertothat?’
‘Isuppose—’Alicewasbeginning,buttheRedQueenansweredforher.‘Bread-and-butter,ofcourse.TryanotherSubtractionsum.Takeabonefromadog:whatremains?’
Aliceconsidered.‘Thebonewouldn’tremain,ofcourse,ifItookit—andthedogwouldn’tremain;itwouldcometobiteme—andI’msureIshouldn’tremain!’
‘Thenyouthinknothingwouldremain?’saidtheRedQueen.
‘Ithinkthat’stheanswer.’
