Advice from a Caterpillar

           TheCaterpillarandAlicelookedateachotherforsometimeinsilence: atlasttheCaterpillartookthehookahoutofitsmouth,andaddressedherinalanguid,sleepyvoice. 

           "Whoareyou?"saidtheCaterpillar. 

           Thiswasnotanencouragingopeningforaconversation. Alicereplied,rathershyly, "I—Ihardlyknow,Sir,justatpresent —atleastIknowwhoIwaswhenIgotupthismorning,butIthinkImusthavebeenchangedseveraltimessincethen." 

           "Whatdoyoumeanbythat? "saidtheCaterpillar,sternly. "Explainyourself!" 

           "Ican’texplainmyself,I’mafraid,Sir,"saidAlice,"becauseI’mnotmyself,yousee." 

           "Idon’tsee,"saidtheCaterpillar. 

           "I’mafraidIcan’tputitmoreclearly,"Alicereplied,verypolitely,"forIcan’tunderstanditmyself,tobeginwith; andbeingsomanydifferentsizesinadayisveryconfusing." 

           "Itisn’t,"saidtheCaterpillar. 

           "Well,perhapsyouhaven’tfounditsoyet,"saidAlice; "butwhenyouhavetoturnintoachrysalis—youwillsomeday,youknow—andthenafterthatintoabutterfly,Ishouldthinkyou’llfeelitalittlequeer,won’tyou?" 

           "Notabit,"saidtheCaterpillar.