Аліса в Країні чудес
Pig and Pepper
secondly,becausethey’remakingsuchanoiseinside,noonecouldpossiblyhearyou. ’Andcertainlytherewasamostextraordinarynoisegoingonwithin —aconstanthowlingandsneezing,andeverynowandthenagreatcrash,asifadishorkettlehadbeenbrokentopieces.
‘Please,then,’saidAlice,‘howamItogetin?’
‘Theremightbesomesenseinyourknocking,’theFootmanwentonwithoutattendingtoher,‘ifwehadthedoorbetweenus. Forinstance,ifyouwereinside,youmightknock,andIcouldletyouout,youknow. ’Hewaslookingupintotheskyallthetimehewasspeaking,andthisAlicethoughtdecidedlyuncivil. ‘Butperhapshecan’thelpit,’shesaidtoherself; ‘hiseyesaresoverynearlyatthetopofhishead. Butatanyratehemightanswerquestions. —HowamItogetin? ’sherepeated,aloud.
‘Ishallsithere,’theFootmanremarked,‘tilltomorrow—’
Atthismomentthedoorofthehouseopened,andalargeplatecameskimmingout,straightattheFootman’shead: itjustgrazedhisnose,andbroketopiecesagainstoneofthetreesbehindhim.
‘—ornextday,maybe,’theFootmancontinuedinthesametone,exactlyasifnothinghadhappened.
‘HowamItogetin? ’askedAliceagain,inaloudertone.
‘Areyoutogetinatall? ’saidtheFootman. ‘That’sthefirstquestion,youknow.’
Itwas,nodoubt: onlyAlicedidnotliketobetoldso. ‘It’sreallydreadful,’shemutteredtoherself,‘thewayallthecreaturesargue.