Аліса в Країні чудес
Pig and Pepper
"Don’tgrunt,"saidAlice; "that’snotatallaproperwayofexpressingyourself."
Thebabygruntedagain,andAlicelookedveryanxiouslyintoitsfacetoseewhatwasthematterwithit. Therecouldbenodoubtthatithadaveryturn-upnose,muchmorelikeasnoutthanarealnose: alsoitseyesweregettingextremelysmallforababy: altogetherAlicedidnotlikethelookofthethingatall. "Butperhapsitwasonlysobbing,"shethought,andlookedintoitseyesagain,toseeiftherewereanytears.
No,therewerenotears. "Ifyou’regoingtoturnintoapig,mydear,"saidAlice,seriously,"I’llhavenothingmoretodowithyou. Mindnow! "Thepoorlittlethingsobbedagain(orgrunted,itwasimpossibletosaywhich),andtheywentonforsomewhileinsilence.
Alicewasjustbeginningtothinktoherself,"Now,whatamItodowiththiscreature,whenIgetithome? "whenitgruntedagain,soviolently,thatshelookeddownintoitsfaceinsomealarm. Thistimetherecouldbenomistakeaboutit: itwasneithermorenorlessthanapig,andshefeltthatitwouldbequiteabsurdforhertocarryitanyfurther.
Soshesetthelittlecreaturedown,andfeltquiterelievedtoseeittrotawayquietlyintothewood. "Ifithadgrownup,"shesaidtoherself,"itwouldhavemadeadreadfullyuglychild: butitmakesratherahandsomepig,Ithink. "Andshebeganthinkingoverotherchildrensheknew,whomightdoverywellaspigs,andwasjustsayingtoherself "ifoneonlyknewtherightwaytochangethem —"whenshewasalittlestartledbyseeingtheCheshire-Catsittingonaboughofatreeafewyardsoff.
TheCatonlygrinnedwhenitsawAlice. Itlookedgoodnatured,shethought: stillithadverylongclawsandagreatmanyteeth,soshefeltthatitoughttobetreatedwithrespect.
