Аліса в Задзеркаллі
Looking-Glass Insects
‘Iknowyouareafriend,thelittlevoicewenton;‘adearfriend,andanoldfriend.Andyouwon’thurtme,thoughIamaninsect.’
‘Whatkindofinsect?’Aliceinquiredalittleanxiously.Whatshereallywantedtoknowwas,whetheritcouldstingornot,butshethoughtthiswouldn’tbequiteacivilquestiontoask.
‘What,thenyoudon’t—’thelittlevoicebegan,whenitwasdrownedbyashrillscreamfromtheengine,andeverybodyjumpedupinalarm,Aliceamongtherest.
TheHorse,whohadputhisheadoutofthewindow,quietlydrewitinandsaid,‘It’sonlyabrookwehavetojumpover.’Everybodyseemedsatisfiedwiththis,thoughAlicefeltalittlenervousattheideaoftrainsjumpingatall.‘However,it’lltakeusintotheFourthSquare,that’ssomecomfort!’shesaidtoherself.Inanothermomentshefeltthecarriagerisestraightupintotheair,andinherfrightshecaughtatthethingnearesttoherhand,whichhappenedtobetheGoat’sbeard.
Butthebeardseemedtomeltawayasshetouchedit,andshefoundherselfsittingquietlyunderatree—whiletheGnat(forthatwastheinsectshehadbeentalkingto)wasbalancingitselfonatwigjustoverherhead,andfanningherwithitswings.
ItcertainlywasaverylargeGnat:‘aboutthesizeofachicken,’Alicethought.Still,shecouldn’tfeelnervouswithit,aftertheyhadbeentalkingtogethersolong.
‘—thenyoudon’tlikeallinsects?’theGnatwenton,asquietlyasifnothinghadhappened.
