Аліса в Задзеркаллі
Wool and Water
‘There’snousetrying,’shesaid:‘onecan’tbelieveimpossiblethings.’
‘Idaresayyouhaven’thadmuchpractice,’saidtheQueen.‘WhenIwasyourage,Ialwaysdiditforhalf-an-houraday.Why,sometimesI’vebelievedasmanyassiximpossiblethingsbeforebreakfast.Theregoestheshawlagain!’
Thebroochhadcomeundoneasshespoke,andasuddengustofwindblewtheQueen’sshawlacrossalittlebrook.TheQueenspreadoutherarmsagain,andwentflyingafterit,andthistimeshesucceededincatchingitforherself.‘I’vegotit!’shecriedinatriumphanttone.‘Nowyoushallseemepinitonagain,allbymyself!’
‘ThenIhopeyourfingerisbetternow?’Alicesaidverypolitely,asshecrossedthelittlebrookaftertheQueen.
‘Oh,muchbetter!’criedtheQueen,hervoicerisingtoasqueakasshewenton.‘Muchbe-etter!Be-etter!Be-e-e-etter!Be-e-ehh!’Thelastwordendedinalongbleat,solikeasheepthatAlicequitestarted.
ShelookedattheQueen,whoseemedtohavesuddenlywrappedherselfupinwool.Alicerubbedhereyes,andlookedagain.Shecouldn’tmakeoutwhathadhappenedatall.Wassheinashop?Andwasthatreally—wasitreallyasheepthatwassittingontheothersideofthecounter?Rubasshecould,shecouldmakenothingmoreofit:shewasinalittledarkshop,leaningwithherelbowsonthecounter,andoppositetoherwasanoldSheep,sittinginanarm-chairknitting,andeverynowandthenleavingofftolookatherthroughagreatpairofspectacles.
