Аліса в Задзеркаллі
Wool and Water
‘Whatisityouwanttobuy?’theSheepsaidatlast,lookingupforamomentfromherknitting.
‘Idon’tquiteknowyet,’Alicesaid,verygently.‘Ishouldliketolookallroundmefirst,ifImight.’
‘Youmaylookinfrontofyou,andonbothsides,ifyoulike,’saidtheSheep:‘butyoucan’tlookallroundyou—unlessyou’vegoteyesatthebackofyourhead.’
Butthese,asithappened,Alicehadnotgot:soshecontentedherselfwithturninground,lookingattheshelvesasshecametothem.
Theshopseemedtobefullofallmannerofcuriousthings—buttheoddestpartofitallwas,thatwhenevershelookedhardatanyshelf,tomakeoutexactlywhatithadonit,thatparticularshelfwasalwaysquiteempty:thoughtheothersrounditwerecrowdedasfullastheycouldhold.
‘Thingsflowaboutsohere!’shesaidatlastinaplaintivetone,aftershehadspentaminuteorsoinvainlypursuingalargebrightthing,thatlookedsometimeslikeadollandsometimeslikeawork-box,andwasalwaysintheshelfnextabovetheoneshewaslookingat.‘Andthisoneisthemostprovokingofall—butI’lltellyouwhat—’sheadded,asasuddenthoughtstruckher,‘I’llfollowituptotheverytopshelfofall.It’llpuzzleittogothroughtheceiling,Iexpect!’
Buteventhisplanfailed:the‘thing’wentthroughtheceilingasquietlyaspossible,asifitwerequiteusedtoit.
‘Areyouachildorateetotum?’theSheepsaid,asshetookupanotherpairofneedles.
