Humpty Dumpty

           However,theeggonlygotlargerandlarger,andmoreandmorehuman:whenshehadcomewithinafewyardsofit,shesawthatithadeyesandanoseandmouth;andwhenshehadcomeclosetoit,shesawclearlythatitwasHumptyDumptyhimself.‘Itcan’tbeanybodyelse!’shesaidtoherself.‘I’mascertainofit,asifhisnamewerewrittenalloverhisface.’

           Itmighthavebeenwrittenahundredtimes,easily,onthatenormousface.HumptyDumptywassittingwithhislegscrossed,likeaTurk,onthetopofahighwall—suchanarrowonethatAlicequitewonderedhowhecouldkeephisbalance—and,ashiseyesweresteadilyfixedintheoppositedirection,andhedidn’ttaketheleastnoticeofher,shethoughthemustbeastuffedfigureafterall.

           ‘Andhowexactlylikeaneggheis!’shesaidaloud,standingwithherhandsreadytocatchhim,forshewaseverymomentexpectinghimtofall.

           ‘It’sveryprovoking,’HumptyDumptysaidafteralongsilence,lookingawayfromAliceashespoke,‘tobecalledanegg—very!’

           ‘Isaidyoulookedlikeanegg,Sir,’Alicegentlyexplained.‘Andsomeeggsareverypretty,youknow’sheadded,hopingtoturnherremarkintoasortofacompliment.