Аліса в Задзеркаллі

           ‘Whatdoyoumeanby"IfyoureallyareaQueen"?Whatrighthaveyoutocallyourselfso?Youcan’tbeaQueen,youknow,tillyou’vepassedtheproperexamination.Andthesoonerwebeginit,thebetter.’

           ‘Ionlysaid"if"!’poorAlicepleadedinapiteoustone.

           ThetwoQueenslookedateachother,andtheRedQueenremarked,withalittleshudder,‘Shesayssheonlysaid"if"—’

           ‘Butshesaidagreatdealmorethanthat!’theWhiteQueenmoaned,wringingherhands.‘Oh,eversomuchmorethanthat!’

           ‘Soyoudid,youknow,’theRedQueensaidtoAlice.‘Alwaysspeakthetruth—thinkbeforeyouspeak—andwriteitdownafterwards.’

           ‘I’msureIdidn’tmean—’Alicewasbeginning,buttheRedQueeninterruptedherimpatiently.

           ‘That’sjustwhatIcomplainof!Youshouldhavemeant!Whatdoyousupposeistheuseofchildwithoutanymeaning?Evenajokeshouldhavesomemeaning—andachild’smoreimportantthanajoke,Ihope.Youcouldn’tdenythat,evenifyoutriedwithbothhands.’

           ‘Idon’tdenythingswithmyhands,’Aliceobjected.

           ‘Nobodysaidyoudid,’saidtheRedQueen.‘Isaidyoucouldn’tifyoutried.’

           ‘She’sinthatstateofmind,’saidtheWhiteQueen,‘thatshewantstodenysomething—onlyshedoesn’tknowwhattodeny!’

           ‘Anasty,vicioustemper,’theRedQueenremarked;andthentherewasanuncomfortablesilenceforaminuteortwo.