Читать книгу Алиса в Стране чудес / Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland онлайн

After a time she heard some noise. She hastily dried her eyes to see what was coming. It was the White Rabbit. He was returning, with a pair of white gloves in one hand and a large fan in the other. He was muttering to himself, 'Oh! the Duchess, the Duchess! She will be angry. Oh! I can't be late!'

Alice began, in a low, timid voice, 'If you please, sir-'

The Rabbit dropped the white gloves and the fan, and ran away into the darkness.

Alice took up the fan and gloves. 'Dear, dear! How queer everything is today! And yesterday everything was as usual. Was I changed in the night? Let me think, who am I? Do I know the things that I used to know? Let me see: four times five is twelve, and four times six is thirteen, and four times seven is-oh dear! I shall never get to twenty at that rate[2]. Let's try Geography. London is the capital of Paris, and Paris is the capital of Rome, and Rome-no, that's all wrong, I'm certain! Who am I then?' cried Alice with tears, 'I am so tired!'

As she said this she looked down at her hands, and was surprised. She put on one of the Rabbit's little white gloves. 'How could I do that?' she thought. 'I am growing small again.'

She got up and went to the table. She was now about two feet high. The cause of this was the fan that she was holding, and she dropped it hastily.

And she ran back to the little door: but, alas! the little door was shut again, and the little golden key was lying on the glass table as before. Her foot slipped, and in another moment, splash! she was in salt water. She was in the pool of her own tears!

'I am drowning in my own tears!' said Alice, 'everything is queer today.'

Just then she heard a splash: at first she thought it was a walrus or hippopotamus, but then she remembered how small she was now, and she soon understood that it was only a mouse.

'Shall I' thought Alice, 'speak to this mouse? I'll try.' So she began: 'O Mouse, do you know the way out of this pool? I am very tired, O Mouse!'

The Mouse looked at her, but it said nothing.