ALICE IN WONDERLAND (Page 1/3)

Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll (1832-1898), pen name of English writer and mathematician, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, is best known for his enduring classics Alice in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking Glass (1875). Though apparently children's books, they have always attracted to all ages and have been distinguished as examples of verbal ability. His facility at word play, logic, and fantasy has delighted audiences ranging from the most nave to the most sophisticated. His works haveremained popular since they were published and have influenced not only children's literature, but also a number of major 20th century writers such as James Joyce and Jorge Luis Borges.

Three conversations from "A Mad Tea-Party"

CONVERSATION 1
Alice discovers the tea table in the countryside.

CHARACTERS: ALICE (Alicia); THE MAD HATTER (El Sombrerero) THE MARCH HARE (La Liebre de Marzo); THE DORMOUSE (El Lirn) ALICE MAD HATTER MARCH HARE DORMOUSE ALICE MARCH HARE ALICE MARCH HARE ALICE MARCH HARE ALICE MAD HATTER ALICE MAD HATTER ALICE (approaching the tea table) Ah... tea.

No room! No room! No room! There's plenty of room! I'll sit here. Have some wine. I don't see any wine. There isn't any. Then it wasn't very civil of you to offer it. It wasn't very civil of you to sit down without being invited. I didn't know it was your table. It's laid for a great many more than three. Your hair wants cutting. You should learn not to make personal remarks. It's very rude. Why is a raven like a writing-desk? I believe I can answer that.

MARCH HARE ALICE MARCH HARE ALICE MAD HATTER MARCH HARE DORMOUSE MAD HATTER ALICE MAD HATTER MARCH HARE ALICE MARCH HARE DORMOUSE

Do you mean that you think you can find out the answer to it? Exactly so. Then you should say what you mean. I do... at least I mean what I say. That's the same thing, you know. Not the same thing a bit! Why, you might just as well say that "I see what I eat" is the same thing as "I eat what I see"! You might just as well say that "I like what I get" is the same thing as "I get what I like"! You might just as well say that "I breathe when I sleep" is the same thing as "I sleep when I breathe"! It is the same thing with you. Have you guessed the riddle yet? No, I give up. What's the answer? I haven't the slightest idea. Nor I. Suppose we change the subject. (yawning) I'm getting tired of this. I vote the young lady tells us a story. I'm afraid I don't know one. Then the Dormouse shall! Wake up, the Dormouse! (slowly opening his eyes) I wasn't asleep. I heard every word you fellows were saying.

GLOSSARY
pen name: an author's pseudonym (seudnimo) enduring: with persistent success (de xito permanente) ranging from: ranking or extending from(extendindose desde) nave: with unaffected simplicity (simples, ingenuos) remained: continued (permanecido) approaching: coming closer to (acercndose a) no room: there's no room (no hay sitio, no hay lugar) plenty of: a lot of, a full supply, a large number(mucho) it wasn't very civil of you: it wasn't very polite of you, it was rude of you (no fue muy correcto de tu parte) without being invited: ING verb after preposition(sin haber sido invitada) laid: set down (puesta, tendida, servida) a great many more than three: emphatic comparative (para muchas ms de tres personas) your hair wants cutting: you need a haircut, your hair is too long (tienes que cortarte el pelo) you should learn: you ought to learn (SHOULD expresses an emotional, practical, or other reason for doing something) (deberas aprender) personal remarks: personal comments(observaciones tan personales) rude: socially incorrect in behavior (maleducado, de mala educacin) writing-desk: a desk for writing, usually with a sloping top (escritorio) I believe I can answer that: I believe I know the answer to that riddle (creo que conozco la solucin, creo que puedo responderlo) find out: discover (descubrir) exactly so: that is what I mean (as es) at least: used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement (al menos, por lo menos) a bit: (here) at all (de ninguna manera) you might just as well say: MIGHT expressing possibility (sera lo mismo decir) I breathe: I expel air (yo respiro) guessed: solved (adivinado) riddle: brain-teaser, a difficult problem (acertijo, adivinanza) I give up: I quit, I stop insisting (me doy por vencida) the slightest idea: the faintest idea (la menor idea) nor I: neither do I (yo tampoco) the subject: the topic (el tema de conversacin) yawning: intaking air through a wide open mouth (bostezando) I vote: I express my preference for (propongo que) wake up: stop sleeping (despirtate) asleep: into a sleeping state (dormido) you fellows: you pals, you my friends (que ustedes

raven /rivn/: large black bird with a straight bill and long wedge-shaped tail (cuervo)

amigos)

MAD HATTER ALICE MAD HATTER MARCH HARE MAD HATTER

What day of the month is it? Um... The fourth. Two days wrong! (looking angrily at the March Hare) I told youbutter wouldn't suit the works! It was the best butter. Yes, but some crumbs must have got in as well. (grumbling)You shouldn't have put it in with the bread-knife. (dipping the watch in his cup of tea) It was the best butter, you know. What a funny watch! It tells the day of the month, and doesn't tellwhat o'clock it is! Why should it? Does your watch tell you what year it is? Of course not... But that's because it stays the same year for such a long time together. Which is just the case with mine. (as politely as she can) I don't quite understand you.

MARCH HARE ALICE MAD HATTER ALICE MAD HATTER ALICE

GLOSSARY
two days wrong: an error of two days (dos das de error) butter wouldn't suit the works: butter was not good for the watch machinery (que la manteca no le hace bien a la maquinaria) crumbs: small pieces of bread (migas, migajas) grumbling: making complaining remarks or noises under his breath (gruendo) must have got in as well: they may also have got inside (deben haberse metido tambin) bread-knife: a knife used to cut bread (cuchillo para el pan) dipping: immersing briefly into a liquid(sumergiendo) what o'clock it is: the real time it is (qu hora exacta es) it stays the same year: the year is the same for such as long time (permanece en el mismo ao) politely: in a polite manner, with politeness(educadamente, con educacin) I don't quite understand you: I can't understand what you mean (no acabo de comprenderte)

DORMOUSE MARCH HARE ALICE MAD HATTER

(slowly opened his eyes) I wasn't asleep. I heard every word you fellows were saying. Tell us a story! Yes, please do! And be quick about it or you'll be asleep again before it's done.

DORMOUSE

Once upon a time there were three little sisters and their names were Elsie, Lacie, and Tillie; and they lived at the bottom of a well... What did they live on? They lived on treacle. They couldn't have done that, you know. They'd have been ill. So they were; very ill. But why did they live at the bottom of a well? It was a treacle-well. There's not such thing.

ALICE DORMOUSE ALICE DORMOUSE ALICE DORMOUSE ALICE MAD HATTER MARCH HARE DORMOUSE DORMOUSE ALICE DORMOUSE ALICE DORMOUSE ALICE MAD HATTER

Shh... Shh... Shh... (sulkily remarking) If you can't be civil, you'd better finish the story for yourself. No, please go on! I won't interrupt you again. I dare say there may be one. One, indeed! And so these three little sisters... they were learningto draw, you know... What did they draw? Treacle. I don't understand. Where did they draw treacle from? You can draw water out of a water-well, so I should think you could draw treacle out of a treacle-well... eh, stupid? But they were in the well! Of course they were... well in. (they laugh) They were learning to draw and they drew all manner of things... everything that begins with an M. Why with an M? Why not? That begins with an M, such as mouse-traps, and the moon, and memory, and muchness... you know you say things are "much of a muchness". Did you ever see such a thing as a drawing of a muchness? Really, now you ask me, I don't think... If you don't think, you shouldn't talk. I've had enough of this rudeness. I'll never come here again! It's the stupidest tea-party I was ever at in

ALICE DORMOUSE

ALICE MARCH HARE DORMOUSE

ALICE MAD HATTER ALICE

all my life! (Alice leaves the table)

GLOSSARY
asleep: into a sleeping state (dormido) you fellows: you pals, you my friends (que ustedes amigos) and be quick about it: and hurry up (aprate, date prisa) before it's done: before you have finished with the story (antes de haber terminado) once upon a time there were: on one occasion there were (haba una vez) at the bottom of a well: in the lowest part of deep hole used to contain liquid (en el fondo de un pozo) what did they live on?: pay attention to preposition ON closing the question (de qu vivan, de qu se alimentaban?) treacle: cane syrup (melaza) they lived on treacle: comi (vivan de, se alimentaban de melaza) they'd have been ill: they would have been ill(se habran enfermado) so they were: and that is what happened exactly (y as fue) treacle-well: a well containing treacle (un pozo de melaza) there's not such thing: such thing does not exist (no existe tal cosa) sulkily remarking: adding with ill humor(rezongando indignado) civil: polite (educada) you'd better: it would be better (sera mejor que) go on: continue, keep on (prosigue, contina) I dare say: I could possibly say that (yo dira que) one, indeed!: of course, there exists one! (claro que existe uno!) to draw: this verb has two meanings: a) to represent by making a drawing on a surface(dibujar); b) to move along the ground by pulling(extraer). In his story, Carroll uses these two senses like a word game. where did they draw treacle from?: pay attention to preposition FROM closing the question (de dnde extraan la melaza?) water-well: a well containing water (un pozo de agua) they were in the well (estaban dentro del pozo)and they were well in (gozaban de buena salud): Carroll uses these use two phrases like word games: they were in the well means "they were inside the well" and they were well in is a slang expression (to be well in) meaning "to prosper, to gain in health". all manner of things: all kind, all sort of things(todo tipo de cosas) mouse-traps: a trap for catching mice(matarratas, ratoneras) the moon: the satellite of the Earth (la Luna) muchness: greatness of quantity (mucho) much of a muchness: one of famous Carroll's word games (poco ms o menos lo mismo) rudeness: insulting manner (mala educacin) I was ever at: I have ever been to (a la que haya asistido)

THE MAGIC ROOM

Sue Clarke

It was a wet, rainy day in the school holidays. Poppy looked out of the window at the rain and thought about her parents.

They were on a long holiday travelling round the world. They said Poppy was too young to go. So Poppy was staying with her Aunt Bella in her funny old house with lots of rooms and strange noises. Today Poppy was bored. She was all alone Aunt Bella was out shopping. It was the third week of the holidays and it had rained all the time. Poppy knew all the

parts of the house and garden now. Downstairs there was a big living-room with squashy old chairs and the television. Next to that was the dusty dining-room with its enormous table and chairs. The dining-room was red and there were many old books in the bookcases, but they were not very exciting. The room smelt strange and Poppy didnt like it. At the back of the house was the kitchen. That room was better it was warm and full of delicious cooking smells. Upstairs were the bedrooms. Aunt Bella's room was at the front and Poppy's room was at the back. She could see the garden with its apple trees and flowers. Today it was too wet to play outside. The bedrooms were cold and there wasn't much furniture. In Poppy's room there was only a bed, a small table and a wardrobe for clothes. At the end of the corridor there were stairs. It was very dark in the corridor but Poppy decided to look upstairs. Maybe there was something interesting in the attic. She felt slowly in the dark and saw a spider hanging in its web. One step, two more steps, then she arrived at the top. There was an old door. Poppy turned the key - it was difficult. She heard a click and the door opened as if by magic. She couldn't believe her eyes. Poppy stepped into the strangest room she had ever seen. The walls were changing colour and were decorated with sparkly silver and gold stars and moons. First blue, then pink, then purple and gold mixed together. It was like liquid colour. The furniture was strange too. On the left was a sofa - but it wasn't on the floor! It was hanging in the air and moved around the room. Other chairs and tables moved around or stopped on the ceiling. In the middle of the room was a table and two chairs. They weren't moving very much so Poppy sat down at the table. Immediately the table was covered with delicious food - cakes and jellies and icecream. Poppy took a cake and tasted it. Mmmm! Heavenly! A taste out of this world! The walls changed colour and she watched them. The colour became darker and she switched on the gold lamp next to the table. As she did she heard a sound 'Whoooosh!' and the room was filled with smoke, so she couldn't see very well. After a minute she saw a person appear, and then she saw it was a boy. "Hi," he said. "I am the genie of the lamp. Who are you?" "I'm Poppy," she replied, "but you don't look like a genie." The boy stood there in front of her. He was wearing a designer T-shirt and jeans, very expensive trainers, and a baseball cap on his head. '"No," he said, "I suppose I don't. I got bored with all that red and gold stuff, and after two thousand years my clothes were really old, so I got some new ones." "How do I know you are a real genie?" said Poppy.

The boy looked at her. He muttered a kind of spell. "Hocuspocusinversus" And then suddenly Poppy was in the air. She flew very fast around the room and then she stood on the ceiling. "Okay! I believe you," she shouted. "Get me down!" Poppy floated down to the floor and landed softly. "So, what's your problem? How many wishes do you want?" "Me?'" said Poppy. "I haven't got any problems!" But her face was red. Then she sat on the floating sofa and told the cool genie how lonely she was. She told him about the rain, and feeling sad. She told him about having no friends. The cool genie just nodded his head. Sometimes he muttered some strange words - like 'Solusincanta' - but mostly he just listened. When Poppy finished her story she felt better. The cool genie stood up and said, "Well, bye - I must go now!" The smoky cloud appeared again. Then suddenly he was gone. Poppy went out of the room and back down into the house. She looked out of her bedroom window and the sun was shining. She went downstairs and found a postcard from her parents. It said 'Darling Poppy, Miss you, Back next week, Love Mum and Dad.' Then the front door banged and she heard Aunt Bella arriving with her shopping. "I've got a surprise for you, Poppy," she said. She gave Poppy a box. A strange noise was coming from inside. Poppy opened the box and found a cute little puppy. He looked at her with big eyes and barked 'hello'. Poppy smiled. She felt so happy. She went out into the garden to play with her new puppy. The next day Poppy decided to say 'Thank you' to the genie. She went upstairs towards the attic and opened the door. But there was nothing there except a dark old room with a few boxes. Poppy stared in amazement. "Oh well," she said. "Who needs magic anyway?"