Алиса в Зазеркалье / Through the Looking-glass, and What Alice Found There

“Then you’ll know why.”

Alice did so. “It’s very hard,” she said.

“In most gardens,” the Tiger-lily said, “the flower-beds are too soft … so that the flowers are always asleep.”

This sounded like a very good reason. “I never thought of that before!” said Alice. “Are there any more people in the garden besides me?”

“There’s one other flower in the garden that can move like you,” said the Rose.

Alice thought there was another little girl in the garden somewhere.

“Does she ever come here?” she asked.

“I think you will see her soon,” said the Rose. “She has thorns.”

“Where does she wear the thorns?” Alice asked with some curiosity.

“All round her head, of course,” the Rose replied. “I wonder why you haven’t got them. Oh, she’s coming! I hear her footsteps!”

Alice looked round, and saw that it was the Red Queen. She decided to talk to her.

“You can’t do that,” said the Rose. “You should walk the other way[10 - You should walk the other way.

“Nonsense”, Alice thought, so she said nothing, and went towards the Red Queen.

“Where do you come from?” asked the Red Queen. “And where are you going? Look up, speak nicely, and don’t twiddle your fingers!”

Alice explained that she was lost.

“But why did you come here at all? Curtsey while you’re thinking what to say, it saves time[11 - Curtsey while you’re thinking what to say, it saves time – Делай реверанс, пока думаешь, что сказать – это экономит время.

“I only wanted to see the garden, your Majesty … and I thought I’d try and find my way to the top of that hill …”

“When you say �hill’,” the Queen said, “I can show you hills, in comparison with which you will call that a valley.”

Alice curtseyed again, because she was afraid that the Queen could be offended.

For some time Alice stood and said nothing, looking out in all directions over the country.

“It is just like a large chess-board!” Alice said at last. “It’s a great huge game of chess. Oh, what fun it is! I would like even to be a Pawn, if only I can join … although, of course, I’d like to be a Queen!”

The Red Queen only smiled, and said, “That’s easy.