Alice In Wonderland: Chapters 5 And 6

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Alice In Wonderland: Chapters 5 And 6

by Mandy Sutter

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In Chapters 5 and 6 of Alice in Wonderland, we rejoin Alice as she meets a Caterpillar sitting on a large mushroom smoking a hookah. Get comfy and settle down to enjoy tonight's reading from this classic fantasy tale written by Lewis Carroll in 1865.

Storytelling Creativity Transformation Self Discovery Emotional Regulation Fantasy Story Narrative Storytelling Bilateral Stimulation Bedtime Stories Transformation Themes Whimsy

Meet your Teacher

Ilkley, UK

Meet your Teacher

Ilkley, UK

Transcript

Hello there, My name's Mandy and I'm really pleased that you've chosen to join me tonight. We're going to hear chapters five and six of Alice in Wonderland, The well-known fantasy story. It was written in 1865 by the Reverend Charles Ludwig Dodgson, Who used the pseudonym we're all more familiar with, Lewis Carroll. When he wrote the novel way back when in Victorian England, I'm sure he'd have been astonished to know that people from all around the world would still be listening to and enjoying his story 150 years later. But back to tonight, Please feel free to sink down gently into whatever surface you're lying on or sitting on. Take a few slow deep breaths and make yourself really comfortable as we settle down to enjoy this dreamy surreal tale. Chapter five, Advice from a Caterpillar. The caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in silence. At last the caterpillar took the hooker out of its mouth and addressed her in a languid sleepy voice. Who are you? Said the caterpillar. This wasn't an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied rather shyly, I hardly know sir, Just at present. At least I know who I was when I got up this morning, But I think I must have been changed several times since then. What do you mean by that? Said the caterpillar sternly. Explain yourself. I can't explain myself I'm afraid sir, Said Alice, Because I'm not myself you see. I don't see, Said the caterpillar. I'm afraid I can't put it more clearly, Alice replied very politely, For I can't understand it myself to begin with and being so many different sizes in one day is very confusing. It isn't, Said the caterpillar. Well perhaps you haven't found it so yet, Said Alice, But when you have to turn into a chrysalis, You will someday you know, And then after that into a butterfly, I should think you'll feel it a little bit strange won't you? Not a bit, Said the caterpillar. Well perhaps your feelings may be different, Said Alice. All I know is it would feel very strange to me. You, Said the caterpillar contemptuously. Who are you? Which brought them back to the beginning of the conversation again. Alice felt a little irritated at the caterpillars making such very short remarks and she drew herself up and said very gravely, I think you ought to tell me who you are first. Why? Said the caterpillar. Here was another puzzling question and as Alice could not think of any good reason and as the caterpillar seemed to be in a very unpleasant state of mind, She turned away. Come back, The caterpillar called after her. I've something important to say. This sounded promising, Certainly. Alice turned and came back again. Keep your temper, Said the caterpillar. Is that all? Said Alice, Swallowing down her anger as well as she could. No, Said the caterpillar. Alice thought she might as well wait. She had nothing else to do and perhaps after all, It might tell her something worth hearing. For some minutes it puffed away without speaking but at last it unfolded its arms, Took the hooker out of its mouth again and said, So you think you're changed, Do you? I'm afraid I am, Sir, Said Alice. I can't remember things as I used to and I don't keep the same size for 10 minutes together. Can't remember what things, Said the caterpillar. Well, I've tried to say how doth the little busy bee but it all came out different, Alice replied in a very melancholy voice. Repeat, You are old father William, Said the caterpillar. So Alice folded her hands and began. You are old father William, The young man said, And your hair has become very white and yet you incessantly stand on your head. Do you think at your age that is right? In my youth, Father William replied to his son, I feared it might injure the brain but now that I'm perfectly sure I have none, Why I do it again and again. You are old, Said the youth, As I mentioned before and have grown most uncommonly fat yet you turned a back somersault in at the door. Pray, What is the reason of that? In my youth, Said the sage as he shook his grey locks, I kept all my limbs very supple by the use of this ointment, One shilling the box. Allow me to sell you a couple. You are old, Said the youth, And your jaws are too weak for anything tougher than suet, Yet you finished the goose with the bones and the beak. Pray, How did you manage to do it? In my youth, Said his father, I took to the law and argued each case with my wife and the muscular strength which it gave to my jaw has lasted the rest of my life. You are old, Said the youth, One would hardly suppose that your eye was as steady as ever, Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose. What made you so awfully clever? I have answered three questions and that is enough, Said his father, Don't give yourself airs. Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff? Be off or I'll kick you downstairs. That is not said right, Said the caterpillar. Not quite right, I'm afraid, Said Alice, Timidly. Some of the words have got altered. It is wrong from beginning to end, Said the caterpillar, And there was silence for some minutes. The caterpillar was the first to speak. What size do you want to be, It asked. Oh, I'm not particular as to size, Alice replied hastily, Only one doesn't like changing so often, You know. I don't know, Said the caterpillar. Alice said nothing. She had never been so much contradicted in her life before and she felt she was losing her temper. Are you content now, Said the caterpillar? Well, I should like to be a little larger, Sir, If you wouldn't mind, Said Alice. Three inches is such a wretched height to be. It is a very good height indeed, Said the caterpillar, Angrily, Rearing itself upright as it spoke. It was exactly three inches high. But I'm not used to it, Pleaded poor Alice in a piteous tone, And she thought to herself, I wish the creatures wouldn't be so easily offended. You'll get used to it in time, Said the caterpillar, And it put the hooker into its mouth and began smoking again. This time, Alice waited patiently until it chose to speak again. In a minute or two, It took the hooker out of its mouth and yawned once or twice and shook itself. Then it got down off the mushroom and crawled away in the grass, Merely remarking as it went, One side will make you grow taller and the other side will make you grow shorter. One side of what? The other side of what? Thought Alice to herself. Of the mushroom, Said the caterpillar, Just as if she had asked it aloud, And in another moment it was out of sight. Alice remained looking thoughtfully at the mushroom for a minute, Trying to make out which were the two sides of it, And as it was perfectly round, She found this a very difficult question. However, At last, She stretched her arms around it as far as they would go and broke off a bit of the edge with each hand. And now which is which? She said to herself, And nibbled a little of the right hand bit to try the effect. The next moment she felt a violent blow underneath her chin. It had struck her foot. She was a good deal frightened by this very sudden change, But she felt there was no time to be lost as she was shrinking rapidly. So she set to work at once to eat some of the other bit. Her chin was pressed so closely against her foot that there was hardly room to open her mouth. But she did it at last and managed to swallow a morsel of the left hand bit. Come, My head's free at last, Said Alice in a tone of delight, Which changed into alarm in another moment when she found that her shoulders were nowhere to be found. All she could see when she looked down was an immense length of neck, Which seemed to rise like a stalk out of a sea of green leaves that lay far below her. Can all that green stuff be, Said Alice, And where have my shoulders got to? And oh, My poor hands, How is it I can't see you? She was moving them about as she spoke, But no result seemed to follow except a little shaking among the distant green leaves. As there seemed to be no chance of getting her hands up to her head, She tried to get her head down to them and was delighted to find that her neck would bend about easily in any direction, Like a serpent. She had just succeeded in curving it down into a graceful zigzag and was going to dive in among the leaves, Which she found to be nothing but the tops of the trees under which she'd been wandering. When a sharp hiss made her draw back in a hurry, A large pigeon had flown into her face and was beating her violently with its wings. Serpent, Screamed the pigeon. I'm not a serpent, Said Alice indignantly, Leave me alone. Serpent, I say again, Repeated the pigeon, But in a more subdued tone and added with a kind of sob, I've tried every way and nothing seems to suit them. I haven't the least idea what you're talking about, Said Alice. I've tried the roots of trees and I've tried banks and I've tried hedges, The pigeon went on, But those serpents, There's no pleasing them. Alice was more and more puzzled, But she thought there was no use in saying anything more until the pigeon had finished. As if it wasn't trouble enough, Hatching the eggs, Said the pigeon, But I must be on the lookout for serpents night and day. Why, I haven't had a wink of sleep these three weeks. I'm very sorry you've been annoyed, Said Alice, Who was beginning to see its meaning. And just as I'd taken the highest tree in the wood, Continued the pigeon, Raising its voice to a shriek, And just as I was thinking I should be free of them at last, They must needs come wriggling down from the sky. Oh, Oh serpent, But I'm not a serpent. I tell you, Said Alice, I'm a, I'm a. . . Well what are you, Said the pigeon. I can see you're trying to invent something. I'm, I'm a little girl, Said Alice, Rather doubtfully, As she remembered the number of changes she had gone through that day. A likely story indeed, Said the pigeon, In a tone of the deepest contempt. I've seen a good many little girls in my time, But never one with such a neck as that. No, You're a serpent, And there's no use denying it. I suppose you'll be telling me next that you've never tasted an egg. I have tasted eggs, Certainly, Said Alice, Who was a very truthful child. But little girls eat eggs quite as much as serpents do, You know. I don't believe it, Said the pigeon, But if they do, Why then, They're a kind of serpent. That's all I can say. This was such a new idea to Alice that she was quite silent for a minute or two, Which gave the pigeon the opportunity of adding. You're looking for eggs, I know that well enough, And what does it matter to me whether you're a little girl or a serpent? It matters a good deal to me, Said Alice, Hastily, But I'm not looking for eggs, As it happens, And if I was, I shouldn't want yours. I don't like them raw. Well, Be off then, Said the pigeon, In a sulky tone, As it settled down again into its nest. Alice crouched down among the trees as well as she could, For her neck kept getting in tangled among the branches, And every now and then she had to stop and untwist it. After a while, She remembered that she still held the pieces of mushroom in her hands. She set to work very carefully, Nibbling first at one and then at the other, Growing sometimes taller and sometimes shorter, Until she had succeeded in bringing herself down to her usual height. It was so long since she'd been anything near the right size that it felt quite strange at first, But she got used to it in a few minutes and began talking to herself as usual. Come, There's half my plan done now. How puzzling all these changes are. I'm never sure what I'm going to be from one minute to another. However, I've got back down to my right size. The next thing is to get into that little garden. How is that to be done, I wonder? As she said this, She came suddenly upon an open place with a little house in it, About four feet high. Whoever lives there, Thought Alice, It'll never do to come upon them this size. Why, I should frighten them out of their wits. So she began nibbling at the right hand bit again and did not venture to go near the house till she had brought herself down to nine inches high. Chapter six, Pig and Pepper. For a minute or two, Alice stood looking at the house and wondering what to do next, When suddenly a footman in livery came running out of the wood. She considered him to be a footman because he was in livery. Otherwise, Judging by his face only, She would have called him a fish. He rapped loudly at the door with his knuckles. It was opened by another footman in livery with a round face and large eyes like a frog. And both footmen, Alice noticed, Had powdered hair that curled all over their heads. She felt very curious to know what this was all about and crept a little way out of the wood to listen. The fish footman began by producing from under his arm a great letter, Nearly as large as himself. And this he handed over to the other, Saying in a solemn tone, For the Duchess, An invitation from the Queen to play croquet. The frog footman repeated in the same solemn tone, Only changing the order of the words a little, From the Queen, An invitation for the Duchess to play croquet. Then they both bowed low and their curls got entangled together. Alice laughed so much at this that she had to run back into the wood for fear of their hearing her. And when she next peeped out, The fish footman was gone and the other was sitting on the ground near the door, Staring stupidly up into the sky. Alice went timidly up to the door and knocked. There's no sort of use in knocking, Said the footman, And that for two reasons. First, Because I'm on the same side of the door as you are. Secondly, Because they're making such a noise inside, No one could possibly hear you. And certainly there was a most extraordinary noise going on within. A constant howling and sneezing and every now and then a great crash, As if a dish or kettle had been broken to pieces. Please then, Said Alice, How am I to get in? There might be some sense in your knocking, The footman said. But Alice said, There might be some sense in your knocking, The footman went on without attending to her, If we had the door between us. For instance, If you were inside, You might knock and I could let you out, You know. He was looking up into the sky all the time he was speaking. And this Alice thought decidedly uncivil. But perhaps he can't help it, She said to herself. His eyes are so very nearly at the top of his head. But at any rate, He might answer questions. How am I to get in? She repeated aloud. I shall sit here, The footman remarked, Until tomorrow. At this moment, The door of the house opened and a large plate came skimming out straight at the footman's head. It just grazed his nose and broke to pieces against one of the trees behind him. Or next day, Maybe, The footman continued in the same tone, Exactly as if nothing had happened. How am I to get in? Asked Alice again in a louder tone. Are you to get in at all? Said the footman. That's the first question, You know. It was no doubt. Only Alice did not like to be told so. It's really dreadful, She muttered to herself. The way all these creatures argue. It's enough to drive one crazy. The footman seemed to think this was a good opportunity for repeating his remark with variations. I shall sit here, He said, On and off for days and days. But what am I to do? Said Alice. Anything you like, Said the footman and began whistling. Oh, There's no use in talking to him, Said Alice. He's perfectly idiotic. And she opened the door and went in. The door led right into a large kitchen which was full of smoke from one end to the other. The Duchess was sitting on a three-legged stool in the middle, Nursing a baby. The cook was leaning over the fire, Stirring a large cauldron which seemed to be full of soup. There's certainly too much pepper in that soup, Alice said to herself, As well as she could for sneezing. There was certainly too much of it in the air. Even the Duchess sneezed occasionally. And as for the baby, It was sneezing and howling alternately, Without a moment's pause. The only things in the kitchen that did not sneeze were the cook and a large cat which was sitting on the hearth, Grinning from ear to ear. Please would you tell me, Said Alice, A little timidly, For she wasn't quite sure whether it was good manners for her to speak first. Why your cat grins like that? It's the Cheshire cat, Said the Duchess, And that's why. Pig! She said the last word with such sudden violence that Alice quite jumped, But she saw in another moment that it was addressed to the baby and not to her. So she took courage and went on again. I didn't know that Cheshire cats always grinned. In fact, I didn't know that cats could grin. They all can, Said the Duchess, And most of them do. I don't know of any that do, Alice said very politely, Feeling quite pleased to have got into a conversation. You don't know much, Said the Duchess, And that's a fact. Alice didn't like the tone of this remark and thought it would be as well to introduce some other subject of conversation. While she was trying to fix on one, The cook took the cauldron of soup off the fire and at once set to work throwing everything within her reach at the Duchess and the baby. The fire irons came first, Then followed a shower of saucepan's plates and dishes. The Duchess took no notice of them, Even when they hit her, And the baby was howling so much already that it was quite impossible to say whether the blows hurt it or not. Please mind what you're doing, Cried Alice, Jumping up and down in an agony of terror. Oh, There goes his precious nose, As an unusually large saucepan flew close by it and very nearly carried it off. If everybody minded their own business, The Duchess said in a hoarse growl, The world would go round a deal faster than it does, Which would not be an advantage, Said Alice, Who felt very glad to get an opportunity to show off a little of her knowledge. Just think of what work it would make with the day and night. You see, The earth takes 24 hours to turn round on its axis. Talking of axes, Said the Duchess, Chop off her head. Alice glanced rather anxiously at the cook to see if she meant to take the hint, But the cook was busily stirring the soup and seemed not to be listening. So Alice went on again, 24 hours I think, Or is it 12? Oh, Don't bother me, Said the Duchess. I never could abide figures. And with that, She began nursing her child again, Singing a sort of lullaby to it as she did so, Giving it a violent shake at the end of every line. Speak roughly to your little boy and beat him when he sneezes. He only does it to annoy because he know it teases. Wow, Wow, Wow. While the Duchess sang the second verse of the song, She kept tossing the baby violently up and down and the poor little thing howled so that Alice could hardly hear the words. I speak severely to my boy. I beat him when he sneezes, For he can thoroughly enjoy the pepper when he pleases. Wow, Wow, Wow. Here, You may nurse it a bit if you like, The Duchess said to Alice, Flinging the baby at her as she spoke. I must go and get ready to play croquet with the Queen. And she hurried out of the room. The cook threw a frying pan after her as she went out, But it just missed her. Alice caught the baby with some difficulty as it was a queer-shaped little creature and held out its arms and legs in all directions, Just like starfish, Thought Alice. The poor little thing was snorting like a steam engine when she caught it and kept doubling itself up and straightening itself out again, So that altogether for the first minute or two, It was as much as she could do to hold it. As soon as she had made out the proper way of nursing it, Which was to twist it up into a sort of knot and then keep tight hold of its right ear and left foot so as to prevent its undoing itself, She carried it out into the open air. If I don't take this child away with me, Thought Alice, They're sure to kill it in a day or two. Wouldn't it be murder if I left it behind? She said the last words out loud and the little thing grunted in reply. It had left off sneezing by this time. Don't grunt, Said Alice, That's not at all a proper way of expressing yourself. The baby grunted again and Alice looked very anxiously into its face to see what was the matter. There could be no doubt that it had a very turned up nose, More like a snout than a real nose. Also its eyes were getting extremely small for a baby. Altogether Alice didn't like the look of the thing at all, But perhaps it was only sobbing, She thought, And looked into its eyes again to see if there were any tears. No, There were no tears. If you're going to turn into a pig, My dear, Said Alice, Seriously, I'll have nothing more to do with you. Mind now. The poor little thing sobbed again, Or grunted, It was impossible to say which, And they went on for some while in silence. Alice was just beginning to think to herself, What am I to do with this creature when I get it home, When it grunted again so violently that she looked down into its face in some alarm. This time there could be no mistake, It was neither more nor less than a pig, And she felt it would be quite absurd for her to carry it further. So she set the little creature down and felt quite relieved to see it trot away quietly into the wood. If it had grown up, She said to herself, It would have made a dreadfully ugly child, But it makes rather a handsome pig, I think, And she began thinking over other children she knew who might do very well as pigs, And was just saying to herself, If one only knew the right way to change them. When she was a little startled by seeing the Cheshire cat sitting on a bar of a tree a few yards off, The cat only grinned when it saw Alice. It looked good-natured, She thought. Still, It had very long claws and a great many teeth, Though she felt it ought to be treated with respect. Cheshire Puss, She began, Rather timidly, As she did not at all know whether it would like the name. However, It only grinned a little wider. Come, It's pleased so far, Thought Alice, And she went on. Would you tell me, Please, Which way I ought to go from here? That depends a good deal on where you want to get to, Said the cat. I don't much care where, Said Alice. Then it doesn't matter which way you go, Said the cat. So long as I get somewhere, Alice added, As an explanation. Oh, You're sure to do that, Said the cat, If you only walk long enough. Alice felt this could not be denied, So she tried another question. What sort of people live around here? In that direction, The cat said, Waving its right hand, The Cheshire Puss, Waving its right paw round, Lives a Hatter, And in that direction, Waving the other paw, Lives a March Hare. Visit either you like, They're both mad. But I don't want to go among mad people, Alice remarked. Oh, You can't help that, Said the cat. We're all mad here. I'm mad, You're mad. How do you know I'm mad, Said Alice. You must be, Said the cat, Or you wouldn't have come here. Alice didn't think that proved it at all. However, She went on, And how do you know that you're mad? To begin with, Said the cat, A dog's not mad. You grant that? I suppose so, Said Alice. Well then, The cat went on, You see, A dog growls when it's angry, And wags its tail when it's pleased. Now, I growl when I'm pleased, And wag my tail when I'm angry, Therefore, I'm mad. I call it purring, Not growling, Said Alice. Call it what you like, Said the cat. Do you play croquet with the queen today? I should like that very much, Said Alice, But I haven't been invited yet. You'll see me there, Said the cat, And vanished. Alice was not much surprised at this. She was getting so used to weird things happening. While she was looking at the place where it had been, It suddenly appeared again. By the by, What became of the baby, Said the cat. I'd nearly forgotten to ask. It turned into a pig, Alice said, Just as if it had come back in a natural way. I thought it would, Said the cat, And vanished again. Alice waited a little, Half expecting to see it again, But it didn't appear, And after a minute or two, She walked on in the direction in which the March Hare was said to live. I've seen hatters before, She said to herself. The March Hare will be much the most interesting, And perhaps as this is May, It won't be raving mad, At least not so mad as it was in March. As she said this, She looked up, And there was the cat again, Sitting on a branch of a tree. Did you say pig or fig, Said the cat. I said pig, Replied Alice, And I wish you wouldn't keep appearing and vanishing so suddenly. You make one quite giddy. All right, Said the cat, And this time it vanished quite slowly, Beginning with the end of its tail, And ending with the grin, Which remained some time after the rest of it had gone. Well, I've often seen a cat without a grin, Thought Alice, But a grin without a cat, It's the most curious thing I ever saw in my life. She had not gone much further before she came in sight of the house of the March Hare. She thought it must be the right house, Because the chimneys were shaped like ears, And the roof was thatched with fur. It was so large a house that she didn't like to go nearer, Till she had nibbled some more of the left-hand bit of mushroom, And raised herself to about two feet high. Even then, She walked up towards it rather timidly, Saying to herself, Suppose it should be raving mad after all. I almost wish I'd gone to see the Hatter instead. To be continued.