A Caucus-Race and a Long Tale

  They were indeed a queer-looking party that assembled on the

bank--the birds with draggled feathers, the animals with their

fur clinging close to them, and all dripping wet, cross, and

uncomfortable.

  The first question of course was, how to get dry again:  they

had a consultation about this, and after a few minutes it seemed

quite natural to Alice to find herself talking familiarly with

them, as if she had known them all her life.  Indeed, she had

quite a long argument with the Lory, who at last turned sulky,

and would only say, `I am older than you, and must know better';

and this Alice would not allow without knowing how old it was,

and, as the Lory positively refused to tell its age, there was no

more to be said.

  At last the Mouse, who seemed to be a person of authority among

them, called out, `Sit down, all of you, and listen to me!  I'LL

soon make you dry enough!'  They all sat down at once, in a large

ring, with the Mouse in the middle.  Alice kept her eyes

anxiously fixed on it, for she felt sure she would catch a bad

cold if she did not get dry very soon.

  `Ahem!' said the Mouse with an important air, `are you all ready?

This is the driest thing I know.  Silence all round, if you please!

"William the Conqueror, whose cause was favoured by the pope, was

soon submitted to by the English, who wanted leaders, and had been

of late much accustomed to usurpation and conquest.  Edwin and

Morcar, the earls of Mercia and Northumbria--"'

  `Ugh!' said the Lory, with a shiver.

  `I beg your pardon!' said the Mouse, frowning, but very

politely:  `Did you speak?'

  `Not I!' said the Lory hastily.

  `I thought you did,' said the Mouse.  `--I proceed.  "Edwin and

Morcar, the earls of Mercia and Northumbria, declared for him:

and even Stigand, the patriotic archbishop of Canterbury, found

it advisable--"'

  `Found WHAT?' said the Duck.

  `Found IT,' the Mouse replied rather crossly:  `of course you

know what "it" means.'

  `I know what "it" means well enough, when I find a thing,' said

the Duck:  `it's generally a frog or a worm.  The question is,

what did the archbishop find?'

  The Mouse did not notice this question, but hurriedly went on,

`"--found it advisable to go with Edgar Atheling to meet William ()