and offer him the crown.  William's conduct at first was

moderate.  But the insolence of his Normans--"  How are you

getting on now, my dear?' it continued, turning to Alice as it

spoke.

  `As wet as ever,' said Alice in a melancholy tone:  `it doesn't

seem to dry me at all.'

  `In that case,' said the Dodo solemnly, rising to its feet, `I

move that the meeting adjourn, for the immediate adoption of more

energetic remedies--'

  `Speak English!' said the Eaglet.  `I don't know the meaning of

half those long words, and, what's more, I don't believe you do

either!'  And the Eaglet bent down its head to hide a smile:

some of the other birds tittered audibly.

  `What I was going to say,' said the Dodo in an offended tone,

`was, that the best thing to get us dry would be a Caucus-race.'

  `What IS a Caucus-race?' said Alice; not that she wanted much

to know, but the Dodo had paused as if it thought that SOMEBODY

ought to speak, and no one else seemed inclined to say anything.

  `Why,' said the Dodo, `the best way to explain it is to do it.'

(And, as you might like to try the thing yourself, some winter

day, I will tell you how the Dodo managed it.)

  First it marked out a race-course, in a sort of circle, (`the

exact shape doesn't matter,' it said,) and then all the party

were placed along the course, here and there.  There was no `One,

two, three, and away,' but they began running when they liked,

and left off when they liked, so that it was not easy to know

when the race was over.  However, when they had been running half

an hour or so, and were quite dry again, the Dodo suddenly called

out `The race is over!' and they all crowded round it, panting,

and asking, `But who has won?'

  This question the Dodo could not answer without a great deal of

thought, and it sat for a long time with one finger pressed upon

its forehead (the position in which you usually see Shakespeare,

in the pictures of him), while the rest waited in silence.  At

last the Dodo said, `EVERYBODY has won, and all must have

prizes.'

  `But who is to give the prizes?' quite a chorus of voices

asked.

  `Why, SHE, of course,' said the Dodo, pointing to Alice with

one finger; and the whole party at once crowded round her,

calling out in a confused way, `Prizes! Prizes!'

  Alice had no idea what to do, and in despair she put her hand

in her pocket, and pulled out a box of comfits, (luckily the salt

water had not got into it), and handed them round as prizes. ()