thought to herself, `I don't see how he can EVEN finish, if he

doesn't begin.'  But she waited patiently.

  `Once,' said the Mock Turtle at last, with a deep sigh, `I was

a real Turtle.'

  These words were followed by a very long silence, broken only

by an occasional exclamation of `Hjckrrh!' from the Gryphon, and

the constant heavy sobbing of the Mock Turtle.  Alice was very

nearly getting up and saying, `Thank you, sir, for your

interesting story,' but she could not help thinking there MUST be

more to come, so she sat still and said nothing.

  `When we were little,' the Mock Turtle went on at last, more

calmly, though still sobbing a little now and then, `we went to

school in the sea.  The master was an old Turtle--we used to call

him Tortoise--'

  `Why did you call him Tortoise, if he wasn't one?' Alice asked.

  `We called him Tortoise because he taught us,' said the Mock

Turtle angrily:  `really you are very dull!'

  `You ought to be ashamed of yourself for asking such a simple

question,' added the Gryphon; and then they both sat silent and

looked at poor Alice, who felt ready to sink into the earth.  At

last the Gryphon said to the Mock Turtle, `Drive on, old fellow!

Don't be all day about it!' and he went on in these words:

  `Yes, we went to school in the sea, though you mayn't believe

it--'

  `I never said I didn't!' interrupted Alice.

  `You did,' said the Mock Turtle.

  `Hold your tongue!' added the Gryphon, before Alice could speak

again.  The Mock Turtle went on.

  `We had the best of educations--in fact, we went to school

every day--'

  `I'VE been to a day-school, too,' said Alice; `you needn't be

so proud as all that.'

  `With extras?' asked the Mock Turtle a little anxiously.

  `Yes,' said Alice, `we learned French and music.'

  `And washing?' said the Mock Turtle.

  `Certainly not!' said Alice indignantly.

  `Ah! then yours wasn't a really good school,' said the Mock

Turtle in a tone of great relief.  `Now at OURS they had at the

end of the bill, "French, music, AND WASHING--extra."'

  `You couldn't have wanted it much,' said Alice; `living at the

bottom of the sea.'

  `I couldn't afford to learn it.' said the Mock Turtle with a

sigh.  `I only took the regular course.'

  `What was that?' inquired Alice.

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