Alice in Wonderland (48)

Alice in Wonderland (48)

So they sat down, and nobody spoke for some minute.

Alice thought to herself, " I don't see how he can ever 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 another long silence and the constant heavy sobbing of the Mock Turtle.

Alice nearly gets up and saying, " Thank you, sir, for your interesting story. "
But she thought there must be more to come, so she sat still and said nothing.   

At last the Mock Turtle went on still sobbing a little now and then, "When we were little, we went to school in the sea. The master was an old Turtleーwe used to call him Tortoiseー "

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

" We call 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 Gryphone.

And then they both sat silent and looked at poor Alice, who felt ready to sink into the earth.

At last Gryphone said to the Mock Turtle, " Drive on, old fellow. Don't be all day about it ! " 

" Yes, we went to school in the sea, though you may not believe it ー"

" I never said I didin't ! I don't doubt it," interrupted Alice.

" You did, " said the Mock Turtle.

" Hold your tongue ! " the Gryphon said to Alice, brfore Alice could speak again.

" We had the best of educationーin fact, we went to school every dayー, " the Mock Turtle went on.

" I go to school every day, too, " said Alice, " You needn't be so proud as all that. "  

(48/65)


☆お知らせ（またなんです！）☆
６月４日又は５日(明後日又はし明後日)より、The river bank (Kenneth Grahame の名作「Wind in the willow」（邦題：楽しいかわべ、みたいです） の第１章)　（少し簡略したリ・トールド版となる予定）を始める心つもりです。全20回ぐらいとなる見込みです。また、Alice と２本立てです。
Mole 、Rat 、 Toad、Otter、愉快な仲間たちが、川辺を舞台に織りなす物語です。
現在、鋭意、準備中です（といいますか、まだボーと原作を読んでいるところで、挿絵をコピーしただけです）。