Chapter 12 Which Dreamed it?

　`Your majesty shouldn't purr so loud,' Alice said, rubbing her eyes,and addressing the kitten, respectfully, yet with some severity. `Youwoke me out of oh! such a nice dream! And you've been along with me,Kitty--all through the Looking-Glass world. Did you know it, dear?'

　　It is a very inconvenient habit of kittens (Alice had once made theremark) that, whatever you say to them, they ALWAYS purr. `If themwould only purr for "yes" and mew for "no," or any rule of that sort,' shehad said, `so that one could keep up a conversation! But how CAN youtalk with a person if they always say the same thing?'

　　On this occasion the kitten only purred: and it was impossible toguess whether it meant `yes' or `no.'

　　So Alice hunted among the chessmen on the table till she had foundthe Red Queen: then she went down on her knees on the hearth-rug, andput the kitten and the Queen to look at each other. `Now, Kitty!' shecried, clapping her hands triumphantly. `Confess that was what you turnedinto!'

　　(`But it wouldn't look at it,' she said, when she was explaining thething afterwards to her sister: `it turned away its head, and pretended notto see it: but it looked a LITTLE ashamed of itself, so I think it MUSThave been the Red Queen.')`Sit up a little more stiffly, dear!' Alice cried with a merry laugh.

　　`And curtsey while you're thinking what to--what to purr. It saves time,remember!' And she caught it up and gave it one little kiss, `just inhonour of having been a Red Queen.'

　　`Snowdrop, my pet!' she went on, looking over her shoulder at theWhite Kitten, which was still patiently undergoing its toilet, `when WILLDinah have finished with your White Majesty, I wonder? That must bethe reason you were so untidy in my dream-- Dinah! do you know thatyou're scrubbing a White Queen? Really, it's most disrespectful of you!

　　`And what did DINAH turn to, I wonder?' she prattled on, as shesettled comfortably down, with one elbow in the rug, and her chin in her hand, to watch the kittens. `Tell me, Dinah, did you turn to HumptyDumpty? I THINK you did--however, you'd better not mention it to yourfriends just yet, for I'm not sure.

　　`By the way, Kitty, if only you'd been really with me in my dream,there was one thing you WOULD have enjoyed--I had such a quantity ofpoetry said to me, all about fishes! To-morrow morning you shall have areal treat. All the time you're eating your breakfast, I'll repeat "TheWalrus and the Carpenter" to you; and then you can make believe it'soysters, dear!

　　`Now, Kitty, let's consider who it was that dreamed it all. This is aserious question, my dear, and you should NOT go on licking your pawlike that--as if Dinah hadn't washed you this morning! You see, Kitty, itMUST have been either me or the Red King. He was part of my dream,of course--but then I was part of his dream, too! WAS it the Red King,Kitty? You were his wife, my dear, so you ought to know--Oh, Kitty, DOhelp to settle it! I'm sure your paw can wait!' But the provoking kittenonly began on the other paw, and pretended it hadn't heard the question.

　　Which do YOU think it was?

　　A boat beneath a sunny sky,Lingering onward dreamilyIn an eveningof July-Children three that nestle near,Eager eye and willing ear,Pleased asimple tale to hear-Long has paled that sunny sky:Echoes fade and memories die.Autumnfrosts have slain July.

　　Still she haunts me, phantomwise,Alice moving under skiesNever seenby waking eyes.

　　Children yet, the tale to hear,Eager eye and willing ear,Lovingly shallnestle near.

　　In a Wonderland they lie,Dreaming as the days go by,Dreaming as thesummers die:

　　Ever drifting down the stream--Lingering in the golden gleam--Life,what is it but a dream?

The End