Chapter4-page34-39

4. Tea Party in the March Hairs Garden

Alice decided to visit the March Hare. She walked on until she saw a house. It was a

big house, so she ate some more of the mushroom in her left hand to become a little taller.

I hope the March Hare isn't very mad, she thought.

The March Hairs house had a big garden. He was having tea with the hatter under

door -mouse. They were sitting at a table under a tree. It was a long table with many

empty chairs around it, but the three of them were sitting next to each other at one

corner. The door -mouse was between the two, and it was asleep. Alice sat down in the

armchair near them at the end of the table.

Would you like some orange juice? The March Hare asked Alice in a friendly voice.

Alice looked around the table, but she didn't see any orange juice. There was only a teapot.

"'I think you only have tea,' she said. "'I don't see any orange juice at the table.'

"'You are right. There is no orange juice,' said the March Hare.

"'Why do you offer me some then? That was very impolite,' Alice said.

"'We didn't invite you, but you joined us,' said the March Hare. It was impolite too.

"'But this table is for more than three people,' said Alice.

"'While Alice was talking to the March Hare, the Hatter was looking at her curiously.

"'Your hair needs cutting. It is too long,' he said suddenly.

"'Alice thought this was a very rude remark, but she didn't say anything.

"'The Hatter took his watch out of his pocket and looked at it. Then he shook it and held

it to his ear a few times. He turned to Alice and asked,

"'What day of the month is it today?' Alice thought about it a little and then said,

"'It's the fourth. Oh, my watch is two days slow,' the Hatter said sadly.

"'It is a strange watch. It shows the day of the month, but it doesn't tell the time,' said Alice

and laughed.

"'But the time doesn't change here. It is always six o 'clock,' said the Hatter.

"'Oh, I understand now,' Alice said.

"'So it is always tea time for you. Is that why you have so many cups and plates on the table?'

"'Yes,' answered the Hatter. We have no time to wash the used ones,

so we move around the table and use new ones. We have a lot of chairs too, you see.

"'What do you do when you come to the beginning again?' asked Alice.

"'The March hair was bored with this conversation and was yawning.

"'It wanted to change the subject.

"'Why don't you tell us a story, young lady?' it suggested.

"'Alice said, I'm afraid I don't know any stories.'

"'Then both the Hatter and the March hair turned to the door -mouse. He was sound asleep.

"'Hey, wake up. Tell us a story,' they shouted to him.

"'Alice also begged the door -mouse to tell a story because she loved listening to stories.'

The door -mouse woke up and began telling a stupid story,

but it fell asleep again in the middle of it.

The March hair poured some tea over its nose, but it didn't help,

so everyone was curious about the rest of the story.

"'Have some more tea,' the March hair said to Alice.

"'I can't have more because I haven't had any tea,' said Alice.

"'Then take some less tea,' the March hair said,

with a mischievous grin on its face.

The Hatter laughed out loud at this remark.

Alice was really angry now,

but she remembered the caterpillar's advice and remained silent.

She then poured some tea into her cup.

She also took some bread and butter because she was starving.

"'I haven't eaten anything for a long time,' she thought.

"'Then suddenly the Hatter asked her,

"'Why is a raven like a desk?'

"'Oh, we will have some fun at last,' thought Alice happily.

"'They are going to ask me riddles.

"'I won't be bored anymore.'

"'I believe that I can guess the answer,' she said to the Hatter.

"'The Hatter was surprised.

"'Do you mean that you know the answer?'

"'Yes, I can answer that question.

"'It's easy.'

"'Then you should say what you mean,' said the Hatter.

"'But she did,' the March hair said to the Hatter.

"'She said what she meant, but you didn't understand it.'

"'Now the Hatter was angry with the March hair,' and said.

"'But still, she didn't say the answer because she doesn't know it.

"'And now I have a question to you.

"'Listen to this.

"'I see what I eat, and I eat what I see.

"'Are these two the same?'

"'No, they have different meanings,' said the March hair.

"'What are you trying to say?'

"'You see.

"'Now you don't understand what I mean,' answered the Hatter and laughed.

"'Alice got very bored with the silly conversation and the rude remarks of the two.

"'She stood up and started to leave.

"'The two didn't notice this, and the door -mouse was still asleep.

"'Alice looked back at them a few times as she was walking out of the garden.

"'She was expecting them to call her back.

"'When she looked for the last time, the March hair and the Hatter were putting the door -mouse into the teapot.

"'They are so boring.

"'I won't come here again,' Alice said to herself.

"'She headed back to the woods.

"'Suddenly she came across a tree with a door in its trunk.

"'The door led right into the tree itself.

"'A tree with a door,' Alice said to herself.

"'That's very odd, but everything here is so strange anyway.'

"'She opened the door.

"'When she stepped inside the tree, she found herself in the long hall again.

"'She was very near the glass table.

"'Oh, I can go to the beautiful garden at last.'

"'She cried out joyfully.

"'This time she was tall enough to take the little golden key from the table.

"'So she unlocked the door behind the curtain.

"'Then she nibbled at the rest of the mushroom pieces in her pocket

"'until she became as short as 20 centimeters.

"'Now I can go through this tiny door,' she thought.

"'Then she walked down the passage.

"'She finally reached the beautiful garden at the end.

"'The garden was full of fountains and colorful flower beds.

"'She admired them for their beauty.

"'I have never seen a place as beautiful as this garden,' she said to herself.