Exercises

1. What was wrong with soldiers?

1. They danced very badly.

2. They sang very loudly.

3. They didn’t want to fight.

4. They couldn’t go and fell down.

2. Who did the Messenger meet on the road?

1. The Lion and the Unicorn

2. Nobody

3. Humpty Dumpty

4. Alice

3. Why were the Lion and the Unicorn fighting?

1. They were fighting for the King’s crown.

2. They were fighting for a sandwich with ham.

3. They were fighting for freedom.

4. They were fighting because they had nothing to do.

4. How did they call Alice?

1. Goose

2. Child

3. Monster

4. Amphibian

5. Why didn’t the King run and help the Queen?

1. He said that he was afraid.

2. He didn’t know how to help her.

3. He said that it was no use, because she ran very quickly.

4. He was very lazy.

6. Choose the right preposition

between, at, with, for, to

1. The King felt very uncomfortable, because he sat down ………… the two great creatures; but there was no other place ………… him.

2. ‘But why did you pierce him ………… your horn?’

3. He got close ………… the King’s ear.

4. ‘To see Nobody! And ………… that distance, too!’

7. Choose the words and expressions to fill the gaps

out of breath, instead of, make, fought for

1. He could only wave his hands and ………… the fearful faces at the poor King.

2. However ………… whispering, he shouted: ‘They’re doing it again!’

3. At this moment the Messenger arrived: he was …………and couldn’t say a word.

4. The Lion and the Unicorn ………… the King’s crown.

8. Complete the table

Chapter 8

“It’s my own invention!”

After a while the noise disappeared, and Alice looked around. She was alone.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud shouting of “Ahoy! Ahoy! Check!” and a Knight dressed in red came galloping to her. When he reached her, he stopped. “You’re my prisoner!” the Knight cried.

But Alice was more frightened for him than for herself at the moment, because he fell down from the horse. When he was again in the saddle, he began once more “You’re my … ” But here another voice cried “Ahoy! Ahoy! Check!” and Alice looked round.

This time it was a White Knight. He came up to Alice and fell off his horse just as the Red Knight had done. Then he got on again, and the two Knights sat and looked at each other.

“She’s my prisoner, you know!” the Red Knight said at last.

“Yes, but then I came and saved her!” the White Knight said.

“Well, we must fight for her, then,” said the Red Knight and put his helmet on.

“You will follow the Rules of Battle, of course?” the White Knight said.

“I always do,” said the Red Knight, and they began fighting.

“I wonder what the Rules of Battle are,” she said to herself.

The battle ended when both knights fell off their horses. When they got up, they shook hands, and then the Red Knight went away.

“It was a victory, wasn’t it?” said the White Knight.

“I don’t know,” Alice said doubtfully.

“You will be a Queen, when you’ve crossed the next brook,” said the White Knight. “I’ll help you to get to the end of the wood … and then I must go back. That’s the end of my move.”

“Thank you very much!” said Alice.

He turned his gentle face and large kind eyes to Alice. She thought she had never seen such a strange-looking soldier in all her life. His armour fit him very badly. And he had a strange little letter-box across his shoulder. It was upside-down.

“I see you like my little box,” the Knight said. “It’s my own invention … I keep clothes and sandwiches here.”

“But the things can fall out,” Alice said. “Do you know that the lid’s open?”

“I didn’t know that,” the Knight said. “Then all the things have fallen out! And the box is useless.” And he hung it carefully on a tree.

“I hope some bees can make a nest in it … then I will get the honey,” said the Knight.

“But you’ve got already a beehive … or something like it … on your saddle,” said Alice.

“Yes, it’s a very good beehive,” the Knight said, “but there are no bees. And the other thing is a mouse-trap. I think the mice keep the bees out.”

“I don’t think there are any mice on the horse’s back,” said Alice.

“Perhaps,” said the Knight, “but if they come, I’ll be ready.”

Alice and the Knight walked some time in silence. They stopped very often, and Alice helped the poor Knight, who was not a good rider.

“I’m afraid you haven’t had much practice in riding,” she said, when she was helping him.

The Knight looked very much surprised and a little offended.

“What makes you say that?” he asked.

“Because people don’t fall off so often, when they’ve had enough practice.”

There was a short silence after this, and then the Knight went on again. “I’m great at inventing things. Just now I was inventing a new way, how to get over a gate … Would you like to hear it?”

“Yes, please,” Alice said politely.

“I’ll tell you!” said the Knight. “First, I put my head on the top of the gate … then I stand on my head … then the feet are high, you see … then I’m over!”

“Yes, I think you’d be over,” Alice said thoughtfully, “but don’t you think it would be very difficult?”

“I haven’t tried it yet,” the Knight said, “so I can’t tell now.”

Alice decided to change the subject.

“What a curious helmet you’ve got!” she said cheerfully. “Is that your invention too?”

The Knight looked proudly at his helmet, which hung on the saddle. “Yes,” he said, “but I’ve invented a better one than that … like a sugar loaf. When I wore it, if I fell off the horse, it always touched the ground directly. So I had a very little way to fall, you see … But there was the danger … I could fall into it…”

The Knight raised his hands as he said this, rolled out of the saddle, and fell into a hole.

Alice ran up to him, to help him. Then she heard that he kept on talking in his usual tone.

“How can you keep on talking?” Alice asked, as she helped him to stand.

“My mind goes on working all the same. And here I must leave you.”

They had just come to the end of the wood.

“You are sad,” the Knight said, “let me sing you a song!”

“Is it very long?” Alice asked.

“It’s long,” said the Knight, “but very, very beautiful.”

He stopped his horse and with a weak smile he began singing.

When the Knight sang the last words of the song, he said. “You have to go only a few yards,” he said, “down the hill and over that little brook. Then you’ll be a Queen.”

They shook hands, and then the Knight rode slowly away into the forest. Alice ran down the hill.

“The Eighth Square at last!” she cried when she jumped over the brook. “Oh, how glad I am to get here! And what is on my head?” she asked. Alice put her hands up to something very heavy round her head. It was a golden crown.

Exercises

1. Who called Alice his prisoner?

1. The White Knight

2. The Red Knight

3. The Unicorn

4. The Lion

2. What did the White Knight keep on saying?

1. It is my idea!

2. It is your problems!

3. It is my own invention!

4. It is my horse!

3. Choose the right statement:

1. The White Knight was a good rider.

2. Alice didn’t like the White Knight.

3. Alice worried about the White Knight, because he was very clumsy.

4. The White Knight called Alice his prisoner.

4. What inventions did the White Knight mention?

1. the letter-box, the pudding, the saddle

2. the pudding, the helmet, the letter-box

3. the pudding, the mobile phone, the helmet

4. the helmet, the beehive, the letter-box

5. What happened to the White Knight when he fell into his helmet?

1. The Lion came and ate the helmet.

2. He couldn’t get out and had been there for a week.

3. Another Knight put it on his head and didn’t even notice the White Knight.

4. Humpty Dumpty found the helmet and sold it to the Sheep.

6. Complete the table

Chapter 9

Queen Alice

“Well, this is great!” said Alice. “I never thought I would be a Queen so soon!”

Everything happened so strangely that she didn’t even surprise when she saw the Red Queen and the White Queen, who were sitting close to her, one on each side. She thought she should ask if the game was over. “Please, would you tell me … ” she began, looking at the Red Queen.

“Speak when somebody speaks to you!” The Queen interrupted her. “What right have you to call yourself a Queen? You can’t be a Queen, till you’ve passed the examination. And the sooner we begin it, the better. Always speak the truth … think before you speak … and write it down!”

There was then silence for a minute or two. Finally the Red Queen said to the White Queen, “I invite you to Alice’s dinner-party this afternoon.”

The White Queen smiled and said “And I invite you.”

“I didn’t know I have a party at all,” said Alice; “but if it’s true, I think I should invite the guests.”

“Now you can do it,” the Red Queen said: “but I think you haven’t had many lessons in manners.”

“Lessons don’t teach you manners,” said Alice. “Lessons teach you to do sums and so on.”

“And do you know how to do Addition?” the White Queen asked. “What’s one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one?”

“I don’t know,” said Alice. “I lost count.”

“She can’t do Addition,” the Red Queen interrupted. “Can you do Subtraction? Take nine from eight.”

“I can’t,” Alice said: “but … ”

“She can’t do Subtraction,” said the White Queen.

“Can you do Division? Divide a loaf by a knife … what’s the answer?”

“I think … ” Alice began, but the Red Queen already answered. “Bread-and-butter, of course. Try another Subtraction sum. Take a bone from a dog: what remains?”

Alice thought a bit. “The bone wouldn’t remain, of course, if I took it … and the dog wouldn’t remain; it would run to bite me … and I wouldn’t remain!”

“Then you think nothing would remain?” said the Red Queen.

“I think that’s the answer.”

“Wrong,” said the Red Queen: “the dog’s temper would remain.”

“She can’t do sums at all!” the Queens said together.

“Can you do sums?” Alice said and turned suddenly to the White Queen.

The Queen shut her eyes. “I can do Addition if you give me time …”

“Of course, you know your ABC?” said the Red Queen.

“I do,” said Alice.

“Can you answer useful questions?” she said. “How is bread made?”

“I know that!” Alice cried. “You take some flour …”

“Where can you take the flower?” the White Queen asked. “In a garden, or in the hedges?”

“You don’t understand,” Alice explained, “it’s ground … ”

“How many acres of ground?” said the White Queen.

“Do you know Languages? What’s the French for fiddle-de-dee?”

“Fiddle-de-dee’s not English,” Alice said.

“What is the cause of lightning?”

“The cause of lightning …” Alice said, “is the thunder … no, no!” she corrected herself. “The other way.”

“It’s too late to correct it,” said the Red Queen.

“Oh, we had such a thunderstom last Tuesday,” the White Queen said, she was very nervous, “I mean last Tuesdays.”

Alice was puzzled.

“It was such a thunderstorm, you can’t imagine! And part of the roof came off, and thunder got in … and it went rolling round the room … and knocking over the tables and things … I was so frightened!”

Suddenly the White Queen laid her head on Alice’s shoulder. “I am so sleepy,” she said.

“She’s tired, poor thing!” said the Red Queen. “Sing her a lullaby.”

“I don’t know any lullabies,” said Alice.

“I must do it myself, then,” said the Red Queen, and she began:

 

“Hush-a-by lady, in Alices lap!

Till the feast’s ready, we’ve time for a nap.”

When the feast’s over, we’ll go to the ball—

Red Queen, and White Queen,

and Alice, and all!

 

“Now you know the words,” she added and put her head down on Alice’s other shoulder, “just sing it. I’m sleepy, too.” In another moment both Queens were asleep.

“What should I do?” said Alice.

Suddenly the two Queens disappeared, and Alice saw that she was standing before the door over which were the words “QUEEN ALICE” in large letters, and on each side there was a bellhandle; one was marked “Visitors’ Bell,” and the other “Servants’ Bell.”

“Which bell should I ring?” she said. “I’m not a visitor, and I’m not a servant. There should be one, marked ‘Queen’.”

Just then the door opened, and a creature with a long beak put its head out for a moment and said “No entry till the next week!” and shut the door.

Then, a very old Frog, who was sitting under a tree, got up and came slowly to her. He was dressed in bright yellow clothes, and had large boots.

“What is it?” the Frog whispered.

Alice turned round. “Where’s the servant who answers the door?” she began angrily.

“Which door?” said the Frog.

“This door, of course!” Alice said.

“To answer the door?” he said. “Who asks it?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” she said.

“I talk English, don’t I?” the Frog went on. “Or are you deaf? What did it ask you?”

“Nothing!” Alice said. “I’ve knocked at it!”

“You shouldn’t do that …” the Frog said. “Let it alone,” he said, “and it’ll let you alone.”

At this moment the door opened.

Alice walked into a large hall with a table and noticed that there were about fifty guests. Some were animals, some birds, and there were even a few flowers among them. “I’m glad they’ve come without invitation,” she thought, “I didn’t know who to invite!”

There were three chairs at the head of the table. The Red and White Queens had already taken two of them, but the middle chair was empty. Alice sat down in silence.

At last the Red Queen began. “You’ve missed the soup and fish,” she said. “Bring the meat!” And the waiters brought a leg of mutton.

“You look shy; let me introduce you to that leg of mutton,” said the Red Queen. “Alice—Mutton; Mutton—Alice.” The leg of mutton got up in the dish and bowed to Alice.

“May I give you a slice?” Alice said and took the knife and fork. She looked from one Queen to the other.

“Certainly not,” the Red Queen: “it isn’t polite to cut any one so soon after you’ve been introduced. Remove the mutton leg.”

The waiters removed it and brought a large plum-pudding.

“I don’t want to be introduced to the pudding, please,” Alice said, “May I give you some?”

But the Red Queen looked angrily and cried “Pudding—Alice; Alice—Pudding. Remove the pudding!”

As an experiment, Alice called “Waiter! Bring back the pudding!” and here it was again. She cut a slice and handed it to the Red Queen.

“Now we’ll drink your health … Queen Alice’s health!” cried the Read Queen and all the guests began drinking.

“You should thank them,” the Red Queen said, looking at Alice.

“We’ll help you,” the White Queen whispered.

Alice got up but was a little frightened.

“Thank you very much,” she whispered, “but I can do it well without your help.”

“It wouldn’t be the same thing,” the Red Queen said.

“I rise to thank you …” Alice began. And she really rose when she spoke, several inches. But she caught the edge of the table, and pull herself down.

And then (as Alice afterwards described it) all sorts of things. The candles grew up to the ceiling. The bottles took a pair of plates just like wings, and with forks for legs, ran in all directions.

She heard a laugh. She turned and saw that instead of the White Queen, there was the leg of mutton. It was sitting in her chair.

“Here I am!” cried a voice. And Alice turned again and saw the White Queen’s kind face in the soup. She smiled and disappeared.

Several guests were lying down in the dishes, and the soup spoon was walking towards Alice’s chair.

“I can’t stand this any longer!” she cried. She jumped up and took the table-cloth with both hands. One good pull, and plates, dishes, guests, and candles fell down together on the floor.

“And as for you …” she turned to the Red Queen, but the Queen was no longer in her chair. She turned into a little doll, and was now running round and round on the table.

Alice wasn’t surprised at all.

“As for you,” she repeated, “I’ll punish you like a kitten!”