cried the mouse , in a shrill , passionate voice , `` would you like cats if you were me ? '' `` Well , perhaps not , '' said Alice in a soothing tone , `` do n't be angry about it . And yet I wish I could show you our cat Dinah : I think you 'd take a fancy to cats if you could only see her . She is such a dear quiet thing , '' said Alice , half to herself , as she swam lazily about in the pool , `` she sits purring so nicely by the fire , licking her paws and washing her face : and she is such a nice soft thing to nurse , and she 's such a capital one for catching mice -- oh ! I beg your pardon ! '' cried poor Alice again , for this time the mouse was bristling all over , and she felt certain that it was really offended , `` have I offended you ? '' `` Offended indeed ! '' cried the mouse , who seemed to be positively trembling with rage , `` our family always hated cats ! Nasty , low , vulgar things ! Do n't talk to me about them any more ! '' `` I wo n't indeed ! '' said Alice , in a great hurry to change the conversation , `` are you -- are you -- fond of -- dogs ? '' The mouse did not answer , so Alice went on eagerly : `` there is such a nice little dog near our house I should like to show you ! A little bright-eyed terrier , you know , with oh ! such long curly brown hair ! And it 'll fetch things when you throw them , and it 'll sit up and beg for its dinner , and all sorts of things -- I ca 'n' t remember half of them -- and it belongs to a farmer , and he says it kills all the rats and -- oh dear ! '' said Alice sadly , `` I 'm afraid I 've offended it again ! '' for the mouse was swimming away from her as hard as it could go , and making quite a commotion in the pool as it went . So she called softly after it : `` mouse dear ! Do come back again , and we wo n't talk about cats and dogs any more , if you do n't like them ! ''
When the mouse heard this , it turned and swam slowly back to her : its face was quite pale , -LRB- with passion , XXXXX thought , -RRB- and it said in a trembling low voice `` let 's get to the shore , and then I 'll tell you my history , and you 'll understand why it is I hate cats and dogs . ''
Alice Dinah family fire house mouse pardon paws thing things