“Which would not be an advantage,” said Alice, who felt very

glad to get an opportunity of showing off a little of her knowledge.

“Just think of what work it would make with the day and night! You see

the earth takes twenty-four hours to turn round on its axis—”


“Talking of axes,” said the Duchess, “chop off her

head!”


Alice glanced rather anxiously at the cook, to see if she meant to take the

hint; but the cook was busily stirring the soup, and seemed not to be

listening, so she went on again: “Twenty-four hours, I think; or

is it twelve? I—”


“Oh, don’t bother me,” said the Duchess; “I

never could abide figures!” And with that she began nursing her child

again, singing a sort of lullaby to it as she did so, and giving it a violent

shake at the end of every line:


“Speak roughly to your little boy,

    And beat him when he sneezes:

He only does it to annoy,

    Because he knows it teases.”


CHORUS.

(In which the cook and the baby joined):


“Wow! wow! wow!”


While the Duchess sang the second verse of the song, she kept tossing the baby

violently up and down, and the poor little thing howled so, that Alice could

hardly hear the words:—


“I speak severely to my boy,

    I beat him when he sneezes;

For he can thoroughly enjoy

    The pepper when he pleases!”


CHORUS.


“Wow! wow! wow!”


“Here! you may nurse it a bit, if you like!” the Duchess said to

Alice, flinging the baby at her as she spoke. “I must go and get ready to

play croquet with the Queen,” and she hurried out of the room. The cook

threw a frying-pan after her as she went out, but it just missed her.


Alice caught the baby with some difficulty, as it was a queer-shaped little

creature, and held out its arms and legs in all directions, “just like a

star-fish,” thought Alice. The poor little thing was snorting like a

steam-engine when she caught it, and kept doubling itself up and straightening