it was only a hose after all , only canvas and brass , you could hack it to pieces and it would never complain , never twist and jerk and bleed green slime all over the blue carpet , because it was only a hose , not a nose and not a rose , not glass buttons or satin bows , not a snake in a sleepy doze ... and he had hurried on , had hurried on because he was ( `` late , i 'm late , '' said the white rabbit . )