They were indeeda queer-looking party that assembled on the bank--the birds with draggledfeathers, the animals with their fur clinging close to them, and all drippingwet, cross, and uncomfortable.

        The first questionof course was, how to get dry again:  they had a consultation aboutthis, and after a few minutes it seemed quite natural to Alice to findherself talking familiarly with them, as if she had known them all herlife.  Indeed, she had quite a long argument with the Lory, who atlast turned sulky, and would only say, `I am older than you, and must knowbetter' ; and this Alice would not allow without knowing how old it was,and, as the Lory positively refused to tell its age, there was no moreto be said.

        At last theMouse, who seemed to be a person of authority among them, called out, `Sitdown, all of you, and listen to me!  I'LL soon make you dry enough!' They all sat down at once, in a large ring, with the Mouse in the middle. Alice kept her eyes anxiously fixed on it, for she felt sure she wouldcatch a bad cold if she did not get dry very soon.

        `Ahem!' saidthe Mouse with an important air, `are you all ready ? This is the driestthing I know.  Silence all round, if you please ! "William the Conqueror,whose cause was favoured by the pope, was soon submitted to by the English,who wanted leaders, and had been of late much accustomed to usurpationand conquest.  Edwin and Morcar, the earls of Mercia and Northumbria--"'

        `Ugh!' saidthe Lory, with a shiver.

        `I beg yourpardon!' said the Mouse, frowning, but very politely:  `Did you speak?'

        `Not I!' saidthe Lory hastily.

        `I thoughtyou did,' said the Mouse.  `--I proceed.  "Edwin and Morcar,the earls of Mercia and Northumbria, declared for him : and even Stigand,the patriotic archbishop of Canterbury, found it advisable--"'

        `Found WHAT?'said the Duck.

        `Found IT,'the Mouse replied rather crossly:  `of course you know what "it" means.'

        `I know what"it" means well enough, when I find a thing,' said the Duck:  `it'sgenerally a frog or a worm.  The question is, what did the archbishopfind?'

        The Mouse didnot notice this question, but hurriedly went on, `"--found it advisableto go with Edgar Atheling to meet William and offer him the crown. William's conduct at first was moderate.  But the insolence of hisNormans--"  How are you getting on now, my dear?' it continued, turningto Alice as it
spoke.

        `As wet asever,' said Alice in a melancholy tone:  `it doesn't seem to dry meat all.'

        `In that case,'said the Dodo solemnly, rising to its feet, `I move that the meeting adjourn,for the immediate adoption of more energetic remedies--'

        `Speak English!'said the Eaglet.  `I don't know the meaning of half those long words,and, what's more, I don't believe you do either!'  And the Eagletbent down its head to hide a smile : some of the other birds tittered audibly.

        `What I wasgoing to say,' said the Dodo in an offended tone, `was, that the best thingto get us dry would be a Caucus-race.'

        `What IS aCaucus-race?' said Alice; not that she wanted much to know, but the Dodohad paused as if it thought that SOMEBODY ought to speak, and no one elseseemed inclined to say anything.

        `Why,' saidthe Dodo, `the best way to explain it is to do it.' (And, as you mightlike to try the thing yourself, some winter day, I will tell you how theDodo managed it.)

        First it markedout a race-course, in a sort of circle, (`the exact shape doesn't matter,'it said,) and then all the party were placed along the course, here andthere.  There was no `One, two, three, and away,' but they began runningwhen they liked, and left off when they liked, so that it was not easyto know when the race was over.  However, when they had been runninghalf an hour or so, and were quite dry again, the Dodo suddenly calledout `The race is over!' and they all crowded round it, panting, and asking,`But who has won ?'

        This questionthe Dodo could not answer without a great deal of thought, and it sat fora long time with one finger pressed upon its forehead (the position inwhich you usually see Shakespeare, in the pictures of him), while the restwaited in silence.  At last the Dodo said, `EVERYBODY has won, andall must have prizes.'

        `But who isto give the prizes?' quite a chorus of voices asked.

        `Why, SHE,of course,' said the Dodo, pointing to Alice with one finger; and the wholeparty at once crowded round her, calling out in a confused way, `Prizes!Prizes !'

        Alice had noidea what to do, and in despair she put her hand in her pocket, and pulledout a box of comfits, (luckily the salt water had not got into it), andhanded them round as prizes. There was exactly one a-piece all round.

        `But she musthave a prize herself, you know,' said the Mouse.

        `Of course,'the Dodo replied very gravely.  `What else have you got in your pocket?'he went on, turning to Alice.

        `Only a thimble,'said Alice sadly.

        `Hand it overhere,' said the Dodo.

        Then they allcrowded round her once more, while the Dodo solemnly presented the thimble,saying `We beg your acceptance of this elegant thimble'; and, when it hadfinished this short speech, they all cheered.

        Alice thoughtthe whole thing very absurd, but they all looked so grave that she didnot dare to laugh; and, as she could not think of anything to say, shesimply bowed, and took the thimble, looking as solemn as she could.

        The next thingwas to eat the comfits:  this caused some noise and confusion, asthe large birds complained that they could not taste theirs, and the smallones choked and had to be patted on the back.  However, it was overat last, and they sat down again in a ring, and begged the Mouse to tellthem something more.

        `You promisedto tell me your history, you know,' said Alice, `and why it is you hate--Cand D,' she added in a whisper, half afraid that it would be offended again.

        `Mine is along and a sad tale!' said the Mouse, turning to Alice, and sighing.

        `It IS a longtail, certainly,' said Alice, looking down with wonder at the Mouse's tail;`but why do you call it sad?'  And she kept on puzzling about it whilethe Mouse was speaking, so that her idea of the tale was something likethis:--

                   `Fury said to a
                  mouse, That he
                met in the
              house,
           "Let us
             both go to
               law:  I will
                 prosecute
                   YOU.  --Come,
                      I'll take no
                       denial; We
                    must have a
                trial:  For
             really this
          morning I've
         nothing
         to do."
          Said the
            mouse to the
              cur, "Such
                a trial,
                  dear Sir,
                        With
                    no jury
                 or judge,
               would be
             wasting
            our
             breath."
              "I'll be
                judge, I'll
                  be jury,"
                        Said
                   cunning
                     old Fury:
                    "I'll
                     try the
                        whole
                         cause,
                            and
                       condemn
                      you
                     to
                      death."'
 

        `You are notattending!' said the Mouse to Alice severely. `What are you thinking of?'

        `I beg yourpardon,' said Alice very humbly:  `you had got to the fifth bend,I think ?'

        `I had NOT!'cried the Mouse, sharply and very angrily.

        `A knot!' saidAlice, always ready to make herself useful, and looking anxiously abouther.  `Oh, do let me help to undo it !'

        `I shall donothing of the sort,' said the Mouse, getting up and walking away. `You insult me by talking such nonsense !'

        `I didn't meanit!' pleaded poor Alice.  `But you're so easily offended, you know!'

        The Mouse onlygrowled in reply.

        `Please comeback and finish your story !' Alice called after it; and the others alljoined in chorus, `Yes, please do !' but the Mouse only shook its headimpatiently, and walked a little quicker.

        `What a pityit wouldn't stay!' sighed the Lory, as soon as it was quite out of sight;and an old Crab took the opportunity of saying to her daughter `Ah, mydear !  Let this be a lesson to you never to lose YOUR temper!' `Hold your tongue, Ma!' said the young Crab, a little snappishly. `You're enough to try the
patience of an oyster !'

        `I wish I hadour Dinah here, I know I do!' said Alice aloud, addressing nobody in particular. `She'd soon fetch it back !'

        `And who isDinah, if I might venture to ask the question ?' said the Lory.

        Alice repliedeagerly, for she was always ready to talk about her pet:  `Dinah'sour cat.  And she's such a capital one for catching mice you can'tthink!  And oh, I wish you could see her after the birds!  Why,she'll eat a little bird as soon as look at it!'

        This speechcaused a remarkable sensation among the party. Some of the birds hurriedoff at once:  one old Magpie began wrapping itself up very carefully,remarking, `I really must be getting home; the night-air doesn't suit mythroat!' and a Canary called out in a trembling voice to its children,`Come away, my
dears!  It's high time you were all in bed!' On various pretexts they all moved off, and Alice was soon left alone.

        `I wish I hadn'tmentioned Dinah!' she said to herself in a melancholy tone.  `Nobodyseems to like her, down here, and I'm sure she's the best cat in the world! Oh, my dear Dinah!  I wonder if I shall ever see you any more!' And here poor Alice began to cry again, for she felt very lonely and low-spirited.
In a little while, however, she again heard a littlepattering of footsteps in the distance, and she looked up eagerly, halfhoping that the Mouse had changed his mind, and was coming back to finishhis story.