# ■ 3 Conversation with a caterpillar

Now，'Alice said to herself．'First，I must get a little bigger，and second，I must find my way into that beautiful garden．I think that will be the best plan．But oh dear！How shall I get bigger？Perhaps I must eat or drink something，but the question is，what？'

Alice looked all around her at the flowers and the trees，but she could not see anything to eat．Then she saw a large mush- room near her．It was as tall as she was．She walked across to look at it，and there，on top of the mushroom，was a large caterpillar，smoking a pipe．After a while，the Caterpillar took the pipe out of its mouth and said to Alice in a slow，sleepy voice，'Who are you？'

I don't really know，sir，'said Alice．'I know who I was when I got up this morning，but I have changed so often since then．I think I am a different person now．'

What do you mean by that？'said the Caterpillar．'Explain yourself！'

I can't explain myself，sir，'said Alice，'because I'm not myself，you know．'

I don't know，'said the Caterpillar．

It's difficult to describe，'Alice replied politely．'One minute I'm very small，the next minute I'm as tall as a house，then I'm small again．Usually，I stay the same all day，and changing so often feels very strange to me．'

You！'said the Caterpillar，in a very unfriendly voice．'Who are you？'

They were now back at the beginning of their conversation， which was not very helpful．Alice felt a little cross and decided to walk away．

Come back！'the Caterpillar called after her．'I've something important to say．'

This sounded better，so Alice turned back．

Never get angry，'said the Caterpillar．

Is that all？'said Alice，trying not to be angry．

No，'said the Caterpillar．For some minutes it smoked its pipe and did not speak，but at last it took the pipe out of its mouth，and said，'So you've changed，have you？How tall do you want to be？'

I would like to be a little larger，sir，please，'said Alice．'Eight centimetres is really very small．'

For a while the Caterpillar smoked its pipe．Then it shook itself，got down off the mushroom，and moved slowly away into the grass．It did not look back at Alice，but said，'One side will make you taller，and the other side will make you shorter．'

One side of what？'thought Alice to herself．

She did not say this aloud，but the Caterpillar said， mushroom．'Then it moved away into the wood．

Alice looked at the mushroom carefully，but it was round， and did not have sides．At last she broke off a piece in each hand from opposite sides of the mushroom．She ate some of the piece in her left hand，and waited to see what would happen．

A minute later her head was as high as the tallest tree in the wood，and she was looking at a sea of green leaves．Then a bird appeared and began to fly around her head，screaming， 'Egg thief！Egg thief！Go away！'

I'm not an egg thief，'said Alice．

Oh no？'said the bird angrily．'But you eat eggs，don't you？'

Well，yes，I do，but I don't steal them，'explained Alice quickly．'We have them for breakfast，you know．'

Then how do you get them，if you don't steal them？' screamed the bird．

This was a difficult question to answer，so Alice brought up her right hand through the leaves and ate a little from the other piece of mushroom．She began to get smaller at once and， very carefully，she ate first from one hand，then from the other，until she was about twenty-five centimetres high．

That's better，'she said to herself．'And now I must find that garden．'She began to walk through the wood，and after a while she came to a little house．

■ 3 和毛蟲的談話

“現在，”愛麗絲想。“第一，我得變大一點，第二，我必須想辦法進到那個美麗的花園裡。我想，這是最好的計劃。但天哪！我怎麼才能變大呢？也許我得吃點什麼或喝點什麼，但問題是，什麼呢？”

愛麗絲看看周圍的花和樹，但她看不見有什麼東西可吃。這時，她看見附近有一個大蘑菇，和她一樣高。她走過去看了看，在那兒，在蘑菇頂上有一隻大毛蟲，正在吸菸鬥呢。過了一會兒，毛蟲從嘴裡取出菸斗，慢慢地、睏倦地對愛麗絲開口了，“你是誰？”

“先生，我確實也不知道，”愛麗絲說。今天早上我起床的時候還知道自己是誰，但那之後我變了那麼多次。我想現在自己是個不同的人了。”

“你這麼說是什麼意思？”毛蟲問。“解釋一下！”

“我沒法解釋自己，先生，”愛麗絲說，“因為你知道嗎，我現在不是自己了。”

“我不懂，”毛蟲說。

“這很難解釋，”愛麗絲禮貌地回答。“這一分鐘我還很小，下一分鐘我就和房子一樣高了，然後我又變小了。通常，我一整天都沒什麼變化，這樣頻繁地變來變去真讓我覺得奇怪。”

“你！”毛蟲很不友好地說。“你是誰？”

現在他們又回到談話的開頭了，這於事無補。愛麗絲有點生氣了，決定走開。

“回來！”毛蟲在她後面嚷嚷。“我有重要的事要說。”

這聽起來還差不多，愛麗絲轉回來。

“任何時候都別生氣，”毛蟲說。

“就這些嗎？”愛麗絲說，努力讓自己別發火。

“不，”毛蟲說。它吸著菸斗，好一會兒都沒開口，最後把菸斗從嘴裡抽出來，說道，“你已經變過了，對嗎？你想長多高？”

“我很想長高一點，”愛麗絲說。“80釐米實在太矮了。”

毛蟲吸了一會兒菸斗。然後它晃晃身子，從蘑菇上下來，慢慢地爬到草叢裡。它沒有回頭看看愛麗絲．只是說，“一邊可以讓你長高，另一邊可以讓你變矮。”

“什麼的一邊？”愛麗絲心裡想。

她並沒說出聲來，可毛蟲說，“蘑菇的。”然後它進了森林。

愛麗絲仔細看了看蘑菇，蘑菇是圓的，沒有兩邊。最後，她從蘑菇正相對的兩邊一手掰下一片。她吃了點左手裡的那片，然後等著看看會發生什麼。

一分鐘後，她的頭和森林裡最高的樹一樣高，她看著那一片綠葉的海洋。這時，有隻小鳥出現了並繞著她的頭飛，尖叫著：“偷蛋的賊，偷蛋的賊，滾開！”

“我不是偷蛋的賊，”愛麗絲說。

“不是？”小鳥生氣地說。“但你吃蛋，對不對？”

“對，我吃蛋，但我不偷蛋，”愛麗絲趕忙解釋。“你知道，我們早飯吃蛋。”

“那麼，如果不是偷，你們怎麼弄到蛋的？”

這個問題很難回答，愛麗絲把右手從樹葉間抽出來，吃了點那片蘑菇。她馬上開始變小了，然後，她小心翼翼地吃點這片，吃點那片，直到她有25釐米那麼高。

“這還差不多，”她對自己說。“現在我得找到那個花園。”她走進樹林，過了一會兒到了一所小房子面前。