Alice in Wonderland

She stood very tall and said,' I will tell you, but first, you tell me. Who are you ?'

' Why do I have to tell you ?' asked the Caterpillar.

This was another difficult question and Alice could not answer it.

'This caterpillar isn't very friendly,' she thought. So she walked away.

♦

'Gome back!' the Caterpillar called. 'I want to tell you something important.' Alice turned and came back again.

' Don't get angry,' said the Caterpillar.

' Is that all? 'Alice asked. She felt very angry with the Caterpillar.

' No,' said the Caterpillar.

It did not speak for some minutes, then it said, 'So you're different, are you ?'

'Yes, I am, sir,' said Alice.' I can't remember things, and my size changes all the time. Sometimes I get bigger and then I get smaller again.'

'So you can't remember things,' said the Caterpillar.'Try this. Repeat, "You are old, Father William."'

Alice put her hands behind her back and repeated:

' You are old, Father William,' the young man said,

'And your hair is now very white;

So why do you often stand on your head —

Do you think at your age it is right ?'

' You are old, Father William,' the young man said, 'You are old and really quite fat; But you jump up and down and turn round and round, Now what is the answer to that ?'

' That is not right,' said the Caterpillar.

' I know. Some of the words are different,' said Alice.

' It's wrong from beginning to end,' said the Caterpillar. It was quiet for a time. Then it asked,' What size would you like to be ?'

' I'd like to be taller,' said Alice.' Seven centimetres is too small.'

'Seven centimetres is a very good size,' said the Caterpillar angrily It stood up very tall.

' It's a good size for you, but not for me,' said Alice. And she thought,'Why does it get angry all the time?'

The Caterpillar was quiet for some minutes. Then it climbed down the mushroom. 'Eat from my mushroom and you'll get bigger. Eat from that brown mushroom there and you'll get smaller,' it said. It started to move away. A minute later, it vanished behind a flower and Alice never saw it again.