Through the Looking Glass

“Exactly so. Well, then, “MIMSY” is “flimsy and miserable” (there's another portmanteau for you). And a “BOROGOVE” is a thin shabby-looking bird with its feathers sticking out all round— something like a live mop.”

“And then “MOME RATHS”?” said Alice. “I'm afraid I'm giving you a great deal of trouble.”

“Well, a “RATH” is a sort of green pig: but “MOME” I'm not certain about. I think it's short for “from home"—meaning that they'd lost their way, you know.”

“And what does “OUTGRABE” mean?”

“Well, “OUTGRABING” is something between bellowing and whistling, with a kind of sneeze in the middle: however, you'll hear it done, maybe—down in the wood yonder—and when you've once heard it you'll be QUITE content. Who's been repeating all that hard stuff to you?”

“I read it in a book,” said Alice. “But I had some poetry repeated to me, much easier than that, by—Tweedledee, I think it was.”

“As to poetry, you know,” said Humpty Dumpty, stretching out one of his great hands, “I can repeat poetry as well as other folk, if it comes to that—”

“Oh, it needn't come to that!” Alice hastily said, hoping to keep him from beginning.

“The piece I'm going to repeat,” he went on without noticing her remark,” was written entirely for your amusement.”

Alice felt that in that case she really OUGHT to listen to it, so she sat down, and said “Thank you” rather sadly.

“In winter, when the fields are white,

I sing this song for your delight—

only I don't sing it,” he added, as an explanation.

“I see you don't,” said Alice.

“If you can SEE whether I'm singing or not, you've sharper eyes than most.” Humpty Dumpty remarked severely. Alice was silent.

“In spring, when woods are getting green,

I'll try and tell you what I mean.”

“Thank you very much,” said Alice.

“In summer, when the days are long,

Perhaps you'll understand the song:

In autumn, when the leaves are brown,

Take pen and ink, and write it down.”

“I will, if I can remember it so long,” said Alice.

“You needn't go on making remarks like that,” Humpty Dumpty said: “they're not sensible, and they put me out.