Page:Alices adventures in Cambridge.djvu/61

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IN CAMBRIDGE

"Well," said the King very seriously, "if it's a she, of course you can't take off his head. However, let's see what I can do about it."

Hereupon he took from his pocket a large ball of red tape and began to wind it around Alice. He was so clumsy about it, however, that he managed to get first himself all tangled up in it, and then the Queen, with­out getting Alice in it at all. The Queen did her best to get out, but only succeeded in getting more wound up in it than ever, and finally stood there roaring, "Off with his head!" at the top of her lungs. It was such a funny sight that Alice could hardly keep from bursting out laughing. At last the King and Queen stopped struggling and both looked at Alice severely.

"Don't stand there like an idiot," said the King, very much out of breath. "Do some­thing sensible."

"Recite 'You are old, Father William,' if you can," remarked the Queen.

Alice drew a long breath and began:

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