Page:Carroll - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.djvu/59

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A CAUCUS-RACE AND A LONG TALE

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“Mine is a long and a sad tale!” said the Mouse, turning to Alice and sighing.

“It is a long tail, 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 while the Mouse was speaking, so that her idea of the tale was something like this:——

                                     "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 the
                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 wast-
                                    ing our
                                        breath.'
                                             'I'll be
                                                  judge,
                                                      I'll be
                                                          jury,’
                                                             said
                                                                cun-
                                                                    ning
                                                                        old
                                                                       Fury:
                                                                       'I'll
                                                                     try
                                                                 the
                                                           whole
                                                       cause,
                                                     and
                                                 con-
                                            demn
                                       you to
                                  death.'"

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