Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
twenty-four hours to turn round on its axis”
“Talking of axes,” said the Duchess, “chop off her head.”
Alice glanced rather anxiously at the cook, to see if she meant to take the hint; but the cook was busily engaged in stirring the soup, and did not seem to be listening, so she ventured to go on again: “Twenty-four hours, I think; or is it twelve? I”
“Oh, don't bother me,” said the Duchess; “I never could abide figures!” And with that she began nursing her child again, singing a sort of lullaby to it as she did so, and giving it a violent shake at the end of every line:
“Speak roughly to your little boy,
And beat him when he sneezes:
He only does it to annoy,
Because he knows it teases.”
And beat him when he sneezes:
He only does it to annoy,
Because he knows it teases.”
Chorus
(In which the cook and the baby joined):
“Wow! wow! wow!”
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