"---so long as I get somewhere," Alice added as an explanation.
"Oh, your're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."
Alice felt that this could not be denied, so she tried another question. "What sort of people live about here?"
"In that direction," the Cat said, waving its right paw round, lives a Hatter: and in that direction." waving the other paw, "lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they're both mad."
"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.
"Oh, you can't help that," said the Cat: "we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad."
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn't have come here."
--from the Annotated Alice, the definitive edition of Lewis
Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, ed. Martin Gardner
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We've had this lovely confluence of Alice in Wonderland incidents lately. Years ago, my dear friend Jocebean gave me a beautiful copy of the Annotated Alice, quoted above. This book is marvelous, with the original Tenniel illustrations & excellent commentary. The silly verses in Alice are actually parodies of popular songs and didactic poetry from the Victorian period; reading the originals first (as you can do in this edition) makes the Carroll verses seem even more clever and funny. Baby Bean has been introduced to Alice in school this year, as her class studied some of Carroll's verses AND because her teacher had a Mad Hatter's Tea Party for the class (everyone had to bring their own teacup!). When we were visiting Pea Ridge over spring break, BB came across some Alice wooden figures, made many years ago (1940s?) by my grandfather's cousin Norma. Norma was very artistic and lived in NYC for many years. She used to spend summers with us in upstate NY when I was a child. These figures are patterned after the Tenniel drawings and are hand-painted (by Norma). Norma gave these to me when I was a girl & now BB can enjoy them. The Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter are pictured, but we have nearly all the major figures in the book.
3 comments:
The figures are lovely - how wonderful that they haven't been lost in time! So Joce Bean is a good friend... then, is it Lizzy Bean in the picture with your dear Monger? "in our world" she was Joce Bean...
Oh my, we ARE curious!
Oh, about what you said of GK: That was what I sincerely feared for Siena. She would just sit and stare at a feather toy, always hesitating and checking if Chilli came rushing. And she stopped cuddling with me, which was hard. It is better now and I found a new toy she loves so much she doesn't let Chilli take it away from her: Mousies. I still give her lots of special attention though...
Bean --- Wow! So glad the Alice gift continues to make you happy. As a gift giver, that's what makes me happy ... That it means a lot to you!
JoceBean!
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