, whose thoughts were still running on
the song, »I'd have said to the porpoise Keep back, please! We don't want you
with us!«
    »They were obliged to have him with them,« the Mock Turtle said. »No wise
fish would go anywhere without a porpoise.«
    »Wouldn't it, really?« said Alice, in a tone of great surprise.
    »Of course not,« said the Mock Turtle. »Why, if a fish came to me, and told
me he was going a journey, I should say With what porpoise?«
    »Don't you mean purpose?« said Alice.
    »I mean what I say,« the Mock Turtle replied, in an offended tone. And the
Gryphon added »Come, let's hear some of your adventures.«
    »I could tell you my adventures - beginning from this morning,« said Alice a
little timidly; »but it's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a
different person then.«
    »Explain all that,« said the Mock Turtle.
    »No, no! The adventures first,« said the Gryphon in an impatient tone:
»explanations take such a dreadful time.«
    So Alice began telling them her adventures from the time when she first saw
the White Rabbit. She was a little nervous about it, just at first, the two
creatures got so close to her, one on each side, and opened their eyes and
mouths so very wide; but she gained courage as she went on. Her listeners were
perfectly quiet till she got to the part about her repeating »You are old,
Father William,« to the Caterpillar, and the words all coming different, and
then the Mock Turtle drew a long breath, and said »That's very curious!«
    »It's all about as curious as it can be,« said the Gryphon.
    »It all came different!« the Mock Turtle repeated thoughtfully. »I should
like to hear her try and repeat something now. Tell her to begin.« He looked at
the Gryphon as if he thought it had some kind of authority over Alice.
    »Stand up and repeat 'Tis the voice of the sluggard,« said the Gryphon.
    »How the creatures order one about, and make one repeat lessons!« thought
Alice. »I might just as well be at school at once.« However, she got up, and
began to repeat it, but her head was so full of the Lobster
