The Mock Turtle sighed deeply, and began, in a voice sometimes choked with sobs, to sing this:
“Beautiful Soup, so rich and green,
Waiting in a hot tureen!
Who for such dainties would not stoop?
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Beau-ootiful Soo—oop!
Beau-ootiful Soo—oop!
Soo-oop of the e-e-evening,
Beautiful beautiful Soup!”
“Chorus again!” cried the Gryphon, and the Mock Turtle had just begun to repeat it, when a cry of “the trial’s beginning!” was heard in the distance.
“Come on!” cried the Gryphon, and, taking Alice by the hand, he hurried off, without waiting for the end of the song.
“What trial is it?” panted Alice as she ran, but the Gryphon only answered “come on!” and ran the faster, and more and more faintly came, borne on the breeze that followed them, the melancholy words:
‘Soo-oop of the e-e-evening,
Beautiful beautiful Soup!”
The King and Queen were seated on their throne when they arrived, with a great crowd assembled around them: the Knave was in custody: and before the King stood the white rabbit, with a trumpet in one hand, and a scroll of parchment in the other.
“Herald! read the accusation!” said the King.
“On this the white rabbit blew three blasts on the trumpet, and then unrolled the parchment scroll, and read as follows:
‘The Queen of Hearts she made some tarts
All on a summer day:
The Knave of Hearts he stole those tarts,
And took them quite away!’”
“Now for the evidence,” said the King, “and then the sentence.”
“No!” said the Queen, “first the sentence, and then the evidence!”
“Nonsense!” cried Alice, so loudly that everybody jumped, “the idea of having the sentence first!”
“Hold your tongue!” said the Queen.
“I wo’n’t!” said Alice, “you’re nothing but a pack of cards! Who cares for you?”
At this the whole pack rose up into the air, and came flying down upon her: she gave a little scream of fright, and tried to beat them off, and found herself lying on the bank, with her head in the lap of her sister, who was gently brushing away some leaves that had fluttered down from the trees on to her face.
“Wake up!, Alice dear!” said her sister, “what a nice long sleep you’ve had!”
“Oh, I’ve had such a curious dream!” said Alice, and she told her sister all her Adventures Under Ground, as you have read them, and when she had finished, her sister kissed her and said “it was a curious dream, dear, certainly! But now run in to your tea: it’s getting late.”
So Alice ran off, thinking while she ran (as well she might) what a wonderful dream it had been.
But her sister sat there some while longer, watching the setting sun, and thinking of little Alice and her Adventures, till she too began dreaming after a fashion, and this was her dream:
She saw an ancient city, and a quiet river winding near it along the plain, and up the stream went slowly gliding a boat with a merry party of children on board—she could hear their voices and laughter like music over the water—and among them was another little Alice, who sat listening with bright eager eyes to a tale that was being told, and she listened for the words of the tale, and lo! it was the dream of her own little sister. So the boat wound slowly along, beneath the bright summer-day, with its merry crew and its music of voices and laughter, till it passed round one of the many turnings of the stream, and she saw it no more.
Then she thought, (in a dream within the dream, as it were,) how this same little Alice would, in the after-time, be herself a grown woman: and how she would keep, through her riper years, the simple and loving heart of her childhood; and how she would gather around her other little children, and make their eyes bright and eager with many a wonderful tale, perhaps even with these very adventures of the little Alice of long-ago: and how she would feel with all their simple sorrows, and find a pleasure in all their simple joys, remembering her own child-life, and the happy summer days.
THE END.
PART VII
REFLECTIONS ON THE UNDER GROUND
By Kent David Kelly
Overview
ALICE’S ADVENTURES UNDER GROUND, as mentioned prior, was illustrated by Lewis Carroll himself. The Alice we see here is not the blond cherub who the world has come to know and love. Instead, she has long dark hair, and appears more as an idealized Pre-Raphaelite vision of Alice Liddell herself. The text is odd as well, particularly in choices of capitalization. For example, Carroll used underlines throughout the manuscript text; in the published edition, these would become italicized.
Despite curiosities in word choice and formatting and Carroll’s charming diction, Alice’s Adventures Under Ground is primarily of interest to us because of the changes which occurred when Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was being prepared for publication. Some of these “secrets” are explored here.
The Preface
The grim, divine, hopeful and nostalgic tone of Carroll’s 1886 preface seems odd and out of place, until we recall that he had written letters to his aged child-friend, Alice Liddell, and was publishing this manuscript after seeing it for the first time in twenty years.
The initial question in the preface, “Who will Riddle me the How and the Why?” comes from the poem “The How and the Why,” published in Poems Chiefly Lyrical, by Alfred, Lord Tennyson (who Carroll met and greatly admired). We will glimpse more of Tennyson in The Hunting of the Snark.
Mention of the Missing
The following characters and episodes were specifically written for the publication of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and do not appear in Alice’s Adventures Under Ground: the caucus-race; Fury (the tormentor of the Mouse); the Duchess and her retinue (the Fish-Footman, Frog-Footman, Cook, Pig-Baby and the Cheshire-Cat); the Mad Tea-Party (with the March Hare, the Dormouse and the Hatter); the Executioner; the explanation of the Underwater School; the songs of the Mock Turtle; the extended court scene with the jurors and recurrence of many characters; and the Carrollian poem “She’s All My Fancy Painted Him.”
Chapter I
The Secret Mouse Who Watches Over Her: When Alice—thwarted in her first attempts to get through the garden door—sits down and cries, there is an interesting illustration by Carroll, which shows the Mouse standing directly in front of her (on dry land) as he regards the curious child. Alice never knew he was there, and since this illustration was not recreated in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the reader never knew either!
The White Rabbit’s Flowers: In this original version, the White Rabbit carries a nosegay, or bouquet of flowers, instead of the Duchess’s fan. Alice shrinks not by fanning herself, but by smelling the flowers. The nosegay is inherently more comedic, since rabbits of course love to eat flowers; however, Carroll may have decided that the fan was more appropriate, because it directly ties the White Rabbit to affiliation with (and service to) Wonderland’s noblewomen.
A Question of Privacy: When Alice is comparing herself to other girls, the names used are Gertrude and Florence. Since these were the names of two of Alice’s actual companions, the names were politely changed to Ada and Mabel for publication.
Chapter II
“Speak English!”: This admonition to the Dodo (Lewis Carroll) is given by his friend, the Duck (Robinson Duckworth). In the published version, the speaker was changed to the Eaglet, perhaps to put forth Edith Liddell’s personality in a subtle manner that would be completely unnoticed by the contemporary (Victorian) reader.
The House on the River: The Dodo recommends that Alice and the party should get dry in a house. This relates to a real-life incident, in which Lewis Carroll had taken the Liddell children out onto the River Isis, and they had gotten drenched and then taken shelter. Since this incident would
be amusing only to someone who had “been there,” the published version was changed (quite dramatically) to feature the caucus-race instead. Carroll’s diary reports on the matter (June 17, 1862) as follows: “About a mile above Nuneham heavy rain came on, and after bearing it a short time I settled that we had better leave the boat and walk: 3 miles of this drenched us all pretty well. I went on first with the children, as they could walk much faster than Elizabeth, and took them to the only house I knew in Sanford. ... I left them ... to get their clothes dried ...”
A Long and Sad Tale: The Mouse’s tale here is completely different from the published version. The version here is exceedingly violent, resulting in the Mouse’s family being crushed to death by the paws of the dog. Carroll must have decided this was far too morbid for other children, and so the tale was changed to imply death, but by no means to feature it.
The Judgmental Canary: In the published version, when Alice begins talking about Dinah the cat, the Canary mother ushers her children away, encouraging them to go to bed. In the original, however, the Canary disdainfully passes judgment on Alice, saying to her children, “She’s no fit company for you!”
The Singing Duck: Robinson Duckworth was quite a talented singer, and used to regale Lewis Carroll and the Liddell sisters with many a song on the River Isis. Alice mentions here that the Duck was singing as he came ashore. Since this was a winking inside reference a stranger would not understand, this reference was removed for publication.
Mention of the Marchioness: In the original manuscript, the noblewoman of Wonderland’s forest is known as the Marchioness. (A Marchioness is less powerful than a Duchess, but more powerful than a Countess.) Carroll may have decided that the title was too obscure for a general audience, and so the term “Duchess” was used instead.
The Fear and the Fist: Carroll’s illustration of the White Rabbit shows him shaking a fist-paw angrily at Alice, as he mistakes her for Mary Ann and more forcibly demands that she fetch his belongings for him. This stronger version of the scene makes Alice’s fear quite clear, as she runs off to fulfill her errand. But the incident may have been seen as being too stern for a children’s book, and Sir John Tenniel chose not to replicate this illustration for the published version.
Rabbit and Esquire: The brass name-plate on White Rabbit’s home reads “W. Rabbit, Esq.,” instead of simply “W. Rabbit.” This tells us not only that the Rabbit regards himself as holding some importance, but also that he may aspire to nobility, without being noble himself! This interesting detail tells us much about the White Rabbit’s personality. The reason for its removal is unknown.
Servants to the Rabbit: Carroll’s illustration shows the Rabbit and the Guinea Pigs administering “healing” to poor Bill. The Rabbit’s other servants are shown as well; we can see (white) mice, a squirrel, and small birds of various kinds. The mysterious Pat is likely shown here, but his species remains unknown. (Some say that Pat is a goose, due to the White Rabbit’s admonition, but this is simply a term of derision and no actual goose—beside Father William’s meal—is mentioned in Carroll’s “Alice” stories.)
Magic Without a Source: When Alice shrinks in White Rabbit’s house, it is not because she eats anything. She simply begins to shrink for no reason at all. Carroll may have decided that this was inconsistent with the “magical laws” he later set forth for Wonderland, and so the version with the little cakes was re-written for publication.
Chapter III
The Little Terrier: Carroll’s illustration makes it appear that the enormous puppy is in fact a terrier, which coincides interestingly with Alice’s earlier musings about the farmer’s dog. Sir John Tenniel’s illustration, however, makes the breed of the puppy much more ambiguous.
The Color of a Caterpillar: The Caterpillar is traditionally regarded as green, but Carroll makes clear here that it is a blue one.
What Are You Smoking?: The illustration Carroll uses for the Caterpillar appears to show a long opium pipe. In Victorian times, opium was an extremely popular drug, and even in some circles accepted among “poets and dreamers.” Tenniel’s later illustration, showing the Caterpillar with the hookah but not a pipe, is not quite so direct (although it is still suggestive of an “opium eater.”)
Father William and Son: Carroll’s illustrations for Father William and William the Younger appear to show a middle-aged, retired barrister, and a well-to-do son in an urban context. Tenniel’s later illustrations changed the son into more of a country bumpkin.
The Missing Chef: Carroll’s illustration reveals a chef character, who has served Father William a goose and is now sitting at table. Tenniel’s picture omits this detail.
Which Way of the Mushroom?: The original manuscript has Alice partake of the top of the mushroom, and the stalk. The published version, however, has her take pieces from the left and right instead. The original version makes more sense, with the top making Alice taller, and the stalk making her smaller (and closer to the ground). Also, the episode of Alice’s neck turning serpentine makes more sense in the original, with her head being much like the mushroom’s top, and her neck like the stalk.
Chapter IV
The Nature of the Cards: Tenniel’s illustrations depict the cards (with one exception) as normal people in various regalia, which causes some of Carroll’s passages to become confusing. We have a harder time visualizing the danger of cards becoming wet, or moving, or having two sides, when we have only Tenniel’s guide to go by! Carroll’s illustrations, however, reveal that the lower suits (Spades and Clubs) are actual cards, with arms and legs sticking out at the edges. This makes such events as the Clubs bending themselves into croquet-hoops much more visual and comprehensible.
All Hail the King and Queen!: Carroll’s capitalization of “THE KING AND QUEEN OF HEARTS” is a slight jest which often goes unnoticed (or un-reproduced, for that matter). Generally speaking, inscriptions for royal Victorian figures were capitalized on first instance, regardless of context.
The Magic Pocket: Somehow, when Alice is protecting the three Spades from the Queen, they change size and are able to leap into her pocket. For the published version, this was changed so that Alice hid them in a large flower pot.
Who Is the Marchioness?: In the original manuscript, the White Rabbit explains to Alice that the Queen is the Marchioness! This is a reasonable matter, since a Queen would be a noblewoman of some kind prior to taking the throne. In the published version, however, the new character of the Duchess was introduced, and the Marchioness became the Duchess. Indirectly, this leaves open the implication that the Duchess may be related to the Queen by blood!
The Marchioness of Mock Turtles: This wonderful title is sadly lost in the published version, since “Duchess of Mock Turtles” carries none of the amusing gravity of the original.
What Species is Your Mallet?: The croquet mallets in the original are ostriches, which became flamingoes in the published edition. We can only assume that Carroll reasonably decided that a flamingo would be easier to heft and carry!
A Curious Pair of Beasts: Carroll’s Mock Turtle is a bizarre creature, with a porcupine-like face and a shell made out of shingles. Tenniel’s later illustration is much more accurate and revealing. Similarly, Carroll’s Gryphon is wingless, while Tenniel’s is far more classical and comprehensible.
“Salmon Come Up!”: This song, quite different from that in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, is a parody of “Sally Come Up”—a song quite popular with the Liddell children. Carroll may have changed this for publication, either because it was an American folk song (perhaps ill-suited to English children), or because some of the lyrics are racially offensive. The relevant chorus is as follows: “Sally come up! Oh, Sally go down! / Oh, Sally come twist you heel around, / Thee old man he’s gone down to town, / Oh Sally come down de middle.”
Farewell to an Ancient City: At the end of the original manuscript, Carroll makes reference to “an ancient city,” by which he means Oxford (and specifically, Christ Church Colleg
e). This is omitted in the published version, which obscures the Oxfordshire nature of the personal story for a more general English audience.
PART VIII
THE NURSERY “ALICE”
Introduction
FOLLOWING THE sensational success of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll (and his publishers) perceived the need for a shorter, clearer and gentler version of the story for very young children. Late in life, Carroll took it upon himself to carefully revise the text explicitly for this purpose. Tenniel’s beautiful illustrations were enlarged and colored, contemporary fashion updates were made to Alice’s wardrobe, and the text focused on showing the details of the drawings for the benefit of a child. The text is written in such a way that the tale is clearly meant to be read aloud by a parent, nurse or governess. The beautiful book was published in 1890 for the then-exorbitant price of four shillings.
In many ways The Nursery “Alice” is an inferior copy of the original tale, since many key pieces of dialogue are missing (along with their adult wit and often morbid or dire amusements). However, since the story was rewritten by Carroll himself, there are some fascinating added instances of detail which enrich our understanding of the original. These are elaborated upon in the Reflections on The Nursery “Alice,” following the main text.
(The prefatory poem follows.)
A Nursery Darling
The Complete Alice in Wonderland (Wonderland Imprints Master Editions) Page 31