“They were learning to draw,” the Dormouse went on, yawning and rubbing its eyes, for it was getting very sleepy, “and they drew all manner of things—­everything that begins with an M——­”

“Why with an M?” said Alice.

“Why not?” said the March Hare.

The Dormouse had closed its eyes by this time, and was going off into a doze; but, on being pinched by the Hatter, it woke up again with a little shriek, and went on, “——­that begins with an M, such as mouse-traps, and the moon, and memory, and muchness—­you know you say things are ’much of a muchness’—­did you ever see such a thing as a drawing of a muchness?”

“Really, now you ask me,” said Alice, confused, “I don’t think——­”

“Then you shouldn’t talk,” said the Hatter.

This piece of rudeness was more than Alice could bear; she got up in disgust, and walked off.  The Dormouse fell asleep instantly, and neither of the others took the least notice of her going, though she looked back once or twice, half hoping that they would call after her.

The last time she saw them, they were trying to put the Dormouse into the teapot.

V.—­The Mock Turtle’s Story and the Lobster Quadrille

Alice got into the beautiful garden at last, but she had to nibble a bit of the mushroom again to bring herself down to twelve inches after she had got the golden key, so as to get through the little door.  It was a lovely garden, and in it was the Queen’s croquet-ground.  The Queen of Hearts was very fond of ordering heads to be cut off.  “Off with his head!” was her favourite phrase whenever anybody displeased her.  She asked Alice to play croquet with her, but they had no rules; they had live flamingoes for mallets, and the soldiers had to stand on their hands and feet to form the hoops.  It was extremely awkward, especially as the balls were hedgehogs, who sometimes rolled away without being hit.  The Queen had a great quarrel with the Duchess, and wanted to have her head off.

Alice found the state of affairs in the lovely garden not at all so beautiful as she had expected.  But after the game of croquet, the Queen said to Alice, “Have you seen the Mock Turtle yet?”

“No,” said Alice.  “I don’t even know what a mock turtle is.”

“It’s the thing mock turtle soup is made from,” said the Queen.

“I never saw one or heard of one.”

“Come on, then,” said the Queen, “and he shall tell you his history.”

They very soon came upon a gryphon, lying fast asleep in the sun.

“Up, lazy thing!” said the Queen; “and take this young lady to see the Mock Turtle, and to hear his history.  I must go back and see after some executions I have ordered.”  And she walked off, leaving Alice alone with the Gryphon.

Alice and the Gryphon had not gone far before they saw the Mock Turtle in the distance, sitting sad and lonely on a little ledge of rock, and, as they came nearer, Alice could hear him sighing as if his heart would break.