"What makes him so sad?" Al-ice asked.
"It's all a whim of his," said the Gry-phon; "he hasn't got no grief,
you know. Come on!"
[Illustration]
So they went up to the Mock Tur-tle, who looked at them with large eyes
full of tears, but did not speak.
"This here young la-dy," said the Gry-phon, "she wants for to know
a-bout your past life, she do."
"I'll tell it to her," said the Mock Tur-tle in a deep, sad tone: "sit
down both of you and don't speak a word till I get through."
So they sat down, and no one spoke for some time.
"Once," said the Mock Tur-tle at last, with a deep sigh, "I was a re-al
Tur-tle. When we were young we went to school in the sea. We were taught
by an old Tur-tle--we used to call him Tor-toise--"
"Why did you call him Tor-toise, if he wasn't one?" Al-ice asked.
"He taught us, that's why," said the Mock Tur-tle: "you are quite dull
not to know that!"
"Shame on you to ask such a sim-ple thing," add-ed the Gry-phon; then
they both sat and looked at poor Al-ice, who felt as if she could sink
into the earth.
At last the Gry-phon said to the Mock Tur-tle, "Drive on, old fellow!
Don't be all day a-bout it!" and he went on in these words:
"Yes, we went to school in the sea, though you mayn't think it's true--"
"I didn't say I did not!" said Al-ice.
"You did," said the Mock Tur-tle.
"Hold your tongue," add-ed the Gry-phon.
The Mock Tur-tle went on:
"We were well taught--in fact we went to school each day--"
"I've been to a day school too," said Alice; "you needn't be so proud as
all that.
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