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Alice's
Adventures in Wonderland
Kapitel 5:
Advice from a caterpillar, Lewis Carroll, Seite 1 ( von 4 )
The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in silence: at
last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth, and addressed her in a
languid, sleepy voice.
"Who are you?" said the
Caterpillar.
This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather
shyly, "I - I hardly know, sir, just at present - at least I know who I
was when I got
up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since
then."
"What do you mean by that?" said the Caterpillar sternly.
"Explain yourself!"
"I can't explain
myself, I'm
afraid, sir," said Alice, "because I'm not myself, you see."
"I don't see," said the Caterpillar.
"I'm afraid I can't put it more clearly," Alice replied very
politely, "for I can't understand it myself to begin with; and being so
many different sizes in a day is very confusing."
"It isn't," said the caterpillar.
"Well, perhaps you haven't found it so yet," said Alice; "but
when you have to turn into a chrysalis - you will some day, you know - and then
after that into a butterfly, I should think you'll feel it a little queer,
won't you?"
"Not a bit," said the Caterpillar.
"Well, perhaps your feelings may be different," said Alice; "all
I know is, it would feel very queer to
me."
"You!" said the Caterpillar contemptuously. "Who are
you?"
Which brought them back again to the beginning of the conversation. Alice felt
a little irritated at the Caterpillar's making such
very short
remarks, and she drew herself up and said, very gravely, "I think you
ought to tell me who you are,
first."
"Why?" said the Caterpillar.
Here was another puzzling question; and as Alice could not think of any good
reason, and as the Caterpillar seemed to be in a very unpleasant state
of mind, she turned away.
"Come back!" the Caterpillar called after her. "I've something
important to say!"
This sounded promising, certainly: Alice turned and came back again.
"Keep your temper," said the Caterpillar.
"Is that all?" said Alice, swallowing down her anger as well as she
could.
"No," said the Caterpillar.
Alice thought she might as well wait, as she had nothing else to do, and
perhaps after all it might tell her something worth hearing. For some minutes
it puffed away without speaking, but at last it unfolded its arms, took the
hookah out of its mouth again, and said, "So you think you're changed, do
you?"
"I'm afraid I am, sir," said Alice; "I can't remember things as
I used - and I don't keep the same size for ten minutes together!"
"Can't remember what things?"
said the Caterpillar.
"Well, I've tried to say 'How doth the little
busy bee,' but it all came different!" Alice replied in a very
melancholy voice.
"Repeat 'You
are old, Father William,'" said the Caterpillar.
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