There was exactly one a-piece all round.

  `But she must have a prize herself, you know,' said the Mouse.

  `Of course,' the Dodo replied very gravely.  `What else have

you got in your pocket?' he went on, turning to Alice.

  `Only a thimble,' said Alice sadly.

  `Hand it over here,' said the Dodo.

  Then they all crowded round her once more, while the Dodo

solemnly presented the thimble, saying `We beg your acceptance of

this elegant thimble'; and, when it had finished this short

speech, they all cheered.

  Alice thought the whole thing very absurd, but they all looked

so grave that she did not dare to laugh; and, as she could not

think of anything to say, she simply bowed, and took the thimble,

looking as solemn as she could.

  The next thing was to eat the comfits:  this caused some noise

and confusion, as the large birds complained that they could not

taste theirs, and the small ones choked and had to be patted on

the back.  However, it was over at last, and they sat down again

in a ring, and begged the Mouse to tell them something more.

  `You promised to tell me your history, you know,' said Alice,

`and why it is you hate--C and D,' she added in a whisper, half

afraid that it would be offended again.

  `Mine is a long and a sad tale!' said the Mouse, turning to

Alice, and sighing.

  `It IS a long tail, certainly,' said Alice, looking down with

wonder at the Mouse's tail; `but why do you call it sad?'  And

she kept on puzzling about it while the Mouse was speaking, so

that her idea of the tale was something like this:--

                    `Fury said to a

                   mouse, That he

                 met in the

               house,

            "Let us

              both go to

                law:  I will

                  prosecute

                    YOU.  --Come,

                       I'll take no ()