The Walrus and
the Carpenter
by Lewis Carroll
(1832-1898)
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The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright--
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.
The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done--
"It's very rude of him," she said,
To come and spoil the fun!"
The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud because
No cloud was in the sky:
No birds were flying overhead--
There were no birds to fly.
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand:
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:
"If this were only cleared away,"
They said, "it would be grand!"
"If seven maids with seven mops
Swept it for half a year,
Do you suppose," the Walrus said,
"That they could get it clear?"
"I doubt it," said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.
"0 Oysters, come and walk with us!"
The Walrus did beseech.
"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach:
We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hand to each."
The eldest Oyster looked at him,
But never a word he said;
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head--
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the oyster-bed.
But four young Oysters hurried up,
All eager for the treat:
Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their shoes were clean and neat--
And this was odd, because, you know,
They hadn't any feet.
Four other Oysters followed them,
And yet another four;
And thick and fast they came at last,
And more and more and more--
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Walked on a mile or so,
And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently low:
And all the little Oysters stood
And waited in a row.
"The time has come,"
the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."
"But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,
"Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!"
"No hurry!" said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.
"A loaf of bread," the Walrus said,
"Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed--
Now, if you're ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed."
"But not on us!" the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue.
"After such kindness, that would be
A dismal thing to do!"
"The night is fine," the Walrus said,
"Do you admire the view?
"It was so kind of you to
come!
And you are very nice!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"Cut us another slice.
I wish you were not quite so deaf--
I've had to ask you twice!"
"It seems a shame," the
Walrus said,
"To play them such a trick.
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"The butter's spread too thick!"
"I weep for you," the Walrus
said:
"I deeply sympathize."
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.
"0 Oysters," said the Carpenter,
"You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?"
But answer came there none--
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one.
(from Through the Looking-Glass
and What Alice Found There, 1872)
LEWIS
CARROLL was born at Daresbury in Chesire into a wealthy
family. He attended a Yorkshire grammar school and Rugby. At Christ Church,
Oxford, he studied mathematics and worked from 1855 to 1881 as a lecturer
(tutor). Carroll's career in education was troubled by a bad stammer. He
lectured and taught with difficulty and he also preached only occasionally
after his ordination in 1861. According to stories, Carroll was shy and he
even hid his hands continually within a pair of gray-and-black gloves.
Carroll also wrote humorous verse, such as The Hunting of the Snark
and mathematical works. And he was a rather exceptional student of
Aristotelian logic.
In spite of his stammer, Carroll spoke easily with children, whom he often
photographed. ...
During
one picnic - on July 4, 1862 - Carroll started to tell a long story to Alice
Liddell (died in 1934), who was the daughter of Henry George Liddell, the
head of his Oxford college. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was
born from these tales. ...
The friendship with the Liddell family
ended abruptly in June 1863, two years before Wonderland was
published, and Carroll turned his attention to other young friends.
Originally the book appeared under the title Alice's Adventures Under
Ground. The story centers on the seven-year-old Alice, who falls asleep
in a meadow, and dreams that she plunges down a rabbit hole. She finds
herself first too large and then too small. She meets such strange
characters as Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, and the King and
Queen of Hearts, and experiences wondrous, often bizarre adventures, trying
to reason in numerous discussions that do not follow the usual paths of
logic. Finally she totally rejects the dream world and wakes up.
(1832-1898)
