Alice in wonderland : chapter 3, A Caucus-Race and a Long Tale (excerpt)

I JUST LOVE LEWIS CARROLL'S WAY OF WRITING. =)

`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
                       denial; We
                    must have a
                trial:  For
             really this
          morning I've
         nothing
        to do."
          Said the
            mouse to the
              cur, "Such
                a trial,
                  dear Sir,
                        With
                    no jury
                 or judge,
               would be
             wasting
            our
             breath."
              "I'll be
                judge, I'll
                  be jury,"
                        Said
                   cunning
                     old Fury:
                    "I'll
                     try the
                        whole
                         cause,
                            and
                       condemn
                      you
                     to
                      death."'

`You are not attending!' said the Mouse to Alice severely. `What are you thinking of?'

`I beg your pardon,' said Alice very humbly: `you had got to the fifth bend, I think?'

`I had not!' cried the Mouse, sharply and very angrily.

`A knot!' said Alice, always ready to make herself useful, and looking anxiously about her. `Oh, do let me help to undo it!'

`I shall do nothing of the sort,' said the Mouse, getting up and walking away. `You insult me by talking such nonsense!'

`I didn't mean it!' pleaded poor Alice. `But you're so easily offended, you know!'

The Mouse only growled in reply.

`Please come back and finish your story!' Alice called after it; and the others all joined in chorus, `Yes, please do!' but the Mouse only shook its head impatiently, and walked a little quicker.