The Mouse looked at her rather

inquisitively, and seemed to her to wink with one of its little eyes,

but it said nothing. 🔊

‘Perhaps it doesn’t understand English,’ thought Alice; ‘I daresay it’s

a French mouse, come over with William the Conqueror.’ 🔊 (For, with all

her knowledge of history, Alice had no very clear notion how long ago

anything had happened.) 🔊 So she began again: ‘Où est ma chatte?’ which

was the first sentence in her French lesson-book. 🔊 The Mouse gave a

sudden leap out of the water, and seemed to quiver all over with fright. 🔊

‘Oh, I beg your pardon!’ cried Alice hastily, afraid that she had hurt

the poor animal’s feelings. 🔊 ‘I quite forgot you didn’t like cats.’

‘Not like cats!’ cried the Mouse, in a shrill, passionate voice. ‘Would

you like cats if you were me?’ 🔊