An enormous puppy was looking down at her with large round eyes, and

feebly stretching out one paw, trying to touch her. 🔊 ‘Poor little thing!’

said Alice, in a coaxing tone, and she tried hard to whistle to it; 🔊 but

she was terribly frightened all the time at the thought that it might be

hungry, in which case it would be very likely to eat her up in spite of

all her coaxing. 🔊

Hardly knowing what she did, she picked up a little bit of stick, and

held it out to the puppy; 🔊 whereupon the puppy jumped into the air off

all its feet at once, with a yelp of delight, and rushed at the stick,

and made believe to worry it; 🔊 then Alice dodged behind a great thistle,

to keep herself from being run over; 🔊 and the moment she appeared on the

other side, the puppy made another rush at the stick, and tumbled head

over heels in its hurry to get hold of it; 🔊 then Alice, thinking it was

very like having a game of play with a cart-horse, and expecting every

moment to be trampled under its feet, ran round the thistle again; 🔊 then

the puppy began a series of short charges at the stick, running a very

little way forwards each time and a long way back, and barking hoarsely

all the while, 🔊 till at last it sat down a good way off, panting, with

its tongue hanging out of its mouth, and its great eyes half shut. 🔊