‘Repeat, “You are old, Father William,”’ said the Caterpillar. 🔊

Alice folded her hands, and began:-- 🔊

‘You are old, Father William,’ the young man said,

‘And your hair has become very white; 🔊

And yet you incessantly stand on your head--

Do you think, at your age, it is right?’ 🔊

‘In my youth,’ Father William replied to his son,

‘I feared it might injure the brain; 🔊

But, now that I’m perfectly sure I have none,

Why, I do it again and again.’ 🔊

‘You are old,’ said the youth, ‘as I mentioned before,

And have grown most uncommonly fat; 🔊

Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door--

Pray, what is the reason of that?’ 🔊

‘In my youth,’ said the sage, as he shook his grey locks,

‘I kept all my limbs very supple 🔊

By the use of this ointment--one shilling the box--

Allow me to sell you a couple?’ 🔊