The Hatter was the first to break the silence. ‘What day of the month

is it?’ he said, turning to Alice: 🔊 he had taken his watch out of his

pocket, and was looking at it uneasily, shaking it every now and then,

and holding it to his ear. 🔊

Alice considered a little, and then said ‘The fourth.’ 🔊

‘Two days wrong!’ sighed the Hatter. ‘I told you butter wouldn’t suit

the works!’ he added looking angrily at the March Hare. 🔊

‘It was the best butter,’ the March Hare meekly replied. 🔊

‘Yes, but some crumbs must have got in as well,’ the Hatter grumbled:

‘you shouldn’t have put it in with the bread-knife.’ 🔊

The March Hare took the watch and looked at it gloomily: then he dipped

it into his cup of tea, and looked at it again: 🔊 but he could think of

nothing better to say than his first remark, ‘It was the best butter,

you know.’ 🔊

Alice had been looking over his shoulder with some curiosity. 🔊 ‘What a

funny watch!’ she remarked. ‘It tells the day of the month, and doesn’t

tell what o’clock it is!’ 🔊

‘Why should it?’ muttered the Hatter. ‘Does your watch tell you what

year it is?’ 🔊