‘So they were,’ said the Dormouse; ‘very ill.’ 🔊

Alice tried to fancy to herself what such an extraordinary way of

living would be like, but it puzzled her too much, so she went on: 🔊 ‘But

why did they live at the bottom of a well?’ 🔊

‘Take some more tea,’ the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly. 🔊

‘I’ve had nothing yet,’ Alice replied in an offended tone, ‘so I can’t

take more.’ 🔊

‘You mean you can’t take less,’ said the Hatter: ‘it’s very easy to take

more than nothing.’ 🔊

‘Nobody asked your opinion,’ said Alice. 🔊

‘Who’s making personal remarks now?’ the Hatter asked triumphantly. 🔊

Alice did not quite know what to say to this: so she helped herself

to some tea and bread-and-butter, and then turned to the Dormouse, and

repeated her question. 🔊 ‘Why did they live at the bottom of a well?’ 🔊

The Dormouse again took a minute or two to think about it, and then

said, ‘It was a treacle-well.’ 🔊

‘There’s no such thing!’ Alice was beginning very angrily, but the

Hatter and the March Hare went ‘Sh! sh!’ 🔊 and the Dormouse sulkily

remarked, ‘If you can’t be civil, you’d better finish the story for

yourself.’ 🔊