Through the Looking-Glass

Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (1871)

Quotes

:"It's very good jam," said the Queen.

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:"Well, I don't want any to-day, at any rate."

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:"You couldn't have it if you did want it," the Queen said. "The rule is, jam to-morrow and jam yesterday—but never jam to-day."

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::(The word iam or jam in classical Latin means "now", but only in the future and the past.)

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:"Can you do Addition?" the White Queen asked. "What's one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one?"

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:"I don't know," said Alice. "I lost count."

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:"She can't do Addition," the Red Queen interrupted. "Can you do Subtraction? Take nine from eight."

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:"Nine from eight I can't, you know," Alice replied very readily: "but—"

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:"She can't do Subtraction," said the White Queen. "Can you do Division? Divide a loaf by a knife—what's the answer to that?"

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:"I suppose—" Alice was beginning, but the Red Queen answered for her. "Bread-and-butter, of course. Try another Subtraction sum. Take a bone from a dog: what remains?"

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:Alice considered. "The bone wouldn't remain, of course, if I took it—and the dog wouldn't remain: it would come to bite me—and I'm sure I shouldn't remain!"

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:"Then you think nothing would remain?" said the Red Queen.

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:"I think that's the answer."

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:"Wrong, as usual," said the Red Queen: "the dog's temper would remain."

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:"But I don't see how—"

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:"Why, look here!" the Red Queen cried. "The dog would lose its temper, wouldn't it?"

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:"Perhaps it would," Alice replied cautiously.

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:"Then if the dog went away, its temper would remain!" the Queen exclaimed triumphantly.

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