The Lobster Quadrille

           TheMockTurtlesigheddeeply,anddrewthebackofoneflapperacrosshiseyes. HelookedatAlice,andtriedtospeak,butforaminuteortwosobschokedhisvoice. ’Sameasifhehadaboneinhisthroat,’saidtheGryphon: anditsettoworkshakinghimandpunchinghimintheback. AtlasttheMockTurtlerecoveredhisvoice,and,withtearsrunningdownhischeeks,hewentonagain:— 

           ’Youmaynothavelivedmuchunderthesea—’ (’Ihaven’t,’saidAlice) —’andperhapsyouwereneverevenintroducedtoalobster—’ (Alicebegantosay’Ioncetasted—’butcheckedherselfhastily,andsaid‘No,never‘) ‘—soyoucanhavenoideawhatadelightfulthingaLobsterQuadrilleis!‘ 

           ‘No,indeed,‘saidAlice. ‘Whatsortofadanceisit?‘ 

           ‘Why,‘saidtheGryphon,‘youfirstformintoalinealongthesea-shore—‘ 

           ‘Twolines! ‘criedtheMockTurtle. ‘Seals,turtles,salmon,andsoon; then,whenyou‘veclearedallthejelly-fishoutoftheway—‘ 

           ‘THATgenerallytakessometime,‘interruptedtheGryphon. 

           ‘—youadvancetwice—‘ 

           ‘Eachwithalobsterasapartner! ‘criedtheGryphon. 

           ‘Ofcourse,‘theMockTurtlesaid: ‘advancetwice,settopartners—‘ 

           ‘—changelobsters,andretireinsameorder,‘continuedtheGryphon. 

           ‘Then,youknow,‘theMockTurtlewenton,‘youthrowthe—‘ 

           ‘Thelobsters! ‘shoutedtheGryphon,withaboundintotheair.