Алиса в зазеркалье
Humpty Dumpty
‘Youdon’tknowwhatyou’retalkingabout!’criedHumptyDumpty.‘Howmanydaysarethereinayear?’
‘Threehundredandsixty-five,’saidAlice.
‘Andhowmanybirthdayshaveyou?’
‘One.’
‘Andifyoutakeonefromthreehundredandsixty-five,whatremains?’
‘Threehundredandsixty-four,ofcourse.’
HumptyDumptylookeddoubtful.‘I’dratherseethatdoneonpaper,’hesaid.
Alicecouldn’thelpsmilingasshetookouthermemorandum-book,andworkedthesumforhim:
365
—1
364
HumptyDumptytookthebook,andlookedatitcarefully.‘Thatseemstobedoneright—’hebegan.
‘You’reholdingitupsidedown!’Aliceinterrupted.
‘TobesureIwas!’HumptyDumptysaidgaily,assheturneditroundforhim.‘Ithoughtitlookedalittlequeer.AsIwassaying,thatseemstobedoneright—thoughIhaven’ttimetolookitoverthoroughlyjustnow—andthatshowsthattherearethreehundredandsixty-fourdayswhenyoumightgetun-birthdaypresents—’
‘Certainly,’saidAlice.
‘Andonlyoneforbirthdaypresents,youknow.There’sgloryforyou!’
‘Idon’tknowwhatyoumeanby"glory,"’Alicesaid.
HumptyDumptysmiledcontemptuously.‘Ofcourseyoudon’t—tillItellyou.Imeant"there’saniceknock-downargumentforyou!"’
‘But"glory"doesn’tmean"aniceknock-downargument,"’Aliceobjected.
‘WhenIuseaword,’HumptyDumptysaidinratherascornfultone,‘itmeansjustwhatIchooseittomean—neithermorenorless.’