Alice’s neck was very, very long now. When she looked down, she could see only her long neck. She could not see her body.

Chapter Eight

“I AM NOT A SERPENT,

I AM A LITTLE GIRL”

Alice’s neck was very, very long now. When she looked down, she could see only her long neck. She could not see her body.

“What is the matter with me?” thought Alice. “Where are my shoulders and where are my poor arms and hands? I can’t see them. They are too far away.”

She tried to put her hands on her head, but she could not do it: her neck was too long. Then she tried to put her head down to her hands[1]. How nice! Her neck could now turn up and down, right and left like a serpent.

“My neck is like a beautiful zigzag now,” thought Alice. “But what is this?” She saw some green leaves before her.

“Trees,” she thought. “It is nice to have a long neck, I can look at the birds in their nests now.” A lot of birds were flying around her head. Suddenly something hit her in the face. It was a bird.

“A serpent!” cried the bird. It looked very much frightened[2], “there is a serpent in the tree!” The other birds were also crying: “There is a serpent in the tree. It is looking for eggs!”

“I am not a serpent!” said poor Alice. “I am a little girl!”

“You are a serpent,” cried the birds again and they all were flying around her head. “We saw little girls before, but they were small. Their necks were short. Their heads did not hit the trees. We know you are looking for birds’ eggs. You want to eat them. You are a serpent.” “Little girls also eat eggs,” began Alice. She did not finish because the birds quickly flew away to their nests.

Alice thought: “They are afraid of me because I look like a serpent with my long neck[3]. But I still have the pieces of mushroom. I can grow small again.”

She quickly took a bite from the piece of mushroom in her right hand. She at once began to grow smaller. Soon she was quite small.

Alice started to walk along the road and after some time she saw a house in front of her.

[1] put her head down to her hands — дотянуться головой до своих рук

[2] It looked very much frightened — У нее (птицы) был очень испуганный вид

[3] I look like a serpent with my long neck – я похожа на змею из-за моей длинной шеи

Дата добавления: 2015-11-04