The further off from England the nearer is to France-_x000D_ _x000D_ Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance.
Lewis CarrollRead
The Mad Hatter: "Would you like some wine?" Alice: "Yes..." The Mad Hatter: "We haven't any and you're too young.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the whimsical nature of conversation and the playful absurdity of the Mad Hatter's character.
In this exchange from 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland,' the Mad Hatter's offer of wine is immediately countered by the reality that they have none, and that Alice is too young to drink. This interaction showcases the nonsensical and surreal world that Carroll created, where logic is turned on its head, reflecting how conversations can sometimes lead to unexpected and humorous outcomes.
In practice
Use this quote at a literary event to illustrate the charm of nonsense literature.
The further off from England the nearer is to France-_x000D_ _x000D_ Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance.
To the Looking-Glass world it was Alice that said 'I've a sceptre in hand, I've a crown on my head. Let the Looking-Glass creatures, whatever they be, Come and dine with the Red Queen, the White Queen, and me.
So she was considering in her own mind...whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up & picking the daisies.
Once she remembered trying to box her own ears for having cheated herself in a game of croquet she was playing against herself, for this curious child was very fond of pretending to be two people.
Rule Forty-two. All persons more than a mile high to leave the court.
Crawling at your feet,' said the Gnat (Alice drew her feet back in some alarm), `you may observe a Bread-and-Butterfly. Its wings are thin slices of Bread-and-butter, its body is a crust, and its head is a lump of sugar.' And what does IT live on?' Weak tea with cream in it.' A new difficulty came into Alice's head. `Supposing it couldn't find any?' she suggested. Then it would die, of course.' But that must happen very often,' Alice remarked thoughtfully. It always happens,' said the Gnat.
A man's only as old as the woman he feels.
Ford Prefect suppressed a little giggle of evil satisfaction, realized that he had no reason to suppress it, and laughed out loud, a wicked laugh.
If I were you, I'd sue my face for slander.
My first words, as I was being born [...] I looked up at my mother and said, 'that's the last time I'm going up one of those.
I think I understand what military fame is; to be killed on the field of battle and have your name misspelled in the newspapers.
The other day I met a man who didn't know where Tripoli was. Tripoli happened to come into the conversation, and he was evidently at a loss. "Let's see," he said. "Tripoli is just down by the - er - you know. What's the name of that place?" "That's right," I answered, "just opposite, Thingumabob. I could show you in a minute on a map. It's near - what do they call it?" At this moment the train stopped, and I got out and went straight home to look at my atlas.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.