Ɖ we Dîna wośt hr ćildṛn’z fesz wz ɖs: frst ś hld ɖ pur ʈñ dǎn bî its ir wɖ wn pw, n ɖen wɖ ɖ uɖr pw ś rubd its fes ol ovr, ɖ roñ we, bginñ at ɖ nǒz: n jst nǎ, az I sd, ś wz hard at wrc on ɖ ẃît citn, ẃć wz layñ qt stil n trayñ t pr—no dǎt fīlñ ɖt it wz ol mnt fr its gd.

Bt ɖ blac citn hd bn finiśt wɖ rlịr in ɖ afṭnun, n so, ẃl Alis wz sitñ crld p in a cornr v ɖ gret armćer, haf tōcñ t hrslf n haf aslip, ɖ citn hd bn hvñ a grand gem v romps wɖ ɖ bōl v wŭstid Alis hd bn trayñ t wînd p, n hd bn rolñ it p n dǎn tl it hd ol cm undun agn; n ɖr it wz, spred ovr ɖ harʈrug, ol nóts n tanglz, wɖ ɖ citn runñ aftr its ǒn teil in ɖ midl.

“Ǒ, y wicid litl ʈñ!” craid Alis, caćñ p ɖ citn, n gvñ it a litl cis t mc it unḍstand ɖt it wz in dsgres. “Riyli, Dîna òt t hv tòt y betr manrz! Y òt, Dîna, y nǒ y òt!” ś add, lcñ rproćf̣li at ɖ old cat, n spīcñ in az cros a vôs az ś cd manij—n ɖen ś scrambld bac intu ɖ armćer, tecñ ɖ citn n ɖ wŭstid wɖ hr, n bgan wîndñ p ɖ bōl agn. Bt ś dd’nt gt on vri fast, az ś wz tōcñ ol ɖ tîm, smtmz t ɖ citn, n smtmz t hrslf. Citi sat vri dḿrli on hr ni, pritndñ t woć ɖ progres v ɖ wîndñ, n nǎ n ɖen ptñ ǎt wn pw n jntli tućñ ɖ bōl, az f it wd b glad t hlp, f it mt.

“D y nǒ ẃt tmoro z, Citi?” Alis bgan. “Y’d hv gést f y’d bn p in ɖ windo wɖ m—onli Dîna wz mcñ y tîdi, so y cd’nt. I wz woćñ ɖ bôz gtñ in stics fr ɖ bonfîr—n it wonts plenti v stics, Citi! Onli it got so cold, n it snoud so, ɖe hd t līv of. Nvr mînd, Citi, w’l g n si ɖ bonfîr tmoro.” Hir Alis waund tū or ʈri trnz v ɖ wŭstid rnd ɖ citn’z nec, jst t si hǎ it wd lc: ɖs léd t a scrambl, in ẃć ɖ bōl rold dǎn upn ɖ flor, n yardz n yardz v it got unwaund agn.

“D y nǒ, I wz so angri, Citi,” Alis wnt on az sn az ɖe wr cumf̣tbli setld agn, “ẃn I sw ol ɖ misćif y hd bn dwñ, I wz vri nirli oṗnñ ɖ windo, n ptñ y ǎt intu ɖ sno! N y’d hv dzrvd it, y litl misćiṿs darlñ! Ẃt hv y got t se fr yrslf? Nǎ d’nt inṭrupt m!” ś wnt on, holdñ p wn fngr. “I’m gwñ t tel y ol yr fōlts. Numbr wn: y sqīct twîs ẃl Dîna wz wośñ yr fes ɖs mornñ. Nǎ y c’nt dnî it, Citi: I hŕd y! Ẃt’s ɖt y se?” (pritndñ ɖt ɖ citn wz spīcñ.) “Hr pw wnt intu yr î? Wel, ɖt’s yr fōlt, fr cīpñ yr îz opn—f y’d śut ɖm tît p, it wd’nt hv hapnd. Nǎ d’nt mc eni mor xksz, bt lisn! Numbr tū: y pld Snǒdrop awe bî ɖ teil jst az I hd pt dǎn ɖ sōspn v milc bfr hr! Ẃt, y wr ʈrsti, wr y? Hǎ d y nǒ ś wz’nt ʈrsti tù? Nǎ fr numbr ʈri: y unwaund evri bit v ɖ wŭstid ẃl I wz’nt lcñ!

“Ɖt’s ʈri fōlts, Citi, n y’v nt bn puniśt fr eni v ɖm yt. Y nǒ I’m sevñ p ol yr puniśmnts fr Wenzde wīc—S’poz ɖe hd sevd p ol mî puniśmnts!” ś wnt on, tōcñ mor t hrslf ɖn ɖ citn. “Ẃt wd ɖe d at ɖ end v a yir? I śd b snt t prizn, I s’poz, ẃn ɖ de cem. Or—let m si—s’poz ć puniśmnt wz t b gwñ wɖt a dinr: ɖen, ẃn ɖ mizṛbl de cem, I śd hv t g wɖt fifti dinrz at wns! Wel, I śd’nt mînd ɖt mć! I’d far rɖr g wɖt ɖm ɖn īt ɖm!

“D y hír ɖ sno agnst ɖ windopeinz, Citi? Hǎ nîs n soft it sǎndz! Jst az f smwn wz cisñ ɖ windo ol ovr ǎtsd. I wundr f ɖ sno luvz ɖ triz n fīldz, ɖt it cisz ɖm so jntli? N ɖen it cuvrz ɖm p snug, y nǒ, wɖ a ẃît qilt; n phps it sz, “G t slīp, darlñz, tl ɖ sumr cmz agn.” N ẃn ɖe wec p in ɖ sumr, Citi, ɖe dres ɖmslvz ol in grīn, n dans abt—ẃnvr ɖ wind bloz—ǒ, ɖt’s vri priti!” craid Alis, dropñ ɖ bōl v wŭstid t clap hr handz. “N I d so wś it wz tru! I’m śr ɖ wŭdz lc slīpi in ɖ ōtm, ẃn ɖ līvz r gtñ brǎn.

“Citi, cn y ple ćés? Nǎ, d’nt smîl, mî dir, I’m ascñ it sirịsli. Bcz, ẃn w wr pleyñ jst nǎ, y woćt jst az f y unḍstd it: n ẃn I sd “Ćec!” y prd! Wel, it wz a nîs ćec, Citi, n riyli I mt hv wún, f it hd’nt bn fr ɖt nasti Nait, ɖt cem wiġlñ dǎn amñ mî pìsz. Citi, dir, let’s pritnd—” N hir I wś I cd tel y haf ɖ ʈñz Alis yst t se, bginñ wɖ hr feṿrit frêz “Let’s pritnd.” Ś hd hd qt a loñ arğmnt wɖ hr sistr onli ɖ de bfr—ol bcz Alis hd bgun wɖ “Let’s pritnd w’r cñz n qīnz;” n hr sistr, hu lîct biyñ vri xact, hd arğd ɖt ɖe cd’nt, bcz ɖr wr onli tū v ɖm, n Alis hd bn rdyst at last t se, “Wel, y cn b wn v ɖm ɖen, n I’l b ol ɖ rest.” N wns ś hd riyli frîtnd hr old nrs bî śǎtñ sudnli in hr ir, “Nrs! D let’s pritnd ɖt I’m a hungri hîīna, n y’r a bon.”

Bt ɖs z tecñ s awe fṛm Alis’z spīć t ɖ citn. “Let’s pritnd ɖt y’r ɖ Red Qīn, Citi! D y nǒ, I ʈnc f y sat p n foldd yr armz, y’d lc xacli lîc hr. Nǎ d trî, ɖr’z a dir!” N Alis got ɖ Red Qīn of ɖ tebl, n set it p bfr ɖ citn az a modl fr it t iṃtet: hvr, ɖ ʈñ dd’nt s’xid, prinsipli, Alis sd, bcz ɖ citn wd’nt fold its armz proprli. So, t puniś it, ś hld it p t ɖ Lcñglas, ɖt it mt si hǎ sulci it wz—“n f y’r nt gd d’recli,” ś add, “I’l pt y ʈru intu Lcñglas Hǎs. Hǎ wd y lîc ɖt?”

“Nǎ, f y’l onli atnd, Citi, n nt tōc so mć, I’l tel y ol mî îdīaz abt Lcñglas Hǎs. Frst, ɖr’z ɖ rūm y cn si ʈru ɖ glas—ɖt’s jst ɖ sem az ǎr drw̃rūm, onli ɖ ʈñz g ɖ uɖr we. I cn si ol v it ẃn I gt upn a ćer—ol bt ɖ bit bhnd ɖ fîrples. Ǒ! I d so wś I cd si ɖt bit! I wont so mć t nǒ ẃɖr ɖ’v a fîr in ɖ wintr: y nvr cn tel, y nǒ, unls ǎr fîr smocs, n ɖen smoc cmz p in ɖt rūm tù—bt ɖt me b onli pritns, jst t mc it lc az f ɖe hd a fîr. Wel ɖen, ɖ bcs r smʈñ lîc ǎr bcs, onli ɖ wrdz g ɖ roñ we; I nǒ ɖt, bcz I’v hld p wn v ǎr bcs t ɖ glas, n ɖen ɖe hold p wn in ɖ uɖr rūm.

“Hǎ wd y lîc t liv in Lcñglas Hǎs, Citi? I wundr f ɖ’d gv y milc in ɖr? Phps Lcñglas milc z’nt gd t drinc—Bt ǒ, Citi! nǎ w cm t ɖ pasij. Y cn jst si a litl pīp v ɖ pasij in Lcñglas Hǎs, f y līv ɖ dor v ǎr drw̃rūm wîd opn: n it’s vri lîc ǎr pasij az far az y cn si, onli y nǒ it me b qt difṛnt on bynd. Ǒ, Citi! hǎ nîs it wd b f w cd onli gt ʈru intu Lcñglas Hǎs! I’m śr it’s got, ǒ! sć bytifl ʈñz in it! Let’s pritnd ɖr’z a we v gtñ ʈru intu it, smhǎ, Citi. Let’s pritnd ɖ glas hz got ol soft lîc gōz, so ɖt w cn gt ʈru. Ẃ, it’s trnñ intu a sort v mist nǎ, I dcler! It’l b īzi inuf t gt ʈru—” Ś wz p on ɖ ćimnipìs ẃl ś sd ɖs, ɖo ś hardli ń hǎ ś hd got ɖr. N srtnli ɖ glas wz bginñ t mlt awe, jst lîc a brît silṿri mist.

In anɖr momnt Alis wz ʈru ɖ glas, n hd jumt lîtli dǎn intu ɖ Lcñglas rūm. Ɖ vri frst ʈñ ś dd wz t lc ẃɖr ɖr wz a fîr in ɖ fîrples, n ś wz qt plizd t fînd ɖt ɖr wz a riyl wn, blezñ awe az brîtli az ɖ wn ś hd left bhnd. “So I śl b az worm hir az I wz in ɖ old rūm,” ʈt Alis: “wormr, in fact, bcz ɖr’l b nwn hir t scold m awe fṛm ɖ fîr. Ǒ, ẃt fun it’l b, ẃn ɖe si m ʈru ɖ glas in hir, n c’nt gt at m!”

Ɖen ś bgan lcñ abt, n notist ɖt ẃt cd b sìn fṛm ɖ old rūm wz qt comn n uninṭrestñ, bt ɖt ol ɖ rest wz az difṛnt az poṣbl. Fr instns, ɖ picćrz on ɖ wōl nxt ɖ fîr sīmd t b ol alîv, n ɖ vri cloc on ɖ ćimnipìs (y nǒ y cn onli si ɖ bac v it in ɖ Lcñglas) hd got ɖ fes v a litl old man, n grind at hr.

“Ɖe d’nt cīp ɖs rūm so tîdi az ɖ uɖr,” Alis ʈt t hrslf, az ś notist sevṛl v ɖ ćésmen dǎn in ɖ harʈ amñ ɖ sindrz: bt in anɖr momnt, wɖ a litl “Ǒ!” v s’prîz, ś wz dǎn on hr handz n niz woćñ ɖm. Ɖ ćésmen wr wōcñ abt, tū n tū!

“Hir r ɖ Red Cñ n ɖ Red Qīn,” Alis sd (in a ẃispr, fr fir v frîṭnñ ɖm), “n ɖr r ɖ Ẃît Cñ n ɖ Ẃît Qīn sitñ on ɖ éj v ɖ śuvl—n hir r tū caslz wōcñ arm in arm—I d’nt ʈnc ɖe cn hír m,” ś wnt on, az ś pt hr hed closr dǎn, “n I’m nirli śr ɖe c’nt si m. I fīl smhǎ az f I wr inviẓbl—”

Hir smʈñ bgan sqīcñ on ɖ tebl bhnd Alis, n md hr trn hr hed jst in tîm t si wn v ɖ Ẃît Pōnz rol ovr n bgin cicñ: ś woćt it wɖ gret krioṣti t si ẃt wd hapn nxt.

“It z ɖ vôs v mî ćîld!” ɖ Ẃît Qīn craid ǎt az ś ruśt past ɖ Cñ, so vayḷntli ɖt ś noct him ovr amñ ɖ sindrz. “Mî preśs Lili! Mî impirịl citn!” n ś bgan scramḅlñ wîldli p ɖ sîd v ɖ fndr.

“Impirịl fidlstic!” sd ɖ Cñ, rubñ hiz nǒz, ẃć hd bn hrt bî ɖ fōl. H hd a rît t b a litl anoid wɖ ɖ Qīn, fr h wz cuvrd wɖ aśz fṛm hed t ft.

Alis wz vri añśs t b v ys, n, az ɖ pur litl Lili wz nirli scrīmñ hrslf intu a fit, ś hesṭli pict p ɖ Qīn n set hr on ɖ tebl bî ɖ sîd v hr nôzi litl dōtr.

Ɖ Qīn gaspt, n sat dǎn: ɖ rapid jrni ʈru ɖ er hd qt tecn awe hr breʈ n fr a minit or tū ś cd d nʈñ bt hug ɖ litl Lili in sîḷns. Az sn az ś hd rcuvrd hr breʈ a litl, ś cōld ǎt t ɖ Ẃît Cñ, hu wz sitñ sulc̣li amñ ɖ aśz, “Mînd ɖ vlceno!”

“Ẃt vlceno?” sd ɖ Cñ, lcñ p añśsli intu ɖ fîr, az f h ʈt ɖt wz ɖ most lîcli ples t fînd wn.

“Blù—m—p,” pantd ɖ Qīn, hu wz stl a litl ǎt v breʈ. “Mînd y cm p—ɖ reğlr we—d’nt gt bloun p!”

Alis woćt ɖ Ẃît Cñ az h slǒli strugld p fṛm bar t bar, tl at last ś sd, “Ẃ, y’l b aurz n aurz gtñ t ɖ tebl, at ɖt ret. I’d far betr hlp y, hd’nt I?” Bt ɖ Cñ tc no notis v ɖ qsćn: it wz qt clir ɖt h cd nɖr hír hr nr si hr.

So Alis pict him p vri jntli, n liftd him acrs mor slǒli ɖn ś hd liftd ɖ Qīn, ɖt ś mt’nt tec hiz breʈ awe: bt, bfr ś pt him on ɖ tebl, ś ʈt ś mt az wel dust him a litl, h wz so cuvrd wɖ aśz.

Ś sd aftwdz ɖt ś hd nvr sìn in ol hr lîf sć a fes az ɖ Cñ md, ẃn h faund himslf hld in ɖ er bî an inviẓbl hand, n biyñ dustd: h wz far tù mć astoniśt t crî ǎt, bt hiz îz n hiz mǎʈ wnt on gtñ larjr n larjr, n rǎndr n rǎndr, tl hr hand śc so wɖ lafñ ɖt ś nirli let him drop upn ɖ flor.

“Ǒ! plīz d’nt mc sć fesz, mî dir!” ś craid ǎt, qt fgetñ ɖt ɖ Cñ cd’nt hír hr. “Y mc m laf so ɖt I cn hardli hold y! N d’nt cīp yr mǎʈ so wîd opn! Ol ɖ aśz wl gt intu it—ɖr, nǎ I ʈnc y’r tîdi inuf!” ś add, az ś smuɖd hiz her, n set him upn ɖ tebl nir ɖ Qīn.

Ɖ Cñ imīɉtli fél flat on hiz bac, n le prf̣cli stil: n Alis wz a litl alarmd at ẃt ś hd dn, n wnt rnd ɖ rūm t si f ś cd fînd eni wōtr t ʈro ovr him. Hvr, ś cd fînd nʈñ bt a botl v ñc, n ẃn ś got bac wɖ it ś faund h hd rcuvrd, n h n ɖ Qīn wr tōcñ tgɖr in a frîtnd ẃispr—so lo, ɖt Alis cd hardli hír ẃt ɖe sd.

Ɖ Cñ wz seyñ, “I aśur, y mî dir, I trnd cold t ɖ vri endz v mî ẃiscrz!”

T ẃć ɖ Qīn rplaid, “Y hv’nt got eni ẃiscrz.”

“Ɖ horr v ɖt momnt,” ɖ Cñ wnt on, “I śl nvr, nvr fget!”

“Y wl, ɖo,” ɖ Qīn sd, “f y d’nt mc a meṃrandm v it.”

Alis lct on wɖ gret inṭrest az ɖ Cñ tc an inorṃs meṃrandm-bc ǎt v hiz pocit, n bgan raitñ. A sudn ʈt struc hr, n ś tc hold v ɖ end v ɖ pensl, ẃć cem sm we ovr hiz śoldr, n bgan raitñ fr him.

Ɖ pur Cñ lct puzld n unhapi, n strugld wɖ ɖ pensl fr sm tîm wɖt seyñ enʈñ; bt Alis wz tù stroñ fr him, n at last h pantd ǎt, “Mî dir! I riyli mst gt a ʈinr pensl. I c’nt manij ɖs wn a bit; it raits ol manr v ʈñz ɖt I d’nt intnd—”

“Ẃt manr v ʈñz?” sd ɖ Qīn, lcñ ovr ɖ bc (in ẃć Alis hd pt “Ɖ Ẃît Nait z slîdñ dǎn ɖ pǒcr. H baḷnsz vri badli”) “Ɖt’s nt a meṃrandm v yr fīlñz!”

Ɖr wz a bc layñ nir Alis on ɖ tebl, n ẃl ś sat woćñ ɖ Ẃît Cñ (fr ś wz stl a litl añśs abt him, n hd ɖ ñc ol redi t ʈro ovr him, in ces h fentd agn), ś trnd ovr ɖ līvz, t fînd sm part ɖt ś cd rīd, “—fr it’s ol in sm lanḡj I d’nt nǒ,” ś sd t hrslf.

It wz lîc ɖs.

Ś puzld ovr ɖs fr sm tîm, bt at last a brît ʈt struc hr. “Ẃ, it’s a Lcñglas bc, v cors! N f I hold it p t a glas, ɖ wrdz wl ol g ɖ rît we agn.”

Ɖs wz ɖ powm ɖt Alis réd:

“It sīmz vri priti,” ś sd ẃn ś hd finiśt it, “bt it’s rɖr hard t unḍstand!” (Y si ś dd’nt lîc t cnfes, īvn t hrslf, ɖt ś cd’nt mc it ǎt at ol.) “Smhǎ it sīmz t fil mî hed wɖ îdīaz—onli I d’nt xacli nǒ ẃt ɖe r! Hvr, smbdi cild smʈñ: ɖt’s clir, at eni ret—”

“Bt ǒ!” ʈt Alis, sudnli jumpñ p, “f I d’nt mc hest I śl hv t g bac ʈru ɖ Lcñglas, bfr I’v sìn ẃt ɖ rest v ɖ hǎs z lîc! Let’s hv a lc at ɖ gardn frst!” Ś wz ǎt v ɖ rūm in a momnt, n ran dǎnsterz—or, at līst, it wz’nt xacli runñ, bt a ny invnśn v hrz fr gtñ dǎnsterz qcli n īẓli, az Alis sd t hrslf. Ś jst cept ɖ tips v hr fngrz on ɖ handrel, n flotd jntli dǎn wɖt īvn tućñ ɖ sterz wɖ hr fīt; ɖen ś flotd on ʈru ɖ hōl, n wd hv gn stret ǎt at ɖ dor in ɖ sem we, f ś hd’nt còt hold v ɖ dorpost. Ś wz gtñ a litl gidi wɖ so mć flotñ in ɖ er, n wz rɖr glad t fînd hrslf wōcñ agn in ɖ naćṛl we.