Lewis Carroll

“And how do you know that you're mad? "To begin with," said the Cat, "a dog's not mad. You grant that?" I suppose so, said Alice. "Well then," the Cat went on, "you see a dog growls when it's angry, and wags it's tail when it's pleased. Now I growl when I'm pleased, and wag my tail when I'm angry. Therefore I'm mad.”

“How puzzling all these changes are! I'm never sure what I'm going to be, from one minute to another.”

“I'm very much afraid I didn't mean anything but nonsense. Still, you know, words mean more than we mean to express when we use them; so a whole book ought to mean a great deal more than the writer means. So, whatever good meanings are in the book, I'm glad to accept as the meaning of the book.”

“If you'll believe in me, I'll believe in you. Is that a bargain?”

“I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then”

“One! two! and through and throughThe vorpal blade went snickersnack!He left it dead, and with its headHe went galumphing back.”

“When the sands are all dry, he is gay as a lark,And will talk in contemptuous tones of the Shark:But, when the tide rises and sharks are around,His voice has a timid and tremulous sound.”

“No, no! The adventures first, explanations take such a dreadful time.”

“I wish I could manage to be glad!" the Queen said. "Only I never can remember the rule. You must be very happy, living in this wood, and being glad whenever you like!”

“It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.”

“It was much pleasanter at home," thought poor Alice, "when one wasn't always growing larger and smaller, and being ordered about by mice and rabbits. I almost wish I hadn't gone down the rabbit-hole--and yet--and yet--...”

“You could not see a cloud, because No cloud was in the sky: No birds were flying overhead -- There were no birds to fly. ”

“Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall Humpty Dumpty had a great fall All the king's horses and all the king's men Couldn't put Humpty together again”

“Lastly, she pictured to herself how this same little sister of hers would, in the after-time, be herself a grown woman; and how she would keep, through all her riper years, the simple and loving heart of her childhood: and how she would gather about her other little children, and make their eyes bright and eager with many a strange tale, perhaps even with the dream of Wonderland of long ago: and how she would feel with all their simple sorrows, and find a pleasure in all their simple joys, remembering her own child-life, and the happy summer days.”

“Anon, to sudden silence won, In fancy they pursueThe dream-child moving through the landOf wonders wild and new,In friendly chat with bird or beast - And half believe it true.”

“I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, sir,' said Alice, 'Because I'm not myself you see.”

“Well, then,' the Cat went on, 'you see, a dog growls when it's angry, and wags its tail when it's pleased. Now I growl when I'm pleased, and wag my tail when I'm angry. Therefore I'm mad.”

“If it had grown up, it would have made a dreadfully ugly child; but it makes rather a handsome pig, I think.”

“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.”

“Why it's simply impassible!Alice: Why, don't you mean impossible?Door: No, I do mean impassible. (chuckles) Nothing's impossible!”

“There is a place, like no place on earth. A land full of wonder, mystery, and danger. Some say, to survive it, you need to be as mad as a hatter. Which, luckily, I am.”

“Why, about you!" Tweedledee exclaimed, clapping his hands triumphantly. "And if he left off dreaming about you, where do you suppose you'd be?""Where I am now, of course," said Alice."Not you!" Tweedledee retorted contemptuously. "You'd be nowhere. Why, you're only a sort of thing in his dream!""If that there King was to wake," added Tweedledum, "you'd go out--bang!--just like a candle!""I shouldn't!" Alice exclaimed indignantly.”

“For, you see, so many out-of-the-way things had happened lately, that Alice had begun to think that very few things indeed were really impossible.”

“Alice! A childish story take,And with a gentile handLay it where Childhood dreams are twinedIn memory's mystic band,Like pilgrim's withered wreath of flowersPluck'd in a far off land.”

“I can’t believe THAT!” said Alice.Can’t you?” said the Queen in a pitying tone. “Try again: draw a long breath, and shut your eyes.”Alice laughed. “There’s no use trying,” she said, “one can’t believe impossible things.”I daresay you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why sometimes I believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast!”

“It is better to be feared than loved.”

“up above the world you fly, like a tea tray in the sky...”

“Do let's pretend that I'm a hungry hyena, and you're a bone!”

“One thing was certain, that the white kitten had had nothing to do with it-- it was the black kitten's fault entirely.”

“Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

“In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again.”

“Of course it is,’ said the Duchess, who seemed ready to agree to everythingthat Alice said; ‘there’s a large mustard-mine near here. And the moralof that is– “The more there is of mine, the less there is of yours.”

“What a funny watch!’ she remarked. ‘It tells the day of the month, and doesn’t tellwhat o’clock it is!’‘Why should it?’ muttered the Hatter. ‘Does YOUR watch tell you what year it is?’‘Of course not,’ Alice replied very readily: ‘but that’s because it stays the same year for such a long time together.’‘Which is just the case with MINE,’ said the Hatter.”

“Always speak the truth, think before you speak, and write it down afterwards.”

“The sun was shining on the sea,Shining with all his might:He did his very best to makeThe billows smooth and bright--And this was odd, because it wasThe middle of the night.”

“To be sure I was!' Humpty Dumpty said gaily, as she turned it round forhim. 'I thought it looked a little queer. As I was saying, that SEEMSto be done right--though I haven't time to look it over thoroughly justnow--and that shows that there are three hundred and sixty-four dayswhen you might get un-birthday presents--'Certainly,' said Alice.And only ONE for birthday presents, you know. There's glory for you!'I don't know what you mean by "glory,"' Alice said.Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. 'Of course you don't--till I tellyou. I meant "there's a nice knock-down argument for you!"'But "glory" doesn't mean "a nice knock-down argument,"' Alice objected.When _I_ use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, 'itmeans just what I choose it to mean--neither more nor less.'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you CAN make words mean so manydifferent things.'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master--that'sall.”

“Alice had got so much into the way of expecting nothing but out-of-the-way things to happen, that it seemed quite dull and stupid for life to go on in the common way.”

“Well that was the silliest tea party I ever went to! I am never going back there again!”

“Take some more tea," the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly."I've had nothing yet," Alice replied in an offended tone, "so I can't take more.""You mean you can't take less," said the Hatter: "it's very easy to take more than nothing.""Nobody asked your opinion," said Alice.”

“Well, I never heard it before, but it sounds uncommon nonsense.”

“You are old Father William,' the young man said, 'and your hair has become very white; and yet you incessantly stand on your head-do you think, at your age, it is right?”

“Reeling and Writhing of course, to begin with,' the Mock Turtle replied, 'and the different branches of arithmetic-ambition, distraction, uglification, and derision.”

“I said it in Hebrew—I said it in Dutch—I said it in German and Greek;But I wholly forgot (and it vexes me much)That English is what you speak!”

“Do you know, I always thought unicorns were fabulous monsters, too? I never saw one alive before!"Well, now that we have seen each other," said the unicorn, "if you'll believe in me, I'll believe in you.”

“Off with their heads!”

“How doth the little crocodileImprove his shining tail,And pour the waters of the NileOn every golden scale!How cheerfully he seems to grin,How neatly he spreads his claws,And welcomes little fishes in,With gently smiling jaws!”

“Mad Hatter: “Why is a raven like a writing-desk?”“Have you guessed the riddle yet?” the Hatter said, turning to Alice again.“No, I give it up,” Alice replied: “What’s the answer?”“I haven’t the slightest idea,” said the Hatter”

“I mean, what is an un-birthday present?"A present given when it isn't your birthday, of course."Alice considered a little. "I like birthday presents best," she said at last.You don't know what you're talking about!" cried Humpty Dumpty. "How many days are there in a year?"Three hundred and sixty-five," said Alice.And how many birthdays have you?"One.”

“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?”

“Suddenly the Professor started as if he had been electrified. "Why, I had nearly forgotten the most important part of the entertainment! The Other Professor is to recite a Tale of a Pig I mean a Pig-Tale," he corrected himself. "It has Introductory Verses at the beginning, and at the end."It can’t have Introductory Verses at the end, can it?" said Sylvie.Wait till you hear it," said the Professor: "then you will see. I’m not sure it hasn’t some in the middle, as well.”