Some people, said Humpty Dumpty, looking away from her as usual,
have no more sense than a baby!
Alice didn t know what to say to this: it wasn t at all like
conversation, she thought, as he never said anything to _her_; in fact,
his last remark was evidently addressed to a tree so she stood and
softly repeated to herself:
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall:
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the King s horses and all the King s men
Couldn t put Humpty Dumpty in his place again.
That last line is much too long for the poetry, she added, almost out
loud, forgetting that Humpty Dumpty would hear her.
Don t stand there chattering to yourself like that, Humpty Dumpty
said, looking at her for the first time, but tell me your name and
your business.
My _name_ is Alice, but
It s a stupid enough name! Humpty Dumpty interrupted impatiently.
What does it mean?
_Must_ a name mean something? Alice asked doubtfully.
Of course it must, Humpty Dumpty said with a short laugh: _my_ name
means the shape I am and a good handsome shape it is, too. With a name
like yours, you might be any shape, almost.
Why do you sit out here all alone? said Alice, not wishing to begin
an argument.
Why, because there s nobody with me! cried Humpty Dumpty. Did you
think I didn t know the answer to _that_? Ask another.
Don t you think you d be safer down on the ground? Alice went on, not
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