He can t do that, said the King, or else he d have been here first.
However, now you ve got your breath, you may tell us what s happened in
the town.
I ll whisper it, said the Messenger, putting his hands to his mouth
in the shape of a trumpet, and stooping so as to get close to the
King s ear. Alice was sorry for this, as she wanted to hear the news
too. However, instead of whispering, he simply shouted at the top of
his voice They re at it again!
Do you call _that_ a whisper? cried the poor King, jumping up and
shaking himself. If you do such a thing again, I ll have you buttered!
It went through and through my head like an earthquake!
It would have to be a very tiny earthquake! thought Alice. Who are
at it again? she ventured to ask.
Why the Lion and the Unicorn, of course, said the King.
Fighting for the crown?
Yes, to be sure, said the King: and the best of the joke is, that
it s _my_ crown all the while! Let s run and see them. And they
trotted off, Alice repeating to herself, as she ran, the words of the
old song:
The Lion and the Unicorn were fighting for the crown:
The Lion beat the Unicorn all round the town.
Some gave them white bread, some gave them brown;
Some gave them plum-cake and drummed them out of town.
Does the one that wins get the crown? she asked, as well as she
could, for the run was putting her quite out of breath.
Dear me, no! said the King. What an idea!
Would you be good enough, Alice panted out, after running a little
further, to stop a minute just to get one s breath again?
67