putting things!
It s a mineral, I _think_, said Alice.
Of course it is, said the Duchess, who seemed ready to agree to
everything that Alice said; there s a large mustard-mine near here.
And the moral of that is The more there is of mine, the less there is
of yours.
Oh, I know! exclaimed Alice, who had not attended to this last
remark, it s a vegetable. It doesn t look like one, but it is.
I quite agree with you, said the Duchess; and the moral of that
is Be what you would seem to be or if you d like it put more
simply Never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might
appear to others that what you were or might have been was not
otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be
otherwise.
I think I should understand that better, Alice said very politely,
if I had it written down: but I can t quite follow it as you say it.
That s nothing to what I could say if I chose, the Duchess replied,
in a pleased tone.
Pray don t trouble yourself to say it any longer than that, said
Alice.
Oh, don t talk about trouble! said the Duchess. I make you a present
of everything I ve said as yet.
A cheap sort of present! thought Alice. I m glad they don t give
birthday presents like that! But she did not venture to say it out
loud.
Thinking again? the Duchess asked, with another dig of her sharp
little chin.
I ve a right to think, said Alice sharply, for she was beginning to
feel a little worried.
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