[...] ‘If everybody minded their own business,’
said the Duchess, in a hoarse growl, ‘the world would go round
a deal faster than it does.  ‘Which would not be an advantage,’ said Alice, who felt
very glad to get an opportunity of showing off a little of her knowledge. ‘Just think
what work it would make with the day and the night! You see the earth takes
twenty-four hours to turn round on its axis- [...] or is it twelve? I-’ Oh, don’t bother
me,’ said the Duchess; ‘I never could abide figures!’ And with that she began nursing
her child again, singing a sort of lullaby to it as she did so, and giving it a violent
shake at the end of every line:

Speak roughly to your little boy,
And beat him when he sneezes:
He only does it to annoy,
Because he knows it teases.

CHORUS
(In which the cook and the baby joined):

Wow! wow! wow!

I speak severely to my boy,
I beat him when he sneezes;
For he can thoroughly enjoy
The pepper when he pleases!

CHORUS

‘Wow! wow! wow!’

You can really have no notion how delightfull it will be,
When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!’
But the snail replied, ‘Too far, too far!’ and gave a look askance-
Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join the dance.

‘What matters it how far we go?’ his scaly friend replied.
‘There is another shore, you know, upon the other side.
The farther off from England the nearer is to France-
Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance.
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, will you join the dance?
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance?’

He said, ‘I look for butterflies
That sleep among the wheat:
I make them into mutton-pies,
And sell them in the street.
I sell them unto men’ he said,
‘Who sail on stormy seas;
And that’s the way I get my bread-
A trifle, if you please.’

But I was thinking of a plan
To dye one’s whiskers green,
And always use so large a fan
That they could not be seen.
So, having no reply to give
To what the old man said,
I cried, ‘Come, tell me how you live!’
And thumped him on the head.

His accents mild took up the tale:
He said, ‘I go my ways,
And when I find a mountain-rill,
I set it in a blaze;
And thence they make a stuff they call
Rowland’s Macassar Oil-
Yet twopence-halfpenny is all
They give me for my toil.’

But I was thinking of a way
To feed oneself on batter,
And so go on from day to day
Getting a little fatter.
I shook him well from side to side,
Until his face was blue:
‘Come, tell me how you live,’ I cried,
‘And what it is you do!’

He said: ‘I hunt for haddocks’ eyes
Among the heather bright,
And work them into waistcoat-buttons
In the silent night.
And these I do not sell for gold
Or coin of silvery shine,
But for a copper halfpenny,
And that will purchase nine.

I sometimes dig for buttered rolls,
Or set limed twigs for crabs;
I sometimes search the grassy knolls
For wheels of Hansome-cabs.
And that’s the way’ (he gave a wink)
‘By which I get my wealth-
And very gladly will I drink
Your Honour’s noble health.’

I heard him then, for I had just
Completed my design
To keep the Menai bridge from rust
By boiling it in wine.
I thanked him much for telling me
The way he got his wealth,
But chiefly for his wish that he
Might drink my noble health.

And now, if e’er by chance I put
My fingers into glue,
Or madly squeeze a right-hand foot
Into a left-hand shoe,
Or if I drop upon my toe
A very heavy weight,
I weep, for it reminds me so
Of that old man I used to know-
Whose look was mild, whose speech was slow,
Whose hair was whiter than the snow,
Whose face was very like a crow,
With eyes like cinders, all aglow,
Who seemed distracted with his woe,
Who rocked his body to and fro,
And muttered mumblingly and low,
As if his mouth were full of dough,
Who snorted like a buffalo-
That summer evening long ago

The White Queen gave a deep sigh, and laid her head on Alice’s shoulder, ‘I am so sleepy!’ she moaned.
‘She’s tired, poor thing!’ said the Red Queen. ‘Smooth her hair - lend her your nightcap - and sing her a soothing lullaby.’
‘I haven’t got a nightcap with me;’ said Alice, as she tried to obey the first direction: ‘and I don’t know any soothing lullabies.’
‘I must do it myself, then,’ said the Red Queen, and she began:

Hush-a-by lady, in Alice’s lap!
Til the feast’s ready we’ve time for a nap:
When the feasts over, we’ll go to the ball-
Red Queen, and White Queen, and Alice, and all!

(‘And now you know the words,’ she added,
as she put her head down on Alice’s other shoulder,
‘just sing it through to me. I’m getting sleepy, too.’
In another moment both Queens were fast asleep,
and snoring loud.

At this moment the door was flung open, and a shrill voice was heard singing:)

To the Looking-Glass world it was Alice that said
‘I’ve a sceptre in hand, I’ve a crown on my head;
Let the Looking-Glass creatures, whatever they be,
Come and dine with the Red Qeen, the White Queen, and me!’

(And hundreds of voices joined in the chorus:)

Then fill up the glasses as quick as you can,
And sprinkle the table with buttons and bran:
Put cats in the coffee, and mice in the tea-
And welcome Queen Alice
with thirty-times-three!

(Alice thought to herself, ‘Thirty times three makes ninety.
I wonder if any one’s counting?’ In a minute there was silence again,
and the same shrill voice sang another verse:)

‘O Looking-Glass creatures,’ quoth Alice, ‘draw near!
‘Tis an honour to see me, a favor to hear:
‘Tis a privilege high to have dinner and tea
Along with the Red Queen, the White Queen and me!’

(Then came the chorus again:)

Then fill up the glasses with treacle and inc,
Or anything else that is pleasant to drink;
Mix sand with the cider, and wool with the wine-
And welcome Queen Alice
with ninety-times-nine!

‘Ninety-times-nine!’ Alice repeated in despair.
‘Oh, that’ll never be done! I’d better go in at once.’

‘First the fish must be caught.’
That is easy: a baby I think could have caught it.
‘Next, the fish must be bought.’
That is easy: a penny, I think, would have bought it.

‘Now cook me the fish!’
That is easy, and will not take more
than a minute.
‘Let it lie in a dish!’
That is easy, because it already is in it.

‘Bring it here! Let me sup!’
It is easy to set such a dish on the table.
‘Take the dish-cover up!’
Ah, that is so hard that I fear I’m unable!

For it holds like a glue-
Holds the lid to the dish, while it lies in the middle:
Which is easiest to do,
Un-dish-cover the fish, or dishcover the riddle?

(Das Bild wird zunehmend undeutlicher, und die Vision verblasst. Die Phantasie muss sich der Wirklichkeit fügen, als schließlich...)

(...der ferne Klang einer Stimme die Zuhörer sanft, aber unwiderruflich aus ihren Träumen weckt:)

A boat beneath a sunny sky...

A boat, beneath a sunny sky
Lingering onward dreamily
In an evening of July-
Children three tat nestle near,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Pleased a simple tale to hear-
Long has paled that sunny sky:
Echoes fade and memories die:
Autumn frosts have slain July.
Still she haunts me, phantomwise.
Alice moving under skies
Never seen by waking eyes.
Children yet, the tale to hear,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Lovingly shall nestle near.
In a Wonderland they lie,
Dreaming as the days go by,
Dreaming as the summers die:
Ever drifting down the stream-
Lingering in the golden gleam-
Life, what is but a dream?

THE END

Awoke in empty halls
While shadows where dancing on the walls
I try to grip the morning light
But there´s just the silver gleam of a freezy night

A strange call pours into my head
Whispering through the darkness of my soul
Speaking softly and clear
Coming from a neverseen place

I have to leave this empty hall
I have to follow my inner call
The walls close in it´s cold inside
No doors, no windows no single light

"This night will be black
So wait for the moonrise
It will be the key for your escape
But you will always be caught in his silver light."

I have to leave this empty hall…

On and on colours die
On and on the nightwind cries
On and on in a starfilled sea
A silver tear will shine on me