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 further 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?"

"Thank you, it's a very interesting dance to watch," said Alice, feeling
very glad that it was over at last: "and I do so like that curious song
about the whiting!"

"Oh, as to the whiting," said the Mock Turtle, "they--you've seen them,
of course?"

"Yes," said Alice, "I've often seen them at dinn----" she checked
herself hastily.

"I don't know where Dinn may be," said the Mock Turtle, "but if you've
seen them so often, of course you know what they're like."

"I believe so," Alice replied thoughtfully. "They have their tails in
their mouths--and they're all over crumbs."

"You're wrong about the crumbs," said the Mock Turtle: "crumbs would all
wash off in the sea. But they _have_ their tails in their mouths; and
the reason is--" here the Mock Turtle yawned and shut his eyes. "Tell
her about the reason and all that," he said to the Gryphon.

"The reason is," said the Gryphon, "that they _would_ go with the
lobsters to the dance. So they got thrown out to sea. So they had to
fall a long way. So they got their tails fast in their mouths. So they
couldn't get them out again. That's all."

"Thank you," said Alice. "It's very interesting. I never knew so much
about a whiting before."

"I can tell you more than that, if you like," said the Gryphon. "Do you
know why it's called a whiting?"

"I never thought about it," said Alice. "Why?"

"_It does the boots and shoes_," the Gryphon replied very solemnly.

Alice was thoroughly puzzled. "Does the boots and shoes!" she repeated
in a wondering tone.

"Why, what are _your_ shoes done with?" said the Gryphon. "I mean, what
makes them so shiny?"

Alice looked down at them, and considered a little before she gave her
answer. "They're done with blacking, I believe."

"Boots and shoes under the sea," the Gryphon went on in a deep voice,
"are done with whiting. Now you know."

"And what are they made of?" Alice asked in a tone of great curiosity.

"Soles and eels, of course," the Gryphon replied rather impatiently:
"any shrimp could have told you that."

"