"the world would go round a deal faster than it does."

[Illustration: _An unusually large saucepan flew close by it, and very
nearly carried it off_]

"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 night! You see the earth
takes twenty-four hours to turn round on its axis----"

"Talking of axes," said the Duchess, "chop off her head."

Alice glanced rather anxiously at the cook, to see if she meant to take
the hint; but the cook was busily engaged in stirring the soup, and did
not seem to be listening, so she ventured to go on again: "Twenty-four
hours, I _think_; 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!"

While the Duchess sang the second verse of the song, she kept tossing
the baby violently up and down, and the poor little thing howled so,
that Alice could hardly hear the words:

"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!"

"Here! you may nurse it a bit if you like!" the Duchess said to Alice,
flinging the baby at her as she spoke. "I must go and get ready to play
croquet with the Queen," and she hurried out of the room. The cook threw
a frying-pan after her as she went out, but it just missed her.

Alice caught the baby with some difficulty, as it was a queer-shaped
little creature, and held out its arms and legs in all directions, "just
like a star-fish," thought Alice. The poor little thing was snorting
like a steam-engine when she caught it, and kept doubling itself up and
straightening itself out again, so that altogether, for the first minute
or two, it was as much as she could do to hold it.

As soon as she had made out the proper way of nursing it, (which was to
twist it up into a knot, and then keep tight hold of its right ear and
left foot