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"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."