Read Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland Online

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Poem 



All in the golden afternoon 

Full leisurely we glide; 

For both our oars, with little skill, 

By little arms are plied, 

While little hands make vain pretence 

Our wanderings to guide. 

Ah, cruel Three! In such an hour, 

Beneath such dreamy weather, 

To beg a tale of breath too weak 

To stir the tiniest feather! 

Yet what can one poor voice avail 
Against three tongues together? 

Imperious Prima flashes forth 

Her edict 'to begin it' - 

In gentler tone Secunda hopes 

'There will be nonsense in it!' - 

While Tertia interrupts the tale 

Not more than once a minute. 

Anon, to sudden silence won, 

In fancy they pursue 

The dream-child moving through a land 



Of wonders wild and new, 

In friendly chat with bird or beast - 

And half believe it true. 

And ever, as the story drained 

The wells of fancy dry, 

And faintly strove that weary one 

To put the subject by, 

"The rest next time -" "It is next time!" 

The happy voices cry. 

Thus grew the tale of Wonderland: 

Thus slowly, one by one, 

Its quaint events were hammered out - 

And now the tale is done, 

And home we steer, a merry crew, 

Beneath the setting sun. 

Alice! a childish story take, 

And with gentle hand 

Lay it were Childhood's dreams are twined 

In Memory's mystic band, 

Like pilgrim's wither'd wreath of flowers 

Pluck'd in a far-off land.