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CHAPTER VI. PIG AND PEPPER 



a moment's pause. The only things in the kitchen that did not sneeze, were the 
cook, and a large cat which was sitting on the hearth and grinning from ear to ear. 

'Please would you tell me,' said 
Alice, a little timidly, for she was not 
quite sure whether it was good man- 
ners for her to speak first, 'why your 
cat grins like that?' 

'It's a Cheshire cat,' said the 
Duchess, 'and that's why. Pig!' 

She said the last word with such 
sudden violence that Alice quite 
jumped; but she saw in another mo- 
ment that it was addressed to the baby, 
and not to her, so she took courage, 
and went on again: 

T didn't know that Cheshire cats always grinned; in fact, I didn't know that 
cats could grin.' 

'They all can,' said the Duchess, 'and most of 'em do.' 

T don't know of any that do,' Alice said very politely, feeling quite pleased to 
have got into a conversation. 

'You don't know much,' said the Duchess, 'and that's a fact.' 

Alice did not at all like the tone of this remark and thought it would be as 
well to introduce some other subject of conversation. While she was trying to fix 
on one, the cook took the cauldron of soup off the fire, and at once set to work 
throwing everything within her reach at the Duchess and the baby - the fire-irons 
came first; then followed a shower of saucepans, plates and dishes. The Duchess 
took no notice of them even when they hit her; and the baby was howling so much 
already, that it was quite impossible to say whether the blows hurt it or not. 

'Oh, please mind what you're doing!' cried Alice, jumping up and down in an 
agony of terror, 'Oh, there goes his precious nose,' as an unusually large saucepan 
flew close by it and very nearly carried it off. 

'If everybody minded their own business,' the Duchess said 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 of 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 stirring the soup, and seemed not to be listening, so she 
went on again, 'Twenty-four hours, I think; or is it twelve? I - '