rnoon.'

The White Queen smiled feebly, and said 'And I invite YOU.'

'I didn't know I was to have a party at all,' said Alice; 'but if there
is to be one, I think _I_ ought to invite the guests.'

'We gave you the opportunity of doing it,' the Red Queen remarked: 'but
I daresay you've not had many lessons in manners yet?'

'Manners are not taught in lessons,' said Alice. 'Lessons teach you to
do sums, and things of that sort.'

'And you do Addition?' the White Queen asked. 'What's one and one and
one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one?'

'I don't know,' said Alice. 'I lost count.'

'She can't do Addition,' the Red Queen interrupted. 'Can you do
Subtraction? Take nine from eight.'

'Nine from eight I can't, you know,' Alice replied very readily: 'but--'

'She can't do Subtraction,' said the White Queen. 'Can you do Division?
Divide a loaf by a knife--what's the answer to that?'

'I suppose--' Alice was beginning, but the Red Queen answered for her.
'Bread-and-butter, of course. Try another Subtraction sum. Take a bone
from a dog: what remains?'

Alice considered. 'The bone wouldn't remain, of course, if I took
it--and the dog wouldn't remain; it would come to bite me--and I'm sure
I shouldn't remain!'

'Then you think nothing would remain?' said the Red Queen.

'I think that's the answer.'

'Wrong, as usual,' said the Red Queen: 'the dog's temper would remain.'

'But I don't see how--'

'Why, look here!' the Red Queen cried. 'The dog would lose its temper,
wouldn't it?'

'Perhaps it would,' Alice replied cautiously.

'Then if the dog went away, its temper would remain!' the Queen
exclaimed triumphantly.

Alice said, as gravely as she could, 'They might go different ways.' But
she couldn't help thinking to herself, 'What dreadful nonsense we ARE
talking!'

'She can't do sums a BIT!' the Queens said together, with great
emphasis.

'Can YOU do sums?' Alice said, turning suddenly on the White Queen, for
she didn't like being found fault with so much.

The Queen gasped and shut her eyes. 'I can do Addition, if you give me
time--but I can do Subtraction, under ANY circumstances!'

'Of course you know your A B C?' said the Red Queen.

'To be sure I do.' said Alice.

'So do I,' the White Queen whispered: 'we'll often say it over together,
dear. And I'll tell you a secret--I can read words of one letter! Isn't
THAT grand! However, don't be discouraged. You'll come to it in tim