ALISIA EN LA PAIS DE MERVELIAS
Tra la tunel de coneo · La stange de larmas · Un corsa acaso e un coda longa · La Coneo envia un Ben peti · Conselas de un Eruga · Porco e peper · La te de la foles · La campo de croceta de la Rea · La raconta de la Tortuga Falsa · La Cuadrilia de Omaros · Ci ia fura la tartetas? · Alisia atesta

Capitol 5: Conselas de un Eruga

Chapter V. ADVICE FROM A CATERPILLAR.

La Eruga e Alisia regarda lunlotra tra alga tempo en silentia: a fini, la Eruga prende la pipa de sua boca, e parla a el en un vose pigra e dormosa.

The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in silence: at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth, and addressed her in a languid, sleepy voice.

“Ci es tu?” la Eruga dise.

“Who are you?” said the Caterpillar.

Esta no es un comensa corajinte per un conversa. Alisia responde, alga timida: “Me—me sabe apena, Senior, a esta momento—a la min, me sabe ci me ia es cuando me ia leva me a esta matina, ma me crede clar ce me ia deveni cambiada a plu ca un ves a pos.”

This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, “I—I hardly know, Sir, just at present—at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.”

“Cua tu intende par acel?” la Eruga dise, sever. “Esplica tu!”

“What do you mean by that?” said the Caterpillar, sternly. “Explain yourself!”

“Me no pote esplica me, me regrete, Senior,” Alisia dise, “car me no es me, tu comprende.”

“I ca’n’t explain myself, I’m afraid, Sir,” said Alice, “because I’m not myself, you see.”

“Me no comprende,” la Eruga dise.

“I don’t see,” said the Caterpillar.

“Me regrete ce me no pote espresa plu clar la situa,” Alisia responde, multe cortes, “car me mesma no comprende lo, per comensa; e cuando on ave tan multe grandias diferente en un dia, on deveni multe confusada.”

“I’m afraid I ca’n’t put it more clearly,” Alice replied, very politely, “for I ca’n’t understand it myself, to begin with; and being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing.”

“Tota no,” la Eruga dise.

“It isn’t,” said the Caterpillar.

“Bon, cisa tu ancora no ia esperia esta,” Alisia dise; “ma cuando tu debe cambia a un crisalida—esta va aveni a alga dia, tu sabe—e a pos a un papilio, me imajina ce tu va trova ce esta pare alga strana, no?”

“Well, perhaps you haven’t found it so yet,” said Alice; “but when you have to turn into a chrysalis—you will some day, you know—and then after that into a butterfly, I should think you’ll feel it a little queer, wo’n’t you?”

“An no pico,” la Eruga dise.

“Not a bit,” said the Caterpillar.

“Bon, cisa tua sentis pote es diferente,” Alisia dise: “ma me sabe sola esta: lo ta pare multe strana a me.”

“Well, perhaps your feelings may be different,” said Alice: “all I know is, it would feel very queer to me.”

“Tu!” la Eruga dise despetosa. “Ci es tu?”

“You!” said the Caterpillar contemptuously. “Who are you?”

E en esta modo los reveni a la comensa de la conversa. Alisia senti alga iritada car la Eruga fa comentas tan multe corta, e el alti sua testa e dise, multe seria: “Me opina ce tu debe comensa par dise a me ci tu es.”

Which brought them back again to the beginning of the conversation. Alice felt a little irritated at the Caterpillar’s making such very short remarks, and she drew herself up and said, very gravely, “I think you ought to tell me who you are, first.”

“Perce?” la Eruga dise.

“Why?” said the Caterpillar.

On ave asi un otra demanda confondente; e, car Alisia no pote trova un razona conveninte, e car la Eruga pare es en un disposa multe nonplasente, el turna a via.

Here was another puzzling question; and, as Alice could not think of any good reason, and as the Caterpillar seemed to be in a very unpleasant state of mind, she turned away.

“Reveni!” la Eruga esclama a el. “Me ave un cosa importante per dise!”

“Come back!” the Caterpillar called after her. “I’ve something important to say!”

Esta pare prometosa, serta. Alisia turna e reveni denova.

This sounded promising, certainly. Alice turned and came back again.

“Manteni tua bon umor,” la Eruga dise.

“Keep your temper,” said the Caterpillar.

“Mera acel?” Alisia dise, restrinjente sua coleria, tan multe como posible.

“Is that all?” said Alice, swallowing down her anger as well as she could.

“No,” la Eruga dise.

“No,” said the Caterpillar.

Ma Alisia opina ce la situa va es egal bon si el espeta, car el ave no otra cosa per ocupa se, e lo es posible, an con tota, ce lo va dise alga cosa cual merita es oiada. Tra alga minutos, lo fumi sin parla; ma final lo descrusa sua brasos, prende denova la pipa de sua boca, e dise: “Donce tu opina ce tu es cambiada, si?”

Alice thought she might as well wait, as she had nothing else to do, and perhaps after all it might tell her something worth hearing. For some minutes it puffed away without speaking; but at last it unfolded its arms, took the hookah out of its mouth again, and said “So you think you’re changed, do you?”

“Si, me regrete, Senior,” Alisia dise. “Me no recorda cosas como a ante—e me no reteni la mesma grandia tra des minutos en segue!”

“I’m afraid I am, Sir,” said Alice. “I ca’n’t remember things as I used—and I don’t keep the same size for ten minutes together!”

“Cual cosas tu no recorda?” la Eruga dise.

“Ca’n’t remember what things?” said the Caterpillar.

“Bon, me ia atenta dise ‘L’ abea ocupada’, ma lo ia sona tota diferente!” Alisia responde en un vose multe triste.

“Well, I’ve tried to say ‘How doth the little busy bee,’ but it all came different!” Alice replied in a very melancholy voice.

“Resita ‘Tu es vea, mea padre’,” la Eruga dise.

“Repeat ‘You are old, father William,’” said the Caterpillar.

Alisia crusa sua manos e comensa:

Alice folded her hands, and began:—

“Tu es vea, mea padre,” la fio declara,
“Con capeles aora tan blanca;
Ma tu sta sur la testa e no vole sesa,
A tu’ eda, tal atas no manca?”

“You are old, father William,” the young man said,
“And your hair has become very white;
And yet you incessantly stand on your head—
Do you think, at your age, it is right?”

“En jovenia,” la padre responde a el,
“Mea serebro ta risca un dana;
Ma aora mea testa es plen de babel’,
E me sta tal a cada semana.”

“In my youth,” father William replied to his son, “I feared it might injure the brain; But, now that I’m perfectly sure I have none, Why, I do it again and again.”

“Tu es vea,” la fio repete ja corta,
“Tu deveni estrema obesa;
Ma tu salta en voltas per veni tra l’ porte—
Tu fa lo par alga nesesa?”

“You are old,” said the youth, “as I mentioned before,
And have grown most uncommonly fat;
Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door—
Pray, what is the reason of that?”

“En jovenia,” el clari, con mex’ secutente,
“Me ia forti la gamas, la du,
Par la usa barata de esta unjente—
Me va vende lo ance a tu?”

“In my youth,” said the sage, as he shook his grey locks,
“I kept all my limbs very supple
By the use of this ointment—one shilling the box—
Allow me to sell you a couple?”

“Tu es vea, e tu’ mandibul’ es, per cosas
Plu dur ca la gras, tro debil;
Ma en come la ganso, con beco e osos—
Como tu ia susede fasil?”

“You are old,” said the youth, “and your jaws are too weak
For anything tougher than suet;
Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak—
Pray, how did you manage to do it?”

“En jovenia,” sua padre responde, “disputas
Sin fin’ con mea spos’ ia prescrive
Un fortia de mandibul’ asoluta
Cual dura tra tota la vive.”

“In my youth,” said his father, “I took to the law,
And argued each case with my wife;
And the muscular strength, which it gave to my jaw,
Has lasted the rest of my life.”

“Tu es vea,” el dise, “e on ta supos’
Ce tu’ oios no plu es fidable;
Ma tu sta un angil’ sur tu’ nas—esta cos’
Es en cual modo an realable?”

“You are old,” said the youth, “one would hardly suppose
That your eye was as steady as ever;
Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose—
What made you so awfully clever?”

“Me ia dona tre claris, e esta sufis’,”
Sua padre dis’, “ja per un dia!
Si tu vole continua plu tua capris,
Me va pedi tu asta la via!”

“I have answered three questions, and that is enough,”
Said his father. “Don’t give yourself airs!
Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff?
Be off, or I’ll kick you down-stairs!”

“La resita no ia es coreta,” la Eruga dise.

“That is not said right,” said the Caterpillar.

“No tota coreta, me regrete,” Alisia dise, timida: “alga de la parolas ia cambia.”

“Not quite right, I’m afraid,” said Alice, timidly: “some of the words have got altered.”

“Lo ia es mal de la comensa asta la fini,” la Eruga dise, desidosa; e alga minutos pasa en silentia.

“It is wrong from beginning to end,” said the Caterpillar, decidedly; and there was silence for some minutes.

La Eruga es la prima ci parla.

The Caterpillar was the first to speak.

“Cual grandia tu desira ave?” lo demanda.

“What size do you want to be?” it asked.

“O! mea grandia no conserna multe me,” Alisia responde rapida; “ma me no gusta cambia tan frecuente, tu sabe.”

“Oh, I’m not particular as to size,” Alice hastily replied; “only one doesn’t like changing so often, you know.”

“Me no sabe,” la Eruga dise.

“I don’t know,” said the Caterpillar.

Alisia no responde: nunca a ante en tota sua vive on ia contradise el tan multe, e el senti ce el perde sua bon umor.

Alice said nothing: she had never been so much contradicted in all her life before, and she felt that she was losing her temper.

“Esce tu es contente aora?” la Eruga dise.

“Are you content now?” said the Caterpillar.

“Bon, me ta prefere es alga plu grande, Senior, si esta no ofende,” Alisia dise. “La altia de sete sentimetres es tan misera.”

“Well, I should like to be a little larger, Sir, if you wouldn’t mind,” said Alice: “three inches is such a wretched height to be.”

“Ma lo es un altia estrema bon!” la Eruga dise coler, caprinte en cuando lo parla (lo ave esata sete sentimetres de altia).

“It is a very good height indeed!” said the Caterpillar angrily, rearing itself upright as it spoke (it was exactly three inches high).

“Ma me no es abituada a lo!” Alisia prea en un tono misera. E el pensa a se: “Me desira ce la animales no ta deveni tan fasil ofendeda!”

“But I’m not used to it!” pleaded poor Alice in a piteous tone. And she thought to herself “I wish the creatures wouldn’t be so easily offended!”

“Tu va deveni abituada a lo pos alga tempo,” la Eruga dise; e lo pone la pipa en sua boca, e comensa fumi denova.

“You’ll get used to it in time,” said the Caterpillar; and it put the hookah into its mouth, and began smoking again.

A esta ves, Alisia espeta pasiente asta cuando lo eleje parla denova. Pos un o du minutos, la Eruga prende la pipa de sua boca, e balia a un o du veses, e secute se. Alora lo desende de la xampinion, e rampe a via tra la erba, mera comentante en cuando lo parti: “La un lado va fa ce tu deveni plu alta, e la otra lado va fa ce tu deveni plu basa.”

This time Alice waited patiently until it chose to speak again. In a minute or two the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth, and yawned once or twice, and shook itself. Then it got down off the mushroom, and crawled away into the grass, merely remarking, as it went, “One side will make you grow taller, and the other side will make you grow shorter.”

“La un lado de cua? La otra lado de cua?” Alisia pensa a se.

“One side of what? The other side of what?” thought Alice to herself.

“De la xampinion,” la Eruga dise, esata como si el ia fa la demanda a vose; e, pos un plu momento, lo es ultra vista.

“Of the mushroom,” said the Caterpillar, just as if she had asked it aloud; and in another moment it was out of sight.

Alisia resta regardante la xampinion tra un minuto pensosa, atentante deteta la du lados de lo; e, car lo es perfeta ronda, el trova ce esta es un eserse multe difisil. An tal, a fini, el estende tan multe como posible sua brasos sirca lo, e rompe a via un peso de la borda con cada mano.

Alice remained looking thoughtfully at the mushroom for a minute, trying to make out which were the two sides of it; and, as it was perfectly round, she found this a very difficult question. However, at last she stretched her arms round it as far as they would go, and broke off a bit of the edge with each hand.

“E aora, cual es cual?” el dise a se, e rode un pico de la peso destra per proba la efeto. A la momento seguente, el senti un colpa violente su sua mento: lo ia toca sua pede!

“And now which is which?” she said to herself, and nibbled a little of the right-hand bit to try the effect. The next moment she felt a violent blow underneath her chin: it had struck her foot!

El es alga asustada par esta cambia subita, ma el senti ce el ave no tempo per perde, car el diminui rapida: donce el comensa direta la taxe de come alga de la otra peso. Sua mento es tan prosima presada contra sua pede ce la spasio sufisi apena per abri sua boca; ma a fini el susede, e deveni capas de engoli un pico de la peso sinistra.

She was a good deal frightened by this very sudden change, but she felt that there was no time to be lost, as she was shrinking rapidly: so she set to work at once to eat some of the other bit. Her chin was pressed so closely against her foot, that there was hardly room to open her mouth; but she did it at last, and managed to swallow a morsel of the left-hand bit.

* * * * *
* * * *
* * * * *

“Bon, final mea testa es libre!” Alisia dise en un tono de deleta, cual cambia a alarma pos un plu momento cuando el trova ce el no pote persepi sua spalas en cualce loca. Cuando el regarda a su, el vide mera un estende vasta de colo, cual pare asende de un mar de folias verde, situada a un distantia grande su el.

“Come, my head’s free at last!” said Alice in a tone of delight, which changed into alarm in another moment, when she found that her shoulders were nowhere to be found: all she could see, when she looked down, was an immense length of neck, which seemed to rise like a stalk out of a sea of green leaves that lay far below her.

“Ma vera, de do esta verdes ia veni?” el dise. “E a do mea spalas ia vade? E, o! mea povre manos, como lo es posible ce me no vide vos?” El move los de asi a ala cuando el parla, ma no resulta pare segue, estra un secute peti en la verde de la folias distante.

“What can all that green stuff be?” said Alice. “And where have my shoulders got to? And oh, my poor hands, how is it I ca’n’t see you?” She was moving them about as she spoke, but no result seemed to follow, except a little shaking among the distant green leaves.

Car lo pare es nonposible ce el pote leva sua manos a sua testa, el atenta basi sua testa per ateni los, e el es deletada cuando el trova ce sua colo pote curvi fasil de asi a ala en cualce dirije, como un serpente. El veni de susede curvi lo a su en un zigzaga refinada, e es a punto de tufa entre la folias (el trova ce los es mera la culminas de la arbores su cual el ia vaga a ante), cuando un sisa agu fa ce el retira sua en un freta. Un pijon grande ia vola contra sua fas, e aora lo bate el en un modo violente con sua alas.

As there seemed to be no chance of getting her hands up to her head, she tried to get her head down to them, and was delighted to find that her neck would bend about easily in any direction, like a serpent. She had just succeeded in curving it down into a graceful zigzag, and was going to dive in among the leaves, which she found to be nothing but the tops of the trees under which she had been wandering, when a sharp hiss made her draw back in a hurry: a large pigeon had flown into her face, and was beating her violently with its wings.

“Serpente!” la Pijon xilia.

“Serpent!” screamed the Pigeon.

“Me no es un serpente!” Alisia dise ofendeda. “Vade a via!”

“I’m not a serpent!” said Alice indignantly. “Let me alone!”

“Serpente, me dise denova!” la Pijon repete, ma en un tono plu moderada, e ajunta, con un spesie de sanglota: “Me ia atenta cada metodo, ma no cosa conveni contra los!”

“Serpent, I say again!” repeated the Pigeon, but in a more subdued tone, and added, with a kind of sob, “I’ve tried every way, and nothing seems to suit them!”

“Me no comprende an pico tua refere,” Alisia dise.

“I haven’t the least idea what you’re talking about,” said Alice.

“Me ia proba la radises de arbores, e me ia proba rivas, e me ia proba sepes,” la Pijon continua, sin atende el; “ma acel serpentes! On no pote sasia los!”

“I’ve tried the roots of trees, and I’ve tried banks, and I’ve tried hedges,” the Pigeon went on, without attending to her; “but those serpents! There’s no pleasing them!”

Alisia es sempre plu confondeda, ma el pensa ce el no va es beneficada par dise plu asta cuando la Pijon va fini parla.

Alice was more and more puzzled, but she thought there was no use in saying anything more till the Pigeon had finished.

“La incuba de la ovos es ja bastante difisil,” la Pijon dise; “ma me debe es vijilosa contra serpentes tra la note e la dia! Vera, me no ia fa an un momento de dormi en la tre semanas pasada!”

“As if it wasn’t trouble enough hatching the eggs,” said the Pigeon; “but I must be on the look-out for serpents night and day! Why, I haven’t had a wink of sleep these three weeks!”

“Me regrete multe ce on ia disturba tu,” Alisia dise, comensante comprende cua lo dise.

“I’m very sorry you’ve been annoyed,” said Alice, who was beginning to see its meaning.

“E direta cuando me ocupa la arbor la plu alta en la bosce,” la Pijon continua, levante sua vose a un xilia, “e cuando me crede final ce me es libre de los, los desende aora rampente de la sielo mesma! Iu, serpente!”

“And just as I’d taken the highest tree in the wood,” continued the Pigeon, raising its voice to a shriek, “and just as I was thinking I should be free of them at last, they must needs come wriggling down from the sky! Ugh, Serpent!”

“Ma me no es un serpente, me declara!” Alisia dise. “Me es un—un—”

“But I’m not a serpent, I tell you!” said Alice. “I’m a—I’m a—”

“E bon? Cua tu es?” la Pijon dise. “Me vide ce tu atenta inventa alga cosa!”

“Well! What are you?” said the Pigeon. “I can see you’re trying to invent something!”

“Me—me es un xica peti,” Alisia dise, alga dutante, car el recorda la cuantia de cambias tra cual el ia pasa ja a esta dia.

“I—I’m a little girl,” said Alice, rather doubtfully, as she remembered the number of changes she had gone through, that day.

“Apena probable!” la Pijon dise, en un tono de despeta la plu profonda. “Me ia vide multe xicas peti en mea vive, ma nunca an un con un colo como acel! No, no! tu es un serpente; e tu no va es beneficada par nega lo. Me suposa ce tu va dise aora ce tu ia come nunca un ovo!”

“A likely story indeed!” said the Pigeon, in a tone of the deepest contempt. “I’ve seen a good many little girls in my time, but never one with such a neck as that! No, no! You’re a serpent; and there’s no use denying it. I suppose you’ll be telling me next that you never tasted an egg!”

“Me ia come ovos, serta,” Alisia dise, car el es un enfante multe onesta; “ma la xicas peti come ovos no min ca la serpentes, tu sabe.”

“I have tasted eggs, certainly,” said Alice, who was a very truthful child; “but little girls eat eggs quite as much as serpents do, you know.”

“Me no crede lo,” la Pijon dise; “ma si lo es vera, bon, donce los es ance serpentes de alga spesie: me dise no plu.”

“I don’t believe it,” said the Pigeon; “but if they do, why, then they’re a kind of serpent: that’s all I can say.”

Esta es un idea tan nova per Alisia ce el es intera silente tra un o du minutos, cual permete ce la Pijon ajunta: “Tu xerca ovos, esta es multe clar a me; e lo no conserna me esce tu es un xica peti o un serpente.”

This was such a new idea to Alice, that she was quite silent for a minute or two, which gave the Pigeon the opportunity of adding “You’re looking for eggs, I know that well enough; and what does it matter to me whether you’re a little girl or a serpent?”

“Lo conserna multe me,” Alisia dise rapida; “ma me no xerca ovos, en fato; e, an si me ta xerca los, me no ta desira la tuas: me no gusta ovos cru.”

“It matters a good deal to me,” said Alice hastily; “but I’m not looking for eggs, as it happens; and, if I was, I shouldn’t want yours: I don’t like them raw.”

“Bon, donce vade a via!” la Pijon dise en un tono malumorosa, reposante se en sua nido denova. Alisia acrupi se entre la arbores, tan bon como posible, car sua colo deveni sempre caturada entre la ramos, e de ves a ves el debe para per desmarania lo. Pos un tempo, el recorda ce el teni ancora la pesos de xampinion en sua manos, e el comensa multe cauta la taxe de rode aora la un peso e aora la otra, deveninte aora plu alta e aora plu basa, asta cuando el susede redui se a sua altia normal.

“Well, be off, then!” said the Pigeon in a sulky tone, as it settled down again into its nest. Alice crouched down among the trees as well as she could, for her neck kept getting entangled among the branches, and every now and then she had to stop and untwist it. After a while she remembered that she still held the pieces of mushroom in her hands, and she set to work very carefully, nibbling first at one and then at the other, and growing sometimes taller and sometimes shorter, until she had succeeded in bringing herself down to her usual height.

Tan multe tempo ia pasa ja de cuando el ia ave un grandia an prosima coreta, ce esta pare multe strana a la comensa. Ma el abitua se a lo pos alga minutos, e comensa parla a se, como usual: “Bon, un dui de mea projeta es aora ja fada! Tota esta cambias es tan confondente! Nunca me sabe serta como me va es, de minuto a minuto! An tal, me ia reateni mea grandia coreta: la taxe seguente es entra a acel jardin bela—como posible me va fa esta, me vole sabe?” A cuando el dise esta, el ariva subita a un pradeta cual conteni un casa peti, con sirca sento-dudes sentimetres de altia. “Me no sabe ci abita ala,” Alisia pensa, “ma lo no conveni ce me ta encontra cualcun a esta grandia. Vera, me ta es tan asustante ce on ta deveni loco!” Donce el comensa rode denova la peso destra, e el no osa vade prosima a la casa ante redui se a la altia de dudes sentimetres.

It was so long since she had been anything near the right size, that it felt quite strange at first; but she got used to it in a few minutes, and began talking to herself, as usual, “Come, there’s half my plan done now! How puzzling all these changes are! I’m never sure what I’m going to be, from one minute to another! However, I’ve got back to my right size: the next thing is, to get into that beautiful garden—how is that to be done, I wonder?” As she said this, she came suddenly upon an open place, with a little house in it about four feet high. “Whoever lives there,” thought Alice, “it’ll never do to come upon them this size: why, I should frighten them out of their wits!” So she began nibbling at the right-hand bit again, and did not venture to go near the house till she had brought herself down to nine inches high.