Chapter X
Dressing for Dinner
In which Alice is prepared for dinner
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‘There must be some mistake …’ began Alice.
‘No mistake,’ corrected the Queen. ‘I knew that you were important from the moment that I first saw you. Royalty can tell these things,’ she added.
‘Now,’ she continued, ‘we must announce you properly. A party should do,’ and, with that, she sat down on the ground and opened up a rather large carpet bag which she had been carrying with her.
The carpet bag contained a small ornate writing desk, which the Queen placed on her knees.
In no time at all, she had dashed off several letters which she then sealed carefully, before handing them to a nearby footman.
‘Be sure to deliver these letters to the correct people,’ instructed the Queen, ‘or I will chop off your head.’
The footman took the letters and hurried off immediately, bowing in all directions, until he was out of sight.
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The Queen then turned her attention back to Alice.
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‘As for you, my dear,’ she smiled, ‘we must have you suitably dressed for dinner,’ and, with that, she made a note on another piece of paper, and handed it to Alice.
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‘Take this,’ she said, clapping her hands to summon another footman.
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The second footman appeared almost immediately and, for a moment, Alice thought that he was the first footman returning, as he looked so similar.
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The Queen gave her instructions to the Footman, and turned back to Alice.
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‘There is so much to do,’ she said, ‘that I simply must go now. This footman will see to your needs, from here,’ and she took to her heels before Alice could say anything in reply.
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The Footman bowed low to the departing Queen, and hit his head on the floor.
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Then he snapped back up to attention, before falling over on the ground, with a dazed look on his face.
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Alice rushed to his side to see if he was all right.
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The Footman looked up at her with big round eyes, and blinked several times.
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‘Are you all right?’ asked Alice, with some concern.
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‘Yes, thank you, Ma’am,’ said the Footman, getting to his feet.
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‘Please follow me,’ he said in an absent-minded voice, and he staggered off so erratically that Alice grabbed him by his arm, in order to steady him as he went.
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‘Are you sure that you are not hurt?’ asked Alice, after a few paces.
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‘Thank you for asking,’ replied the Footman, ‘but I am fine.
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‘Besides,’ he added, ‘I find that the experience clears my head wonderfully,’ and he sat down again, rather heavily.
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‘Maybe we should rest here for a moment,’ said Alice, taking charge of the situation.
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‘Perhaps you are right, Ma’am,’ agreed the Footman, and they sat together, while Alice examined his head.
‘He has quite a few bumps on his head,’ thought Alice. ‘He must do this a lot.’
‘I have quite a few bumps on my head,’ said the Footman. ‘I do this a lot.
‘Not that I am complaining, mind,’ ...
