The Favorite Book

I tried my hands on Alice in Wonderland over this weekend. First time I had read it in Guajarati when I was in 4th standard. The only meaning I had captured when I was young is ‘Wonder’. And it continued…so much so that when I was in 9th I named my diary as ‘Alice in Wonderland’. Still during those days ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’ was unlike anything else but just an entry into wonderland.

Now at this age it remained my favorite book though and what a wonder that it altered it’s meaning to suit my maturity and understanding. Those pictures drawn by John Tenniel were the one of the delirious attraction in young days and now its cryptical text.

Alice grows 10 inches short and 9 ft tall. That bird Dodo, he says at the end of the race everyone wins, and all get the price. A blue Caterpillar, who is sitting arms folded quietly smoking a hookah. Then the mad hatter comes, March hare, and the Cheshire cat keeps grinning from the bush. March hare dips watch into tea, and the queen’s garden has white roses, and those tiger-lily said to Alice we flower can speak provided that someone worth speaking. Queen says keep on running if you want to stand where you are now. Alice meets Tweedledee and Tweedledum further ahead the twin brothers! Queen says her age 101 yrs, 5 months and 1 day and advices her to use the same notions for age when asked. Humpty Dumpty told Alice when I use any word then it means what I want it to mean. King says I wish I had an eye which never sees anything. Queen said ‘kill them before you hang later form the judgment’. King asked mad hatter to take the hat off…and hatter said,’it’s not my hat’.
My research said the word ‘egghead’ has been derived from Humpty Dumpty. It represents intellectuals and it’s an egg shaped, when it broke no one could repair it.
Well…felt intricate and sarcastic this time…but of course amused too.

Close up:
Alice: I wonder if I've been changed in the night. Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!

March Hare: …Then you should say what you mean.
Alice: I do; at least - at least I mean what I say -- that's the same thing, you know.
Hatter: Not the same thing a bit! Why, you might just as well say that, 'I see what I eat' is the same as 'I eat what I see'!
March Hare: You might just as well say, that "I like what I get" is the same thing as "I get what I like"!
The Dormouse: You might just as well say, that "I breathe when I sleep" is the same thing as "I sleep when I breathe"!

Cheshire cat: I am mad, you are mad …all are mad here.