Prevod
Čisto sama, čisto sama! Uboga Alica! Nobenega dojenčka, niti prašička, ki bi ji delal družbo! Zato si lahko misliš, kako zelo se je razveselila, ko je nad svojo glavo zagledala češirskega mačka, ki je čepel na drevesu.
Maček ima prav prijeten nasmeh, o tem ni dvoma; ampak poglej, koliko zob ima! Ali se ga Alica ne boji vsaj malce? No, da, malce že. Ampak saj ni bil sam kriv, da je imel zobe, veš; nasmehu pa bi se lahko odpovedal, če bi bil slabe volje. Tako je bila navsezadnje vendarle vesela.
Ali ni Alica videti prav dostojanstvena, ko drži glavo tako pokonci in ima roke za hrbtom, kakor da bo mačku povedala, kaj se je naučila za šolo!
In ob tem sem se nečesa spomnil. Nekaj malega bi te rad naučil, medtem ko si ogledujeva to sliko Alice in mačka. Nikar se ne namršči zaradi tega, dragi otrok! Čisto kratka lekcija bo!
Ali vidiš tisti naprstec, ki raste tik ob drevesu? In ali veš, zakaj mu v angleščini pravijo »lisičja rokavica«? Morda misliš, da ima kaj opraviti z lisico? Kje pa! Lisice nikoli ne nosijo rokavic!
Pravo ime je »rokavice dobrega ljudstva«. Ali si že kdaj slišal, da so vilinskim bitjem nekoč pravili »dobro ljudstvo«? Zdaj sva končala lekcijo in bova malce počakala, da boš spet dobre volje.
No? Si že spet dobre volje? Te nič več ne muči čemernost? Ni več nejevolje v kotičkih ust? Potem pa pojdiva naprej. »Češirski muc!« je rekla Alica. (Ali ni to ljubko ime za mačka?) »Bi mi povedal, po kateri poti naj grem od tod?«
In češirski maček ji je povedal, po kateri poti naj gre, če hoče obiskati Klobučarja, in po kateri, če hoče obiskati Marčnega zajca. »Oba sta nora!« je rekel maček.
Potem pa je maček izginil, kakor plamen sveče, ko ugasne! Tako se je Alica odpravila obiskat Marčnega zajca. In med potjo se je maček spet pojavil! Povedala mu je, da ji ni všeč, da tako naglo prihaja in odhaja.
Zato je tokrat izginjal čisto počasi, najprej rep in nazadnje nasmeh. Ali ni bilo to nekaj nenavadnega, nasmeh brez mačka? Bi ga rad videl?
Če zavihaš vogal tega lista, boš videl Alico, kako gleda nasmeh; in prav nič bolj prestrašena ni videti kakor takrat, ko je gledala mačka, kajne?
X.
Izvirnik
All alone, all alone! Poor Alice! No Baby, not even a Pig to keep her company!
So you may be sure she was very glad indeed, when she saw the Cheshire-Cat, perched up in a tree, over her head.
The Cat has a very nice smile, no doubt: but just look what a lot of teeth it’s got! Isn’t Alice just a little shy of it?
Well, yes, a little. But then, it couldn’t help having teeth, you know: and it could have helped smiling, supposing it had been cross. So, on the whole, she was glad.
Doesn’t Alice look very prim, holding her head so straight up, and with her hands behind her, just as if she were going to say her lessons to the Cat!
And that reminds me. There’s a little lesson I want to teach you, while we’re looking at this picture of Alice and the Cat. Now don’t be in a bad temper about it, my dear Child! It’s a very little lesson indeed!
Do you see that Fox-Glove growing close to the tree? And do you know why it’s called a Fox-Glove? Perhaps you think it’s got something to do with a Fox? No indeed! Foxes never wear Gloves!
The right word is “Folk’s-Gloves.” Did you ever hear that Fairies used to be called “the good Folk”?
Now we’ve finished the lesson, and we’ll wait a minute, till you’ve got your temper again.
Well? Do you feel quite good-natured again? No temper-ache? No crossness about the corners of the mouth? Then we’ll go on.
“Cheshire Puss!” said Alice. (Wasn’t that a pretty name for a Cat?) “Would you tell me which way I ought to go from here?”
And so the Cheshire-Cat told her which way she ought to go, if she wanted to visit the Hatter, and which way to go, to visit the March Hare. “They’re both mad!” said the Cat.
And then the Cat vanished away, just like the flame of a candle when it goes out!
So Alice set off, to visit the March Hare. And as she went along, there was the Cat again! And she told it she didn’t like it coming and going so quickly.
So this time the Cat vanished quite slowly, beginning with the tail, and ending with the grin. Wasn’t that a curious thing, a Grin without any Cat? Would you like to see one?
If you turn up the corner of this leaf, you’ll have Alice looking at the Grin: and she doesn’t look a bit more frightened than when she was looking at the Cat, does she?
X.
