131 Quotes & Sayings By Lewis Carroll

It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then. Lewis Carroll

Alice laughed. 'There's no use trying, ' she said. 'One can't believe impossible things.' I daresay you haven't had much practice, ' said the Queen. 'When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. There goes the shawl again! Lewis Carroll

If you drink much from a bottle marked 'poison' it is certain to disagree with you sooner or later. Lewis Carroll

Speak in French when you can’t think of the English for a thing--turn your toes out when you walk--- And remember who you are! Lewis Carroll

Lastly, she pictured to herself how this same little sister of hers would, in the after-time, be herself a grown woman; and how she would keep, through all her riper years, the simple and loving heart of her childhood: and how she would gather about her other little children, and make their eyes bright and eager with many a strange tale, perhaps even with the dream of Wonderland of long ago: and how she would feel with all their simple sorrows, and find a pleasure in all their simple joys, remembering her own child-life, and the happy summer days. Lewis Carroll

Do you mean that you think you can find out the answer to it?" said the March Hare."Exactly so, " said Alice."Then you should say what you mean, " the March Hare went on." I do, " Alice hastily replied; "at least--at least I mean what I say--that's the same thing, you know."" You might just as well say, " added the Dormouse, which seemed to be talking in its sleep, "that 'I breathewhen I sleep' is the same thing as 'I sleep when I breathe! . Lewis Carroll

Come, my child, " I said, trying to lead her away. "Wish good-bye to the poor hare, and come and look for blackberries."" Good-bye, poor hare! " Sylvie obediently repeated, looking over her shoulder at it as we turned away. And then, all in a moment, her self-command gave way. Pulling her hand out of mine, she ran back to where the dead hare was lying, and flung herself down at its side in such an agony of grief as I could hardly have believed possible in so young a child." Oh, my darling, my darling! " she moaned, over and over again. "And God meant your life to be so beautiful! . Lewis Carroll

Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe." Beware the Jabberwock, my son The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch! "He took his vorpal sword in hand; Long time the manxome foe he sought– So rested he by the Tumtum tree, And stood awhile in thought. And, as in uffish thought he stood, The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, And burbled as it came! One, two! One, two! And through and through The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! He left it dead, and with its head He went galumphing back." And hast thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! " He chortled in his joy.' Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. Lewis Carroll

Then you should say what you mean, " the March Hare went on. "I do, " Alice hastily replied; "at least--at least I mean what I say--that's the same thing, you know." "Not the same thing a bit! " said the Hatter. "You might just as well say that "I see what I eat" is the same thing as "I eat what I see"! Lewis Carroll

And ever, as the story drained The wells of fancy dry, And faintly strove that weary one To put the subject by, " The rest next time--" "It is next time! " The Happy voice cry. Thus grew the tale of Wonderland Lewis Carroll

Alice sighed wearily. `I think you might do something better with the time, ' she said, `than waste it in asking riddles that have no answers.'` If you knew Time as well as I do, ' said the Hatter, `you wouldn't talk about wasting it. It's him.'` I don't know what you mean, ' said Alice.`Of course you don't! ' the Hatter said, tossing his head contemptuously. `I dare say you never even spoke to Time! '`Perhaps not, ' Alice cautiously replied: `but I know I have to beat time when I learn music.'` Ah! that accounts for it, ' said the Hatter. `He won't stand beating. Now, if you only kept on good terms with him, he'd do almost anything you liked with the clock. For instance, suppose it were nine o'clock in the morning, just time to begin lessons: you'd only have to whisper a hint to Time, and round goes the clock in a twinkling! Half-past one, time for dinner!. Lewis Carroll

Be what you would seem to be - or, if you'd like it put more simply - never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise. Lewis Carroll

Must a name mean something?" Alice asked doubtfully. Of course it must, " Humpty Dumpty said with a short laugh; "my name means the shape I am - and a good handsome shape it is, too. With a name like yours, you might be any shape, almost. Lewis Carroll

What do you suppose is the use of a child without any meaning? Even a joke should have some meaning-- and a child's more imporant than a joke, I hope. You couldn't deny that, even if you tried with both hands. Lewis Carroll

What do you call yourself?" the Fawn said at last. Such a soft sweet voice it had! " I wish I knew! " thought poor Alice. She answered, rather sadly, "Nothing, just now."" Think again, " it said: "that won't do." Alice thought, but nothing came of it. "Please, would you tell me what you call yourself?" she said timidly, "I think that might help a little."" I'll tell you, if you'll come a little further on, " the Fawn said. "I can't remember here." So they walked on together through the wood, Alice with her arms clasped lovingly round the soft neck of the Fawn, till they came out into another open field, and here the Fawn gave a sudden bound into the air, and shook itself free from Alice's arms. "I'm a Fawn! " it cried out in a voice of delight. "And dear me, you're a human child! " A sudden look of alarm came into its beautiful brown eyes, and in another moment it had darted away at full speed. . Lewis Carroll

To be sure I was! ' Humpty Dumpty said gaily, as she turned it round forhim. 'I thought it looked a little queer. As I was saying, that SEEMSto be done right--though I haven't time to look it over thoroughly justnow--and that shows that there are three hundred and sixty-four dayswhen you might get un-birthday presents--' Certainly, ' said Alice.And only ONE for birthday presents, you know. There's glory for you! ' I don't know what you mean by "glory, "' Alice said. Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. 'Of course you don't--till I tellyou. I meant "there's a nice knock-down argument for you! "' But "glory" doesn't mean "a nice knock-down argument, "' Alice objected. When _I_ use a word, ' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, 'itmeans just what I choose it to mean--neither more nor less.' The question is, ' said Alice, 'whether you CAN make words mean so manydifferent things.' The question is, ' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master--that'sall. Lewis Carroll

When you come to any passage you don't understand, read it again: if you still don't understand it, read it again: if you fail, even after three readings, very likely your brain is getting a little tired. In that case, put the book away, and take to other occupations, and next day, when you come to it fresh, you will very likely find that it is quite easy. Lewis Carroll

All right, " said the Cat; and this time it vanished quite slowly, beginning with the end of the tail, and ending with the grin, which remained some time after the rest of it had gone. Lewis Carroll

You know what the issue is with this world? Everyone wants some magical solution to their problem and everyone refuses to believe in magic. Lewis Carroll

Now, what am I to do with this creature when I get it home?" when it grunted again, so violently, that she looked down into its face in some alarm. This time there could be no mistake about it: it was neither more nor less than a pig, and she felt that it would be quite absurd for her to carry it any further. | So she set the little creature down, and felt quite relieved to see it trot away quietly into the wood. "If it had grown up, " she said to herself, "it would have made a dreadfully ugly child: but it makes a rather handsome pig, I think." And she began thinking over other children she knew, who might do very well as pigs, and was just saying to herself, "if one only knew the right way to change them--" when she was a little startled by seeing the Cheshire Cat sitting on a bough of a tree a few yards off. . Lewis Carroll

For I do not believe God means us thus to divide life into half halves - to wear a grave face on Sunday, and to think it out-of-place to even so much as mention Him on a weekday. Do you think he cares to see only kneeling figures, and to hear only tones of prayer - and that He does not also love to see the lambs leaping in the sunlight, and to hear the merry voices of the children as they roll among the hay? Surely their innocent laughter is as sweet in His ears as the grandest anthem that ever rolled up from the 'dim religious light' of some solemn cathedral? . Lewis Carroll

Then it doesn't matter which way you walk...-so long as I get somewhere. Lewis Carroll

When I use a word, ' Humpty Dumpty said in a rather scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less. Lewis Carroll

When we were little, " the Mock Turtle went on at last, more calmly, though still sobbing a little now and then, "we went to school in the sea. The master was an old Turtle - we used to call him Tortoise -""Why did you call him Tortoise, if he wasn't one?" Alice asked." We called him Tortoise because he taught us, " said the Mock Turtle angrily: "really you are very dull! Lewis Carroll

Let craft, ambition, spite, Be quenched in Reason's night, Till weakness turn to might, Till what is dark be light, Till what is wrong be right! Lewis Carroll

In vain we roared;in vain we tried To rouse her into laughter: Her pensive glances wandered wide From orchestra to rafter -"TIER UPON TIER! " she said, and sighed; And silence followed after. Lewis Carroll

Scarce was the verdict spoken, When that still calm was broken, A childish form hath burst into the throng; With tears and looks of sadness, That bring no news of gladness, But tell too surely something hath gone wrong! Lewis Carroll

I see nobody on the road, ' said Alice'I only wish I had such eyes, ' The King remarked in a fretful tone. 'To be able to see Nobody! And at that distance too! Why it's as much as I can do to see real people, by this light! Lewis Carroll

The twelve jurors were all writing very busily on the slates. "What are they doing?" Alice whispered to the Gryphon. "They can't have anything to put down yet, before the trial's begun."" They're putting down their names, " the Gryphon whispered in reply, "for fear they should forget them before the end of the trial. Lewis Carroll

Is Life itself a dream, I wonder? Lewis Carroll

It's a poor sort of memory that only works backwards, ' says the White Queen to Alice. Lewis Carroll

What matter it how far we go?" his scaly friend replied." There is another shore, you know, upon the other side. Lewis Carroll

It'll be no use their putting their heads down and saying "Come up again, dear! " I shall only look up and say "Who am I then? Tell me that first, and then, if I like being that person, I'll come up: if not, I'll stay down heretill I'm somebody else"--but, oh dear! ' cried Alice, with a sudden burstof tears, 'I do wish they WOULD put their heads down! I am so VERY tiredof being all alone here! Lewis Carroll

Tut, tut, child! " said the Duchess. "Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it. Lewis Carroll

If there is no meaning in it, " said the King, "that saves a world of trouble, you know, as we needn't try to find any. And yet I don't know. Lewis Carroll

When I use a word, ’ Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean–neither more nor less. Lewis Carroll

She generally gave herself very good advice (though she very seldom followed it), and sometimes she scolded herself so severely as to bring tears into her eyes; and once she remembered trying to box her own ears for having cheated herself in a came of croquet she was playing against herself, for this curious child was very fond of pretending to be two people. Lewis Carroll

Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"" That depends a good deal on where you want to get to."" I don't much care where —""Then it doesn't matter which way you go. Lewis Carroll

No, no! The adventures first, explanations take such a dreadful time. Lewis Carroll

The time has come, " the walrus said, "to talk of many things: Of shoes and ships - and sealing wax - of cabbages and kings Lewis Carroll

A BOAT beneath a sunny sky, Lingering onward dreamily In an evening of July –Children three that nestle near, Eager eye and willing ear, Pleased a simple tale to hear –Long has paled that sunny sky: Echoes fade and memories die: Autumn frosts have slain July.Still she haunts me, phantomwise, Alice moving under skies Never seen by waking eyes. Children yet, the tale to hear, Eager eye and willing ear, Lovingly shall nestle near. In a Wonderland they lie, Dreaming as the days go by, Dreaming as the summers die: Ever drifting down the stream –Lingering in the golden gleam –Life, what is it but a dream? . Lewis Carroll

I have a fairy by my side Which says I must not sleep, When once in pain I loudly cried It said "You must not weep" If, full of mirth, I smile and grin, It says "You must not laugh" When once I wished to drink some gin It said "You must not quaff". When once a meal I wished to taste It said "You must not bite" When to the wars I went in haste It said "You must not fight". "What may I do?" at length I cried, Tired of the painful task. The fairy quietly replied, And said "You must not ask". Moral: "You mustn't. Lewis Carroll

When I use a word, ’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more nor less.’’ The question is, ’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’’ The question is, ’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master – that’s all. Lewis Carroll

Alice thought to herself, 'Then there's no use in speaking.' The voices didn't join in this time, as she hadn't spoken, but to her great surprise, they all thought in chorus (I hope you understand what thinking in chorus means--for I must confess that I don't), 'Better say nothing at all. Language is worth a thousand pounds a word! Lewis Carroll

For instance, take the two words "fuming" and "furious." Make up your mind that you will say both words, but leave it unsettled which you will say first. Now open your mouth and speak. If your thoughts incline ever so little towards " fuming, " you will say "fuming-furious;" if they turn, by even a hair's breadth, towards "furious, " you will say "furious-fuming;" but if you have the rarest of gifts, a perfectly balanced mind, you will say "frumious. Lewis Carroll

Then you should say what you mean, " the March Hare went on." I do, " Alice hastily replied; "at least-at least I mean what I say-that's the same thing, you know."" Not the same thing a bit! " said the Hatter. "Why, you might just as well say that 'I see what I eat' is the same thing as 'I eat what I see'! "" You might just as well say, " added the March Hare, "that 'I like what I get' is the same thing as 'I get what I like'! "" You might just as well say, " added the Dormouse, which seemed to be talking in its sleep, "that 'I breathe when I sleep' is the same thing as 'I sleep when I breathe'! "" It is the same thing with you." said the Hatter, . Lewis Carroll

Speak English! " said the Eaglet. "I don't know the meaning of half those long words, and, what's more, I don't believe you do either! " And the Eaglet bend down its head to hide a smile: some of the other birds tittered audibly. Lewis Carroll

I always thought they were fabulous monsters! " said the Unicorn. "Is it alive?"" It can talk, " said Haigha, solemnly. The Unicorn looked dreamily at Alice, and said, "Talk, child." Alice could not help her lips curling up into a smile as she began: "Do you know, I always thought Unicorns were fabulous monsters, too! I never saw one alive before! "" Well, now that we have seen each other, " said the Unicorn, "if you'll believe in me, I'll believe in you. Is that a bargain?. Lewis Carroll

I don't think..." then you shouldn't talk, said the Hatter. Lewis Carroll

She who saves a single soul, saves the universe. Lewis Carroll

It'll be no use their putting their heads down and saying, 'Come up again, dear! ' I shall only look up and say, 'Who am I, then? Tell me that first, and then, if I like being that person, I'll come up -- if not, I'll stay down here till I'm somebody else' -- but, oh, dear! Lewis Carroll

Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'' That depends a good deal on where you want to get to, ' said the Cat.'I don't much care where -' said Alice.'Then it doesn't matter which way you go, ' said the Cat.'- so long as I get SOMEWHERE, ' Alice added as an explanation.' Oh, you're sure to do that, ' said the Cat, 'if you only walk long enough. Lewis Carroll

Surely your gladness need not be the less for the thought that you will one day see a brighter dawn than this. Lewis Carroll

As children', wrote Alice Raikes (Mrs. Wilson Fox) in The Times, January 22, 1932, 'we lived in Onslow Square and used to play in the garden behind the houses. Charles Dodgson used to stay with an old uncle there, and walk up and down, his hands behind him, on the strip of lawn. One day, hearing my name, he called me to him saying, "So you are another Alice. I'm very found of Alices. Would you like to come and see something which is rather puzzling?" We followed him into his house which opened, as ours did, upon the garden, into a room full of furniture with a tall mirror standing across one corner.' "Now", he said giving me an orange, "first tell me which hand you have got that in." "The right" I said. "Now", he said, "go and stand before that glass, and tell me which hand the little girl you see there has got it in." After some perplexed contemplation, I said, "The left hand." "Exactly, " he said, "and how do you explain that?" I couldn't explain it, but seeing that some solution was expected, I ventured, "If I was on the other side of the glass, wouldn't the orange still be in my right hand?" I can remember his laugh. "Well done, little Alice, " he said. "The best answer I've heard yet." "I heard no more then, but in after years was told that he said that had given him his first idea for Through the Looking-Glass, a copy of which, together with each of his other books, he regularly sent me. Lewis Carroll

You're enough to try the patience of an oyster! Lewis Carroll

How is it you can talk so nicely?' Alice said, hoping to get it into a better temper by a compliment. 'I've been in many gardens before, but none of the flowers could talk.'' Put your hand down, and feel the ground, ' said the Tiger-lily. 'Then you'll know why.' Alice did so. 'It's very hard, ' she said, 'but I don't see what that has to do with it.'' In most gardens, ' the Tiger-lily said, 'they make the beds too soft - so that the flowers are always asleep. . Lewis Carroll

Aren't you sometimes frightened at being planted out here, with nobody to take care of you?'' There's the tree in the middle, ' said the Rose:'what else is it good for?'' But what could it do, if any danger came?' Alice asked.' It could bark, ' said the Rose. Lewis Carroll

At any rate I'd better be getting out of the wood, for really its coming on very dark. Do you think it's going to rain?' Tweedledum spread a large umbrella over himself and his brother, and looked up into it.' No, I don't think it is, ' he said: 'at least - not under here. Nohow.''But it may rain outside?'' It may - if it chooses, ' said Tweedledee: 'we've got no objection. Contrariwise. Lewis Carroll

If you don't know where you want to go, then it doesn't matter which path you take. Lewis Carroll

Hold your tongue! ’ said the Queen, turning purple. ‘I won’t! ’ said Alice. ‘Off with her head! ’ the Queen shouted at the top of her voice. Nobody moved. ‘Who cares for you?’ said Alice (she had grown to her full size by this time). ‘You’re nothing but a pack of cards! ’ At this the whole pack rose up into the air, and came flying down upon her; she gave a little scream, half of fright and half of anger, and tired to beat them off, and found herself lying on the bank, with her head in the lap of her sister, who was gently brushing away some dead leaves that had fluttered down from the trees upon her face. ‘Wake up, Alice dear! ’ said her sister. ‘Why, what a long sleep you’ve had! ’ So Alice got up and ran off, thinking while she ran, as well she might, what a wonderful dream it had been. Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland, 1865 . Lewis Carroll

It is the one of the great secrets of life that those things are most worth doing, we do for others. Lewis Carroll

Perhaps the hardest thing in all literature– at least I have found it so: by no voluntary effort can I accomplish it: I have to take it as it comes– is to write anything original. And perhaps the easiest is, when once an original line has been struck out, to follow it up, and to write any amount more to the same tune. Lewis Carroll

I wish I hadn't cried so much! " said Alice, as she swam about, trying to find her way out. "I shall be punished for it now, I suppose, by being drowned in my own tears! That will be a queer thing, to be sure! However, everything is queer today. Lewis Carroll

You're entirly bonkers but I'll tell you a secret all the best people are Lewis Carroll

The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in silence: at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth, Lewis Carroll

And vinegar that makes them sour–and camomile that makes them bitter–and–and barley-sugar and such things that make children sweet-tempered. I only wish people knew that: then they wouldn’t be so stingy about it, you know– Lewis Carroll

Mad Hatter: “Why is a raven like a writing-desk?”“ Have you guessed the riddle yet?” the Hatter said, turning to Alice again.“ No, I give it up, ” Alice replied: “What’s the answer?”“ I haven’t the slightest idea, ” said the Hatter Lewis Carroll

And how do you know that you're mad? "To begin with, " said the Cat, "a dog's not mad. You grant that?" I suppose so, said Alice. "Well then, " the Cat went on, "you see a dog growls when it's angry, and wags it's tail when it's pleased. Now I growl when I'm pleased, and wag my tail when I'm angry. Therefore I'm mad. Lewis Carroll

Alice asked the Cheshire Cat who was sitting in a tree "What road do I take?" The cat asked, "Where do you want to go?"" I don't know " answered Alice. "Then, said the cat, it really doesn't matter, does it? Lewis Carroll

I wish creatures wouldn't be so easily offended! ", "You'll get used to it in time, " said the Caterpillar; and it put the hookah into its mouth and began smoking again. Lewis Carroll

Cheshire Puss, ' she began, rather timidly, as she did not at all know whether it would like the name: however, it only grinned a little wider. 'Come, it's pleased so far, ' thought Alice, and she went on. 'Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'' That depends a good deal on where you want to get to, ' said the Cat.'I don't much care where–' said Alice.'Then it doesn't matter which way you go, ' said the Cat.'–so long as I get SOMEWHERE, ' Alice added as an explanation.' Oh, you're sure to do that, ' said the Cat, 'if you only walk long enough. Lewis Carroll

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! "" 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."" I don't believe it, " said the Pigeon; "but if they do, then they're a kind of serpent: that's all I can say. Lewis Carroll

Contrariwise, ' continued Tweedledee, 'if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic. Lewis Carroll

To be sure, this is what generally happens when one eats cake; but Alice had got so much into the way of expecting nothing but out-of-the-way things to happen, that it seemed quite dull and stupid for life to go on in the common way. Lewis Carroll

Oh, don't go on like that! " cried the poor Queen, wringing her hands in despair. "Consider what a great girl you are. Consider what a long way you've come today. Consider what o'clock it is. Consider anything, only don't cry! " Alice could not help laughing at this, even in the midst of her tears. "Can you keep from crying by considering things?" she asked." That's that way it's done, " the Queen said with great decision: "nobody can do two things at once, you know. Lewis Carroll

Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle. Lewis Carroll

, "I am not crazy, my reality is just different from yours."- Cheshire Cat Lewis Carroll

Am i insane" asked alice"yes, but all the best people are" replied her father Lewis Carroll