Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Chapters Four and Five

In which our heroine plays house, discovers she may have a Drinking Problem, encounters a Caterpillar to whom the 1960s owe much, imitates a Serpent in a manner for which we are grateful there are No Illustrations, and finally learns to regulate her height, mycologically.



And don't forget about the Tenniel illustrations!

3:43, Alice in the Rabbit's house, and Displeased.

5:50, Egads! The poor cucumber frames.

8:30, Little Bill, up the chimney.

11:23, Alice and the large puppy. Who's a Good Boy?

13:10, Hookah smoking caterpillars stunt their metamorphoses.

Forget the Disney version, what you think are the Caterpillar's nose and chin are actually two of his legs, like the ones that can be seen under his right arm. Now try to unsee it!

16:49, Father William incessantly standing on his head.

17:08, Father William back-somersaulting in at the door.

17:28, Father William finished the goose, with the bones and the beak.

17:47, Father William balancing an eel on the end of his nose.

"You Are Old, Father William" is actually a parody of an excessively preachy and boring poem by Robert Southey called "The Old Man's Comforts and How He Gained Them," which has not exactly lasted through the ages and is presumably what the Caterpillar intended Alice to recite. Similarly, back in Chapter 2, Alice recites "How Doth the Little Crocodile" when trying to recite the far less interesting "Against Idleness and Mischief," by Isaac Watts. Nowadays, many more people know the parodies than the originals. This is what is known as "The Weird Al Effect."


All illustrations are courtesy of Lenny's Alice in Wonderland Site. 
If you would like to read along, the text can be found at Project Gutenberg. No reading ahead, though!