`Would you--be good enough,' Alice panted out, after running a little further, `to stop a minute--just to get--one's breath again?'
`I'm GOOD enough,' the King said, `only I'm not strong enough.
You see, a minute goes by so fearfully quick. You might as well try to stop a Bandersnatch!'
Alice had no more breath for talking, so they trotted on in silence, till they came in sight of a great crowd, in the middle of which the Lion and Unicorn were fighting. They were in such a cloud of dust, that at first Alice could not make out which was which: but she soon managed to distinguish the Unicorn by his horn.
They placed themselves close to where Hatta, the other messenger, was standing watching the fight, with a cup of tea in one hand and a piece of bread-and-butter in the other.
`He's only just out of prison, and he hadn't finished his tea when he was sent in,' Haigha whispered to Alice: `and they only give them oyster-shells in there--so you see he's very hungry and thirsty. How are you, dear child?' he went on, putting his arm affectionately round Hatta's neck.
Hatta looked round and nodded, and went on with his bread and butter.
`Were you happy in prison, dear child?' said Haigha.
Hatta looked round once more, and this time a tear or two trickled down his cheek: but not a word would he say.
`Speak, can't you!' Haigha cried impatiently. But Hatta only munched away, and drank some more tea.
`Speak, won't you!' cried the King. 'How are they getting on with the fight?'
Hatta made a desperate effort, and swallowed a large piece of bread-and-butter. `They're getting on very well,' he said in a choking voice: `each of them has been down about eighty-seven times.'
`Then I suppose they'll soon bring the white bread and the brown?' Alice ventured to remark.
`It's waiting for 'em now,' said Hatta: `this is a bit of it as I'm eating.'
There was a pause in the fight just then, and the Lion and the Unicorn sat down, panting, while the King called out `Ten minutes allowed for refreshments!' Haigha and Hatta set to work at once, carrying rough trays of white and brown bread. Alice took a piece to taste, but it was VERY dry.
`I don't think they'll fight any more to-day,' the King said to Hatta: `go and order the drums to begin.' And Hatta went bounding away like a grasshopper.
For a minute or two Alice stood silent, watching him. Suddenly she brightened up. `Look, look!' she cried, pointing eagerly.
`There's the White Queen running across the country! She came flying out of the wood over yonder--How fast those Queens CANrun!'
`There's some enemy after her, no doubt,' the King said, without even looking round. `That wood's full of them.'
`But aren't you going to run and help her?' Alice asked, very much surprised at his taking it so quietly.
`No use, no use!' said the King. `She runs so fearfully quick.
You might as well try to catch a Bandersnatch! But I'll make a memorandum about her, if you like--She's a dear good creature,' he repeated softly to himself, as he opened his memorandum-book.
`Do you spell "creature" with a double "e"?'
At this moment the Unicorn sauntered by them, with his hands in his pockets. `I had the best of it this time?' he said to the King, just glancing at him as he passed.
`A little--a little,' the King replied, rather nervously.
`You shouldn't have run him through with your horn, you know.'
`It didn't hurt him,' the Unicorn said carelessly, and he was going on, when his eye happened to fall upon Alice: he turned round rather instantly, and stood for some time looking at her with an air of the deepest disgust.
`What--is--this?' he said at last.
`This is a child!' Haigha replied eagerly, coming in front of Alice to introduce her, and spreading out both his hands towards her in an Anglo-Saxon attitude. `We only found it to-day. It's as large as life, and twice as natural!'
`I always thought they were fabulous monsters!' said the Unicorn. `Is it alive?'
`It can talk,' said Haigha, solemnly.
