Allan in Wonderland

Chapter 7: A mad tea party

"As it's May, the March Hare might not be quite so mad," Allan thought and decided to visit her.
The March Hare was sitting in front of her house having tea with the Hatterness.


"No room! No room!" they cried when they saw Allan.
"There's plenty of room!" he said indignantly, sitting down.

The Hatterness stared at Allan.
"Why is a raven like a writing desk?" she demanded.


Then she took out her watch and shook it. "Two days wrong," she complained.

She sighed and turned to Allan. "Have you guessed the riddle yet?"
"I give up," he said. "What is it?"
The Hatterness shrugged. "No idea."
"You shouldn't waste time asking riddles with no answer," he snapped.


"Oh, time and I aren't speaking," said the Hatterness. "We argued at a concert given by the King of Hearts. I sang a song, you know."

Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!
How I wonder what you're at!
Up above the world you fly
Like a tea-tray in the sky...

"I'd hardly finished the first verse," she went on, "when the King shout I was murdering time. It's been tea time ever since."


"I'm bored," the March Hare interrupted. "I want a story." And she pinched a large Dormouse, who was dozing beside them. "Once upon a time, three boys lived down a treacle well..." the Dormouse began.

"This is the stupidest tea party ever!" thought Allan and walked off.


Back in the forest, he noticed a tree with a door in the trunk.
Curious, he stepped inside...

The tree led his back to the long pull and, this time, the door behind the curtain was open. At last, he would enter the beautiful garden.