Classics Out Loud

Alice comes across the Caterpillar sitting on a mushroom, who asks Alice who she is. But with all the strange things happening to her in Wonderland, Alice is having a hard time figuring that out herself.

Despite the Caterpillar's short remarks, Alice stands her ground and demands that the Caterpillar tell her who it is first. But the Caterpillar just replies with "Why?" leaving Alice with another puzzling question. However, the Caterpillar promises to have something important to say and calls Alice back.

But it turns out it is the mushroom the Caterpillar is sitting on that is important. Alice finally manages to get some advice from the Caterpillar that could actually be useful to her.

Alice has a curious adventure as she stumbles upon the White Rabbit who is frantically searching for his fan and gloves. The Rabbit mistakes Alice for his housemaid, Mary Ann, and demands she bring him his lost possessions. Alice, eager to prove herself, sets out on a wild goose chase to find the fan and gloves, and soon finds herself in a neat little house with a brass plate that reads "W. Rabbit." 
 
Upon entering the house, she rushes up the stairs in search of the lost items and finds herself in a tidy little room with a table in the window, where she finds the fan and gloves. Alice discovers a little bottle that was not labelled "DRINK ME," but being the adventurous young woman she is, she drinks from it anyway. To her surprise, she begins to grow larger and larger until she finds herself too large to fit in the room. Indeed, she is now taking up most of the space inside of the house.
 
Meanwhile, the White Rabbit is trying all manner of things - including sending Bill down the chimney - to get access to his house again. Will Bill make entry? Or will Alice's foot up the chimney send him airborne?

The chapter opens with a bedraggled and damp collection of creatures gathering on the riverbank. They are all cross and uncomfortable, desperately trying to find a way to dry off. As the conversation goes on, Alice finds herself chatting with the animals as if they were old friends. The authority among the group, a mouse, calls for everyone to sit down and listen as it promises to dry them off. With great authority, the mouse begins to recite a history lesson about William the Conqueror, but the Lory shivers at the dry recitation. 
 
The Dodo then proposes a caucus race to dry everyone off. The race is chaotic and the creatures run until they are dry, then the Dodo declares the race over. The creatures gather round to ask who has won, and the Dodo decides they are all winners. Alice puts her foot in it by telling everyone about her cat, and the chapter ends with her once again by herself.

In the chapter "The Pool of Tears," we see Alice's journey into the strange and fantastical world of Wonderland continue. After being surprised by her sudden growth spurt, Alice contemplates her appearance and worries about who will take care of her now far-off feet. She even jokingly considers sending presents to her own feet, but soon realizes the absurdity of it all. However, the humour in the situation quickly fades as Alice finds herself stuck in the hall, unable to fit through the garden door and overcome with emotion.

Alice sheds gallons of tears, creating a large pool around her, until she hears the sound of pattering feet in the distance. It turns out to be the White Rabbit, dressed in his finest attire and in a great hurry. Alice, feeling desperate and in need of help, calls out to the Rabbit. However, the Rabbit is startled and quickly runs away, dropping his white kid gloves and fan in the process. Undeterred, Alice picks up the items and continues her thoughts, trying to make sense of the strange events that have taken place.

Welcome to Season 5!
 
We are delighted to present Lewis Carroll's classic, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Like most of the books we tackle, there is much more to the book than you probably remember or are led to believe from movie adaptations.

Alice's adventure begins by following a white rabbit down a rabbit-hole and into a strange and magical world. Along the way, Alice encounters a variety of strange creatures, finds herself shrinking and growing with the help of a magical potions and cake, and finds herself in a variety of funny and unexpected situations. Alice uses her wit and ingenuity to navigate her way through the new and unfamiliar world.

The stunning conclusion to The Time Traveller, with final remarks from our narrator.

"But to me the future is still black and blank—is a vast ignorance, lit at a few casual places by the memory of his story. And I have by me, for my comfort, two strange white flowers—shrivelled now, and brown and flat and brittle—to witness that even when mind and strength had gone, gratitude and a mutual tenderness still lived on in the heart of man."

Did it really all happen? Was it just a dream the Time Traveller had in his workshop?
 
The friend known as the editor believes it was all just a good story. Our narrator returns the following day to the workshop to investigate further and is told insistently that indeed, he really does travel through time. He is told, "I’ll prove you this time travelling up to the hilt, specimens and all."

The narrator hears noises from the workshop and enters to find the time machine, along with our Time Traveller, has vanished. He waits through lunch, and then realises he may never have the real answer, since three years has elapsed since that episode and the Time Traveller has not returned.

The Time Traveller is back in the present he left from and recognises his surroundings, but something seems off. Suddenly, he realizes that he has returned to the exact spot he started from, but in the opposite corner of the room. He realises this is because the time machine has been moved by the Morlocks.
 
Recovering from his experience, he recounts the last few minutes of his adventure as he prepares to join his friends and retell the story.

The Time Traveller travels further forward in time, determined to find out what happens to planet earth.
   
He experiences a world of desolation and strange creatures. He sees a huge red sun, motionless on the horizon, and is soon confronted by monstrous crabs. As he continues to travel, the sun grows larger and duller, the atmosphere thinner, and the creatures fewer.
 
Finally, he finds himself in a world of eternal twilight, where an eclipse is beginning. He is overwhelmed by the darkness, cold, and pain of breathing, but manages to make it back to the time machine.

The Time Traveller arrives back at the same spot where he had arrived at the beginning of his journey and muses on his naivete at the time. He reflects on the beauty of the world and the complacency of the people, who were unaware of the dangers lurking beneath their feet.
 
He is surprised to find the bronze doors of the White Sphinx open and discovers the Time Machine within. As he prepares to leave, the Morlocks arrive, but he is able to fight them off and escape with the Machine. An intense struggle ensues as he fights to get the levers into place, but eventually he is successful, and with a final flurry of action, he escapes into the unknown.