`'Tis so,' said the Duchess: `and the moral of that is--"Oh,

'tis love, 'tis love, that makes the world go round!"'

`Somebody said,' Alice whispered, `that it's done by everybody

minding their own business!'

`Ah, well! It means much the same thing,' said the Duchess,

digging her sharp little chin into Alice's shoulder as she added,

`and the moral of THAT is--"Take care of the sense, and the

sounds will take care of themselves."'

`How fond she is of finding morals in things!' Alice thought to

herself.

`I dare say you're wondering why I don't put my arm round your

waist,' the Duchess said after a pause: `the reason is, that I'm

doubtful about the temper of your flamingo. Shall I try the

experiment?'

`HE might bite,' Alice cautiously replied, not feeling at all

anxious to have the experiment tried.

`Very true,' said the Duchess: `flamingoes and mustard both

bite. And the moral of that is--"Birds of a feather flock

together."'

`Only mustard isn't a bird,' Alice remarked.

`Right, as usual,' said the Duchess: `what a clear way you

have of putting things!'

`It's a mineral, I THINK,' said Alice.

`Of course it is,' said the Duchess, who seemed ready to agree

to everything that Alice said; `there's a large mustard-mine near

here. And the moral of that is--"The more there is of mine, the

less there is of yours."'

`Oh, I know!' exclaimed Alice, who had not attended to this

last remark, `it's a vegetable. It doesn't look like one, but it

is.'

`I quite agree with you,' said the Duchess; `and the moral of

that is--"Be what you would seem to be"--or if you'd like it put