The Mock Turtle's Song

Lewis Caroll


About Lewis Caroll

Lewis Carroll (1832-1898) wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This poem appears in that story. Carroll wrote 'nonsense literature'- poems and stories where strange and impossible things happen. Carroll was also a photographer and a mathematician.

'Will you walk a little faster?'

Said a whiting to a snail,

'There's a porpoise close behind us,

And he's treading on my tail.

See how eagerly the lobsters and

The turtles all advance!

They are waiting on the shingle—

Will you come and join the dance?

Will you, won't you, will you, won't you,

Will you join the dance?

Will you, won't you, will you, won't you,

Won't you join the dance?

 

'You Can really have no notion

How delightful it will be

When they take us up and throw us,

With the lobsters, out to sea!'

But the snail replied 'Too far, too far!'

And gave a look askance--

Said he thanked the whiting kindly,

But he would not join the dance.

Would not, could not, would not, could not,

Would not join the dance,

Would not, could not, would not, could not,

Could not join the dance.

 

'What matters it how far we go?'

His scaly friend replied.

'There is another shore, you know,

Upon the other side.

further off from England

The nearer is to France--

Then turn not pale, beloved snail,

But come and join the dance.

Will you, won't you, will you, won't you,

Will you join the dance?

Will you, won't you, will you, won't you,

Won't you join the dance?'

Available Answers

  1. 1.

    Who is invited to join the dance?

  2. 2.

    List the five creatures named in the poem. Do you know what they all look like?

  3. 3.

    Which character is referred to as 'his scaly friend'?

  4. 4.

    How many questions does the whiting ask the snail?

  5. 5.

    What does the dance involve?

  6. 6.

    What is meant by 'turn not pale'?

6 more answer(s) available.

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