Don't you think you'd be safer down on the ground? That wall's so very narrow. HUMPTY DUMPTY What tremendously easy riddles you ask! Of course I don't think so. Take a good look at me! I'm one that has spoken to a king, I am; to show you I'm not proud, you may shake hands with me! [_He leans forward to offer ALICE his hand but she is too small to reach it._] However, this conversation is going on a little too fast; let's go back to the last remark but one. ALICE I'm afraid I can't remember it. HUMPTY DUMPTY In that case we start fresh, and it's my turn to choose a subject. ALICE You talk about it just as if it were a game. HUMPTY DUMPTY So here's a question for you. How old did you say you were? ALICE Seven years and six months. HUMPTY DUMPTY Wrong! You never said a word about it. Now if you'd asked _my_ advice, I'd have said, "Leave off at seven--but--" ALICE I never ask advice about growing. HUMPTY DUMPTY Too proud? ALICE What a beautiful belt you've got on. At least, a beautiful cravat, I should have said--no, a belt, I mean--I beg your pardon. If only I knew which was neck and which was waist. HUMPTY DUMPTY It is a--_most--provoking_--thing, when a person doesn't know a cravat from a belt. ALICE I know it's very ignorant of me. HUMPTY DUMPTY It's a cravat, child, and a beautiful one, as you say. There's glory for you. ALICE I don't know what you mean by "glory." HUMPTY DUMPTY When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean--neither more nor less. ALICE The question is, whether you _can_ make words mean different things. HUMPTY DUMPTY The question is, which is to be master--that's all. Impenetrability! That's what I say! ALICE Would you tell me, please, what that means? HUMPTY DUMPTY I meant by "impenetrability" that we've had enough of that subject, and it would be just as well if you'd mention what you mean to do next, as I suppose you don't mean to stop here all the rest of your life. ALICE That's a great deal to make one word mean. HUMPTY DUMPTY When I make a word do a lot of work like that I always pay it extra. ALICE Oh! HUMPTY DUMPTY Ah, you should see 'em come round me of a Saturday night, for to get their wages, you know. That's all--Good-bye. ALICE Good-bye till we meet again. HUMPTY DUMPTY I shouldn't know you again, if we _did_ meet, you're so exactly like other people. ALICE The face is what one goes by, generally. HUMPTY DUMPTY That's just what I complain of. Your face is the same as everybody has--the two eyes--so--nose in the middle, mouth under. It's always the same. Now if you had the two eyes on the same side of the nose, for instance--or the mouth at the top--that would be _some_ help. ALICE It wouldn't look nice. HUMPTY DUMPTY Wait till you've tried! Good-bye. [_He disappears as he came._] ALICE Oh! I forgot to ask him how to--