'I'm afraid I am, sir, ' said Alice;’I can't remember things as I used-and I don't keep the same size for ten minutes together!’

'Can't remember what things?’ said the Caterpillar.

'Well, I've tried to say "How doth the little busy bee, " but it all came different!’ Alice replied in a very melancholy voice.

'Repeat, "you are old, Father William, "' said the Caterpillar.

Alice folded her hands, and began: -

'You are old, Father William, ' the young man said, 'And your hair has become very white; And yet you incessantly stand on your head- Do you think, at your age, it is right?’

'In my youth, ' Father William replied to his son, 'I feared it might injure the brain; But, now that I'm perfectly sure I have none, Why, I do it again and again. '

'You are old, ' said the youth, 'as I mentioned before, And have grown most uncommonly fat; Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door- Pray, what is the reason of that?’

'In my youth, ' said the sage, as he shook his grey locks, 'I kept all my limbs very supple By the use of this ointment-one shilling the box- Allow me to sell you a couple?’

'You are old, ' said the youth, 'and your jaws are too weak For anything tougher than suet; Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak- Pray how did you manage to do it?’