The Mock Turtle's Story

The Mock Turtle relates his poignant history as a former real turtle who attended a peculiar underwater school, sharing his sorrow through the Lobster Quadrille and the song 'Beautiful Soup'.

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Meeting the Mock Turtle

A Sorrowful Creature The Mock Turtle's Lament The Queen takes Alice to meet the Mock Turtle, who is sitting on a little ledge of rock, sighing as if his heart would break. Alice feels deep pity for him, but the Gryphon, who accompanies them, dismisses the sorrow as "all his fancy." The Mock Turtle looks at them with large eyes full of tears but says nothing until the Gryphon introduces Alice. The Promise of a History The Mock Turtle says he will tell his history, and they all sit down in silence. Alice wonders how he can begin if he doesn't start. Finally, the Mock Turtle sighs deeply and says, "Once, I was a real Turtle." This is followed by a long silence, broken only by sobs and the Gryphon's exclamation of "Hjckrrh!" Alice nearly leaves but decides to wait for more.

Underwater Schooling

A Curriculum of the Sea The Tortoise Teacher The Mock Turtle explains that he and his fellow sea creatures went to school in the sea. The master was an old Turtle they called Tortoise because he taught them. Alice asks why they called him Tortoise if he wasn't one, and the Mock Turtle grows angry at her simple question. The Gryphon also scolds her, and Alice feels ready to sink into the earth. The Lessons The Mock Turtle lists the subjects they studied: Reeling and Writhing (Reading and Writing), and the branches of Arithmetic: Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and Derision. He also mentions Mystery, ancient and modern, with Seaography, and Drawling, Stretching, and Fainting in Coils, taught by a conger-eel. The Gryphon adds that he studied Laughing and Grief with an old crab. The lessons are clearly parodies of Victorian education, and Alice tries to keep up but finds the absurdity overwhelming.

The Lobster Quadrille Explained

A Dance of the Sea The Description of the Dance The Mock Turtle and the Gryphon describe the Lobster Quadrille, a dance where partners form lines along the sea-shore, advance twice, set to partners, change lobsters, and retire. They demonstrate by dancing around Alice, treading on her toes and waving their forepaws. The Mock Turtle sings a song about a whiting and a snail, urging them to join the dance. The song is a playful commentary on the inevitability of movement and change. Alice's Contribution Alice, asked to contribute, recites "'Tis the voice of the Lobster" but mixes up the words, confusing the creatures. They ask for explanations, but she cannot provide them. The Mock Turtle and Gryphon insist on another verse, but Alice's performance only deepens the confusion. The trial's announcement interrupts the entertainment, and the Gryphon drags Alice away, leaving the Mock Turtle still singing.

The Song of Beautiful Soup

A Melancholy Melody The Mock Turtle's Song The Mock Turtle sings a song about "Beautiful Soup," describing it as rich and green, waiting in a hot tureen. He asks who would not give all else for a pennyworth of beautiful soup. The song is a parody of a popular Victorian song, and the Mock Turtle sings it with sobs and tears, his voice choked with emotion. The Gryphon joins in the chorus, and Alice listens, feeling both amused and touched. Interrupted by the Trial Just as the Mock Turtle begins to repeat the chorus, a cry of "The trial's beginning!" is heard in the distance. The Gryphon takes Alice by the hand and hurries off, leaving the Mock Turtle alone. The melancholy words of the song fade away as they run toward the court. Alice's adventure with the Mock Turtle ends abruptly, but the memory of the sorrowful creature and his songs lingers.

after the croquet game, at the sea-shore

during the Mock Turtle's story

after the schooling, still on the sea-shore

before the trial, on the sea-shore