From my vaults: Lewis Carroll

Bio:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Carroll

First Lines: Lewis Carroll - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, "and what is the use of a book," thought Alice, "without pictures or conversations?"

Lewis Carroll: From Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

All in the golden afternoon
Full leisurely we glide;
For both our oars, with little skill,
By little hands are plied
While little hands make vain pretence
Our wanderings to guide

Ah, cruel Three! In such an hour
Beneath such dreamy weather,
To beg a tale of breath too weak
To stir the tiniest feather!
Yet what can one poor voice avail
Against three tongues together?

Imperious Prima flashes forth
Her edict to 'begin it'-
In gentler tone Secunda hopes
'There will be nonsense in it!' -
While Tertia interrupts the tale
Not more than once a minute.

Anon, to sudden silence won,
In fancy they pursue
The dream-child moving through a land
Of wonders wild and new,
In friendly chat with bird or beast -
And half believe it true.

And ever, as the story drained
The wells of fancy dry,
And faintly strove that weary one
To put the subject by,
'The rest next time -It is next time!'
The happy voices cry.

Thus grew the tale of Wonderland
Thus slowly, one by one,
Its quaint events were hammered out -
and now the tale is done,
And home we steer, a merry crew,
Beneath the setting sun.

Alice! a childish story take,
And with a gentle hand
Lay it where Childhood's dreams are twined
In Memory's mystic band,
Like pilgrim's wither'd wreath of flowers
Plucked in far-off land

Lewis Carroll: How doth the little crocodile...

How doth the little crocodile...

How doth the little crocodile
Improve his shining tail,
And pour the waters of the Nile
On every golden scale!

How cheerfully he seems to grin
How neatly spreads his claws,
And welcomes little fishes in,
With gently smiling jaws!

Lewis Carroll: Beautiful Soup

Beautiful Soup

BEAUTIFUL Soup, so rich and green,
Waiting in a hot tureen!
Who for such dainties would not stoop?
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!

Beau--ootiful Soo-oop!
Beau--ootiful Soo-oop!
Soo--oop of the e--e--evening,
Beautiful, beautiful Soup!

Beautiful Soup! Who cares for fish,
Game, or any other dish?
Who would not give all else for two
Pennyworth only of Beautiful Soup?
Pennyworth only of beautiful Soup?

Beau--ootiful Soo-oop!
Beau--ootiful Soo-oop!
Soo--oop of the e--e--evening,
Beautiful, beauti--FUL SOUP!

Indeterminacy 151

ph: Lewis Carroll

Staying in India and finding the sun unbearable,
Mrs. Coomaraswamy decided to shop for a parasol. She
found two in the town nearby. One was in the window
of a store dealing in American goods. It was
reasonably priced but unattractive. The other was
in an Indian store. It was Indian-made, desirable,
but outlandishly expensive. Mrs. Coomaraswamy went
back home without buying anything. But the weather
continued dry and hot, so that a few days later she
went again into town determined to make a purchase.
Passing by the American shop, she noticed their
parasol was still in the window, still reasonably
priced. Going into the Indian shop, she asked to
see the one she had admired a few days before. While
she was looking at it, the price was mentioned. This
time it was absurdly low. Surprised, Mrs.
Coomaraswamy said, “How can I trust you? One day
your prices are up; the next day they’re down.
Perhaps your goods are equally undependable.”
“Madame,” the storekeeper replied, “the people
across the street are new in business. They are
intent on profit. Their prices are stable. We,
however, have been in business for generations. The
best things we have we keep in the family, for we
are reluctant to part with them. As for our prices,
we change them continually. That’s the only way
we’ve found in business to keep ourselves
interested.”

- John Cage