Stranica 170 [170]
154 THE LOBSTER
“It does the boots and shoes,’ the Gryphon
replied very solemnly.
Alice was thoroughly eae ‘ Does-the boots
and shoes!” she repeated in a wondering tone,
“Why, what are your shoes done with?”
said the Gryphon. “I mean, what makes them
so shiny ?”
Alice looked down at them, and considered a
little before she gave her answer. “They’re done
with blacking, I believe.”
“Boots and shoes under the sea,” the Gry¬
phon went on in a deep voice, “are done with
whiting. Now you know.”
“And what are they made of?” Alice asked
in a tone of great curiosity.
“Soles and eels, of course,” the Gryphon re¬
plied rather impatiently: “any shrimp could
have told you that.”
“Tf I’d been the whiting,” said Alice, whose
thoughts were still running on the song, “Id
have said to the porpoise, ‘Keep back, please:
we don’t want you with us!’”