Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Something was in the water — Alice could hear it.' Perhaps it's a big fish or sea animal,' she thought. She looked round. There, very near her, was a mouse.
'I'll speak to it,' thought Alice. 'Everything is strange here. Perhaps it can speak and understand me.' ' Oh Mouse,' she said. ' Do you know the way out of this room?' The Mouse didn't answer.
'Perhaps it doesn't understand English. Perhaps it's a French mouse,' Alice thought. She remembered some words from her schoolbook, so she spoke to the mouse in French.
' Where is my cat ?' she asked.
The Mouse moved quickly away from her.
'Oh, I'm sorry,' said Alice. ' I forgot. You're a mouse, so you don't like cats.' 'Don't like cats!' cried the mouse. 'I'm a mouse. Of course I don't like cats!'
'No,'Alice said. 'No. But I think you will like Dinah. She is a nice, dear thing. She's very quiet and good. She catches a mouse every day - Oh! You're angry again! We won't talk about Dinah any more - '
'We!' cried the Mouse.' I never speak about cats! Our family hates cats! I don't want to hear any more about them.'
'No, no,' said Alice quickly.' Perhaps — perhaps you like dogs ? There's a very nice little dog near our house. It likes playing with children but it works too. It kills all the m — Oh! I'm sorry!'
The Mouse looked angrily at her and swam quickly away. ' Dear Mouse!' said Alice softly. ' Come back again and we won't talk about cats or dogs.'
When the Mouse heard this, it turned round. It swam slowly back. 'All right,' it said. 'I'll talk to you, but let's get out of the
water.'
They climbed out and Alice looked round. There were a lot of animals and birds in the water. When they saw her, they got out of the water too.
Chapter 3 A Race
Alice and the birds and animals felt cold and wet. The largest bird spoke to Alice. ' Good afternoon,' it said loudly.' I am the Dodo.'
'What is a Dodo?' thought Alice, but she smiled politely. ' Hello, Dodo. I'm Alice,' she said.
' I have an idea,' said the Dodo.' We all want to get warm. So let's have a race — a Caucus race.' 'What is a Caucus race? 'Alice asked.
' I can tell you,' said the Dodo,'but I won't. I'll show you! That will be easier.'
He put the animals and birds in different places in the room. In a race, somebody usually says,' One, two, three, go!' But the Dodo didn't do that. Everybody started to run at different times and stopped at different times too. After half an hour, the Dodo cried,' Everybody stop!' All the birds and animals stopped. Then they all came to the Dodo and stood round it. 'Who was first? Who was first?' they shouted.
The Dodo had to think about it. He sat for a long time with his finger in his mouth. Then he said, 'Everybody was first. So everybody can have a chocolate.'
'But who will give us the chocolates ?' the Mouse asked.
'She will,' the Dodo said and looked at Alice. The birds and animals came and stood round Alice.
'Chocolates, chocolates!' they cried.
'What am I going to do ?' thought Alice.' I haven't got any chocolates.' But then she saw a box of chocolates near her feet.
'Here we are,' she said, and opened the box. There was one chocolate for each bird and animal.
'But Alice has to have something, you know,' said the Mouse.
'Of course,' the Dodo answered. He turned to Alice.' What can you have ?' he asked.
' I can have the box,' said Alice sadly.
'Give it to me,' said the Dodo and Alice gave it to him.
They all stood round Alice again, and the Dodo gave her the box.
'Please take this beautiful box,' he said.
'This is very stupid,' thought Alice and she wanted to laugh. But she didn't. She took the box and smiled politely.