Алиса в Стране чудес / Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Алиса в Зазеркалье / Through the Looking-glass, and What Alice Found There

A Caucus-Race[47 - Caucus race – предвыборный марафон] and a Long Tale

The group looked very strange: the birds and the animals were all wet, angry and unhappy. The first question of course was how to get dry again: they discussed it and at last the Mouse said: “Sit down, all of you, and listen to me! I’ll soon make you dry enough![48 - I’ll soon make you dry enough! – Я вас быстренько высушу!]” They all sat down at once, in a large ring with the Mouse in the middle.

“Are you all ready?” asked the mouse with an important look, “This is the driest thing I know. Silence, please!” and the Mouse began speaking about the history of England. After some time it asked turning to Alice: “How are you now, my dear?”

“As wet as ever,[49 - As wet as ever – Мокрая, как никогда.]” answered Alice sadly.

“In that case,” said the Dodo, rising to its feet, “the best thing to get dry would be a Caucus-race.” “And the best way to explain it is to do it.

[50 - the best way to explain it is to do it – самый быстрый способ объяснить это – сделать это.]” It added.

First it marked out[51 - marked out – разметил] a race-course in a circle and then all the party stood along the course. And they began running when they liked and stopped when they liked so it was not easy to know when the race was over. However after half an hour of running the Dodo suddenly cried: “The race is over!” and they all crowded around it asking: “But who has won?”

The Dodo couldn’t answer this question at once so it sat for a long time thinking while the rest waited in silence.

At last the Dodo said: “EVERYBODY has won, and all must have prizes.”

“But who will give us the prizes?” The voices asked.

“Well, SHE, of course,” said the Dodo, pointing at Alice with one finger; and everybody at once crowded around her crying: “Prizes! Prizes!”

Alice had no idea what to do, and in despair she put her hand into her pocket, and took out a box of comfits, (luckily the salt water had not got into it), and gave them to everybody as prizes.

“But she must have a prize herself,” said the Mouse.

“Of course,” the Dodo answered seriously. “What else have you got in your pocket?” he asked, turning to Alice.

“Only a thimble,” said Alice sadly.

“Give it to me,” it said.