Humpty Dumpty from Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll 34

ThoUGhT AdVenTUre hUMPTY dUMPTY From Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll 34

e egg only got larger and larger and more human: when she had come within a few “ yards of it, she saw that it had eyes and a nose and mouth: and, when she had come close to it, she saw clearly that it was / . [Leave out who it is, for them to ll in. If the class need a little more, then keep reading.] He was sitting with his legs crossed on the top of a high wall – such a narrow one that Alice quite wondered how he could keep his balance … ‘And how exactly like an egg he is!’ she said aloud. ”

Dialogue 1

humpty: What is your name?

Alice: My name is Alice.

humpty: What does it mean?

Alice: Must a name mean something?

humpty: Of course it must! My name means the shape I am.

Dialogue 2

humpty: How old did you say you were?

Alice: Seven years and six months.

humpty: Wrong! You never said a word like it.

Alice: I thought you meant ‘How old are you?’

humpty: If I’d meant that, I’d have said it.

40 Lessons to Get Children Thinking © Peter Worley, Published by Bloomsbury Education 2015 ThoUGhT AdVenTUre hUMPTY dUMPTY The Mad Tea Party 34 Do you mean that you think you can fi nd the answer to it [‘it’ here is a riddle: ‘ Why is a raven like a writing desk?]’ said the March Hare ‘Exactly so,’ said Alice. ‘Then you should say what you mean,’ the March Hare went on. ‘I do,’ Alice hastily replied; at least – at least I mean what I say – that’s the same thing, you know.’ ‘Not the same thing a bit! Said the Hatter. ‘Why, you might just as well say that ‘I see what I eat’ is the same as ‘I eat what I see’!’ ‘You might just as well say,’ added the March Hare, ‘that ‘I like what I get’ is the same thing as ‘I get what I like’!’ ‘You might just as well say,’ added the Dormouse, which seemed to be talking in its sleep, ‘that ‘I breathe when I sleep’ is the same thing as ‘I sleep when I breathe’!’ ‘It is the same thing with you,’ said the Hatter, and here the conversation dropped and the party sat silent for a minute. ’

Say:

Alice: I don’t know what you mean by ‘glory’.

humpty: Of course you don’t – till I tell you. I meant: ‘there’s a nice knock-down argument for you!’

Alice: But ‘glory’ doesn’t mean ‘a nice knock-down argument’.

humpty: When I use a word it means just what I choose it to mean – no more or less.

Alice: The question is whether you can make words mean so many diff erent things.

humpty: The question is which is to be master, that’s all.