inventive
White Knight
makes his move
-`I see you're admiring my little box.' the Knight said in a friendly tone. `It's my own invention -- to keep clothes and sandwiches in. You see I carry it upside-down, so that the rain can't get in.'
-`But the things can get out,' Alice gently remarked. `Do you know the lid's open?'
-`I didn't know it,' the Knight said, a shade of vexation passing over his face. `Then all the things much have fallen out! And the box is no use without them.' He unfastened it as he spoke, and was just going to throw it into the bushes, when a sudden though seemed to strike him, and he hung it carefully on a tree. `Can you guess why I did that?' he said to Alice.
-Alice shook her head.
-`In hopes some bees may make a nest in it -- then I should get the honey.'
-`But you've got a bee-hive -- or something like one -- fastened to the saddle,' said Alice.
-`Yes, it's a very good bee-hive,' the Knight said in a discontented tone, `one of the best kind. But not a single bee has come near it yet. And the other thing is a mouse-trap. I suppose the mice keep the bees out -- or the bees keep the mice out, I don't know which.'
-`I was wondering what the mouse-trap was for,' said Alice. `It isn't very likely there
would be any mice on the horse's back.'
-`Not very likely, perhaps,' said the Knight: `but if they do come, I don't choose to
have them running all about.'
-`You see,' he went on after a pause, `it's as well to be provided for everything.
That's the reason the horse has all those anklets round his feet.'
-`But what are they for?' Alice asked in a tone of great curiosity.
-`To guard against the bites of sharks,' the Knight replied. `It's an invention of my
own. And now help me on. I'll go with you to the end of the wood -- What's the dish
for?'
-`It's meant for plum-cake,' said Alice.
-`We'd better take it with us, the Knight said. `It'll some in handy if we find any
plum-cake. Help me to get it into this bag.'