Copy Book Archive

The Caucus Race Alice experiences for herself the very definition of a pointless exercise.

In two parts

1865
Queen Victoria 1837-1901
Music: Felix Mendelssohn and Anthony Collins

From the Library of Congress, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain. Source

About this picture …

Caucus puzzle... US Senator Roscoe Conkling (1829-1888), leader of the Stalwarts group of the Republican Party, plays a puzzle game with the heads of the potential Republican presidential candidates. From the USA’s Library of Congress, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

The Caucus Race

Part 1 of 2

Alice and an assortment of animals have got very wet. A mouse tries to dry them out by reciting a passage from a dry history book, but when this doesn’t work, the Dodo suggests a Caucus Race.

FIRST it marked out a race-course, in a sort of circle, (‘the exact shape doesn’t matter,’ it said,) and then all the party were placed along the course, here and there.

There was no ‘One, two, three, and away,’ but they began running when they liked, and left off when they liked, so that it was not easy to know when the race was over.

However, when they had been running half an hour or so, and were quite dry again, the Dodo suddenly called out ‘The race is over!’ and they all crowded round it, panting, and asking, ‘But who has won?’

This question the Dodo could not answer without a great deal of thought, and it sat for a long time with one finger pressed upon its forehead (the position in which you usually see Shakespeare, in the pictures of him), while the rest waited in silence.

At last the Dodo said, 'Everybody has won, and all must have prizes.'

Jump to Part 2

Précis

Alice and an assortment of animals have got wet, and are trying to dry out. The Dodo gets them to run a Caucus Race, a chaotic affair with no start, middle or end. Nonetheless, they want to know who the winner is, and the Dodo announces that everybody has won, and deserves a prize. (54 / 60 words)

Part Two

© Andy F, Geograph. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0. Source

About this picture …

A traditional sweetshop window display, in Burford, Oxfordshire. © Andy F, Geograph. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.

‘BUT who is to give the prizes?' quite a chorus of voices asked.

‘Why, she, of course,' said the Dodo, pointing to Alice with one finger; and the whole party at once crowded round her, calling out in a confused way, ‘Prizes! Prizes!’

Alice had no idea what to do, and in despair she put her hand in her pocket, and pulled out a box of comfits, (luckily the salt water had not got into it), and handed them round as prizes. There was exactly one a-piece all round.

‘But she must have a prize herself, you know,’ said the Mouse.

‘Of course,’ the Dodo replied very gravely.

‘What else have you got in your pocket?’ he went on, turning to Alice.

‘Only a thimble,’ said Alice sadly.

‘Hand it over here,’ said the Dodo.

Then they all crowded round her once more, while the Dodo solemnly presented the thimble, saying ‘We beg your acceptance of this elegant thimble’; and, when it had finished this short speech, they all cheered.

Copy Book

Précis

Alice and an assortment of wet animals have run a ‘Caucus Race’ to dry out, and the Dodo nominates Alice to provide prizes. She hands round a box of sweets, but there is no sweet for her, so the Dodo borrows Alice’s own thimble, and graciously presents it back to her. (51 / 60 words)

Source

From From ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’, by Lewis Carroll.

Suggested Music

1 2

Spinning Song (from Songs without Words)

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Performed by Valentina Lisitsa.

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Vanity Fair

Anthony Collins (1893-1963)

Performed by the Pro Arte Orchestra, conducted by George Weldon.

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How To Use This Passage

You can use this passage to help improve your command of English.

IRead it aloud, twice or more. IISummarise it in one sentence of up to 30 words. IIISummarise it in one paragraph of 40-80 words. IVMake notes on the passage, and reconstruct the original from them later on. VJot down any unfamiliar words, and make your own sentences with them later. VIMake a note of any words that surprise or impress you, and ask yourself what meaning they add to the words you would have expected to see. VIITurn any old-fashioned English into modern English. VIIITurn prose into verse, and verse into prose. IXAsk yourself what the author is trying to get you to feel or think. XHow would an artist or a photographer capture the scene? XIHow would a movie director shoot it, or a composer write incidental music for it?

For these and more ideas, see How to Use The Copy Book.

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