I told them once, I told them twice: They would not listen to advice. I took a kettle large and new, Fit for the deed I had to do. My heart went hop, my heart went thump; I filled the kettle at the pump. Then someone came to me and said, ‘The little fishes are in bed.’ I said to him, I said it plain, ‘Then you must wake them up again.’ I said it very loud and clear; I went and shouted in his ear.”
Humpty Dumpty raised his voice almost to a scream as he repeated this verse, and Alice thought with a shudder, “I wouldn’t have been the messenger for anything !”
“But he was very stiff and proud; He said ‘You needn’t shout so loud!’
And he was very proud and stiff; He said ‘I’d go and wake them, if—’
I took a corkscrew from the shelf: I went to wake them up myself.
And when I found the door was locked, I pulled and pushed and kicked and knocked.
And when I found the door was shut, I tried to turn the handle, but—”
There was a long pause.
“Is that all?” Alice timidly asked.
“That’s all,” said Humpty Dumpty. “Goodbye.”
This was rather sudden, Alice thought: but, after such a very strong hint that she ought to be going, she felt that it would hardly be civil to stay. So she got up, and held out her hand. “Goodbye, till we meet again!” she said as cheerfully as she could.