Lewis Carroll and his Parodies Quiz

Answer: How doth the little crocodile/ Improve his shining tail

Isaac Watts first wrote:
How doth the little busy Bee
Improve each shining Hour,
And gather Honey all the day
From every opening Flower!

Lewis Carroll later wrote:
How doth the little crocodile
Improve his shining tail,
And pour the waters of the Nile
On every golden Scale.

Alice recites this to prove she is not Mabel.

Answer: "You are old Father William", the young man said/ "And your hair has become very white"

Robert Southey first wrote:
"You are old Father William," the young man cried,
"The few locks which are left you are grey;
You are hale, Father William, a hearty old man,
Now tell me the reason I pray."

Lewis Carroll later wrote:
"You are old Father William," the young man said,
"And your hair has become very white;
And yet you incessantly stand on your head-
Do you think at your age it is right?"

The caterpiller asks Alice to repeat this for him.

Answer: Speak roughly to your little boy/ And beat him when he sneezes

David Bates first wrote:
Speak gently! - It is better far
To rule by love than fear-
Speak gently- let not harsh words mar
The good we might do here!

Lewis Carroll later wrote:
Speak roughly to you little boy
And beat him when he sneezes;
He only does it to annoy,
Because he knows it teases.

The Duchess's baby turns into a pig!

Answer: Twinkle, twinkle little bat!/ How I wonder what you're at!

Jane Taylor first wrote:
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.

Lewis Carroll later wrote:
Twinkle, twinkle little bat!
How I wonder what you're at!
Up above the world you fly,
Like a tea-tray in the sky.

The Mad Hatter sang this for the Queen of Hearts.

Answer: "Will you walk a little faster?" said a whiting to a snail,/ There's a porpoise close behind us, and he's treading on my tail.

Mary Howitt first wrote:
"Will you walk a into my parlor?" said the spider to the fly;
"Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you may spy.
The way into my parlor is up a winding stair,
And I have many curious things to show you when you are there."

Lewis Carroll later wrote:
"Will you walk a little faster?" said the whiting to the snail
"There's a porpoise close behind us and he's treading on my tail.
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle - will you come and join the dance?"

The Lobster-Quadrille is a dance.

Answer: 'Tis the voice of the lobster: I heard him declare,/ "You have baked me too brown, I must sugar my hair."

Isaac Watts first wrote:
'Tis the voice of the sluggard; I heard him complain,
"You have waked me too soon, I must slumber again."
As the door on its hinges, so he in his bed,
Turns his sides and his shoulders and his heavy head.

Lewis Carroll later wrote:
'Tis the voice of the lobster: I heard him declare,
"You have baked me too brown, I must sugar my hair."
As a duck with its eyelids, so he with his nose
Trims his belt and his buttons and turns out his toes.

The Mock Turtle must like lobsters.

Answer: Beautiful Soup, so rich and green,/ Waiting in a hot tureen

James M. Sayles first wrote:
Beautiful Star in heaven so bright,
Softly falls thy silv'ry light
As thou movest from the earth afar,
Star of the evening,
Beautiful star.
Star of the evening,
Beautiful star.

Lewis Carroll later wrote:
Beautiful Soup, so rich and green,
Waiting in a hot tureen!
Who for such dainties would not stoop?
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!

The Mock Turtle sang this song for Alice.

Answer: "I speak severely to my boy,/ I beat him when he sneezes;"

David Bates first wrote:
Speak gently! - Love doth whisper low
The vows that true hearts bind;
And gently Friendship accents flow;
Affection's voice is kind.

Lewis Carroll later wrote:
"I speak severely to my boy,
And beat him when he sneezes;
Fore he can thoroughly enjoy
The pepper when he pleases!"

The Duchess is a rather unusual character.

Answer: "In my youth," Father William replied to his son,/ "I feared it might injure the brain;"

Robert Southey first wrote:
"I am cheerful, young man", Father William replied,
"Let the cause thy attention engage;
In the days of my youth I remember'd my God!
And He hath not forgotten my age."

Lewis Carroll later wrote:
"In my youth," Father William replied to his son,
"I feared it might injure the brain;
But now that I'm perfectly sure I have none,
Why, I do it again and again."

When the caterpiller met Alice he asked, "Who are you?"

Answer: How cheerfully he seems to grin,/ How neatly spreads his claws,

Isaac Watts first wrote:
How skillfully she builds her Cell!
How neat she spreads the wax!
And labors hard to store it well
With the sweet Food she makes.

Lewis Carroll later wrote:
How cheerfully he seems to grin,
How neatly spreads his claws,
And welcome little fishes in
With gently smiling jaws!

Alice just couldn't get the words right. She thought that maybe she was Mabel after all.