The Hatter looked surprised, but he said, ‘Why is a bird like a desk?’
Alice was pleased. She enjoyed playing word games, so she said, ‘That’s an easy question.’
‘Do you mean you know the answer?’ said the March Hare.
‘Yes,’ said Alice.
‘Then you must say what you mean,’ the March Hare said.
‘I do,’ said Alice quickly. ‘Well, I mean what I say. And that’s the same thing, you know.’
‘No, it isn’t!’ said the Hatter. ‘Listen to this. I see what I eat means one thing, but I eat what I see means something very different.’
Alice did not know what to say to this. So she took some tea and some bread-and-butter while she thought about it. The Dormouse woke up for a minute and then went to sleep again. After a while the Hatter took out his watch, shook it, then looked at it sadly.
