An Uneventful Morning Leading Up To Alice’s Afternoon Adventure In Wonderland
“Alice wake up! You’ll be late for breakfast and I fear there will be none left for you!” Cried Nanny Gert as she blustered in Alice’s room throwing open her curtains to let the morning’s sunlight in. “Oh really Nanny Gert can’t I have a few more minutes of sleep? Surely a few more won’t hurt.” yawned Alice, who slowly lifts her head from her pillow. “Nonsense child! I’ve let you sleep in an hour later than usual and besides your mother is downstairs waiting to have a word with you and your sisters about how you will be spending your day.” “What!” Gasps Alice suddenly very much awake and thoroughly annoyed. Upon getting no response from her nanny she goes on. “But its Saturday Nanny Gert! There shouldn’t be any plans made for me on Saturday!” “That’s for you and your mother to work out.” Mutters nanny Gert as she begins setting out Alice’s clothes for the day. “ I need you dressed immediately and downstairs in no more than ten minutes.” Warned Nanny Gert. “Or else someone’s head is going to roll for this.” And with that she was gone leaving Alice alone to get dressed and washed up. Begrudgingly Alice does what she is told all the while grumbling to herself as pulls her blue dress with the white apron across the front over her head. Still grumbling as she brushes her long silky blonde hair.
What Nanny Gert did not mention to Alice (for fear of a drawn out argument) was that Alice’s mother, Mrs. Liddell was having the women of the Garden Society over for tea this afternoon and she wanted Alice and her middle sister Rachel out of the house while it was going on. All the servants were busy at this very moment getting the house in order for the party that would take place this afternoon. To complicate matters worse, Mr. Brooks Alice’s music teacher, had canceled her lesson for this afternoon and asked if it could be moved to the morning time instead. This lesson pretty much soaked up Alice’s morning, and if she knew about this right away Alice would have been even more difficult to extract out bed. She hated her music lessons and thought Mr. Brooks to be as dull as butter knife.
As Alice entered the dining room, she immediately took notice of the fact that both her older sisters were already eating, as well as her mother who was nibbling on dry toast and sipping her breakfast tea. Her father had left earlier in the morning to see a man about purchasing a horse. “Good morning Alice. Nice of you to join us.” Said her mother curtly. Alice sat down and began spreading orange marmalade on her toast while carefully eyeing her mother waiting to hear the news that had surely spoiled her day. “Alice” her mother began, “I’m having the members of my Garden Society over for tea this afternoon and this house needs to be spotless for it. Since I can’t have you wondering around getting into heaven-knows-what I’ve decided to schedule your music lessons for this morning to keep you out of mischief.” Alice’s eyes narrow and her mouth puckers. Edna, Alice’s eldest sister tries to suppress a snicker for she knows full well how much Alice despises her music lessons. Mrs. Liddell shoots Edna a reproachful look and Edna lowers her eyes back toward her breakfast. “Of Course Edna finds this amusing,” sulks Alice silently. “Edna is old enough to have tea with mother and her stuffy friends. Edna is treated like an adult, one who can choose how to spend her time on a Saturday morning.” “Once your lessons are finished” continues Mrs. Liddell, “ you and Rachel shall go outside under the willow tree out back and complete your reading lesson.” Now this is really too much for Alice. “Academic lessons on a Saturday too?” Storms Alice trying her hardest to suppress her anger. Everyone knew Alice loved to spend her time outside chasing butterflies or picking daises not sitting under some stupid willow tree having Rachel read to Alice one of her drab and picture less books. Once Alice realizes her mother isn’t going to bend on her plans for Alice she quietly finishes her breakfast and asks to be excused to get ready for her music lessons.
Mr. Milton Brooks divides Alice’s lessons up between nervously glancing at his pocket watch and barking orders of correction at Alice when she plays the wrong key or string on the piano and violin. Mr. Brooks is a squat of man with a balding head trimmed with a crow’s nest of thick white hair around the perimeter of his skull. He is old and crabby. He has zero patience with his pupils and out not be teaching young children in the first place, at least, that’s how Alice feels. As she is picking up the violin he sits down at the piano and instructs her that they will be practicing Johannes Brahms
Violin Sonata in A major. The intro is a disaster. Alice immediately plays the wrong string, partly because she gets pleasure in vexing the squatty little man, but also because she finds her arms and legs to be restless. Longing for the warm sunlight of outside. “Focus Alice!” Screams Mr. Brooks. “I haven’t got all day for you to try and get this right! We’ve been at it for weeks now! You should now which string to led off with by now.” After his tongue lashing he promptly checks his pocket watch again and mumbles something under his breath about not wanting to be late for something Alice can’t quite make out. She picks up her violin and somehow manages to get through her lessons.
After Mr. Brooks is finished with her music lessons, Alice in a last effort attempt, tries to sneak off without her mother noticing to go play with Dinah her cat and a ball of Nanny Gert’s red yarn that seems to catch her eye. However, Nanny Gert who is on to Alice’s motives swiftly directs the child out the back door down near toward the willow tree where her sister Rachel is seated on a quilt waiting for Alice with a leather bounded book in her hand. “Time for your reading lesson Alice” Rachel says. “Oh c’mon Rach, do we have too? Can’t we go exploring in the woods or make mud pies, dig for worms, anything but read?” Whines Alice. “No I promised mother we’d both stay out of her hair this afternoon and that I would have you read to me too.” Replied Rachel. “Rachel is always trying to please mother” thought Alice resentfully, “she would not dare step one toe out of line.” After some heavy coaxing and a promise to share some of Rachel’s chocolate with her sister if she sat down and was good, Alice relented and plopped down on the quilt as Rachel opened the book to its first chapter. “What are we reading today dear sister?” Inquired Alice. “
Shirley, by Emily Bronte.” Replied Rachel. “I don’t suppose there are any pictures in this book?” Asked Alice. “No. There are not I’m afraid.” Answered Rachel. “Why would anyone want to waste there time reading a book with not pictures?” Grumbles Alice as she stretches out on the quilt. “I take it you want me to read first?” Inquires Rachel. “Yes” yawns Alice, that would be fine.” As Rachel begins to read to Alice, she becomes relaxed and starts to drift in and out of sleep when out of the corner of her eye she catches what she believes to be a white rabbit rushing past her it a state of sheer panic but what she can’t believe is that he seems to be holding a pocket watch and talking to it. “No” Alice thinks as she gives her self over to sleep, “No, that can’t be right……
*If you are curious about how the real Violin Sonata in A Major sounds like check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-8RPp6NS7g** I do realize Alice's Adventures In Wonderland is not exactly folksy in the traditional sense. But it does have some mythological creatures (common in traditional folk tales) that are capable of extraordinary things like talking or vanishing such as the Cheshire cat, and the white rabbit. They are just represented in a non-traditional form as opposed to the way the sphinx, or a moon rabbit would be. Mythological creatures seem to have some form of human interaction or companionship throughout the stories. This story is no different in that regard. And besides I had fun with this : )
