Alice was just beginning to say `There's a mistake somewhere-,'
when the Queen began screaming so loud that she had to leave the
sentence unfinished. `Oh, oh, oh!' shouted the Queen, shaking her
hand about as if she wanted to shake it off. `My finger's bleeding!
Oh, oh, oh, oh!'
Her screams were so exactly like the whistle of a steam-engine,
that Alice had to hold both her hands over her ears.
`What IS the matter?' she said, as soon as there was a chance of
making herself heard. `Have you pricked your finger?'
`I haven't pricked it YET,' the Queen said, `but I soon shall - -
oh, oh, oh!'
`When do you expect to do it?' Alice asked, feeling very much
inclined to laugh.
`When I fasten my shawl again,' the poor Queen groaned out: `the
brooch will come undone directly. Oh, oh!' As she said the words
the brooch flew open, and the Queen clutched wildly at it, and tried
to clasp it again.
`Take care!' cried Alice. `You're holding it all crooked!' And she
caught at the brooch; but it was too late: the pin had slipped, and
the Queen had pricked her finger.
`That accounts for the bleeding, you see,' she said to Alice with a
smile.
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