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 twenty-four hours to turn round on its axis”

“Talking of axes,” said the Duchess, “chop off her head.”

Alice glanced rather anxiously at the cook, to see if she meant to take the hint; but the cook was busily engaged in stirring the soup, and did not seem to be listening, so she ven­tured to go on again: “Twenty-four hours, I think; or is it twelve? I”

“Oh, don't bother me,” said the Duchess; “I never could abide figures!” And with that she began nursing her child again, singing a sort of lullaby to it as she did so, and giving it a violent shake at the end of every line:

While the Duchess sang the second verse of the song, she kept tossing the baby violently