Mad Hatter's Tea Party
The Cheshire Cat
Alice wished she’d never said what she had out loud; she wished that she’d just kept it a thought, so then her mother wouldn’t feel the need to take her to the doctor.
Once she was on her bed, Alice slowly closed her eyes and fell to sleep. She didn’t know how she had gotten to sleep so early, but it soon made sense.
***
She awoke on thick grass, rubbing her eyes as she stood up. The place was familiar to her after half a minute; she recognised it as the place in which she always saw the Hatter.
“Awake at last, are we?” Alice looked around, searching for the owner of the voice.
“Oh,” she scowled as she looked up into the trees, “it’s you. And what do you mean by ‘awake at last’?”
“You should know, Alice,” the Cheshire Cat replied.
“Well I don’t. Just tell me, Cat.”
“You always fall asleep. That’s a bad habit; you never know what will happen when you’re gone.”
“I’m not falling asleep,” explained Alice, “I’m going back home.”
“The home that has treated you so horribly in the past years of your life? Why not make this your home? Then we’d all be happy,” the Cat grinned, “especially you, Alice.”And, with that, the cat disappeared.
“That cat is always trying to mess with me. I really wish he would stop.” Alice walked away in search of anybody she knew. “Hatter,” she called out, “are you still here?”
“Alice?” she heard him reply, “of course I’m still here. Now, come back and finish your tea.” Alice smiled as she did as the Hatter told her to.
“Did you do as I told you?” asked the Hatter, and Alice shook her head.
“This time I just went to bed, closed my eyes and found myself back here. I really do want to control it, Hatter, but I can’t.”
“You will one day, Alice. For now, you’ll just have to live with it.”
“Oh,” Alice said, looking straight up to the Hatter, “before I was told that I don’t know what will happen while I’m away from Wonderland. What does it mean?”
“Wonderland is controlled by your emotions, Alice. Sadness or anger will tear our nice world apart, while happiness and excitement keeps us under control.”
“So, in other words, I can never be in a negative mood or else Wonderland will be destroyed?” silence was given from both Alice and the Hatter.
“Whenever you feel down, Alice, come back to Wonderland. We’ll fix you up and you can be back on your way.”
“But I can’t just materialise here whenever I want to. I’m sorry, Hatter, but I cannot protect Wonderland all the time.”
“But Wonderland is in your mind, Alice. In fact, you are protecting us right now.”
“I truly do not see how that is possible. You have minds of your own, you even lead your own lives while I’m gone.”
“You’re never gone, Alice. Even when you’re awake in your own world, you are always with us here in Wonderland.”
“Well I’d like to go back to my own world now, Hatter. Mother may be quite worried about me after what happened just before.”
“I don’t control what you do. You have to find your own way back, Alice.”
“Maybe if I go back to sleep?”
“Possibly.”
“I’m going to go try. Goodbye, Hatter.”
“Goodbye, Alice.”
Alice went back to where she had awoken, closing her eyes slowly and falling to sleep even slower.
***
Alice found herself back on her bed when she woke up, with nobody worrying over her. She jumped off happily and went back downstairs with her family, who were already eating dinner.
“Oh, Alice, you’re finally awake,” her mother beamed as Alice came to sit at the table, “are you alright now?” Alice nodded.
“I was fine in the first place, mother, I was never not okay.”
“But you fainted, you can’t tell me that that’s okay.”
“Please just trust me.”
“Alright, Alice, but you’re still going to see the doctor next week.”
Alice didn’t bother arguing the point, as she knew it would get her nowhere.
For the time being, she just sat and ate her dinner.
Once she was on her bed, Alice slowly closed her eyes and fell to sleep. She didn’t know how she had gotten to sleep so early, but it soon made sense.
***
She awoke on thick grass, rubbing her eyes as she stood up. The place was familiar to her after half a minute; she recognised it as the place in which she always saw the Hatter.
“Awake at last, are we?” Alice looked around, searching for the owner of the voice.
“Oh,” she scowled as she looked up into the trees, “it’s you. And what do you mean by ‘awake at last’?”
“You should know, Alice,” the Cheshire Cat replied.
“Well I don’t. Just tell me, Cat.”
“You always fall asleep. That’s a bad habit; you never know what will happen when you’re gone.”
“I’m not falling asleep,” explained Alice, “I’m going back home.”
“The home that has treated you so horribly in the past years of your life? Why not make this your home? Then we’d all be happy,” the Cat grinned, “especially you, Alice.”And, with that, the cat disappeared.
“That cat is always trying to mess with me. I really wish he would stop.” Alice walked away in search of anybody she knew. “Hatter,” she called out, “are you still here?”
“Alice?” she heard him reply, “of course I’m still here. Now, come back and finish your tea.” Alice smiled as she did as the Hatter told her to.
“Did you do as I told you?” asked the Hatter, and Alice shook her head.
“This time I just went to bed, closed my eyes and found myself back here. I really do want to control it, Hatter, but I can’t.”
“You will one day, Alice. For now, you’ll just have to live with it.”
“Oh,” Alice said, looking straight up to the Hatter, “before I was told that I don’t know what will happen while I’m away from Wonderland. What does it mean?”
“Wonderland is controlled by your emotions, Alice. Sadness or anger will tear our nice world apart, while happiness and excitement keeps us under control.”
“So, in other words, I can never be in a negative mood or else Wonderland will be destroyed?” silence was given from both Alice and the Hatter.
“Whenever you feel down, Alice, come back to Wonderland. We’ll fix you up and you can be back on your way.”
“But I can’t just materialise here whenever I want to. I’m sorry, Hatter, but I cannot protect Wonderland all the time.”
“But Wonderland is in your mind, Alice. In fact, you are protecting us right now.”
“I truly do not see how that is possible. You have minds of your own, you even lead your own lives while I’m gone.”
“You’re never gone, Alice. Even when you’re awake in your own world, you are always with us here in Wonderland.”
“Well I’d like to go back to my own world now, Hatter. Mother may be quite worried about me after what happened just before.”
“I don’t control what you do. You have to find your own way back, Alice.”
“Maybe if I go back to sleep?”
“Possibly.”
“I’m going to go try. Goodbye, Hatter.”
“Goodbye, Alice.”
Alice went back to where she had awoken, closing her eyes slowly and falling to sleep even slower.
***
Alice found herself back on her bed when she woke up, with nobody worrying over her. She jumped off happily and went back downstairs with her family, who were already eating dinner.
“Oh, Alice, you’re finally awake,” her mother beamed as Alice came to sit at the table, “are you alright now?” Alice nodded.
“I was fine in the first place, mother, I was never not okay.”
“But you fainted, you can’t tell me that that’s okay.”
“Please just trust me.”
“Alright, Alice, but you’re still going to see the doctor next week.”
Alice didn’t bother arguing the point, as she knew it would get her nowhere.
For the time being, she just sat and ate her dinner.