What does the Unicorn say to Alice in Alice in Wonderland?

Answer 1

The Unicorn appears in Lewis Carroll's second Alice book, Through the Looking Glass.

He is derived from a nursery rhyme which Alice recalls in Chapter 7, The Lion and The Unicorn;

The Lion and the Unicorn were fighting for the crown:

The Lion beat the Unicorn all round the town.

Some gave them white bread, some gave them brown;

Some gave them plum-cake and drummed them out of town.

In Through the Looking Glass, the Unicorn and the Lion enact this fight while Alice and the White King look on.

Alice's encounter with the Unicorn gives rise to two of Carroll's best known Wonderland quotations - 'Large as life and twice as natural' and 'If you believe in me, I'll believe in you.'

`This is a child!' Haigha replied eagerly, coming in front of Alice to introduce her, and spreading out both his hands towards her in an Anglo-Saxon attitude. `We only found it to-day. It's as large as life, and twice as natural!'

`I always thought they were fabulous monsters!' said the Unicorn. `Is at alive?'

`It can talk,' said Haigha, solemnly.

The Unicorn looked dreamily at Alice, and said `Talk, child.'

Alice could not help her lips curing up into a smile as she began: `Do you know, I always thought Unicorns were fabulous monsters, too! I never saw one alive before!'

`Well, now that we have seen each other,' said the Unicorn, `if you'll believe in me, I'll believe in you. Is that a bargain?'

To see Tenniel's illustration of Alice with the Lion and the Unicorn, follow the Related Link below

Answer 2

"The Unicorn looked dreamily at Alice, and said `Talk, child.'

Alice could not help her lips curing up into a smile as she began: `Do you know, I always thought Unicorns were fabulous monsters, too! I never saw one alive before!'

`Well, now that we have seen each other,' said the Unicorn, `if you'll believe in me, I'll believe in you. Is that a bargain?'

`Yes, if you like,' said Alice."

"Alice had seated herself on the bank of a little brook, with the great dish on her knees, and was sawing away diligently with the knife. `It's very provoking!' she said, in reply to the Lion (she was getting quite used to being called `the Monster'). `I've cut several slices already, but they always join on again!'

`You don't know how to manage Looking-glass cakes,' the Unicorn remarked. `Hand it round first, and cut it afterwards.'

This sounded nonsense, but Alice very obediently got up, and carried the dish round, and the cake divided itself into three pieces as she did so. `now cut it up,' said the Lion, as she returned to her place with the empty dish."

Through the Looking-Glass