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It was another lovely summer day in Oxford. The sun was shining brightly, the birds were singing, and it was just warm enough for everyone to enjoy. It was a perfect day for a boat ride.
“Oh, do be careful, Alice! You look like you’re about to fall out!”
Alice Liddell looked up at the figure of Mary Gardner, her best friend Edith’s older sister, looming over her with a frown. “I’m searching for fish,” she explained, casting her gaze back at the water. “You think there would be some in a river this size.”
“Perhaps they’ve gone for a holiday in London,” Edith offered, glancing over her side of the boat.
“At any rate, we do not want you joining them – please sit back.”
Alice reluctantly did so. “I knew what I was doing,” she said sulkily. “I wasn’t going to fall.”
“You don’t know that for sure,” Mary said, straightening Alice’s pinafore. “How horrible it would be for us, to have to go to your home and tell your dear mother you’d drowned in the Thames! It would quite ruin everything.”
“In-indeed, Alice,” Charles Dodgson, their host and rower, added. “D-d-drowning would ru-ruin all y-your fun.”
“I suppose,” Alice allowed. “It’s just so quiet today. I should like to see something interesting.”
“Well, there are plenty of dragonflies about,” Edith said, waving a hand to shoo one from buzzing around her head. “You could watch them.”
“Perhaps,” Alice said, thought without much enthusiasm. The dragonflies flitting about were interesting enough, she supposed, but they’d lost a bit of their charm after she’d seen their cousins, the snapdragonflies of Looking Glass Land. If only this world’s insects were as fantastic as the ones in Wonderland, she thought, absently tracking a dragonfly flying by the riverbank. I should like to see rocking-horseflies and the rest more often. And those funny elephantine bees! If only one could catch them in a jar, like you do lightning bugs, and –
“Oh, look! There’s someone over there!”
Alice blinked, coming out of her thoughts. Edith was pointing to the left bank, looking quite intrigued. “It’s a little boy! I don’t remember seeing him before.”
“Edith, it’s very rude to point,” Mary scolded, lowering her little sister’s hand.
Alice peered curiously at the newcomer, heedless of Edith’s impropriety. He was a young boy about her age, dressed in a blue sailor suit. His hair was pitch black, and his skin paper white. He was quite small, and very skinny – his clothes hung off his frame like they were a size too big. “He looks rather ill,” Alice remarked.
“Alice, what a thing to say,” Mary said, before looking at the boy herself. She frowned. “Although he is quite pale. Where are his parents?”
“I’m s-sure they’re a-ar-around,” Mr. Dodgson said, pausing in his rowing so everyone could get a better look.
“I think he’s going after the dragonflies,” Edith commented.
Indeed, that seemed to be the case. They watched the boy as he chased a couple down the embankment. Alice giggled – it was quite funny to see him running along, long-fingered hands reaching up to the sky as his shoes slid in the mud.
Finally, he managed to corner one on a rock. The boy stared at it a moment, as if to make sure it wouldn’t fly away. Then, with almost exaggerated care, he reached out to scoop it up.
Suddenly, the boy’s feet went out from under him, sending him tumbling down the bank and into the water. Edith and Mary both shrieked. “Oh no, that poor boy! Mr. Dodgson, see if you can get a bit closer, and perhaps we may – ALICE!”
Alice was already out of the boat, having dove over the side when the boy went under. Heedless of Mary and Mr. Dodgson’s horrified cries, she paddled over to the spot where the boy had fallen. She knew how thick the mud could get on the bottom of the river, and that there were very hard rocks down there. If the boy had struck his head or gotten stuck. . . .
She spotted his form flailing about just beneath the surface. She ducked down and grabbed his arm, hauling him up. He spluttered and gasped for air as they reached the top. “Oh! Oh dear!”
“Come with me,” Alice ordered, keeping a firm grip on his arm as she made for the shore. The boy managed to get his bearings, and together they paddled back to the riverbank. They pulled themselves out and up onto the grass, where they sat down and got their breath back. “Are you all right?” she asked once she was settled, pushing her wet hair out of her eyes.
“Y-y-yes,” the boy stammered, looking at his feet. “Are y-you?”
“Yes,” Alice assured him.
The boy kept staring at his feet. Something about him struck Alice as – cute. He didn’t act like the other boys she knew, with their boasting and nasty words. He seemed rather shy. It made her want to tease him. “I don’t bite,” she added with a giggle.
The boy finally looked up at her. He had funny eyes, Alice noticed – a deep, deep brown that was almost black. He managed a small, trembling smile. “T-thank you for s-saving me,” he said, fiddling with his fingers in his lap.
“I could hardly let you drown, could I?” Alice said, touching his shoulder. “I’m sorry you didn’t get your dragonfly.”
“It’s okay,” the boy sighed. “Maybe I can find another one.”
“What were you going to do with it, anyway?” Alice asked, curious.
“J-just watch it, and m-maybe draw it,” the boy replied, looking a little bashful. “I l-like insects a lot.” He blushed bright pink. “E-especially b-butterflies.”
Alice tilted her head, puzzled. He seemed almost embarrassed to admit he liked butterflies. She couldn’t imagine why. Perhaps it was one of those things that boys weren’t supposed to enjoy? Seemed rather silly to her. Maybe she could cheer him up. “Butterflies are lovely,” she agreed with a smile. “In particular, bread-and-butterflies.”
The boy blinked a few times. “Bread-and-butterflies? I’ve n-never heard of t-them.”
“They live in Wonderland,” Alice explained, happy to share. “Their wings are thin slices of bread and butter, their body is a crust, and their heads are lumps of sugar. And they feed upon weak tea with lots of sugar and cream.” Her smile faded. “Except that the Gnat told me they never find any, so they always die.”
The boy, who had been listening with fascination, looked quite pained by this news. “That’s horrible,” he said. “Can’t you feed them?”
“I wish I could. But Mother would scold me terribly if I tried sneaking a teapot full of tea out of the house,” Alice said, sighing. “Not to mention it might break on the journey to the garden where they live.”
“Well. . .perhaps you could catch one, and keep it as a pet,” the boy suggested. “And then at least one wouldn’t die.”
Alice grinned again. “I was thinking just about the same just before we saw you! Looking Glass Land has so many wonderful insects, and--”
“Alice!”
Mr. Dodgson came rushing up, face frantic. Mary and Edith were hot on his heels, Mary scowling fiercely while Edith looked more amused than anything. “A-Alice, what w-were you t-th-thinking when you d-dove off the b-b-boat?” Mr. Dodgson demanded, eyes wide. “Y-your mother is g-going to k-k-kill me!”
“That was most unladylike behavior, Alice Pleasance Liddell!” Mary nodded, folding her arms. “You’re going to get a right thrashing when you get home, you see if you don’t!”
“You’ve ruined your pretty dress,” Edith pointed out. “Your mummy is going to be very unhappy.”
“It’s only a dress,” Alice said firmly, unwilling to be frightened by all these threats. Oh, she hated the way Mary fussed! Mr. Dodgson was easier to forgive – at least he told interesting stories. “And I could hardly leave this poor fellow in distress!”
The boy, for his part, was staring up at Mr. Dodgson. “I-I didn’t k-know grown-ups st-stuttered,” he said, sounding amazed.
Mr. Dodgson blushed a little. “It’s a b-bad habit of m-mine,” he said. “I w-would hope y-you grow o-out of i-i-it.”
“Mother h-hopes so t-too,” the boy nodded, face falling into a rather downtrodden expression. “She s-says it’s s-shameful for m-me to stutter when I’m n-nervous. That people of o-our caliber s-shouldn’t stutter.”
Alice felt a wave of sympathy for her new friend. His mother sounded horribly bossy. “I think you speak fine,” she said, patting his shoulder.
The boy blushed again, and smiled shyly. “Thank you.”
Edith giggled. “Have we forgotten Reginald then, Alice?” she teased. “Do you have a new gentleman friend?”
Alice made a face at Edith, then grinned at the boy. “Maybe,” she said, leaning close to him. “Would you like to be my--” she searched for the lovely big word she’d learned recently “–paramour?”
The boy looked quite intimidated. Alice just thought that made him cuter. “W-what?”
“My paramour! Take me out for walks and bring me flowers – or I could bring you flowers. I don’t mind. I like picking flowers.”
“But – but we’re o-only visiting Oxford today and t-tomorrow. A-and we h-haven’t been introduced!”
“Well, you know my name’s Alice. What’s yours?”
“Victor,” the boy said after a moment’s hesitation.
“Victor,” Alice repeated cheerfully. “All right then. Now we can be paramours.”
“But a-aren’t we t-too young for that?”
“Pish-tosh,” Alice said, waving a hand. “I don’t care. You’re nice. Maybe we can go to Wonderland together and hunt bugs!”
That got his attention. “Really?”
“Victor! Where are you?”
Everyone looked up at the new voice booming out from a few yards downstream. “That’s m-my mother,” Victor said, sighing. “I’d b-best go.” He grimaced as he looked down at his sailor suit. “She’s g-going to be so a-angry with me. . . .”
“She can’t fault you for nearly drowning,” Alice said, though privately she wasn’t so sure. That voice sounded kind of mean.
Victor just shrugged. “It w-was nice to m-meet you, Alice.”
“It was nice to meet you too, Victor.” On impulse, Alice leaned forward and kissed him right on the lips. Victor went “yuck!” and wiped his mouth off, making Edith titter and Alice roll her eyes. Boys. . . .
“Victor! Get over here!”
Victor scrambled to his feet. “I’m coming, Mother!” he called, before turning to the others. “I’m sorry, I h-have to leave.”
“Will I see you again?” Alice asked, worry spiking up in her gut. Even though she’d just met him, Alice rather liked Victor. He seemed so sweet and gentle. And she’d never met anyone else her age who’d been so interested in Wonderland and its insects. Having another playmate would be wonderful.
“I don’t know,” Victor admitted softly. “We’re going h-home tomorrow, and I d-don’t know w-when we’ll be back.”
“Oh,” Alice mumbled, looking at the ground.
“VICTOR!”
Victor winced. “Yes, Mother!” He shook his head, then waved. “Goodbye now.”
“Goodbye,” Alice said sadly. Then she gave him a mischievous grin. “But I’ll find you again. And I’ll kiss you again, you see if I don’t.”
Victor seemed torn between humor and horror at that. “You’ll have to catch me first,” he said, half-smiling. “Goodbye!” He waved again to the others before darting down the riverside.
Mr. Dodgson offered Alice a hand up. “We’d b-best get you h-h-home, Alice,” he said, frowning as he took in her disheveled state. “Y-you need t-to change.”
“Yes, all right,” Alice said, accepting his hand and getting to her feet. She looked back at where Victor had been. “Do you think we’ll ever see him again?”
“He said he was going home tomorrow, wherever that is,” Mary said. “So probably not. It’s not worth worrying about.”
“And I thought you were sweet on Reginald,” Edith sing-songed.
“Until he accepts my flowers, Reginald can jump down a well for all I care,” Alice said, putting her nose in the air. She glanced back again. “I bet Victor would take flowers from me. He didn’t object to the idea.”
“You’re silly, Alice. The boy is supposed to bring the flowers, remember?”
“I don’t see why they have to! I can pick flowers just as well as them!”
“Enough of that,” Mary said, scowling again. “Let’s all go home and get cleaned up. It’s almost time for tea anyway.”
“And we have to g-get Alice out of this w-w-wet dress before she c-catches her death of c-cold,” Mr. Dodgson nodded, leading Alice along. “I h-hope Mrs. Liddell doesn’t g-get too a-angry. . . .”
Alice sighed, ignoring Mr. Dodgson prattling on and Mary muttering about how she wasn’t being raised properly. Her mind was still stuck on Victor. Oh, why does he have to be going home tomorrow? Why couldn’t he stay another day? He seemed so nice. And I don’t know where he lives, or even his surname! She shook her head. That’ll probably be the last I’ll see of him ever. Such a shame. I would have liked hunting insects with him.
The walk back to her house was a long one, and by the time they got there, Alice was rather chilly. She was quite glad to change out of her wet things, even though it meant a scolding from her mother and being confined to her room until supper. She took her tea at her little nursery table and played with a few of her toys, trying to keep her mind off her adventure at the river. Oh, stop it, she told herself finally. You shan’t see him again, and that’s that. You may as well put him out of your mind entirely. Reluctantly, she consigned Victor and his dragonflies to the past.
But when she next visited Wonderland, she somehow wasn’t surprised to find the King of Hearts with paper-white skin, thick black hair, and eyes that were so dark brown they were almost black.