Alice Through the Lo an episode of Columbia Workshop -

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Episode Transcript

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The Columbia Workshop. Tonight, theColumbia Broadcasting System announces the appointment of William
N. Robeson as permanent Director ofthe Columbia Workshop. In keeping with the
holiday spirit, mister Robeson presents,as the first in the new series of

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Workshop productions, part one of hisown radio extraction of Lewis Carroll's immortal classics,
Alice's Adventures through the Looking Glass,with an experimental musical score specially composed
for this broadcast by Paul Starrett andLee Stephens. Child of the pure,

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unclouded brow, beaming eyes of wonder, so time the fleet and I and
brow, a half a light ofthunder by loving smile was surely tale,
the huge eye gift of a fairytale without the frost, the blinding snow,
the storm wind's moody madness, withinthe firelight, ruddy glow in childhood's

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nest of gladness. Come take thisgift from out the path, Come with
Alice through the looking Glass. Alicesat drowsily in the great armchair as the

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snowflakes fell gently against the windowpanes,just as if they were kissing it.
Alice thought, the black kitten lyingin her lap heard warmth of the fire,
and sleepily, Alice wondered, Kittie, can you play chess? Now?

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Don't smile. I'm asking it seriously, because when Sitter and I were
playing a little while ago, youwatched just as that you understood, and
when I said check you purse,well it was a nice check, kitty.
And really I might have won ifit hadn't been for that nasty night
that came wiggling down among nice pieces. Kitty, dear, let's pretend that

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you're the Red Queen. Oh,yes, you do know who the Red
Queen is. She's one of mychessmen. I'm sure if you set up
and folded your arms you would lookexactly like her. Now do try it,
but the cpain wouldn't try. Soto punish it, Alice held it
up to the looking glass so itmight see how hope it was. And

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if you are not good directly,I'll put you through the mirror into looking
glasshouse. How would you like that? Very well? Then mind your manners,
and now, if you'll attend andnot talk so much, I'll tell
you my ideas about looking glass House. First, here's the room you can

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see through the glass. If that'sjust the same as our drawing room,
only the thing go the other ways. The books are something like our books,
too, only the words go thewrong way. I know that because
I've held up one of our booksto the glass, and then they hold
up one in the other room.And Kitten, you can just see a

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little peep of the passage and lookingGlasshouse if you leave the door of our
drawing room wide open, And it'svery like our passage as far as you
can see. Only you don't know. It may be quite get beyond.
There must be a gun, andoh so many lovely things. Oh,

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Kitty, how nice it could beif we could get through into looking Glasshouse.
Let's pretend there's a way of gettingthrough somehow, Kitty. Let's pretend
the glass has got all thought likegalls so that we can get through.

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Why, I declare, it's turninginto a bottle. Miss, it'll be
easy enough to get through. Loud, certainly, the glass was beginning to
melt away, just like a brightsilvery mist. In a moment, Alice

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was up on the mantelpiece through theglass and had jumped lightly down into the
looking glass room. My mind,they don't keep this room so tidy as
the other. Or the chessmen filledamong the cinders on the horse they are
moving. They'd come to light thered King and the red Queen. And

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there is a white king and thewhite Queen sitting on the edge of the
shovel. And here are two castleswalking on in awe. But Alice was
to experience the wonderland travelers. Themarble might let the chess men come to
light. And she quickly ran through, looking the house, searching for the
guards. When she came to thestairs, she discovered a new invention for

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getting down quickly. She just keptthe tips of her fingers on the handbrail
and floated gently down, without eventouching the stairs with her feet. She
floated on through the hall and wouldhave gone straight out the door the same
way if she hadn't caught hold ofthe door post. But at last she
within the garden full of days androses, environnce tiger with a willow tree

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growing in the Alice parn and lifenaturalness, folks with the tide of the
name, Oh tiger lily, Iwish you could talk. We can talk
when if anybody worth talking to you? And can all the flowers, talks
as well as you can, anda great deal louder. You're a manner
for us to begin, you know. And I really wondering when you'll seek?

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Did I do myself the things withdust and deady? So it's not
a clever one. You know youlove a light colors and that through a
lone one. I don't care aboutthe color though it only her pettles curl
up. The little bowl should beall right after sometimes fighting it being trotted
out here with nobody to take careof you? Where's the tree in the

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middle? What else is it goodfor? But what could it do?
If any day you can't get good? Book? It says so well that
that sen to the cl so thatlike baby, can you know that?
Right? It hadn't occurred on theroof? They know I can't say that

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to do that. Never mind,tiger lily, Now, daisy, if
you don't hold your tongue, I'llpick you love this year. Just what
other story in the garden? Lethim love about like you? I wonder
how you do it. If she'slike me, then there must be another

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little girl in the garden somewhere.Oh, he's one of the sny kind.
She's coming. It's the Red Queen. She's grown a great deal.
When I saw in the ashes afew minutes ago, she was only three
inches tall, and now she's halfa head taller than me. He's a

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pretty selsey. Where is the doing? Fine? Here is out? I
think I've going meet her? No, no, no, you can't possibly
do that. How did she adviseher to walk the other way? This
sounded like a nonsense to Alice,so she set off at once towards the
Red Creams. But in a momenta Red Majisty disappeared, and Alice found

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herself walking into the door of thelooking Glass house again. There was nothing
to do but try the plan suggestedby the road, so she started walking
off in the opposite direction from whereshe had been the cream It worked beautifully
for a moment. Later, shefound herself face to face for the monarch.
Where do you come from? Whereare you going? Look up this

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nicely, and don't put your fingersall the time, please, your majesty.
I came through the looking glass andI don't know where I'm going because
I've lost my way. I don'tknow what you mean by your way.
All the ways about here belong tome. But why did you come out
here? That's all Curtsey. Whileyou're I think you want to say the
same time. You've head long enough. Now open your mouth and lit's still

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lighter when you speak, and alwayssay your majesty. I only wanted to
see what the garden was like,your majesty. That's right, delivery,
excellent, pop your there. Butas the subject matter, I'll talked in
you as much. Now it's agarden when you say garden, I've seen
gardens compared to which this would bea wildness. I thought i'd try to
find my way to the top ofthat hill you're you say hill, I

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could show you hills in comparison withwhich you'd call that's the valance. No,
I shouldn't, but you'll can't bea valley. You know that would
be nonsense. You may call itnonsense of your life. But I've heard
nonsense compared with which that would beas sensible as a dictionary. Alice treached
it again, for fear she hadoffended the Red Queen, and they walked

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on a bit until they came tothe top of the little hills. A
most curious country stretched out from thetop of his hill. It was all
divided into squares by tiny green hedges, which brought a tiny little brook exploring
in straight lines, a process,I declare, it's not out, just
like a large chess board. Nowthere ought to be some men moving about

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somewhere. Look for yourself yonder onthe horizon. The red Knight is capturing
the White vision. It's a great, huge game of chestice thing, prayed,
Oh over the world. If thisis the world, you know what's
fun? How I wish I wereone of them. I wouldn't mind even

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being a pawn if I could onlyjoin. So of course I would like
to be a queen. Be getseasily managed. You could be the White
queens Paud if you like it living. Her daughter is too young to play,
and you're in the second square tobegin with, So when you get
to the eighth square, you'll bea queen if you're not captured. Is
there any danger of being captured?Danger? There's always danger, And just

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at this moment, the Red Queengrabbed Dallas at hand and began to run
like mare. And as fast aspoor Alice ran, the queen kept her
June that the most curious part ofthe thing was it? The trees and
the other things around them never changedtheir places at all. However fast they
went, they never seemed to passanything. I wonder if the things move

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around whither Santa, don't try itup, Esta that THEA wis really still
nearly there. We tapped it tenminutes ago. R No, who no,

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you maybe have said, little now, I do believe we've been under
this tree the whole time. Everything'sjust as it wrong, of course it
is. What would you have it? WHOA? Where I come from?
You generally get to somewhere else thatyou ran very fast for a very long
time, as we've been doing.That's no sort of country now here,
you see. It takes all therunning you can do to keep in the

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same place. If you want toget somewhere else, you must run at
these present classes there I'd rather nottry and see. I'm quite content to
stay here only I am so hotand thirsty. I know what you'd like
there have a bisket? Well dojust looking for you while you're refreshing yourself.

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I'll take the messages. And shetook the tap out of her pocket
and began measuring the ground and pickinglittle pegs in here and there, while
Alice choked on the vista. Atthe end of two yards, I shall
give you your direction. Heaven nevermissed it, no one quite not first
quenched. I hope he has threeyards. I shall repeat the directions for

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here if you're forgetting them. Atthe end of four I shall say good
bars, and at the end thefive I shall both. So I proceeded
to the two yards. Pay uponthose two squares, and it's third mood,
you know. So you both gavequickly through the third square a five
railway, I could think, Andyou'll find yourself in the fourth square in

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your time. Well. Best squarebelongs to to the d and sweet the
down. The this is mostly water. The sixth belongs to hunt the Dumpty.
But you make no repark. Ididn't know I had to make one.
Just then you should have said,it's extremely kind of you to tell
me this. However, will assumanto be said? The second square is

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all forest, that one of theknights will show you the way, And
in the eighth square we shall allbe queens. That is all feasting and
fun. I proceed to the threeyard pay ben spress, where you can't
take an English for a thing.Turn out for bold as you are,
and remember who you are. Iproceed to the four yard pay h why

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pa, why your day? That'sthe last pig. The Red Queen was
gone instant prevent it, and Alice, remembering that she was a pawn in
this last game of chest, realizedthat it was her move and the third
square was her objective. So sheran down the hill, and when she

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came to the first of the brook, she jumped tickets. Please have your
tickets ready, and thank you,thank you, thank you, Allen,

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show your ticket, child, youreally child? She hin is w A
thousand times. I'm afraid I haven'tthought the t There wasn't a ticket office.
Cuil like it. They want todo for one when they're a landed
wor a thousand pounds. Don't makeexcuses. You should have fought one from
the engine driver. He talk work. Alice thought to herself that there was

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no use in answering such nonsense,so the voices didn't answer her this time,
although to her great surprise, theythought in chorus, I hope you
understand what this is like, butI'm sure I don't. All the time

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the passengers joined in silent unison.The train guard was looking at Alice,
first through a telescope, then througha microscope, and then through after a
glasses. At last, he said, you are traveling the wrong way.

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Alice's traveling companions were a queer group. There was a gentleman sitting opposite her,
dressed in white taper, and nextto him a goat wearing eyeglasses,
and next to the goat a beetle. There were others too, but Alice
couldn't see him because the carriage wasso dark. So young a child also
know which way she's grow, evenif she doesn't know, you don't know

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a way to take it office,even if she does. Norala bit off
ag engines. But that sounds likea horse on something about horse. He
must be label lass with care.You know, if I saw my boast,

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she's got a head on it.She must be sent a message.
You must rather train the rest ofthe way. Never mind what they all
say, my dear, I takea return ticket every time the trains.
Indeed, I shock, I don'tbelong to this real way journey at all.
I was in a wood just now, and I don't know how I

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got here, and I wish Iwould burst it. You might make a
joke on that something about you wouldif you count you out, don't tease.
So if you're so anxious to havea joke made, why don't you
make one yourself. I know yourfriends, your friends and an old friend,
and you won't need me. SoI haven't in track what kind of

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an insect? And you don't likeit? Track? I think they get
upset about all hushed the book.You have to come over, I scarcely
like the idea of a jumping tree. Nothing to worry about, child,
Well, it will take us intothe fourth square, and that's some comfortable

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all on everyone side. Alice feltthe carriage rise straight up into the air,
and in her fright she caught holdof a goat's beard. But the
beard melted the way as she touchedit, and she found herself sitting in
the middle of a wood. Afew feet away, standing motionless, were

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two fat little men, each withhis arm around the other's neck. It
was evident that once which was witch, but one had the word dumb embroidered
on his collar, and the otherthe word d tweeters dump and tweeter deep.
I suppose you were tweets embroidered aroundthe back of their collars. My

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how they stared. It's scarcely polite. If you think we're wax works,
you want to pay. You know, wax works weren't made to be looked
at for nothing. Now, howcontrariwise, if you think we're alive,
you won't to speak. I'm sure, I'm very sorry. I know what
you're thinking about. So why whatthat's horrid? Song? Tweet dumb man

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tweetles me agree to have a baclefor tweetles dumb and tweet that was his
nice new Rather the thing blew downa months to grow and black letter look
which brightening? So thank you longstroke make my for craft their quarter.

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Now that's what you was thinking about. Well, yes, it isn't so,
now contray wise, if it wasso, it might be, and
if it were so, it would, But it isn't. It ain't.
That's so it looks like a coupleof big school boys that by next boy

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con chiry wise, you'll be gunewrong. The first thing in the school
visit is to say how you doing? Shake hands? As the two brothers
were hunting each other, they heldout the two hands that were free to
shake hands. With Alice. Alicedidn't want to shake hands with either of
them first, for fear of hurtingthe other's feelings, so she took hold
of both their hands of one,and immediately the three of them started dancing

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round and run in the ring andsinging, Here we go round the mull
rivers, Here we go around thesly and the morning hearing around the I
don't want to dance no more,No, countairy Wise found enough one dance.

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I hope you're not much tired.No, and thank you very much
for us so much obliged you likeportrait? Yes, pretty well, she's
unpolitic. But now perhaps you cantell me which road leads out of the
wood. What shall I repeat toher? The carpenter is the longer,
if it's very long. Would youplease tell me, sir, which road?
It sounds worse if you're singing itcon't srary Wise, It couldn't sound

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worse if I sang it. Thesun was shining on the sea, shining
with all his might. He didhis very best to make the billows smooth
and bright. And this was oddbecause it was the middle of the night.

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The moon was shining subtly. Becauseshe thought the sun had got no
business to be there after the daywas out. It's very rude of you,
she said, to come and spoilthe fun. The walls and the
carpenter were walking close at hand.They went like anything to see such quantities
of same. If wins were onlycleared away, they said, it would

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be glad if seven mates with sevenmops swept it for half a year.
Do you suppose that they could getit clear? I doubt it, he
said the carpenter, and shed upwith a tear. Oysters, come and
walk with us. The wallrus tobe seech a pleasant walk, a pleasant

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top along the briny beach. Wecannot do with more than four. To
give a hand to weak. Theeldest oyster looked at him, but never
word, he said. The eldestoyster winked his eye and shook his tod,
he said, meaning to say hedid not choose to leave the oyster
bed. But four young oysters hurriedout, all eager for the tree.

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Their coats were brushed, their faceswashed, their shoes were clean and knee
and this was odd, because youknow they had many fingers. Four other
oysters followed them, and yet anotherfour, and thinking first they came at
last, and more and more andmore, all hopping through the hockey waves
and scrambling for the The time hascome to talk of many things, of

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shoes and chips and sealing wax,of cabbages and keys, and why the
sea is boiling hot, and whetherpigs have wings. And the oysters cried,
harry it said the carpenter. Theythank you much for that a loaf

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of bread. And the wall said, is what we chiefly need. Pepper
and vinegar besides, are very good. Indeed, now if you're a ready
oysters, dear, we can't givethe fee. The oysters cried, turning
a little blue. You admire thefew. It was so nice of you

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to come, and you are verynice. And the carpenter said, nothing
about flies. I wish you werenot quite so there. I had to
ask you quite in the war saidto play that such a trick after we
brought them out so far and madethem flood so quick. At the top

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of the said nothing but the bread. I wait for you, the war
said, I please. With thudsand tears, he sorted out those of
the flat sides, holding his pockethandkerchief before his twin eyes. Our oyster
said the carpenter, you've had apleasure. Shall we be clucking home again?

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But answer came their lungs, Andthis was scarcely odd because they've eaten
everyone. I liked the wall withbecause you said she was a little sigh
for the poor. He ate morethan the coffiner, though, you see

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he held his handkerchief in front,so the copponder wouldn't count how many he
took control the wise. Oh that'swhat means. Then I liked the coffin
to beth. If he didn't beso many as the wall he ate as
many as he could get. Well, then they were both very uncertain characters.
But I'd better be getting out ofthe woods for really, it's coming

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on very dark. Do you thinkit's going to rain? Put up the
umbrella? Tweedledd and see. Ohyeah then no, I don't think he's
going to range, at least notunder here. Contrariwise, we may if
it chooses. We've no objection,not selfish thing. If it did rain,
they'd be sure to keep the umbrellato themselves. Well good night.

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Wait a minute, Wait a minute, you see there? What under the
tree there? Oh, it's onlya rattles. Not a rattle snake,
you know, only an old rattles, quite old and broken. I knew
it. I knew it spoiled.Of course, you needn't be so angry
about an old That's what it is. Those no, I tell you,

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I've wanted your gang. Ah,my, I you may wind ride under
your umbrella umbrellas I you may wellgave it up and close your eyes.
My god, wait fish ah,you sire, rattle, I didn't.

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I don't chairy wife. Of courseyou agreed to have a battle. Only
she must help. Professional of course, wait here you, oh, please
please and arm into the wood andreturned in a minute with their arms full

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of things. I just boasters,blankets, half runs, table claws,
dish covers and close scuffles. Ihope your good hand is pinning and tying
strings. Every one of these thingshas to go on somehow. They hear
you tie this bolster around my neckto keep my head from being cut off.
Really, you both be more likebundles of bollt clothes than anything else.

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At the time you're ready to fight. You know, it's one of
the most serious things that can possiblyhappen, one of the battles to get
one of the head cut off timeI helmet hand Andrey, why is it
my helmet? Do im up verydeal? Well, yes a little.
I'm very great generally for me todayI happened to have a two take no,

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and I've got a bad headache.I'm following off to you then setting
up fight today. We must havea bit of a fight, but I
don't care about going on along.What's the time now? Half a fat
yell? Let's fight six and thenhave dinner very well, and she can
watches. Only you better not comevery close. I generally hit everything I

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can see when I really get it, I hit everything with him, whether
I can see it or not.You must hit the tree, might you
see? I don't suppose there'll bea tree left standing forever. So far
aund by the time we finished,and all about on rattle showing the mighty
is so much. If it hasbeen a new one, you always make

(28:26):
my new one. I'm wise.I never There's only one sword, you
know, brother, but you canhave the umbrella quite a sharp. Only
you promise you must be company withyour swords. Promise I Thomas, you
promise Thomas. We can beget ourbattle. We better be quick about it.
That's getting doctors who can do Theremust be a thunderstorm coming on.

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Look what a sick let's crowd thatis, And how fast he comes?
What I do got brother? Whatcrow? Orry? I want? Brother?
Oh? Here they are out ofsight. It's all very well with
them, the song says. Thecrows scare them quite away, But the

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song doesn't say anything about me.What shall I do? What you let's
you should worry about Alex's predicament,though for the Christmas weekend he is in
no grave danger and will be ableto hide safely away until next Thursday evening

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at the same time, and wewill follow her further adventures through the looking
Glass. Through the Looking Glass wasextracted for radio by William and Robeson,
who also directed the production. Thespecial musical score was composed by Lee Stephens
and Paul Saris, and mister Stephensconducted The orc Alice was played by Miss
Helen Claire. This is the ColumbiaBroadcasting