Old Father Time

Old Father Time, 3 illustrations by JVL in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, 

Artists' Choice Editions, 2009.

The Text:

Alice sighed wearily. 'I think you might do something better with

the time,' she said, 'than waste it in asking riddles that have no

answers.'

'If you knew Time as well as I do,' said the Hatter, 'you wouldn't

talk about wasting IT. It's HIM.'

'I don't know what you mean,' said Alice.

 'Of course you don't!' the Hatter said, tossing his head

contemptuously. 'I dare say you never even spoke to Time!'

'Perhaps not,' Alice cautiously replied: 'but I know I have to beat

time when I learn music.'

 'Ah! that accounts for it,' said the Hatter. 'He won't stand beating.

Now, if you only kept on good terms with him, he'd do almost

anything you liked with the clock. For instance, suppose it were

nine o'clock in the morning, just time to begin lessons: you'd only

have to whisper a hint to Time, and round goes the clock in a

twinkling! Half-past one, time for dinner!'