The Frog

The Frog, an illustration by JVL for Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-glass, 

Artists' Choice Editions, 2011.

The text:

Alice knocked and rang in vain for a long time, but at last, a very

old Frog, who was sitting under a tree, got up and hobbled slowly

towards her: he was dressed in bright yellow, and had enormous

boots on.

 'What is it, now?' the Frog said in a deep hoarse whisper.

Alice turned round, ready to find fault with anybody. 'Where's the

servant whose business it is to answer the door?' she began angrily.

 'Which door?' said the Frog.

Alice almost stamped with irritation at the slow drawl in which he

spoke. 'THIS door, of course!'

The Frog looked at the door with his large dull eyes for a minute:

then he went nearer and rubbed it with his thumb, as if he were

trying whether the paint would come off; then he looked at Alice.

 'To answer the door?' he said. 'What's it been asking of?' He was so

hoarse that Alice could scarcely hear him.

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

'I talks English, doesn't I?' the Frog went on. 'Or are you deaf?

What did it ask you?'

 'Nothing!' Alice said impatiently. 'I've been knocking at it!'

'Shouldn't do that -- shouldn't do that -- ' the Frog muttered. 'Vexes

 it, you know.' Then he went up and gave the door a kick with one

of his great feet. 'You let IT alone,' he panted out, as he hobbled

back to his tree, 'and it'll let YOU alone, you know.'