Music in Wonderland: The White Rabbit’s Proof (Part 1)

You know, when I listened to music I never knew what was down from what was up, or what was up from what was down, or down was what or up what was down…oh, what to do! But you see, later when I met up with the dear White Rabbit (we had a spot of tea, though I don’t much see the point in having only a spot when you can have the whole thing), he explained it this way:

My Dear Alice, he said (he was quite fond of me the poor dear, and even more so when I fixed him up about the spot of tea), I don’t know a fugue-ata from a varicaglia,[1] but I do know Tweedle Dee from Tweedle Dum (I’m afraid I still do not!), the Mock Turtle from the Mad Hatter, the birthday cake from the…where was I?

The fugue-aglia?

Oh, yes! Well, I don’t mind telling you this, though it is strictly forbidden and…

But why ever would it be?

Because the Queen of Hearts hates Yorkshire pudding. Now

But what on earth has that to do with anything?

If you keep interrupting, then neither of us shall ever know, now, shall we? (I supposed this was true enough, though it was an awful bother.)

Now, the Yorkshire pudding…yes, yes…of course you know that in Wonderland everything must be turvy-topsy and flimsy-whimsy. Therefore there is no room for traitorous ideas like the one I am about to share with you…

 Oh do tell me! (I said, quite forgetting myself.)

Read Part 2 here.