The Mock Turtle's Song

"The Lobster Quadrille" is a song written by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Lewis Carroll). It is a parody of "The Spider and the Fly" by Mary Botham Howitt. It appeared in Chapter 10 of Carroll's book ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'', and was sung by a character in the book, the Mock Turtle. The poem is very similar to "The Spider and the Fly" in its rhyme scheme, meter, and tone. The first lines of the two songs are as follows: Will you walk a little faster said a whiting to a snail... (The Lobster Quadrille) Will you walk into my parlour said a spider to a fly... (The Spider and the Fly) The song fits into the flow of chapters 9 and 10, "The Mock Turtle's Story" and "The Lobster Quadrille", which are about the Mock Turtle's life and schooling under the sea. The whimsical lyrics feature animals such as porpoises, snails and lobsters. The snail is invited to join a dance in which he would be cast into the English Channel towards France, but he fearfully declines. The reason is left unspoken in the song, but France is known for its consumption of escargot. == Lyrics ==

The song was performed by Franz Ferdinand (band) for the 2010 film Alice in Wonderland. The song was featured in the film's soundtrack. The song was performed by the band The Four Postmen on their 1997 album Looking for Grandpa in an upbeat modern style. The song was performed by the punk rock band Feederz on their 1986 album Teachers in Space. The song was performed by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker (with Becker doing the lead vocals) as part of a number of demo songs recorded before they formed the band Steely Dan. The song was set for chorus by Irving Fine in his "Three Choruses from Alice in Wonderland" (1942). The poem was set to music by György Ligeti in his "Nonsense Madrigals" (1988/93). The song is sung by a chorus to the "real" Alice in the 1985 film Dreamchild. The song was included on The Simon Sisters' children's album, The Simon Sisters Sing the Lobster Quadrille and Other Songs for Children (1969). The song was sung by Gene Wilder in the 1999 film Alice in Wonderland as the Mock Turtle The song was performed by Michael Hordern, as the Mock Turtle, and Spike Milligan, as the Gryphon, in the 1972 film Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, set to music by John Barry. == References ==