`What sort of insects do you rejoice in, where you come from?’ the Gnat inquired.

`I don’t rejoice in insects at all,’ Alice explained, `because I’m rather afraid of them — at least the large kinds. But I can tell you the names of some of them.”

`Of course they answer to their names?’ the Gnat remarked carelessly.

`I never knew them do it.’

`What’s the use of their having names the Gnat said, `if they won’t answer to them?’

`No use to them,’ said Alice; `but it’s useful to the people who name them, I suppose. If not, why do things have names at all?’

`I can’t say,’ the Gnat replied. `Further on, in the wood down there, they’ve got no names — however, go on with your list of insects: you’re wasting time.’

`Well, there’s the Horse-fly,‘ Alice began, counting off the names on her fingers.

`All right,’ said the Gnat: `half way up that bush, you’ll see a Rocking-horse-fly, if you look. It’s made entirely of wood, and gets about by swinging itself from branch to branch.’

`What does it live on?‘ Alice asked, with great curiosity.

`Sap and sawdust,’ said the Gnat. `Go on with the list.’

Alice looked up at the Rocking-horse-fly with great interest, and made up her mind that it must have been just repainted, it looked so bright and sticky; and then she went on.

`And there’s the Dragon-fly.’

`Look on the branch above your head,’ said the Gnat, `and there you’ll find a snap-dragon-fly. Its body is made of plum-pudding, its wings of holly-leaves, and its head is a raisin burning in brandy.’

`And what does it live on?’

`Frumenty and mince pie,’ the Gnat replied; `and it makes is nest in a Christmas box.’

`And then there’s the Butterfly,’ Alice went on, after she had taken a good look at the insect with its head on fire, and had thought to herself, `I wonder if that’s the reason insects are so fond of flying into candles — because they want to turn into Snap-dragon-flies!’

`Crawling at your feet,’ said the Gnat (Alice drew her feet back in some alarm), `you may observe a Bread-and-Butterfly. Its wings are thin slices of Bread-and-butter, its body is a crust, and its head is a lump of sugar.’

`And what does it live on?’

`Weak tea with cream in it.’

A new difficulty came into Alice’s head. `Supposing it couldn’t find any?’ she suggested.

`Then it would die, of course.’

`But that must happen very often,’ Alice remarked thoughtfully.

`It always happens,’ said the Gnat.

Taken from: Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

Photo Credit: A young girl enjoys a meal of french fries and chicken at a Nairobi restaurant.