If you can identify the species to which these two birds belong, you’ll be able to ‘dishcover’ the White Queen’s riddle in no time. The birds are in Clovelly Bay near Plymouth. Click the picture to see what kind of bird they are.
The key points to note are: it is an item of seafood; it is easy to catch; each one is very cheap to buy; it comes in a dish ready for cooking; and you can’t easily prise off the lid of the dish.
“FIRST, the fish must be caught.”
That is easy: a baby, I think, could have caught it.
“Next, the fish must be bought.”
That is easy: a penny, I think, would have bought it.
“Now cook me the fish!”
That is easy, and will not take more than a minute.
“Let it lie in a dish!”
That is easy, because it already is in it.
“Bring it here! Let me sup!”
It is easy to set such a dish on the table.
“Take the dish-cover up!”
Ah, that is so hard that I fear I’m unable!
For it holds it like glue —
Holds the lid to the dish, while it lies in the middle:
Which is easiest to do,
Un-dish-cover the fish, or dishcover the riddle?
Submitted by a reader of ‘Fun’ (October, 1878), and acknowledged by Carroll.
Get an oyster-knife strong,
Insert it ’twixt cover and dish in the middle;
Then you shall before long,
Un-dish-cover the OYSTERS — dishcover the riddle!
Précis
In Lewish Carroll’s ‘Through the Looking Glass’, the White Queen tells Alice a riddle in verse about catching, buying and serving some seafood. Carroll does not provide the solution, but as the seafood is simple to catch, cheap to buy, and already supplied with a serving-dish that is difficult to prise open, it seems likely to be an oyster. (59 / 60 words)
