I enjoyed the Gryphon and the Mock turtle, they both seemed to be the friendliest ones Alice has encountered, other than the Cheshire Cat so far. The subjects they mention and Alice's responses, made me laugh:
"Yes, we went to school in the sea, though you mayn't believe it__"
"I never said I didn't! interrupted Alice.
(She gets a bit feisty here.)"You did," said the Mock Turtle.
(A verbal trap, referencing something she didn't say.)"Hold your tongue!" added the Gryphon, before Alice could speak again. The Mock Turtle went on.
"We had the best of educations__in fact, we went to school every day__"
"I've been to a day-school, too," said Alice. "You needn't be so proud as all that."
(She really is trying to prove she is educated as well.) "With extras?" asked the Mock Turtle, a little anxiously. "Yes," said Alice: "we learned French and music." "And washing?" said the Mock Turtle. "Certainly not!" said Alice indignantly.
"Ah! Then yours wasn't a really good school," said the Mock Turtle in a tone of great relief. "Now, at
ours, they had, at the end of the bill, 'French, music,
and washing __ extra.'"
(The Mock Turtle seems pleased with himself, he found something Alice didn't learn.)(The phrase "French, music and washing__ extra" often appeared on boarding-school bills. It meant, of course, that there was an extra charge for French, and music, and for having one's laundry done by the school.) from annotations
Then this made me laugh:
"You couldn't have wanted it much," said Alice; "living at the bottom of the sea." "I couldn't afford to learn it." said the Mock Turtle, with a sigh. "I only took the regular course." "What was that?" inquired Alice.
Subjects mentioned:
Reeling, Writhing, branches of Arithmetic_Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and Derision
Mysterying, Stretching, and Fainting of Coils.
Laughing and Grief, Seaography
Drawling (The "Drawling-master" who came once a week to teach "Drawling, Stretching, and Fainting in Coils" is a reference to non other than the art critic John Ruskin. Ruskin came once a week to the Liddell home to teach drawing, sketching, and painting in oils to the children.)
So many play on words in this chapter.
I can only imagine the Liddell girls getting excited to see Carroll bring in these subjects they were familiar with especially the Drawling, since Alice, her brother Henry, and her younger sister Victoria inherited their father's talent for art.
Then when Alice asks about what happens on the twelfth day, she has puzzled them and they change the subject. Again, I see Carroll is showing that you need to spend some time on lessons, but like his earlier poem, don't let them take up your entire days. I think it's his way of letting the Liddell children to take time for fun and fantasy.
Ciao for now~
p.s. I would spell check this post normally, but with all the play on words I can only imagine all the errors it will attempt to correct!