Humpty Dumpty has already had his day in the sun, or at least in these pages, but he had so many interesting things to say, that it's a fair guess that he'll show up again and again. When Alice admired his cravat (that due to Humpty Dumpty's rather strange shape she confused with a belt) the following conversation developed:
"It's a present from the White King and Queen. There now!"The possible dates available to me for non-uploading of this column are less than 364, but they still offered me numerous possibilities for chosing a relevant date with which to be associated.
"Is it really?" said Alice, quite pleased to find that she had chosen a good subject, after all.
"They gave it me," Humpty Dumpty continued thoughtfully, as he crossed one knee over the other and clasped his hands round it, "they gave it me - for an un-brithday present."
"I beg your pardon?" Alice said with a puzzled air.
"I'm not offended," said Humpty Dumpty.
"I mean, what is an un-birthday present?"
"A present given when it isn't your birthday, of course."
Alice considered this a little. "I like birthday presents best," she said at last.
"You don't know what you're talking about!" cried Humpty Dumpty. "how many days are there in a year?"
"Three hundred and sixty-five," said Alice.
"And how many birthdays have you?"
"One."
"And if you take one from three hundred and sixty-five, what remains?"
"Three hundred and sixty-four, of course."
...
"...and that shows that there are three hundred and sxity-four days when you might get un-birthday presents -"
"Certainly," said Alice.
"And only one for birthday presents, you know. There's glory for you!"
Go to: If we're dealing with almosts ...,
or
Go to: on not uploading a column