Mock Turtle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mock Turtle |
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| Alice character | |
The Gryphon and the Mock Turtle, illustrated by John Tenniel
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| First appearance | Alice's Adventures in Wonderland |
| Created by | Lewis Carroll |
| Information | |
| Species | Turtle/Sea Turtle/Terrapin Turtle |
| Gender | Male |
| Nationality | Wonderland |
The Mock Turtle is a sad and unusual character from Lewis Carroll's famous book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, published in 1865. His name comes from a popular Victorian-era dish called mock turtle soup. This soup was made to taste like real turtle soup but used cheaper ingredients, often calf's head.
Contents
Meeting the Mock Turtle in Wonderland
In Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Alice meets the Mock Turtle with the Gryphon. The Mock Turtle is a very sad character. It is thought he used to be a real turtle.
Then the Queen left off, quite out of breath, and said to Alice, "Have you seen the Mock Turtle yet?"
"No," said Alice. "I don't even know what a Mock Turtle is."
"It's the thing Mock Turtle Soup is made from", said the Queen.—Alice in Wonderland, chapter 9
The way John Tenniel drew the Mock Turtle is quite funny. He looks like a mix of different animals, not a real turtle at all. This matches his name, which means "fake" or "imitation" turtle.
The Mock Turtle's School Days
The Mock Turtle tells Alice about his school days in the sea. He finds it hard to understand the school system Alice describes. He especially doesn't get the poems she recites. Alice also finds his stories confusing.
This part of the story plays on the two meanings of "school." For the Mock Turtle, "school" means a group of fish or sea animals. For Alice, "school" means a place where you go to learn.
The Mock Turtle says his teacher was an old Sea Turtle named Tortoise. Alice asks why he was called Tortoise if he was a Turtle. The Mock Turtle replies, "We called him tortoise because he taught us!" This is a clever wordplay, as "tortoise" and "taught us" sound very similar.
The Mock Turtle in Movies and Games
The Mock Turtle has appeared in many movies, TV shows, and video games based on Alice in Wonderland.
- The Mock Turtle appeared in the 1931 film Alice in Wonderland, played by Gus Alexander.
- He was also in the 1933 film Alice in Wonderland, played by Cary Grant.
- For Disney's animated Alice in Wonderland (1951), the Mock Turtle was planned to appear. However, he was later removed to make the movie flow better. He did appear in a Disney commercial with Alice and the Gryphon.
- In the 1985 TV movie Alice in Wonderland, the Mock Turtle was played by Ringo Starr, the drummer from The Beatles!
- The Mock Turtle appeared in the 1985 film Dreamchild. Here, he was performed by Steve Whitmire and voiced by Alan Bennett.
- In the 1999 TV movie Alice in Wonderland, he was played by Gene Wilder.
- He also appears in the 2006 Sunsoft mobile game Alice's Warped Wonderland (歪みの国のアリス, Yugami no kuni no Arisu, Alice in Distortion World). In this game, he is the head chef for the Queen of Hearts.
- In the computer game American McGee's Alice, the Mock Turtle has the head of a bull and the body of a turtle. Alice helps him find his shell.
- In the sequel Alice: Madness Returns, he is a ship's captain. He helps Alice reach an underwater theater.
- In the 2010 film Alice in Wonderland, the Mock Turtle does not appear in person. However, a portrait of him can be seen in the Hatter's room.
- The Mock Turtle appeared in the TV show Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. In this show, he is a giant aquatic turtle as big as a small island. Alice and the Knave of Hearts land on him. Alice then asks him to take them across the lake.
- He also appears in Marissa Meyer's novel Heartless. This book explains why he changed from a regular turtle to a mock turtle.
See also
In Spanish: Falsa Tortuga para niños
Images for kids
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The Mock Turtle and Alice from a Disney commercial.
