Once upon a time there was a little girl named Alice C Butterfield. Little Alice loved to wander around her rich Aunt’s palacial estate. But, she had a habit of sticking her nose where it didn’t belong. Alice would always criticize people for doing the wrong thing. Her aunt didn’t signal a turn once. Alice could not keep her mouth shut and pointed it out. Her uncle Fred inflated a deduction on his taxes which Alice pointed out. How could a nine year old girl know so much about taxes. I guess curiousity knows no bounds.
Alice was sitting near the river with her sister reading a dull book with no pictures. Then, she noticed a rabbit wearing a top coat. She follows the rabbit down a hole, and then falls a very long way down. When she hits bottom she is in a room with many locked doors. But, there is a small bottle on the table with a small note saying, “drink me.” She drinks the contents of the bottle and then shrinks to a very small size.
Then, she saw a small document sitting on the table that she didn’t notice before that says, “notarize me.” Next to the document, there was a small stamp as well. Since Alice was a bookworm, she was well acquainted with the responsibilities of a Notary Public. She knew that a signer would have to appear before her that would produce identification. But, around there, the signer might be an animal wearing human clothing. So, Alice waited and waited, hoping for her signer to come by. After what seemed like a very long time there was a knock on the door. But, which door. There were dozens of doors, each one a different size. There were doors on the ceiling, doors on the floors, walls, and everywhere you looked. There were even doors within doors within doors. Then she heard a voice. “Over here!”
Alice opened a little door and a little mouse with a walking stick appeared. “I’ve been trying to get notarized for years, but can never find a Notary my size. Then, I heard that someone shrunk you and that you could do the job. Can you Notarize me?” Alice replied, “But, I’m not commissioned in the United Kingdom.” Then the mouse explained that in their jurisdiction, any human could execute Notary functions providing they checked ID. So, Alice checked the mouse’s ID and it read, Edgar J Mouse. Alice Notarized him. Then Alice asked, “How will you pay me for my services?” The mouse replied, “Here, I brought you some cheese I stole from a mousetrap.”
Alice ate the cheese. And then she started growing and growing and growing until her head hit the ceiling. “Curiouser and curiouser”, exclaimed Alice. Then, Alice swam down a river of her own tears. She was so sad that she shrank and then grew and didn’t know where she was. So, she swam until she found that little mouse giving a lecture on William the Conqueror.
Alice met a caterpillar who said, “Explain yourself.” Alice said that she couldn’t explain herself because she wasn’t herself. Then the caterpillar said, “Well, what self does your ID say you are? Alice replied, “Alice Butterfield, but I’m really Alice C Butterfield.” Then the caterpillar said, “If you were really Alice C Butterfield, then your ID would reflect that name. It’s time to make a visit to the DMV not isn’t it?”
Alice wandered on until she saw a Cheshire cat that directed her to March Hare’s house. Alice continued on her aimless journey until she became the guest at a mad tea party along with the Hare.
MARCH HARE: Notarize this signature
ALICE: But, this is a blank document with you signature. It wasn’t very civil of you to ask me to notarize something that doesn’t even exist!
MARCH HARE: Well, it wasn’t very civil of you to invite yourself to our tea party at our table.
ALICE: I didn’t know it was your table.
MARCH HARE: Do you say what you mean?
ALICE: Well, I mean what I say.
MARCH HARE: Well then notarize my signature for today’s date. Does your watch have the date?
ALICE: Well no.
MARCH HARE: How about the year?
ALICE: Well the year doesn’t change too quickly so it doesn’t need to tell the year.
MARCH HARE: I think the year just changed. There it goes again. Notarize me for 1899.
ALICE: Why 1899?
MARCH HARE: Why not? Every year is the same around here. Why should it make a difference. That’s why we don’t hurry. Time doesn’t matter.
ALICE: But, time does matter. You have to beat time.
MARCH HARE: Time might not take to kindly if you beat it, but hurry up before it turns 1901. I want to be notarized this century.
ALICE: How can the year change multiple times within the time-frame of one afternoon?
Then Alice found a tree with a door in it. She went through the door and into a long hall. She ended up at a palace run by a very angry queen.
QUEEN: Who are you?
ALICE: I am Alice.
QUEEN: What I mean is what does it say on your commission?
ALICE: Alice C Butterfield, but my ID only says Alice Butterfield.
QUEEN: Nonsense! And when is our commission expiration date?
ALICE: 1897, but now it is 1901.
QUEEN: Actually it was 1901 a few hours ago, now it is 1905. It will continue being 1905 until sunset and then tomorrow morning it will be 1896 which will give you a few days to complete any necessary notarizations.
ALICE: But, I thought time always moved forwards.
QUEEN: Why should it. Do you always move forwards?
ALICE: Hmm, I never thought about it like that.
QUEEN: Well I don’t like your middle name. Off with your middle initial.
KING: But, she is just a child.
QUEEN: I hate C’s. They are so mediocre. And off with their heads — of the gardeners. They fowled up my rose bush. It took years to grow it and then it shrank. Hmm. Perhaps because time moved backwards. Here is my signature. Study it intently, and then notarize it.
CAT: So, how do you like the queen’s signature
ALICE: Well actually, not at all. It’s extremely (noticing that the queen was right behind her) — likely to win.
EXECUTIONER: I can’t cut off a head unless it has a body attached to it.
ALICE: And what if you cut off the wrong head? Shouldn’t you check the ID?
QUEEN: The ID of the head or the ID of the body?
CAT: Is there more than one? (grinning)
ALICE: And what if the ID expired, after all it must be 1910 by now and the DMV has ID’s expire after only four years in England these days.
QUEEN: Yes, but if the ID shows a physical likeness, then it should be okay.
ALICE: To make sure the ID isn’t fake, you could ask them what their date of birth is and then confirm the date with teh ID.
QUEEN: You are a crafty one aren’t you.
ALICE: Besides, beheading someone is so extreme. Why not just cut off part of their name, initial, or a Jr. or Sr. at the end of their name. That will teach them a lesson.
QUEEN: Yes, I rather like that. John W. Smith will have to live the rest of his life being John Smith. I like this. That is much more fun than beheading someone. Off with their initials!
ALICE: But, you shouldn’t remove an initial without a porpoise.
QUEEN: Well we shall have that decided in court.
(in court)
RABBIT: I submit my evidence that the gardner did not submit evidence that he ruined the rose bushes. Someone wrote a statement about the rose bushes, but it wasn’t signed.
ALICE: Yes, if it wasn’t signed, then how will we know who wrote it.
QUEEN: Well, as long as my roses are ruined, what difference does it make?
CHESHIRE CAT: Perhaps we should do a handwriting analysis.
KNAVE: We could go back into time and have him sign it. Time is supposed to roll back tonight.
ALICE: But, there’s no meaning in this.
KING: So, if there is no meaning, then why look for a meaning?
(later that night)
ALICE: If you sign this document, they will know you ruined the rose bushes
GARDENER: Yes, but now that time has rolled back, I can change my statement and then sign it.
ALICE: That is a good idea. And it will be 1897 after midnight, so my commission will be in effect then.
GARDENER: Here is my statement and my signature. Please notarize it.
ALICE: Gladly. But, the stamp I am using is one I used when I was two inches tall.
GARDENER: That’s no problem. I’ll just make my signature extra small to match. Here.
ALICE: I’ll deliver this to the queen in the morning.
QUEEN: Yes, the statement is excellent. He did not ruin my roses, or so he claims. But, that poses a new problem. Who shall I behead?
SISTER: Wake up Alice
ALICE: Oh, I have had such a curious dream. There was this mad queen who went around beheading people and a cat, and a lizard, plus a March Hare. But, none of it was real.
SISTER: What is that in your pocket? It seems to be leaking a black fluid…
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