I'm sure I'll take you with pleasure!" the Queen said. "Twopence a week, and jam every other day."Alice couldn't help laughing, as she said, "I don't want you to hire me - and I don't care for jam.""It's very good jam," said the Queen."Well, I don't want any today, at any rate.""You couldn't have it if you did want it," the Queen said."The rule is, jam tomorrow and jam yesterday - but never today.""It must come sometimes to 'jam today'," Alice objected."No it can't," said the Queen. "It's jam every other day: today isn't any other day, you know.
The Queen humorously offers to hire Alice for two pence a week and jam every other day, which makes Alice laugh because she doesn't want to be hired and isn't interested in jam. The Queen insists it's good jam, but Alice declines, saying she doesn't want any at that moment.
The Queen explains that the rule is "jam tomorrow and jam yesterday" but never "jam today," which puzzles Alice. She suggests that jam must sometimes come today, but the Queen counters that since jam is on alternate days, today isn't technically "any other day." This playful conversation highlights the whimsical logic characteristic of Lewis Carroll's stories.
