The Mock Turtle is a fictional character devised by Lewis Carroll from his popular 1865 book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Its name is taken from a dish that was popular in the Victorian period, mock turtle soup. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Carroll enjoyed such puns on Victorian fashions and etiquette, and showed this frequently. The description and drawing by John Tenniel gives comedic value to the Mock Turtle, as he is clearly an assemblage of creatures, therefore not a real turtle as his name rightly suggests. Alice encounters the Mock Turtle with the Gryphon. The Mock Turtle is a very melancholic character, it is thought because he used to be a real turtle. He tells Alice his history of going to school in the sea. He says his teacher was an old sea turtle called Tortoise and when Alice asks him why he was called Tortoise if he was a turtle the Mock Turtle answers, "We called him tortoise because he taught us!" ("tortoise" and "taught us" both being pronounced in Carroll's dialect). Media incarnations The Mock Turtle appeared in Alice in Wonderland (1931) played by Gus Alexander. The Mock Turtle appeared in Alice in Wonderland (1933) played by Cary Grant. When it came to the development of Disney's animated Alice in Wonderland (1951), the Mock Turtle was planned to appear. However, the Mock Turtle alongside the Jabberwock and the Gryphon were discarded for pacing reasons. The Mock Turtle did appear in a Disney commercial with Alice and the Gryphon. The Mock Turtle appeared in The Hall of Fame (1955) episode "Alice in Wonderland" played by the puppeteer Burr Tillstrom. The Mock Turtle appears in The Wednesday Play (1965) episode "Alice" played by Norman Scace. He later appeared in the episode "Alice in Wonderland" played by John Gielgud. The Mock Turtle appears in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1972) played by Michael Hordern. The Mock Turtle appears in Alicja (1982) played by Jack Wild. The Mock Turtle appears in the Great Performances (1983) episode "Alice in Wonderland" played by Donald O'Connor. The Mock Turtle appears in Alice in Wonderland (1985) (TV) played by Ringo Starr. The Mock Turtle appears in Dreamchild (1985) performed by Steve Whitmire and voiced by Alan Bennett. The Mock Turtle, along with the Gryphon, are the first Wonderland characters encountered in the dreams and imaginations of the now elderly Alice Hargreaves. The perpetually sobbing turtle symbolizes the