'I don't understand you,' said Alice. 'It's dreadfully confusing!' 'That's the effect of living backwards,' the Queen said kindly: 'it always makes one a little giddy at first --' 'Living backwards!' Alice repeated in great astonishment. 'I never heard of such a thing!' '-- but there's one great advantage in it, that one's memory works both ways.' 'I'm sure mine only works one way,' Alice remarked. 'I can't remember things before they happen.' 'It's a poor sort of memory that only works backwards,' the Queen remarked.