Bill the Lizard

Bill the Lizard is a fictional character appearing in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

History

Introduced in chapter four, Bill is perceived by Alice to be someone who does all of the hard work for The White Rabbit and the denizens of the community. When Alice becomes stuck in one of The White Rabbit's house's rooms from drinking from an unlabeled bottle that made her grow uncontrollably, the rabbit's attempts to get in through the door and window fail. Bill the Lizard is sent to go through the chimney to investigate, since he and another creature have a ladder in their possession. Unwilling to let Bill get through the chimney, Alice uses her now huge foot, which is in the chimney, to kick Bill into the air. He manages to survive the fall thanks to the fellow creatures.

Reappearing in chapters eleven and twelve, Bill is a juror in the trial of The Knave of Hearts' supposed theft of The Queen of Heart's tarts. When his pencil squeaks too much on his slate, it annoys Alice to the point that she takes the pencil from him. Not knowing where it went, Bill the Lizard starts using his finger to write, even though it left no mark on the slate. In chapter twelve, he becomes disheveled when the "mile-high" Alice disturbs the jury by messing up the jury box. When Alice puts Bill the Lizard back in his place, he stares blankly up in the sky. Then later, the Queen provides ink for Bill when she spills ink on his face.

Disney

Bill the Lizard
First appearance	Alice in Wonderland
Created by	Lewis Carroll
Portrayed by	Larry Grey (original film) Charles Fleischer (cameo in The Great Mouse Detective) Jim Cummings (present)

Bill makes a brief appearance in the Disney film based on the book. He was voiced by Larry Grey. Here, he is portrayed as a chimney sweep with a Cockney accent who is forced by the White Rabbit and the Dodo to go down the Rabbit's chimney to pull the "monster" (Alice, made giant) out of the house. However, he is not kicked out (as in the book), as her hands and legs are sticking out outside of the house. He spreads a lot of soot, causing Alice to begin to sneeze. Hearing her inhale frantically, the White Rabbit hides and the Dodo is knocked off the roof from Alice wriggling inside as she tries to suppress the sneeze. Bill, however, cannot escape in time, and Alice's sneeze is so big it blows all the soot out of the house and rockets Bill into the sky. The Rabbit and Dodo watch him disappear and Dodo smiles, "Well, there goes Bill." Alice, recovered from her sternutation, peeps out the window and utters: "Poor Bill." He is not seen again.

A lizard identical in both appearance and voice is a member of Ratigan's gang in the film The Great Mouse Detective. He was voiced by Charles Fleischer, who also voiced Roger Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. even though his voice actor was never in the end credits.

In Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Bill can be spotted in the beginning scene of the film helping someone hold a ladder.

Other appearances

• Bill makes a cameo in the video game American McGee's Alice, before Alice faces the Duchess, under the name of Bill McGill. He is much more chameleon-like and appears to be a builder, and wears a toolbelt, cap and waistcoat. He has a very cynical outlook on life and repeatedly asks Alice for brandy, until a gust from the Duchess's house forces Alice inside, causing him to run in fear. He later appears again, and explains that he'll have the leeches in to clear up the remains of the defeated Duchess.

References