Pat is a character from Lewis Carroll’s 1865 novel “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” He is featured in the chapter “The Rabbit Sends in a Little Bill.” Pat works for the White Rabbit, much like his friend Bill the Lizard. Despite his appearance in the book, Carroll does not provide a detailed description of Pat, only stating that he is a gardener.

The story begins with the White Rabbit mistaking Alice for his maid, Mary Ann. Alice drinks from a bottle that causes her to grow in size. The Rabbit, frightened by her appearance, seeks Pat’s help to remove the supposed “monster” from his home by asking him to climb down the chimney. Pat refuses, so the Rabbit then turns to Bill the Lizard, who ultimately ends up climbing down the chimney. However, Alice’s kick sends Bill flying out of the chimney and back into the Rabbit’s garden.

Although Carroll doesn’t provide any physical description of Pat, his species and identity have been the subject of much speculation.

One theory is that Pat is a guinea pig, as hinted by The Annotated Alice, which suggests that Pat is one of the two guinea pigs that help revive Bill after he flies out of the chimney. The two guinea pigs are also believed to be jurors in the Queen’s court.

Another theory, suggested by David Lockwood, is that Pat is the ape that appears in the Caucus Race and the Pool of Tears. This is based on the common depiction of Irishmen as apes in Victorian satirical cartoons, as well as the fact that Pat is indicated to be Irish. However, the ape only appears in John Tenniel’s illustrations and isn’t mentioned in the text, so it may not have been part of Carroll’s original concept.

Some have suggested that Pat is a lizard, like his co-worker Bill. This idea is popular among Disney fans, who may confuse Pat with the Dodo, as the characters are merged in the film. However, there is no evidence to support this idea in the book.

Pat’s Irish background is hinted at through his speech and name. He speaks in a way that could be considered Irish and uses Irish colloquialisms, such as “Sure then I’m here!” and “Digging for apples, yer honour.” “Pat” is also a shortened form of the Irish name Patrick.