What does the Caterpillar smoke in the 1951 film?

In the 1951 film, the Caterpillar smokes a hookah. The exotic water pipe reinforces his languid, mysterious personality as Alice encounters him in Wonderland’s forest and asks for directions and advice.

His smoke is more than a background detail: it billows into colorful shapes, letters, words, and images while he speaks. That surreal animation makes the Caterpillar’s questions and cryptic replies feel like part of Wonderland’s unstable visual logic. The character is voiced by Richard Haydn.

A common mix-up is calling the object a pipe, cigar, or cigarette. Those are broad smoking terms, but the film specifically depicts a hookah, also called a water pipe or, in some regions, a shisha. The hookah-smoking image comes from the broader Alice tradition, although Disney gives it especially vivid cinematic treatment.

After their conversation, the Caterpillar transforms into a butterfly. Before leaving, he tells Alice that different sides of a mushroom will produce different effects, giving her a practical—if hazardous—way to control her size.