Which creature in Wonderland sits on a mushroom and smokes a hookah?

The creature in Wonderland that sits on a mushroom and smokes a hookah is the Caterpillar. Lewis Carroll introduces this strange figure in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, first published in 1865, where he becomes the central character of Chapter V, “Advice from a Caterpillar.”

The Caterpillar is described as exactly three inches high and spends his time smoking a hookah while asking Alice, “Who are you?” His questions deepen Alice’s uncertainty about her identity, especially after her own size has repeatedly changed in Wonderland. He later tells her that one side of a mushroom will make her larger and the other smaller.

John Tenniel’s original illustration is especially memorable because the Caterpillar’s face appears almost human, while his nose and chin can also be interpreted as the creature’s legs. In Disney’s 1951 animated film, he is blue and eventually transforms into a butterfly. Tim Burton’s 2010 adaptation gives him the name Absolem, voiced by Alan Rickman.

The Dodo, Mock Turtle, and Gryphon are also Wonderland characters, but none is the hookah-smoking figure on the mushroom.