Read the excerpt from act ii of the importance of being earnest. algernon. [raising his hat.] you are my little cousin cecily, i’m sure. cecily. you are under some strange mistake. i am not little. in fact, i believe i am more than usually tall for my age. the pun used in the excerpt causes the reader to realize that cecily does not like algernon. think that algernon is a funny person. realize that algernon is confused. think that cecily is a quick-witted person.