Reading Help Alice's adventure in wonderland
`
` `Chorus again!' cried the Gryphon, and the Mock Turtle had `
` just begun to repeat it, when a cry of `The trial's beginning!' `
` was heard in the distance. `
` `
` `Come on!' cried the Gryphon, and, taking Alice by the hand, `
` it hurried off, without waiting for the end of the song. `
` `
` `What trial is it?' Alice panted as she ran; but the Gryphon `
` only answered `Come on!' and ran the faster, while more and more `
` faintly came, carried on the breeze that followed them, the `
` melancholy words:-- `
` `
` `Soo--oop of the e--e--evening, `
` Beautiful, beautiful Soup!' `
` `
` `
` `
` CHAPTER XI `
` `
` Who Stole the Tarts? `
` `
` `
` The King and Queen of Hearts were seated on their throne when `
` they arrived, with a great crowd assembled about them--all sorts `
` of little birds and beasts, as well as the whole pack of cards: `
` the Knave was standing before them, in chains, with a soldier on `
` each side to guard him; and near the King was the White Rabbit, `
` with a trumpet in one hand, and a scroll of parchment in the `
` other. In the very middle of the court was a table, with a large `
` dish of tarts upon it: they looked so good, that it made Alice `
` quite hungry to look at them--`I wish they'd get the trial done,' `
` she thought, `and hand round the refreshments!' But there seemed `
` to be no chance of this, so she began looking at everything about `
` her, to pass away the time. `
` `
` Alice had never been in a court of justice before, but she had `
` read about them in books, and she was quite pleased to find that `
` she knew the name of nearly everything there. `That's the `
` judge,' she said to herself, `because of his great wig.' `
` `
` The judge, by the way, was the King; and as he wore his crown `
` over the wig, (look at the frontispiece if you want to see how he `
` did it,) he did not look at all comfortable, and it was certainly `
` not becoming. `
` `
` `And that's the jury-box,' thought Alice, `and those twelve `
` creatures,' (she was obliged to say `creatures,' you see, because `
` some of them were animals, and some were birds,) `I suppose they `
` are the jurors.' She said this last word two or three times over `
` to herself, being rather proud of it: for she thought, and `
` rightly too, that very few little girls of her age knew the `
` meaning of it at all. However, `jury-men' would have done just `
` as well. `
` `
` The twelve jurors were all writing very busily on slates. `
` `What are they doing?' Alice whispered to the Gryphon. `They `
` can't have anything to put down yet, before the trial's begun.' `
` `
` `They're putting down their names,' the Gryphon whispered in `
` reply, `for fear they should forget them before the end of the `
` trial.' `
` `
` `Stupid things!' Alice began in a loud, indignant voice, but `
` she stopped hastily, for the White Rabbit cried out, `Silence in `
` the court!' and the King put on his spectacles and looked `
` anxiously round, to make out who was talking. `
` `
` Alice could see, as well as if she were looking over their `
` shoulders, that all the jurors were writing down `stupid things!' `
` on their slates, and she could even make out that one of them `
` didn't know how to spell `stupid,' and that he had to ask his `
` neighbour to tell him. `A nice muddle their slates'll be in `
` before the trial's over!' thought Alice. `
` `
` One of the jurors had a pencil that squeaked. This of course, `
` Alice could not stand, and she went round the court and got `
` behind him, and very soon found an opportunity of taking it `
` away. She did it so quickly that the poor little juror (it was `
` Bill, the Lizard) could not make out at all what had become of `
` it; so, after hunting all about for it, he was obliged to write `
` with one finger for the rest of the day; and this was of very `
` little use, as it left no mark on the slate. `
` `
` `Herald, read the accusation!' said the King. `
` `
` On this the White Rabbit blew three blasts on the trumpet, and `
` then unrolled the parchment scroll, and read as follows:-- `
` `
` `The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts, `
` All on a summer day: `
` The Knave of Hearts, he stole those tarts, `
` And took them quite away!' `
` `
` `Consider your verdict,' the King said to the jury. `
` `
` `Not yet, not yet!' the Rabbit hastily interrupted. `There's `
` a great deal to come before that!' `
` `
` `Call the first witness,' said the King; and the White Rabbit `
` blew three blasts on the trumpet, and called out, `First `
` witness!' `
` `
` The first witness was the Hatter. He came in with a teacup in `
` one hand and a piece of bread-and-butter in the other. `I beg `
` pardon, your Majesty,' he began, `for bringing these in: but I `
` hadn't quite finished my tea when I was sent for.' `
` `
` `You ought to have finished,' said the King. `When did you `
` begin?' `
` `
` The Hatter looked at the March Hare, who had followed him into `
` the court, arm-in-arm with the Dormouse. `Fourteenth of March, I `
` think it was,' he said. `
` `
` `Fifteenth,' said the March Hare. `
` `
` `Sixteenth,' added the Dormouse. `
` `
` `Write that down,' the King said to the jury, and the jury `
` eagerly wrote down all three dates on their slates, and then `
` added them up, and reduced the answer to shillings and pence. `
` `
` `Take off your hat,' the King said to the Hatter. `
` `
` `It isn't mine,' said the Hatter. `
` `
` `Stolen!' the King exclaimed, turning to the jury, who `
` instantly made a memorandum of the fact. `
` `
` `I keep them to sell,' the Hatter added as an explanation; `
` `I've none of my own. I'm a hatter.' `
` `
` Here the Queen put on her spectacles, and began staring at the `
` Hatter, who turned pale and fidgeted. `
` `
` `Give your evidence,' said the King; `and don't be nervous, or `
` I'll have you executed on the spot.' `
` `
` This did not seem to encourage the witness at all: he kept `
` shifting from one foot to the other, looking uneasily at the `
` Queen, and in his confusion he bit a large piece out of his `
` teacup instead of the bread-and-butter. `
` `
` Just at this moment Alice felt a very curious sensation, which `
` puzzled her a good deal until she made out what it was: she was `
` beginning to grow larger again, and she thought at first she `
` would get up and leave the court; but on second thoughts she `
` decided to remain where she was as long as there was room for `
` her. `
` `
` `I wish you wouldn't squeeze so.' said the Dormouse, who was `
` sitting next to her. `I can hardly breathe.' `
` `
` `I can't help it,' said Alice very meekly: `I'm growing.' `
` `
` `You've no right to grow here,' said the Dormouse. `
` `
` `Don't talk nonsense,' said Alice more boldly: `you know `
` you're growing too.' `
` `
` `Yes, but I grow at a reasonable pace,' said the Dormouse: `
` `not in that ridiculous fashion.' And he got up very sulkily `
` and crossed over to the other side of the court. `
` `
` All this time the Queen had never left off staring at the `
` Hatter, and, just as the Dormouse crossed the court, she said to `
` one of the officers of the court, `Bring me the list of the `
` singers in the last concert!' on which the wretched Hatter `
` trembled so, that he shook both his shoes off. `
` `
` `Give your evidence,' the King repeated angrily, `or I'll have `
` you executed, whether you're nervous or not.' `
` `
` `I'm a poor man, your Majesty,' the Hatter began, in a `
` trembling voice, `--and I hadn't begun my tea--not above a week `
` or so--and what with the bread-and-butter getting so thin--and `
` the twinkling of the tea--' `
` `
` `The twinkling of the what?' said the King. `
` `
` `It began with the tea,' the Hatter replied. `
` `
` `Of course twinkling begins with a T!' said the King sharply. `
` `Do you take me for a dunce? Go on!' `
` `
` `I'm a poor man,' the Hatter went on, `and most things `
` twinkled after that--only the March Hare said--' `
` `
` `I didn't!' the March Hare interrupted in a great hurry. `
` `
` `You did!' said the Hatter. `
` `
` `I deny it!' said the March Hare. `
` `
` `He denies it,' said the King: `leave out that part.' `
` `
` `Well, at any rate, the Dormouse said--' the Hatter went on, `
` looking anxiously round to see if he would deny it too: but the `
` Dormouse denied nothing, being fast asleep. `
` `
`
` `Chorus again!' cried the Gryphon, and the Mock Turtle had `
` just begun to repeat it, when a cry of `The trial's beginning!' `
` was heard in the distance. `
` `
` `Come on!' cried the Gryphon, and, taking Alice by the hand, `
` it hurried off, without waiting for the end of the song. `
` `
` `What trial is it?' Alice panted as she ran; but the Gryphon `
` only answered `Come on!' and ran the faster, while more and more `
` faintly came, carried on the breeze that followed them, the `
` melancholy words:-- `
` `
` `Soo--oop of the e--e--evening, `
` Beautiful, beautiful Soup!' `
` `
` `
` `
` CHAPTER XI `
` `
` Who Stole the Tarts? `
` `
` `
` The King and Queen of Hearts were seated on their throne when `
` they arrived, with a great crowd assembled about them--all sorts `
` of little birds and beasts, as well as the whole pack of cards: `
` the Knave was standing before them, in chains, with a soldier on `
` each side to guard him; and near the King was the White Rabbit, `
` with a trumpet in one hand, and a scroll of parchment in the `
` other. In the very middle of the court was a table, with a large `
` dish of tarts upon it: they looked so good, that it made Alice `
` quite hungry to look at them--`I wish they'd get the trial done,' `
` she thought, `and hand round the refreshments!' But there seemed `
` to be no chance of this, so she began looking at everything about `
` her, to pass away the time. `
` `
` Alice had never been in a court of justice before, but she had `
` read about them in books, and she was quite pleased to find that `
` she knew the name of nearly everything there. `That's the `
` judge,' she said to herself, `because of his great wig.' `
` `
` The judge, by the way, was the King; and as he wore his crown `
` over the wig, (look at the frontispiece if you want to see how he `
` did it,) he did not look at all comfortable, and it was certainly `
` not becoming. `
` `
` `And that's the jury-box,' thought Alice, `and those twelve `
` creatures,' (she was obliged to say `creatures,' you see, because `
` some of them were animals, and some were birds,) `I suppose they `
` are the jurors.' She said this last word two or three times over `
` to herself, being rather proud of it: for she thought, and `
` rightly too, that very few little girls of her age knew the `
` meaning of it at all. However, `jury-men' would have done just `
` as well. `
` `
` The twelve jurors were all writing very busily on slates. `
` `What are they doing?' Alice whispered to the Gryphon. `They `
` can't have anything to put down yet, before the trial's begun.' `
` `
` `They're putting down their names,' the Gryphon whispered in `
` reply, `for fear they should forget them before the end of the `
` trial.' `
` `
` `Stupid things!' Alice began in a loud, indignant voice, but `
` she stopped hastily, for the White Rabbit cried out, `Silence in `
` the court!' and the King put on his spectacles and looked `
` anxiously round, to make out who was talking. `
` `
` Alice could see, as well as if she were looking over their `
` shoulders, that all the jurors were writing down `stupid things!' `
` on their slates, and she could even make out that one of them `
` didn't know how to spell `stupid,' and that he had to ask his `
` neighbour to tell him. `A nice muddle their slates'll be in `
` before the trial's over!' thought Alice. `
` `
` One of the jurors had a pencil that squeaked. This of course, `
` Alice could not stand, and she went round the court and got `
` behind him, and very soon found an opportunity of taking it `
` away. She did it so quickly that the poor little juror (it was `
` Bill, the Lizard) could not make out at all what had become of `
` it; so, after hunting all about for it, he was obliged to write `
` with one finger for the rest of the day; and this was of very `
` little use, as it left no mark on the slate. `
` `
` `Herald, read the accusation!' said the King. `
` `
` On this the White Rabbit blew three blasts on the trumpet, and `
` then unrolled the parchment scroll, and read as follows:-- `
` `
` `The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts, `
` All on a summer day: `
` The Knave of Hearts, he stole those tarts, `
` And took them quite away!' `
` `
` `Consider your verdict,' the King said to the jury. `
` `
` `Not yet, not yet!' the Rabbit hastily interrupted. `There's `
` a great deal to come before that!' `
` `
` `Call the first witness,' said the King; and the White Rabbit `
` blew three blasts on the trumpet, and called out, `First `
` witness!' `
` `
` The first witness was the Hatter. He came in with a teacup in `
` one hand and a piece of bread-and-butter in the other. `I beg `
` pardon, your Majesty,' he began, `for bringing these in: but I `
` hadn't quite finished my tea when I was sent for.' `
` `
` `You ought to have finished,' said the King. `When did you `
` begin?' `
` `
` The Hatter looked at the March Hare, who had followed him into `
` the court, arm-in-arm with the Dormouse. `Fourteenth of March, I `
` think it was,' he said. `
` `
` `Fifteenth,' said the March Hare. `
` `
` `Sixteenth,' added the Dormouse. `
` `
` `Write that down,' the King said to the jury, and the jury `
` eagerly wrote down all three dates on their slates, and then `
` added them up, and reduced the answer to shillings and pence. `
` `
` `Take off your hat,' the King said to the Hatter. `
` `
` `It isn't mine,' said the Hatter. `
` `
` `Stolen!' the King exclaimed, turning to the jury, who `
` instantly made a memorandum of the fact. `
` `
` `I keep them to sell,' the Hatter added as an explanation; `
` `I've none of my own. I'm a hatter.' `
` `
` Here the Queen put on her spectacles, and began staring at the `
` Hatter, who turned pale and fidgeted. `
` `
` `Give your evidence,' said the King; `and don't be nervous, or `
` I'll have you executed on the spot.' `
` `
` This did not seem to encourage the witness at all: he kept `
` shifting from one foot to the other, looking uneasily at the `
` Queen, and in his confusion he bit a large piece out of his `
` teacup instead of the bread-and-butter. `
` `
` Just at this moment Alice felt a very curious sensation, which `
` puzzled her a good deal until she made out what it was: she was `
` beginning to grow larger again, and she thought at first she `
` would get up and leave the court; but on second thoughts she `
` decided to remain where she was as long as there was room for `
` her. `
` `
` `I wish you wouldn't squeeze so.' said the Dormouse, who was `
` sitting next to her. `I can hardly breathe.' `
` `
` `I can't help it,' said Alice very meekly: `I'm growing.' `
` `
` `You've no right to grow here,' said the Dormouse. `
` `
` `Don't talk nonsense,' said Alice more boldly: `you know `
` you're growing too.' `
` `
` `Yes, but I grow at a reasonable pace,' said the Dormouse: `
` `not in that ridiculous fashion.' And he got up very sulkily `
` and crossed over to the other side of the court. `
` `
` All this time the Queen had never left off staring at the `
` Hatter, and, just as the Dormouse crossed the court, she said to `
` one of the officers of the court, `Bring me the list of the `
` singers in the last concert!' on which the wretched Hatter `
` trembled so, that he shook both his shoes off. `
` `
` `Give your evidence,' the King repeated angrily, `or I'll have `
` you executed, whether you're nervous or not.' `
` `
` `I'm a poor man, your Majesty,' the Hatter began, in a `
` trembling voice, `--and I hadn't begun my tea--not above a week `
` or so--and what with the bread-and-butter getting so thin--and `
` the twinkling of the tea--' `
` `
` `The twinkling of the what?' said the King. `
` `
` `It began with the tea,' the Hatter replied. `
` `
` `Of course twinkling begins with a T!' said the King sharply. `
` `Do you take me for a dunce? Go on!' `
` `
` `I'm a poor man,' the Hatter went on, `and most things `
` twinkled after that--only the March Hare said--' `
` `
` `I didn't!' the March Hare interrupted in a great hurry. `
` `
` `You did!' said the Hatter. `
` `
` `I deny it!' said the March Hare. `
` `
` `He denies it,' said the King: `leave out that part.' `
` `
` `Well, at any rate, the Dormouse said--' the Hatter went on, `
` looking anxiously round to see if he would deny it too: but the `
` Dormouse denied nothing, being fast asleep. `
` `
`