Who Stole the Tarts?
The King and Queen of Hearts were sitting down, and the trial was ready to begin when Alice went into the courtroom. Alice had never been in a courtroom, but she had seen pictures of courts, and she knew something about them from books.
The Knave of Hearts was standing in front of the King and Queen. His head was down, and there was a soldier on each side of him. It was his trial.
Alice found a place, and then she looked round her. She saw a lot of the animals and birds that she knew. And there were some tarts on a table on the court. They looked very good.
When everybody was ready, the King called out: "Read the paper!"The White Rabbit stood up. From a very big paper he read out:
"The Queen of Hearts. she made some tarts,All on a summer day.
The Knave of Hearts, he stole those tarts,And took them all away.""Off with his head!" cried the Queen.
Alice could see that the White Rabbit was afraid, but he said, "Not yet, not yet! We must have witnesses.
"Call a witness," said the King.
The Hatter came into the court as a witness. He had his tea in one hand and some bread-and-butter in the other hand.
"I was having my tea when they called me," he said.
Why?" asked the King. "When did you begin your tea?"The Hatter thought. He looked at the March Hare and the Dormouse, who had come into court with him. Then he said, "March 14th, I think.""15th," said the March Hare.
"16th," added the Dormouse.
"Write that down," said the King. Then he said to the Hatter, "Take off your hat.""It isn't mine," said the Hatter.
"You stole it?" The King looked angry.
The Hatter was so afraid that he began to shake. "No, no! I sell them. I'm a poor man. I haven't any hats of my own. I'm a hatter!""Don't be afraid," the King said, " or I'll tell them to cut your head off. What did you see?""I'm a poor man," the Hatter said, still shaking. "I was having my tea when the March Hare said--""I didn't!" the March Hare cried quickly.
"Well, the Dormouse said--" The Hatter waited for the Dormouse to say " I didn't" but the Dormouse was asleep.
"After that," the Hatter said, "I cut some more bread-and-butter.""But what did the Dormouse say?""I can't remember," the Hatter said.
"You must remember," the King said, "or I'll have your head cut off."The unhappy hatter was shaking more and more. "I'm a poor man--" he began.
The King wanted to hear the next witness. "You may go," he said to the Hatter.
The Hatter ran out of the court as the Queen said, "And cut his head off outside!" But he was running so quickly that the axeman could not catch him.
Alice was wondering why the court room was becoming smaller. She thought about it. "Perhaps I am growing bigger," she told herself.
"Call the next witness," said the King.
Alice did not know who the next witness was.
But people at the door began to sneeze, and then everybody in the court sneezed, as the Duchess's cook came in with her pepper pot.
The King looked at her. "Are you the next witness?" he asked.
There was no answer.
" Tell us everything that you know," said the King.
"No!" said the cook.
"You must ask her some questions," the White Rabbit told the King.
"Oh!" the King said. He thought hard, and then he asked, "What are tarts made of?""Pepper, mostly," the cook said, and she shook her pepper pot.
When everybody had stopped sneezing, they looked for the cook, but she had disappeared.
"Call the next witness," said the King.
Alice wondered who the next witness would be. The witnesses haven't said anything yet," she thought.
The White Rabbit looked at his paper. He read out the next name: "Alice!" |