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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　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　themall　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　teanot　above　a　week

or　soand　what　with　the　bread…and…butter　getting　so　thinand

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　thatonly　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。



　　‘After　that；'　continued　the　Hatter；　‘I　cut　some　more　bread…

and…butter'



　　‘But　what　did　the　Dormouse　say？'　one　of　the　jury　asked。



　　‘That　I　can't　remember；'　said　the　Hatter。



　　‘You　MUST　remember；'　remarked　the　King；　‘or　I'll　have　you

executed。'



　　The　miserable　Hatter　dropped　his　teacup　and　bread…and…butter；

and　went　down　on　one　knee。　　‘I'm　a　poor　man；　your　Majesty；'　he

began。



　　‘You're　a　very　poor　speaker；'　said　the　King。



　　Here　one　of　the　guinea…pigs　cheered；　and　was　immediately

suppressed　by　the　officers　of　the　court。　　（As　that　is　rather　a

hard　word；　I　will　just　explain　to　you　how　it　was　done。　　They　had

a　large　canvas　bag；　which　tied　up　at　the　mouth　with　strings：

into　this　they　slipped　the　guinea…pig；　head　first；　and　then　sat

upon　it。）



　　‘I'm　glad　I've　seen　that　done；'　thought　Alice。　　‘I've　so　often

read　in　the　newspapers；　at　the　end　of　trials；　〃There　was　some

attempts　at　applause；　which　was　immediately　suppressed　by　the

officers　of　the　court；〃　and　I　never　understood　what　it　meant

till　now。'



　　‘If　that's　all　you　know　about　it；　you　may　stand　down；'

continued　the　King。



　　‘I　can't　go　no　lower；'　said　the　Hatter：　　‘I'm　on　the　floor；　as

it　is。'



　　‘Then　you　may　SIT　down；'　the　King　replied。



　　Here　the　other　guinea…pig　cheered；　and　was　suppressed。



　　‘Come；　that　finished　the　guinea…pigs！'　thought　Alice。　　‘Now　we

shall　get　on　better。'



　　‘I'd　r