Part 7 (2/2)

The Knave shook his head with a sigh. ”Do I look like it?” he said. (Which it was plain he did not, as he was made of card board.) ”All right, so far,” said the King, and he went on: ”'We know it to be true'--that's the ju-ry, of course--'I gave her one, they gave him two'--that must be what he did with the tarts, you know--”

”But it goes on, 'they all came back from him to you,'” said Al-ice.

”Why, there they are,” said the King, point-ing to the tarts. ”Isn't that as clear as can be? Then it goes on, 'before she had this fit'--you don't have fits, my dear, I think?” he said to the Queen.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

”No! no!” said the Queen in a great rage, throw-ing an ink-stand at the Liz-ard as she spoke.

”Then the words don't fit you,” he said, and looked round the court with a smile. But no one spoke. ”It's a pun,” he added in a fierce tone, then all the court laughed.

”Let the ju-ry now bring in their verdict,” the King said.

”No! no!” said the Queen. ”Sen-tence first--then the ver-dict.”

”Such stuff!” said Al-ice out loud. ”Of course the ju-ry must make--”

”Hold your tongue!” screamed the Queen.

”I won't!” said Al-ice.

”Off with her head!” shout-ed the Queen at the top of her voice. No one moved.

”Who cares for you?” said Al-ice. (She had grown to her full size by this time.) ”You are noth-ing but a pack of cards!”

At this the whole pack rose up in the air and flew down up-on her; she gave a lit-tle scream and tried to beat them off--and found her-self ly-ing on the bank with her head in the lap of her sis-ter, who was brush-ing a-way some dead leaves that had fluttered down from the trees on to her face.

”Wake up, Al-ice dear,” said her sis-ter; ”why what a long sleep you have had!”

”Oh, I've had such a strange dream!” said Al-ice, and then she told her sis-ter as well as she could all these strange things that you have just read a-bout; and when she came to the end of it, her sis-ter kissed her and said: ”It was a strange dream, dear, I'm sure; but run now in to your tea; it's get-ting late.”

So Al-ice got up and ran off, think-ing while she ran, as well she might, what a won-der-ful dream it had been.

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