CHAPTER X. The Lobster Quadrille
The Mock Turtle composed himself and began to describe the Lobster Quadrille. Two lines of sea creatures—seals, turtles, and salmon—would form along the shore, clear away the jelly-fish, advance twice with lobsters as partners, change lobsters, retire in the same order, then throw the lobsters out to sea as far as possible, swim after them, turn somersaults, and return to land. Without any lobsters to hand, the Mock Turtle and the Gryphon solemnly danced around Alice, treading on her toes, while the Mock Turtle sang a melancholy song about a whiting pleading with a snail to walk faster, for a porpoise was treading on his tail. The snail refused to join the dance, no matter how often the chorus asked.
The Gryphon then explained that whitings got their tails in their mouths because they had been thrown out to sea with the lobsters and couldn’t extract themselves afterward. Whitings, the Gryphon added solemnly, did the boots and shoes—a fact Alice could not fathom, though she supposed it had something to do with blacking. Shoes under the sea were made of soles and eels, of course.
When Alice tried to tell her own adventures, the Mock Turtle grew thoughtful at the part about her reciting “You are old, Father William” to the Caterpillar with all the words coming different, and demanded she try repeating something now. The Gryphon ordered her to stand and recite “’Tis the voice of the sluggard,” but her head was so full of the Lobster Quadrille that the words came out all wrong—about a Lobster declaring he had been baked too brown, and a duck trimming his belt and buttons with his nose. The Mock Turtle found this uncommon nonsense, but insisted on the next verse too, in which Alice described an Owl and a Panther sharing a pie, with the Owl pocketing the spoon.
A cry of “The trial’s beginning!” rang out in the distance, and the Gryphon seized Alice by the hand and hurried her away, leaving the Mock Turtle’s melancholy song—“Beautiful Soup, so rich and green”—trailing behind them on the breeze.
CHAPTER XI: Who Stole the Tarts?
The King and Queen of Hearts preside over the trial of the Knave of Hearts, who stands before them in chains surrounded by soldiers, while the White Rabbit serves as herald. The court is crowded with birds, beasts, and playing cards, with a large dish of tarts displayed on a central table. Alice, unfamiliar with court proceedings but eager to observe, watches the assembly while awaiting the trial’s start.
Court Assembly and Trial Opening
The King and Queen of Hearts are seated on their throne with a great crowd of birds, beasts, and cards assembled around them. The Knave of Hearts stands in chains before them, guarded by soldiers on each side, while the White Rabbit holds a trumpet in one hand and a parchment scroll in the other. A table bearing a large dish of tarts sits in the middle of the court, tempting Alice, who begins examining her surroundings to pass the time.
Alice Observes Court Members and Jurors
Alice identifies the King as the judge due to his great wig, though she notes he looks uncomfortable wearing his crown over it. She locates the jury-box and observes twelve jurors—some animals and some birds—writing busily on slates. The Gryphon whispers that they are recording their names so they will not forget them before the trial ends. When Alice mutters “stupid things!” at their behavior, the White Rabbit calls for silence, and the King looks around anxiously to identify the speaker.
Accusation Read and First Witness Called
The King commands the Herald to read the accusation, and the White Rabbit blows three trumpet blasts before unrolling the parchment to recite the poem: “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!” When the King asks for a verdict, the Rabbit hastily interrupts to insist there is much evidence yet to come. The King then calls for the first witness, and the White Rabbit blows three more trumpet blasts to summon the Hatter.
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