Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Hatter’s Testimony and Court Disruptions

The Hatter enters with a teacup and bread-and-butter, apologizing for not having finished his tea. He gives three different dates for when he began—March 14, 15, or 16—which the jury records and adds up. When the King orders him to remove his hat, the Hatter explains he sells hats for a living and keeps none of his own. The Queen stares at him, causing him to tremble and bite his teacup instead of bread-and-butter. Alice grows larger during the proceedings, prompting the Dormouse to complain about being squeezed before moving away.

Duchess’s Cook Testifies and Alice Called as Witness

The Duchess’s cook enters carrying a pepper-box, making everyone near the door sneeze. When the King demands evidence, she refuses to give it. The King cross-examines her himself, asking what tarts are made of, and she answers “pepper, mostly.” The Dormouse interjects “treacle,” prompting the Queen to shriek orders for his arrest, suppression, and beheading. While the court turns upside down removing the Dormouse, the cook disappears. The King calls for the next witness, and the White Rabbit reads the name “Alice” from the list.

Alice’s Evidence

This chapter opens with Alice accidentally upending the jury-box in her haste to answer, spilling the jurymen onto the crowd below like goldfish she had upset previously. She apologizes and忙着把他们捡起来。 The King declares the trial cannot proceed until all jurymen return to their proper places. Alice puts the Lizard right after finding it head downwards. The jury recovers and begins documenting the accident.

Jury Box Disruption and Recovery

After being upset, the jurymen retrieve their slates and pencils, then diligently write out a history of the accident. The Lizard appears too overwhelmed to participate, sitting with its mouth open. The King questions Alice about what she knows regarding the business, and she firmly responds “Nothing” three times, frustrating his attempts to document her statement as significant evidence.

Alice’s Questioning and Rule 42 Incident

The King reads from his notebook Rule Forty-two, which demands that all persons more than a mile high must leave the court. Everyone stares at Alice, who refuses to comply, declaring herself not a mile high and challenging that the King invented the rule on the spot. The King insists it’s the oldest rule in the book, and Alice cleverly retorts it should be Number One, causing him to pale and shut his notebook.

Mysterious Verses as Evidence

The White Rabbit presents a mysterious paper containing verses. The Knave denies writing it due to the lack of a signature, but the King argues this makes matters worse. When the White Rabbit reads the nonsensical verses aloud, Alice dismisses them as meaningless. The King, however, attempts to interpret them as evidence against the Knave, connecting lines about swimming to the Knave’s inability and the verses about tarts to the earlier trial.

Confrontation with the Queen and Dream Conclusion

The Queen demands “Sentence first—verdict afterwards,” but Alice loudly protests this injustice. When Alice refuses the Queen’s order to hold her tongue, the Queen furiously shouts “Off with her head!” yet nobody obeys. Alice declares she’s only afraid of a pack of cards, and suddenly the entire pack rises and descends upon her. She awakens on the riverbank with her head in her sister’s lap.

Sister’s Post-Dream Reflection

Alice shares her curious dream with her sister, who sits watching the sunset. The sister begins dreaming her own dream, imagining Wonderland’s creatures—the White Rabbit hurrying past, the March Hare’s endless tea party, the Queen’s executions, and the Mock Turtle’s sobs—though she knows these would transform back to ordinary things if she opened her eyes. She imagines how her little sister will one day become a grown woman yet retain her simple, loving heart, perhaps sharing these same tales with other children someday.