a wild beast, screamed “Off with her head! Off—”


“Nonsense!” said Alice, very loudly and decidedly, and the Queen

was silent.


The King laid his hand upon her arm, and timidly said “Consider, my dear:

she is only a child!”


The Queen turned angrily away from him, and said to the Knave “Turn them

over!”


The Knave did so, very carefully, with one foot.


“Get up!” said the Queen, in a shrill, loud voice, and the three

gardeners instantly jumped up, and began bowing to the King, the Queen, the

royal children, and everybody else.


“Leave off that!” screamed the Queen. “You make me

giddy.” And then, turning to the rose-tree, she went on, “What

have you been doing here?”


“May it please your Majesty,” said Two, in a very humble tone,

going down on one knee as he spoke, “we were trying—”


“I see!” said the Queen, who had meanwhile been examining

the roses. “Off with their heads!” and the procession moved on,

three of the soldiers remaining behind to execute the unfortunate gardeners,

who ran to Alice for protection.


“You shan’t be beheaded!” said Alice, and she put them into a

large flower-pot that stood near. The three soldiers wandered about for a

minute or two, looking for them, and then quietly marched off after the others.


“Are their heads off?” shouted the Queen.


“Their heads are gone, if it please your Majesty!” the soldiers

shouted in reply.


“That’s right!” shouted the Queen. “Can you play

croquet?”


The soldiers were silent, and looked at Alice, as the question was evidently

meant for her.


“Yes!” shouted Alice.


“Come on, then!” roared the Queen, and Alice joined the procession,

wondering very much what would happen next.


“It’s—it’s a very fine day!” said a timid voice

at her side. She was walking by the White Rabbit, who was peeping anxiously

into her face.


“Very,” said Alice: “—where’s the Duchess?”


“Hush! Hush!” said the Rabbit in a low, hurried tone. He looked