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Nascent Drama

"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 that -- only 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 attempt 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 finishes the guinea-pigs!" thought Alice. "Now we shall get on better."
 
"I'd rather finish my tea," said the Hatter, with an anxious look at the Queen, who was reading the list of singers.
 
"You may go," said the King; and the Hatter hurriedly left the court, without even waiting to put his shoes on.
 
" -- and just take his head off outside," the Queen added to one of the officers; but the Hatter was out of sight before the officer could get to the door.
 
"Call the next witness!" said the King.
 
The next witness was the Duchess's cook. She carried the pepper-box in her hand, and Alice guessed who it was, even before she got into the court, by the way the people near the door began sneezing all at once.
 
"Give your evidence," said the King.
 
The King looked anxiously at the White Rabbit, who said in a low voice, "Your Majesty must cross-examine this witness."
 
"Well, if I must, I must," the King said with a melancholy air, and, after folding his arms and frowning at the cook till his eyes were nearly out of sight, he said in a deep voice, "What are tarts made of?"
 
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