Alice in Wonderland, Part 10, Alices evidence"

Hello. Alice has had lots of adventures in Wonderland. Now, she has been called as a witness in the trial of the Knave of Hearts. The King of Hearts is the judge, but Alice has grown so tall that her head reaches the top of the courthouse and all the people seem very far away.

How small you all are!

The witness must come to the witness box!

Alice jumped up and knocked over the jury box. It was full of animals and they all fell out.

Ooh, ow, oh are you hurt? Excuse me, is that my chair? Etc.

I’m so sorry!

What do you know about this business?

Nothing at all!

The King looked in his Book of Rules .

Rule forty-two. “All persons more than a mile high must leave the court.”

I’m not a mile high!

Indeed you are not! You are nearly two miles high!

Well, I’m not going! And you can’t make me!

Alice had grown a little bit more, and the King, who was now the size of Alice’s shoe, could see she was right about that part. His face went very pale and he closed his Book of Rules.

White Rabbit. Ask the jury: what is their decision about this matter? Did the Knave steal the Queen’s tarts?

But there was more evidence. The White Rabbit gave a letter to the King, who opened it and turned to the Knave of Hearts.

Knave of Hearts, did you write this?

I didn’t write it! Look at the end of it: there is no name written there!

Then you are not a honest man! An honest man always signs his work! Read the letter!

And the White Rabbit read the letter. No-one understood a single word of it.

That’s the most important evidence we’ve heard today!

I don’t believe there’s any meaning in it!

If there’s no meaning in it, then we don’t need to try to find any! Jury, what is your decision?

The Queen stamped her feet.

No, no no! Punishment first, decision afterwards!

That’s nonsense! The punishment comes last!

Be quiet!

I won’t!

Off with her head!

No-one moved. Alice realised she had grown to her full size.

Who cares about you? All of you!

Alice looked down at the little people all around her. She suddenly realised…

You’re nothing but a pack of cards!

As soon as she said this, the animals, the birds, the King and Queen and everyone else turned into a pack of cards and they all flew up into the air and came flying down upon her. The cards fluttered and flew all around her head and shoulders and Alice gave a scream as she tried to beat them off with her hands…

Ohhhh!!

And then another strange thing happened to Alice. She found herself back on the riverbank where our story began. She opened her eyes and saw her sister smiling at her.

Wake up, Alice dear! What a long sleep you’ve had!

Alice’s sister gently brushed away some dead leaves that had fallen from the tree and onto her face.

Oh… I’ve had such a curious dream. There was a White Rabbit and … I got bigger and smaller … and I met a caterpillar and a Hatter … and played croquet and … a cat that smiled and … so many things.

Alice told her sister all about the Wonderland in her dream and the adventures she had had there. Perhaps one day Alice will dream herself back to Wonderland. If she does, I’ll be sure to tell you. Goodbye.