Alice in Wonderland

' Perhaps when the cook isn't there, she's nice. When I'm a Duchess, I'm going to be kind to my children.'

'Are you thinking?' asked the Duchess. 'You have to talk to me, you know.'

'All right,' said Alice. She could hear the Queen at the other end of the garden. ' Cut off her head! Cut off his head!' she shouted, every two or three minutes.

'Will they cut off your head?'Alice asked the Duchess.

' Oh no, they never cut off anybody's head. The Queen likes saying it, but she never does it.'

Alice wanted to ask more questions but they heard a cry: ' The trial is beginning!'

' What trial is it ?' Alice asked. The Duchess didn't answer and started to run. Her arm was in Alice's, so Alice ran too.

Chapter 9 Who Took the Tarts?

Alice and the Duchess followed everybody into a house with one very large room. The King and Queen were there. They sat on big chairs above all the animals and birds. All the cards were there too. Near the King was the White Rabbit. He had a paper in his hand and looked very important. The Knave of Hearts stood in front of the King and Queen. He stood between two men and his head was down. It was his trial. In the middle of the room was a table with a large plate of tarts on it.

Alice found a place and sat down. She looked round.

' I know a lot of the animals and birds here,' she thought. She looked hungrily at the tarts.

' I hope they finish the trial quickly' she thought.' Then we can eat the tarts.'

Suddenly, the White Rabbit cried,' Quiet please!'

The King looked round the room.' Read the paper!' he said. The White Rabbit stood up and read from a very long paper:

The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts, One lovely sunny day; The Knave of Hearts, he took those tarts, He took them all away.

'Cut off his head!' cried the Queen.

'No, no,' said the Rabbit. 'We have to call people into the room, and ask them questions.'

'All right then. Call the Mad Hatter!' said the King.

The Mad Hatter came into the room. He had a teacup in one hand, and some bread-and-butter in the other hand.