rt, "Bring me the list of the singers in the last concert!" on
which the wretched Hatter trembled so, that he shook off both his shoes.

"Give your evidence," the King repeated angrily, "or I'll have you
executed, whether you're nervous or not."

"I'm a poor man, your Majesty," the Hatter began, in a trembling voice,
"--and I hadn't begun my tea--not above a week or so--and what with the
bread-and-butter getting so thin--and the twinkling of the tea----"

"The twinkling of _what_?" said the King.

"It _began_ with the tea," the Hatter replied.

"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 g