The Dormouse came and sat next to Alice. As Alice began to grow, she thought she should leave the courtroom. But she was curious about the trial. So she decided to stay for as long as there was room for her.
"I wish you wouldn't squeeze me like that," the Dormouse complained to Alice.
"I can hardly breathe," the Gryphon said.
"I can't help it," Alice said. "I'm growing."
"Well, you have no right to grow here!" the Dormouse said.
His comment annoyed Alice. "Don't talk nonsense. You know that you're growing too," she said.
"Yes, but he doesn't do it all at once," the Gryphon said. The Dormouse and he got up and sat on the other side of the courtroom.
Meanwhile the Queen kept staring at the Hatter. She waved to one of the soldiers. "Bring me the list of the singers in the last concert," she said.
When the Hatter heard this, he started to shake again.
"Tell us your story right now," the King said angrily. "Or I'll have you put to death."
"I'm a poor man, Your Majesty." The Hatter spoke in a shaky voice. "I'd just sat down for tea. And then there was the twinkling of tea and—"
"The twinkling of what?" the King asked.
"It began with the tea," the Hatter replied.
"Of course, the word twinkling begins with a T. I'm not stupid!" The King was growing more impatient every moment. "Go on with your story."
"After the tea twinkled, the March Hare said—"
"I didn't!" the March Hare interrupted.
"You did!" the Hatter insisted.
"I deny it!" the March Hare said.
"He denies it," the King said to the Hatter. "Leave out the March Hare and continue your story."
Alice looked at the jury box. All the jurors crossed out "I deny it" on their slates.
"Those two guinea pigs have made a real mess of their slates," she thought.
"Well, then the Dormouse said . . ." The Hatter looked anxiously at the Dormouse, expecting him to deny everything too. But the Dormouse was fast asleep.
"After that," the Hatter said, "I had more bread and butter."
"But what did the Dormouse say?" one guinea pig asked.
"I really can't remember," the Hatter said.
"You must remember, or you'll be put to death," the King said.
The Hatter dropped his teacup and his bread and butter. He went down on one knee in front of the King. "I'm a poor man, Your Majesty," he repeated.
"You're a very poor speaker," the King said.
"Woo-hoo!" Here the second guinea pig cheered. A soldier immediately took it away.
"If that's all you know, you may leave," the King said to the Hatter.
And here the other guinea pig cheered and was removed from the jury box.
"I'd rather finish my tea first," the Hatter said. He shot a quick look at the Queen, who was reading the list of singers.
"You may go," the King said.
The Hatter rushed from the courtroom.
"Just take his head off outside," the Queen said to one of the soldiers. But the Hatter was out of sight before the soldier got to the doors.
Alice shook her head in disbelief. "The Hatter wasn't any help at all. At this rate, we'll never find out if the Knave of Hearts is guilty," she thought.
"Call the next witness!" the King said.