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72

CHAPTER XII. ALICE'S EVIDENCE  

'What's in it?' said the Queen. 

'I haven't opened it yet,' said the White Rabbit, 'but it seems to be a letter, 
written by the prisoner to - to somebody.' 

'It must have been that,' said the King, 'unless it was written to nobody, which 
isn't usual, you know.' 

'Who is it directed to?' said one of the jurymen. 

'It isn't directed at all,' said the White Rabbit, 'in fact, there's nothing written 
on the outside.' He unfolded the paper as he spoke, and added 'It isn't a letter, 
after all: it's a set of verses.' 

'Are they in the prisoner's handwriting?' asked another of the jurymen. 

'No, they're not,' said the White Rabbit, 'and that's the queerest thing about 
it.' (The jury all looked puzzled.) 

'He must have imitated somebody else's hand,' said the King. (The jury all 
brightened up again.) 

'Please your Majesty,' said the Knave, T didn't write it and they can't prove 
I did: there's no name signed at the end.' 

'If you didn't sign it,' said the King, 'that only makes the matter worse. You 
must have meant some mischief or else you'd have signed your name like an 
honest man.' 

There was a general clapping of hands at this: it was the first really clever 
thing the King had said that day. 

'That proves his guilt,' said the Queen. 

'It proves nothing of the sort!' said Alice, 'Why, you don't even know what 
they're about!' 

'Read them,' said the King. 

The White Rabbit put on his spectacles. 'Where shall I begin, please your 
Majesty?' he asked. 

'Begin at the beginning,' the King said gravely, 'and go on till you come to the 
end; then stop.' 

These were the verses the White Rabbit read: 

'They told me you had been to her, 

And mentioned me to him; 

She gave me a good character, 

But said I could not swim. 

He sent them word I had not gone 

(We know it to be true); 

If she should push the matter on, 

What would become of you? 

I gave her one, they gave him two, 
You gave us three or more;