`Idiot!' said the Queen, tossing her head impatiently; and,

turning to Alice, she went on, `What's your name, child?'

  `My name is Alice, so please your Majesty,' said Alice very

politely; but she added, to herself, `Why, they're only a pack of

cards, after all.  I needn't be afraid of them!'

  `And who are THESE?' said the Queen, pointing to the three

gardeners who were lying round the rosetree; for, you see, as

they were lying on their faces, and the pattern on their backs

was the same as the rest of the pack, she could not tell whether

they were gardeners, or soldiers, or courtiers, or three of her

own children.

  `How should I know?' said Alice, surprised at her own courage.

`It's no business of MINE.'

  The Queen turned crimson with fury, and, after glaring at her

for a moment like a wild beast, screamed `Off with her head!

Off--'

  `Nonsense!' said Alice, very loudly and decidedly, and the

Queen was silent.

  The King laid his hand upon her arm, and timidly said

`Consider, my dear:  she is only a child!'

  The Queen turned angrily away from him, and said to the Knave

`Turn them over!'

  The Knave did so, very carefully, with one foot.

  `Get up!' said the Queen, in a shrill, loud voice, and the

three gardeners instantly jumped up, and began bowing to the

King, the Queen, the royal children, and everybody else.

  `Leave off that!' screamed the Queen.  `You make me giddy.'

And then, turning to the rose-tree, she went on, `What HAVE you

been doing here?'

  `May it please your Majesty,' said Two, in a very humble tone,

going down on one knee as he spoke, `we were trying--'

  `I see!' said the Queen, who had meanwhile been examining the

roses.  `Off with their heads!' and the procession moved on,

three of the soldiers remaining behind to execute the unfortunate

gardeners, who ran to Alice for protection.

  `You shan't be beheaded!' said Alice, and she put them into a

large flower-pot that stood near.  The three soldiers wandered

about for a minute or two, looking for them, and then quietly

marched off after the others.

  `Are their heads off?' shouted the Queen.

  `Their heads are gone, if it please your Majesty!' the soldiers

shouted in reply.

  `That's right!' shouted the Queen.  `Can you play croquet?'

  The soldiers were silent, and looked at Alice, as the question

was evidently meant for her. ()