I don't like the look of it at all; however, it may kiss my hand if it likes. CAT I'd rather not. KING Don't be impertinent and don't look at me like that. ALICE A cat may look at a king. I've read that in some book, but I don't remember where. KING Well, it must be removed. My dear! I wish you would have this cat removed. QUEEN Off with his head! KNAVE But you can't cut off a head unless there's a body to cut it off from. KING Anything that has a head can be beheaded. QUEEN If something isn't done about it in less than no time, I'll have everybody executed, all round. ALICE It belongs to the Duchess; you'd better ask her about it. DUCHESS It's a lie! CAT You'd better ask me. Do it if you can. [_It grins away. The DUCHESS and FROG escape into the house._] QUEEN Cut it off! KING It's gone. EVERYBODY It's gone! It's gone! Where, where, where-- QUEEN Cut it off. Cut them all off! EVERYBODY No, no, no! ALICE Save me, save me! KNAVE [_Shouts to ALICE and gives her a tart for safety._] Take a tart! QUEEN [_Seeing ALICE stand out a moment from the others._] Cut hers off! Cut hers off! OTHERS [_Glad to distract QUEEN'S attention from themselves._] Cut hers off, cut hers off, cut-- ALICE [_Cries in fear and takes a quick bite at the tart. If there is a trap door on the stage ALICE disappears down it, leaving the crowd circling around the hole screaming and amazed. If the stage has no trap door, a bridge is built across the footlights with stairs leading down into the orchestra pit. When the crowd is chasing ALICE she jumps over the footlights onto the bridge and as the curtain is falling dividing her from the crowd she appeals to the audience, "Save me, save me, who will save me?" and runs down the stairs and disappears._] CURTAIN ACT III SCENE ONE _Is a garden of high, very conventional and artificial looking flowers. On a large mushroom sits the CATERPILLAR smoking a hookah. ALICE is whirling about trying to get her equilibrium after her fall. She goes to the mushroom timidly and, conscious of her size, for her chin reaches the top of the mushroom, she gazes at the CATERPILLAR wonderingly. He looks at her lazily and speaks in a languid voice._ CATERPILLAR Who are you? ALICE I--I hardly know, sir, just at present. The Queen frightened me so and I've had an awfully funny fall down a tunnel or a sort of well. At least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then. CATERPILLAR What do you mean by that? Explain yourself. ALICE I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, Sir, because I'm not myself, you see. Being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing. [Illustration] CATERPILLAR You! Who are you? ALICE I think you ought to tell me who you are, first. CATERPILLAR Why? [_As ALICE turns away._] Come back. I've something important to say. [_ALICE comes back._] Keep your temper. ALICE