"Don't talk such non-sense," said Al-ice. "You know you grow too." "Yes, but not so fast as to squeeze the breath out of those who sit by me." He got up and crossed to the oth-er side of the court. All this time the Queen had not left off star-ing at the Hat-ter, and just as the Dor-mouse crossed the court, she said to one of the men, "Bring me the list of those who sang in the last con-cert," on which the poor Hat-ter trembled so, that he shook both his shoes off. [Illustration] "Tell what you know of this case," the King called out a-gain, "or I'll have your head off, if you do shake." "I'm a poor man, your ma-jes-ty," the Hat-ter be-gan in a weak voice, "and I hadn't but just be-gun my tea, not more than a week or so, and what with the bread and but-ter so thin--and the twink-ling of the tea--" "The twink-ling of what?" asked the King. "It be-gan with the tea," the Hat-ter said. "Of course twink-ling be-gins with a T!" said the King. "Do you take me for a dunce? Go on!" "I'm a poor man," the Hat-ter went on, "and most things twink-led af-ter that--but the March Hare said--" "I didn't," said the March Hare in great haste. "You did," said the Hat-ter. "I de-ny it," said the March Hare. "He de-nies it," said the King: "leave out that part." "Well, I'm sure the Dor-mouse said--" the Hat-ter went on, with a look at the Dor-mouse to see if he would de-ny it too, but he was fast a-sleep. "Then I cut some more bread and--" "But what did the Dor-mouse say?" asked one of the ju-ry. "That I can't tell," said the Hat-ter. "You must tell or I'll have your head off," said the King. The wretch-ed Hat-ter dropped his cup and bread, and went down on one knee. "I'm a poor man," he be-gan. "You're a poor speak-er," said the King. Here one of the guin-ea pigs cheered, and one of the men seized him, thrust him in-to a bag which tied up with strings, and then sat up-on it. "If that's all you know, you may stand down," the King said. "I'm as low as I can get now," said the Hat-ter; "I'm on the floor as it is." "Then you may sit down," the King said. "I'd like to get through with my tea first," said the Hat-ter with a look at the Queen who still read the list in her hand. "You may go," said the King, and the Hat-ter left the court in such haste that he did not e-ven wait to put his shoes on. "And just take his head off out-side," the Queen add-ed to one of the sol-diers, but the Hat-ter was out of sight be-fore the man could get to the door. "Call the next wit-ness," said the King. The next to come was the Duch-ess' cook, and Al-ice guessed who it was by the way the peo-ple near the door sneezed all at once. [Illustration] "Tell what you know of this case," said the King. "Shan't," said the cook. The King looked at the White Rab-bit, who said in a low voice, "Your ma-jes-ty must make her tell."