The White Rabbit is standing near the King, reading out the Song, to tell everybody what a bad Knave he is: and the Jury (you can just see two of them, up in the Jury-box, the Frog and the Duck) have to settle whether he’s “guilty” or “not guilty.” Now I’ll tell you about the accident that happened to Alice. You see, she was sitting close by the Jury-box: and she was called as a witness. You know what a “witness” is? A “witness” is a person who has seen the prisoner do whatever he’s accused of, or at any rate knows _something_ that’s important in the trial. But _Alice_ hadn’t seen the Queen _make_ the tarts: and she hadn’t seen the Knave _take_ the tarts: and, in fact, she didn’t know anything about it: so why in the world they wanted _her_ to be a witness, I’m sure _I_ ca’n’t tell you! Anyhow, they _did_ want her. And the White Rabbit blew his big trumpet, and shouted out “Alice!” And so Alice jumped up in a great hurry. And then---- And then what _do_ you think happened? Why, her skirt caught against the Jury-box, and tipped it over, and all the poor little Jurors came tumbling out of it! [Illustration] Let’s try if we can make out all the twelve. You know there ought to be twelve to make up a Jury. I see the Frog, and the Dormouse, and the Rat and the Ferret, and the Hedgehog, and the Lizard, and the Bantam-Cock, and the Mole, and the Duck, and the Squirrel, and a screaming bird, with a long beak, just behind the Mole. But that only makes eleven: we must find one more creature. Oh, do you see a little white head, coming out behind the Mole, and just under the Duck’s beak? That makes up the twelve. Mr. Tenniel says the screaming bird is a _Storkling_ (of course you know what _that_ is?) and the little white head is a _Mouseling_. Isn’t it a little _darling_? Alice picked them all up again, very carefully, and I hope they weren’t _much_ hurt! XIV. THE SHOWER OF CARDS. Oh dear, oh dear! What _is_ it all about? And what’s happening to Alice? Well, I’ll tell you all about it, as well I can. The way the trial ended was this. The King wanted the Jury to settle whether the Knave of Hearts was _guilty_ or _not guilty_----that means that they were to settle whether _he_ had stolen the Tarts, or if somebody else had taken them. But the wicked _Queen_ wanted to have his _punishment_ settled, first of all. That wasn’t at all fair, _was_ it? Because, you know, supposing he never _took_ the Tarts, then of course he oughtn’t to be punished. Would _you_ like to be punished for something you hadn’t done? [Illustration] So Alice said “Stuff and nonsense!” So the Queen said “Off with her head!” (Just what she always said, when she was angry.) So Alice said “Who cares for _you_? You’re nothing but a pack of cards!” So they were _all_ very angry, and flew up into the air, and came tumbling down again, all over Alice, just like a shower of rain.