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12 - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll · Thrilling Adventures - Daily

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Alice's evidence here, cried Alice, quite forgetting in the flurry
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: of the moment how large she had grown in the
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: last few minutes. And she jumped up in such a
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: hurry that she tipped over the jury box with the
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: edge of her skirt, upsetting all the jurymen on to
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: the heads of the crowd below. And there they lay
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: sprawling about, reminding her very much of a globe of
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  Speaker 1: goldfish she had accidentally upset the week before. Oh, I
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  Speaker 1: beg your pardon, she exclaimed, in a tone of great dismay,
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  Speaker 1: and began picking them up again as quickly as she could,
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  Speaker 1: for the accident of the goldfish kept running in her head,
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  Speaker 1: and she had a vague sort of idea that they
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: must be collected at once and put back into the
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  Speaker 1: jury box, or they would die. The trial cannot proceed,
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: said the King in a very grave voice until all
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  Speaker 1: of the jurymen are back in their proper places, all,
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  Speaker 1: he repeated, with great emphasis, looking hard at Alice as
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: he said so. Alice looked at the box and saw
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: that in her haste she had put the lizard in
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  Speaker 1: head downwards, and the poor little thing was waving its
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  Speaker 1: tail about in a melancholy way. Being quite unable to move,
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  Speaker 1: she soon got it out again and put it right.
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  Speaker 1: Not that it signifies much, she said to herself, I
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  Speaker 1: should think it be quite as much use in the
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  Speaker 1: trial one way up as the other. As soon as
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  Speaker 1: the jury had a little recovered from the shock of
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  Speaker 1: being upset, and their slates and pencils had been found
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  Speaker 1: and handed back to them, they set to work very
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  Speaker 1: diligently to write out a history of the accident, all
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  Speaker 1: except the lizard, who seemed too much overcome to do
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  Speaker 1: anything but sit with its mouth open, gazing up into
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  Speaker 1: the roof of the court. What do you know about
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  Speaker 1: this business, the King said to Alice. Nothing, said Alice,
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  Speaker 1: Nothing whatever, persisted the King. Nothing whatever, said Alice. That's
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  Speaker 1: very important, the King said, turning to the jury. They
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  Speaker 1: were just beginning to write this down on their slates
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: when the white rabbit interrupted, unimportant, your majesty means, of course,
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  Speaker 1: he said, in a very respectful tone, but frowning and
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  Speaker 1: making faces at him as he spoke. Unimportant, of course,
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  Speaker 1: I meant, the King hastily said, and went on to
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  Speaker 1: himself in an undertone. Important, unimportant, unimportant, important, as if
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: he was trying which word sounded best. Some of the
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: jury wrote it down important and some unimportant. Alice could
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  Speaker 1: see this, as she was near enough to look over
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  Speaker 1: their slates. But it doesn't matter a bit, she thought
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: to herself. At this moment, the King, who had been
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: for some time busily writing in his notebook, cackled out
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: silence and read out from his book rule forty two.
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: All persons more than a mile high to leave the court.
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  Speaker 1: Everybody looked at Alice. I'm not a mile high, said Alice.
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  Speaker 1: You are, said the king. Nearly two miles high, added
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  Speaker 1: the queen. Well, I shan't go at any rate, said Alice. Beside,
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  Speaker 1: that's not a regular rule. You invented it just now.
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  Speaker 1: It's the oldest rule in the book, said the King.
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  Speaker 1: Then it ought to be number one, said Alice. The
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  Speaker 1: King turned pale and shut his notebook hastily. Consider your verdict,
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: he said to the jury in a low trembling voice.
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  Speaker 1: There's more evidence to come yet, please, your majesty, said
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  Speaker 1: the white rabbit, jumping up in a great hurry. This
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  Speaker 1: paper has just been picked up. What's in it? Said
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  Speaker 1: the Queen. I haven't opened it yet, said the white rabbit,
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: but it seems to be a letter written by the
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: prisoner to to somebody. It must have been that, said
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  Speaker 1: the King, unless it was written to nobody, which isn't usual.
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  Speaker 1: You know who is it directed to, said one of
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: the jurymen. It isn't directed at all, said the white letter.
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  Speaker 1: In fact, there's nothing written on the outside. He unfolded
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  Speaker 1: the paper as he spoke and added, it isn't a letter,
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  Speaker 1: after all. It's a set of verses. Are they in
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  Speaker 1: the prisoner's handwriting, asked another of the jurymen. No they're not,
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  Speaker 1: said the White Rabbit. And that's the queerest thing about it.
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  Speaker 1: The jury all looked puzzled. He must have imitated somebody
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  Speaker 1: else's hand, said the King. The jury all brightened up again. Please,
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  Speaker 1: your majesty, said the knave. I didn't write it, and
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  Speaker 1: they can't prove I did. There's no name signed at
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  Speaker 1: the end. If you didn't sign it, said the King.
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  Speaker 1: That only makes the matter worse. You must have meant
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  Speaker 1: some mischief, or else you'd have signed your name like
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  Speaker 1: an honest man. There was a general clapping of hands
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  Speaker 1: at this. It was the first really clever thing the
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  Speaker 1: King had said that day that proves his guilt, said
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  Speaker 1: the queen. It proves nothing of the sort, said Alice.
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  Speaker 1: Why you don't even know what they're about? Read them,
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  Speaker 1: said the king. The white rabbit put on his Where
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: shall I begin? Please, your majesty, he asked, Begin at
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  Speaker 1: the beginning, the King said, gravely, and go on till
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  Speaker 1: you come to the end. Then stop. These were the
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  Speaker 1: verses the white rabbit read. They told me you had
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: been to her and mentioned me to him. She gave
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: me a good character, but said I could not swim.
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  Speaker 1: He sent them word I had not gone. We know
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  Speaker 1: it to be true. If she would push the matter on,
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  Speaker 1: what would become of you? I gave her one, They
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  Speaker 1: gave him two. You gave us three or more. They
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  Speaker 1: all returned from him to you, though they were mine before.
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  Speaker 1: If I or she should chance to be involved in
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  Speaker 1: this affair, he trusts to you to set them three
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  Speaker 1: exactly as we were. My notion was that you had
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  Speaker 1: been before. She had this fit an obstacle that came
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  Speaker 1: between him and ourselves. And it don't let him know
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  Speaker 1: she liked them best, For this must ever be a
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  Speaker 1: secret kept from all the rest, between yourself and me.
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  Speaker 1: That's the most important piece of evidence we've heard yet,
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  Speaker 1: said the King, rubbing his hands. And now let the jury,
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  Speaker 1: if any one of them can explain it, said Alice.
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  Speaker 1: She had grown so large in the last few minutes
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  Speaker 1: that she wasn't a bit afraid of interrupting him. I'll
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  Speaker 1: give him sixpence. I don't believe there's an atom of
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: meaning in it. The jury all wrote this down on
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  Speaker 1: their slates. She doesn't believe there's an atom of meaning
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  Speaker 1: in it. But none of them attempted to explain the paper.
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: If there's no meaning in it, said the king. That
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  Speaker 1: saves a world of trouble, you know, as we needn't
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  Speaker 1: try to find any And yet I don't know. He
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  Speaker 1: went on spreading out the verses on his knee and
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  Speaker 1: looking at them all with one eye. I seemed to
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  Speaker 1: see some meaning in them, after all, said I could
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  Speaker 1: not swim. You can't swim, he added, turning to the knave.
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: The knave shook his head sadly, Do I look like it,
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  Speaker 1: he said, which he certainly did not, being made entirely
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  Speaker 1: of cardboard. All right, so far, said the king, and
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: he went on muttering over the verses to himself. We
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  Speaker 1: know it to be true. That's the jury. Of course
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  Speaker 1: I gave her one. They gave him two. Why that
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  Speaker 1: must be what he did with the tarts, you know.
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  Speaker 1: But it goes on. They all returned from him to you,
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  Speaker 1: said Alice. Why there they are, said the King triumphantly,
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  Speaker 1: pointing to the tarts on the table. Nothing can be
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  Speaker 1: clearer than that. Then again, before she had this fit,
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: you never had fits, my dear, I think, he said
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  Speaker 1: to the queen. Never, said the Queen, furiously, throwing an
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  Speaker 1: inkstand at the lizard as she spoke. The unfortunate little
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  Speaker 1: bill had left off writing on his slate with one finger,
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  Speaker 1: as he found it made no mark, But he now
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  Speaker 1: hastily began again, using the ink that was trickling down
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  Speaker 1: his face as long as it lasted. Then the words
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  Speaker 1: don't fit you, said the King, looking round the court
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  Speaker 1: with a smile. There was a dead silence. It's upon,
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  Speaker 1: the King added in an offended tone, and everybody laughed.
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  Speaker 1: Let the jury consider their verdict, the King said, for
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  Speaker 1: about the twentieth time that day. No, No, said the queen.
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  Speaker 1: Sentence first verdict. Afterwards, stuff and nonsense, said Alice loudly.
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  Speaker 1: The idea of having the sentence first hold your tongue,
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  Speaker 1: said the queen, turning purple. I won't, said Alice. Off
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  Speaker 1: with her head, the queen shouted at the top of
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  Speaker 1: her voice. Nobody moved. Who cares for you? Said Alice.
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  Speaker 1: She had grown to her full size by this time.
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  Speaker 1: You're nothing but a pack of cards. At this the
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  Speaker 1: whole pack rose up into the air and came flying
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  Speaker 1: down upon her. She gave a little scream, half of
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  Speaker 1: fright and half of anger, and tried to beat them off,
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: and found herself lying on the bank with her head
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  Speaker 1: in the lap of her sister, who was gently brushing
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  Speaker 1: away some dead leaves that had fluttered down from the
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  Speaker 1: tree upon her face. Wake up, Alice, dear, said her sister.
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  Speaker 1: Why what a long sleep you've had. Oh I've had
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  Speaker 1: such a curious dream, said Alice, And she told her
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  Speaker 1: sister as well as she could remember them, all these
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  Speaker 1: strange adventures of hers that you've just been reading about.
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  Speaker 1: And when she had finished, her sister kissed her and said,
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  Speaker 1: it was a curious dream, dear, certainly, But now run
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  Speaker 1: into your tea. It's getting late. So Alice got up
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  Speaker 1: and ran off, thinking while she ran as well, she
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  Speaker 1: might what a wonderful dream it had been. But her
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  Speaker 1: sister sat still just as she left her, leaning her
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  Speaker 1: head on her hand, watching the setting sun, and thinking
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  Speaker 1: of little Alice and all her wonderful adventures, till she
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: two began dreaming after a fashion, and this was her dream. First,
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  Speaker 1: she dreamed of little Alice herself. And once again the
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  Speaker 1: tiny hands were clasped upon her knee, and the bright,
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  Speaker 1: eager eyes were looking up into hers, and she could
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  Speaker 1: hear the very tones of her voice, and see that
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  Speaker 1: queer little toss of her head to keep back the
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  Speaker 1: wandering hair that would always get into her eyes. And
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  Speaker 1: still as she listened, or seemed to listen, the whole
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  Speaker 1: place around her became alive the strange creatures of her
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  Speaker 1: little sister's dream. The long grass rustled at her feet,
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  Speaker 1: as the white rabbit, hurried by the frightened mouse, splashed
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  Speaker 1: his way through the neighboring pool. She could hear the
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  Speaker 1: rattle of the teacups as the march hare and his
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  Speaker 1: friends shared their never ending meal, and the shrill voice
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  Speaker 1: of the queen ordering off her unfortunate guests to execution
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  Speaker 1: once more. The pig baby was sneezing on the Duchess's knee,
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  Speaker 1: while plates and dishes crashed around it. Once more, the
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  Speaker 1: shriek of the griffin, the squealing of the lizard's slate pencil,
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: and the choking of the suppressed guinea pigs filled the air,
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  Speaker 1: mixed up with the distant sobs of the miserable mock turtle.
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  Speaker 1: So she sat on with closed eyes and half believed
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  Speaker 1: herself in wonderland, though she knew she had but to
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  Speaker 1: open them again, and all would change to dull reality.
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  Speaker 1: The grass would be only rustling in the wind, and
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  Speaker 1: the pool ripplings of the waving of the reeds. The
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  Speaker 1: rattling teacups would change to tinkling sheep bells, and the
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  Speaker 1: queen's shrill cries of the voice of the shepherd boy,
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: and the sneeze of the baby. The shriek of the griffin,
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  Speaker 1: and all the other queer noises would change, she knew,
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: to the confused clamor of the busy farm yard, while
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  Speaker 1: the lowing of the cattle in the distance would take
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  Speaker 1: the place of the mock turtle's heavy sobs. Lastly, she
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  Speaker 1: pictured to herself how this same little sister of hers
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  Speaker 1: would in the after time be herself a grown woman,
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: and how she would keep through all her riper years,
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  Speaker 1: the simple and loving heart of her childhood. And how
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  Speaker 1: she would gather about her other little children and make
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  Speaker 1: their eyes bright and eager, with many a strange tale,
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  Speaker 1: perhaps even with the dream of Wonderland of long ago,
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  Speaker 1: And how she would feel with all their simple sorrows
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  Speaker 1: and find a pleasure in all their simple joys, remembering
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  Speaker 1: her own child life and the happy summer days. This
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  Speaker 1: is the end of Alice's adventures in Wonderland.