Lewis Carroll: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

CHAPTER 12: Alice's Evidence (continued)

`Begin at the beginning,' the King said gravely, `and go on till you come to the end: then stop.'

These were the verses the White Rabbit read:--

         `They told me you had been to her,
           And mentioned me to him:
         She gave me a good character,
           But said I could not swim.

         He sent them word I had not gone
           (We know it to be true):
         If she should push the matter on,
           What would become of you?

         I gave her one, they gave him two,
           You gave us three or more;
         They all returned from him to you,
           Though they were mine before.

         If I or she should chance to be
           Involved in this affair,
         He trusts to you to set them free,
           Exactly as we were.

         My notion was that you had been
           (Before she had this fit)
         An obstacle that came between
           Him, and ourselves, and it.

         Don't let him know she liked them best,
           For this must ever be
         A secret, kept from all the rest,
           Between yourself and me.'

`That's the most important piece of evidence we've heard yet,' said the King, rubbing his hands; `so now let the jury--'

`If any one of them can explain it,' said Alice, (she had grown so large in the last few minutes that she wasn't a bit afraid of interrupting him,) `I'll give him sixpence. _I_ don't believe there's an atom of meaning in it.'

The jury all wrote down on their slates, `SHE doesn't believe there's an atom of meaning in it,' but none of them attempted to explain the paper.