The moment Alice appeared, she was appealed to by all three to settle

the question, 🔊 and they repeated their arguments to her, though, as they

all spoke at once, she found it very hard indeed to make out exactly

what they said. 🔊

The executioner’s argument was, that you couldn’t cut off a head unless

there was a body to cut it off from: 🔊 that he had never had to do such a

thing before, and he wasn’t going to begin at his time of life. 🔊

The King’s argument was, that anything that had a head could be

beheaded, and that you weren’t to talk nonsense. 🔊

The Queen’s argument was, that if something wasn’t done about it in less

than no time she’d have everybody executed, all round. 🔊 (It was this last

remark that had made the whole party look so grave and anxious.) 🔊