‘You ought to have finished,’ said the King. ‘When did you begin?’ 🔊

The Hatter looked at the March Hare, who had followed him into the

court, arm-in-arm with the Dormouse. 🔊 ‘Fourteenth of March, I think it

was,’ he said.

‘Fifteenth,’ said the March Hare.

‘Sixteenth,’ added the Dormouse. 🔊

‘Write that down,’ the King said to the jury, 🔊 and the jury eagerly

wrote down all three dates on their slates, and then added them up, and

reduced the answer to shillings and pence. 🔊

‘Take off your hat,’ the King said to the Hatter. 🔊

‘It isn’t mine,’ said the Hatter. 🔊

‘Stolen!’ the King exclaimed, turning to the jury, who instantly made a

memorandum of the fact. 🔊

‘I keep them to sell,’ the Hatter added as an explanation; ‘I’ve none of

my own. I’m a hatter.’ 🔊

Here the Queen put on her spectacles, and began staring at the Hatter,

who turned pale and fidgeted. 🔊