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"Call the first witness," said the King; and the White Rabbit

blew three blasts on the trumpet, and called out, "First

witness!"

The first witness was the Hatter. He came in with a teacup in one

hand and a piece of bread-and-butter in the other. "I beg pardon,

your Majesty," he began, "for bringing these in: but I hadn't

quite finished my tea when I was sent for."

"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.