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"Please your Majesty," said the Knave, "I didn't write it, and

they can't prove I did: there's no name signed at the end."

"If you didn't sign it," said the King, "that only makes the

matter worse. You must have meant some mischief, or else you'd

have signed your name like an honest man."

There was a general clapping of hands at this: it was the first

really clever thing the King had said that day.

"That proves his guilt," said the Queen.

"It proves nothing of the sort!" said Alice. "Why, you don't even

know what they're about!"

"Read them," said the King.

The White Rabbit put on his spectacles. "Where shall I begin,

please your Majesty?" he asked.

"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.