Five and Seven said nothing, but looked at Two. Two began in a low voice, 'Why, the fact is, you see, Miss, this here ought to have been a red rose-tree, and we put a white one in by mistake; and, if the Queen was to find it out, we should all have our heads cut off, you know. So you see, Miss, we're doing our best, afore she comes, to ...' At this moment, Five, who had been anxiously looking across the garden, called out 'The Queen! The Queen!' and the three gardeners instantly threw themselves flat upon their faces. There was a sound of many footsteps, and Alice looked around, eager to see the Queen ...

When the procession came opposite to Alice, they all stopped and looked at her, and the Queen said, severely, 'Who is this?' She said it to the Knave of Hearts, who only bowed and smiled in reply.

'Idiot!' said the Queen impatiently; and, turning to Alice, she went on: 'What's your name child?'

'My name is Alice, so please your Majesty,' said Alice very politely; but she added to herself, 'Why, they're only a pack of cards, after all. I needn't be afraid of them!'

'And who are these?' said the Queen, pointing to the three gardeners who were lying around the rose-tree ...

'How should I know?' said Alice, surprised by her own courage. 'It's no business of mine.'

The Queen turned crimson with fury, and after glaring at her for a moment like a wild beast, began screaming, 'Off with her head! Off with ...'

'Nonsense!' said Alice, very loudly and decidedly, and the Queen was silent.

The King laid his hand upon her arm, and timidly said, 'Consider, my dear: she is only a child!'

'Get up!' said the Queen in a shrill, loud voice, and the three gardeners instantly jumped up, and began bowing to the King and Queen.

'Leave off that!' screamed the Queen. 'You make me giddy.' And then, turning to the rose-tree, she went on, 'What have you been doing here?'

'May it please your Majesty,' said Two in a very humble tone, going down on one knee as he spoke, 'we were trying ...'

'I see!' said the Queen, who had meanwhile been examining the roses.

'Off with their heads!' she ordered as she marched off with her nose in the air, and the procession moved on behind her. Three soldiers remained behind to execute the unfortunate gardeners, who ran to Alice for protection.

'You shan't be beheaded!' said Alice, and she put them into a large flower-pot that stood near. The three soldiers wandered about for a minute or two, looking for them, and then quietly marched off after the others.

'Are their heads off?' shouted the Queen.

'Their heads are gone, if it please your Majesty!' the soldiers shouted in reply.

'That's right!' shouted the Queen stopping suddenly. The procession came to a raggedy halt behind her. 'Can you play croquet?' A nervous mutter moved through the crowd.

'Get to your places!' shouted the Queen in a voice of thunder, and people began running about in all directions ... however, they got settled down in a minute or two, and the game began ...

The players all played at once, without waiting for turns, quarrelling all the while, and fighting ... and in a very short time the Queen was in a furious passion, and went stamping about and shouting, 'Off with his head!' or 'Off with her head!' about once a minute.

Alice began to feel very uneasy: to be sure, she had not as yet had any dispute with the Queen, but she knew that it might happen any minute, 'And then,' thought she, 'what would become of me? They're dreadfully fond of beheading people here: the great wonder is, that there's anyone left alive!'