Queen Alice

           Well,thisIsgrand!’saidAlice.‘IneverexpectedIshouldbeaQueensosoon—andI’lltellyouwhatitis,yourmajesty,’shewentoninaseveretone(shewasalwaysratherfondofscoldingherself),‘it’llneverdoforyoutobelollingaboutonthegrasslikethat!Queenshavetobedignified,youknow!’

           Soshegotupandwalkedabout—ratherstifflyjustatfirst,asshewasafraidthatthecrownmightcomeoff:butshecomfortedherselfwiththethoughtthattherewasnobodytoseeher,‘andifIreallyamaQueen,’shesaidasshesatdownagain,‘Ishallbeabletomanageitquitewellintime.’

           Everythingwashappeningsooddlythatshedidn’tfeelabitsurprisedatfindingtheRedQueenandtheWhiteQueensittingclosetoher,oneoneachside:shewouldhavelikedverymuchtoaskthemhowtheycamethere,butshefeareditwouldnotbequitecivil.However,therewouldbenoharm,shethought,inaskingifthegamewasover.‘Please,wouldyoutellme—’shebegan,lookingtimidlyattheRedQueen.

           ‘Speakwhenyou’respokento!’TheQueensharplyinterruptedher.

           ‘Butifeverybodyobeyedthatrule,’saidAlice,whowasalwaysreadyforalittleargument,‘andifyouonlyspokewhenyouwerespokento,andtheotherpersonalwayswaitedforyoutobegin,youseenobodywouldeversayanything,sothat—’

           ‘Ridiculous!’criedtheQueen.‘Why,don’tyousee,child—’hereshebrokeoffwithafrown,and,afterthinkingforaminute,suddenlychangedthesubjectoftheconversation.