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the Mock Turtle had just begun to repeat it, when a cry of "the trial's beginning!" was heard in the distance.
"Come on!" cried the Gryphon, and, taking Alice by the hand, he hurried off, without waiting for the end of the song.
"What trial is it?" panted Alice as she ran, but the Gryphon only answered "come on!" and ran the faster, and more and more faintly came, borne on the breeze that followed them, the melancholy words:
"Soo—oop of the e—e—evening,
Beautiful beautiful Soup!"
The King and Queen were seated on their throne when they arrived, with a great crowd assembled around them: the Knave was in custody: and before the King stood the white rabbit, with a trumpet in one hand, and a scroll of parchment in the other.
"Herald! read the accusation!" said the King.
On this the white rabbit blew three blasts on the trumpet, and then unrolled the parchment scroll, and read as follows:
