Beginning with the chapter "Who Stole the Tarts?," in Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll turns a nursery rhyme accusation into a headlong satire of law and society. The court is presided over by the demented Queen and her bumbling King, both in unabashed prosecutor mode. The King, in fact, tries several times to reach a verdict before hearing the evidence. The jury is composed entirely of little incompetent animals.
The first witness is the Mad Hatter, miserably cowed by the prospect of appearing before the Queen. The King's command — "Give your evidence ... and don't be nervous, or I'll have you executed on the spot" — does nothing to improve his morale.
To her surprise, Alice is called to testify. All during the trial, Alice has been growing, returning to her "normal" size. Alice continues to grow, and the King responds by reading from his notebook: "Rule Forty-two. All persons more than a mile high to leave the court."
After Alice accuses him of having invented the rule "just now," the King declares, "It's the oldest rule in the book."
Alice is not shy about expressing her own quite reasonable opinions. This naturally brings her into conflict with the Queen, who commands her to hold her tongue. Alice refuses, and the Queen shouts out her signature line: "Off with her head!" No one moves, and Alice responds with the most contemptuous literary lines ever directed at a court: "'Who cares for you?' said Alice (she had grown to her full size by this time). 'You're nothing but a pack of cards!'"
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