Alice found herself in a beautiful garden with bright flowers and cool fountains. Near the entrance, she saw a large rose tree. Three gardeners were busy painting white roses red.
“Why are you painting the roses?” Alice asked.
One of the gardeners explained, “We planted a white rose tree by mistake. The Queen likes red roses. If she sees white roses, she’ll be angry and might have us punished!”
Just then, one of them shouted, “The Queen! The Queen!” The three gardeners quickly lay flat on their faces. Alice looked around eagerly to see the Queen.
A grand procession approached. First came soldiers shaped like playing cards. Then came courtiers, the royal children, and many guests. Alice noticed the White Rabbit among them. Finally, the King and Queen of Hearts arrived.
When the Queen saw Alice, she asked sharply, “Who is this?”
“My name is Alice, Your Majesty,” she replied politely.
“Can you play croquet?” the Queen asked.
“Yes,” said Alice.
“Come on, then!” ordered the Queen.
The game began, but it was the strangest croquet game Alice had ever seen. The balls were live hedgehogs, the mallets were flamingos, and the arches were soldiers who had to bend over. Everyone played at the same time, and there were no rules. Players argued and fought over the hedgehogs.
The Queen was constantly shouting, “Off with his head!” whenever she was upset with someone. Alice felt uneasy and thought, “They are very fond of ordering people to be executed here.”
As she was looking for a way to escape, she noticed a grin floating in the air. It was the Cheshire Cat appearing.
“How are you getting on?” asked the Cat.
“I don’t like this at all,” said Alice. “Everyone is so angry, and the game is confusing.”
Just then, the King saw the Cheshire Cat. “Who are you talking to?” he asked.
“A friend of mine,” said Alice. “It’s the Cheshire Cat.”
“I don’t like the look of it,” said the King. He called to the Queen, “My dear, I wish you would have this cat removed.”
The Queen ordered, “Off with his head!”
An executioner was called, but he didn’t know how to cut off a head without a body. They argued about it until the Cheshire Cat slowly disappeared, starting with its head until nothing was left.
The Queen turned to Alice and said, “Have you met the Mock Turtle yet?”
“No,” said Alice.
“Come with me,” said the Queen. “He shall tell you his story.”
Alice followed the Queen, curious about what would happen next.