`Did you say «What a pity!»?' the Rabbit asked.
`No, I didn't,' said Alice:
`I don't think it's at all a pity. I said «What for?»'
`She boxed the Queen's ears--' the Rabbit began.
Alice gave a little scream of laughter.
`Oh, hush!' the Rabbit whispered in a frightened tone. `The Queen will hear you!
You see, she came rather late, and the Queen said--'
`Get to your places!' shouted the Queen in a voice of thunder,
and people began running about in all directions, tumbling up against each other;
however, they got settled down in a minute or two, and the game began.
Alice thought she had never seen such a curious croquet-ground in her life;
it was all ridges and furrows;
the balls were live hedgehogs, the mallets live flamingoes,
and the soldiers had to double themselves up and to stand on their hands and feet, to make the arches.