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The twelve jurors were all writing very busily on slates. "What

are they doing?" Alice whispered to the Gryphon. "They can't have

anything to put down yet, before the trial's begun."

"They're putting down their names," the Gryphon whispered in

reply, "for fear they should forget them before the end of the

trial."

"Stupid things!" Alice began in a loud, indignant voice, but she

stopped hastily, for the White Rabbit cried out, "Silence in the

court!" and the King put on his spectacles and looked anxiously

round, to make out who was talking.

Alice could see, as well as if she were looking over their

shoulders, that all the jurors were writing down "stupid things!"

on their slates, and she could even make out that one of them

didn't know how to spell "stupid," and that he had to ask his

neighbour to tell him. "A nice muddle their slates'll be in

before the trial's over!" thought Alice.