know,’ he went on, spreading out the verses on his knee, and looking at them with one eye; ‘I seem to see some meaning in them, after all. “ — said I could not swim — ” you can’t swim, can you?’ he added, turning to the Knave.

The Knave shook his head sadly.

‘Do I look like it?’ he said. (Which he certainly did not, being made entirely of cardboard.)

‘All right, so far,’ said the King, and he went on muttering over the verses to himself: ‘“We know it to be true — ” that’s the jury, of course — ”I gave her one, they gave him two — ” why, that must be what he did with the tarts, you know — ’