Alice's Adventures under Ground by Lewis Carroll

A large rose tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the / roses on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, / busily painting them red. This Alice thought a very curious / thing, and she went near to watch them, and just as she came up / she heard one of them say "look out, Five! Don't go splashing / paint over me like that!"

"I couldn't help it," said Five in a sulky tone, "Seven jogged my / elbow."

On which Seven lifted up his head and said "that's right, Five! / Always lay the blame on others!"

"You'd better not talk! " said Five, "I heard the Queen say only / yesterday she thought of having you beheaded!"

"What for? " said the one who had spoken first.

"That's not your business, Two! " said Seven.

"Yes, it is his business! " said Five, "and I'll tell him: it was / for bringing in tulip-roots to the cook instead of potatoes."

Seven flung down his brush, and had just begun "well! Of all the / unjust things -- " when his eye fell upon Alice, and he stopped / suddenly; the others looked round, and all of them took off their / hats and bowed low.

"Would you tell me, please," said Alice timidly, "why you are / painting those roses?"

Five and Seven looked at Two, but said nothing: Two began, in a / low voice, "why, Miss, the fact is, this ought to have been a red / rose tree, and we put a white one in by mistake, and if the Queen / was to find it out, we should all have our heads cut off. So, you / see, we're doing our best, before she comes, to -- " At this moment / Five, who had been looking anxiously across the garden called out / "the Queen! the Queen! " and the three gardeners instantly threw / themselves flat upon their faces. There was a sound of many / footsteps, and Alice looked round, eager to see the Queen.

First came ten soldiers carrying clubs; these were all shaped / like the three gardeners, flat and oblong, with their hands and / feet at the corners: next the ten courtiers; these were all / ornamented with diamonds, and walked two and two, as the soldiers / did. After these came the Royal children: there were ten of them, / and the little dears came jumping merrily along, hand in hand, in / couples: they were all ornamented with hearts. Next came the / guests, mostly kings and queens, among whom Alice recognised the / white rabbit: it was talking in a hurried nervous manner, smiling / at everything that was said, and went by without noticing her. / Then followed the Knave of Hearts, carrying the King's crown on a / cushion, and, last of all this grand procession, came THE KING / AND QUEEN OF HEARTS.

When the procession came opposite to Alice, they all stopped and / looked at her, and the Queen said severely "who is this? " She / said it to the Knave of Hearts, who only bowed and smiled in / reply.

"Idiot! " said the Queen, turning up her nose, and asked Alice / "what's your name?"

"My name is Alice, so please your Majesty," said Alice boldly, / for she thought to herself "why, they're only a pack of cards! I / needn't be afraid of them!"

"Who are these? " said the Queen, pointing to the three gardeners / lying round the rose tree, for, as they were lying on their / faces, and the pattern on their backs was the same as the rest of / the pack, she could not tell whether they were gardeners, or / soldiers, or courtiers, or three of her own children.

"How should I know? " said Alice, surprised at her own courage, / "it's no business of mine."

The Queen turned crimson with fury, and, after glaring at her for / a minute, began in a voice of thunder "off with her -- "

"Nonsense! " said Alice, very loudly and decidedly, and the Queen / was silent.

The King laid his hand upon her arm, and said timidly "remember, / my dear! She is only a child!"

The Queen turned angrily away from him, and said to the Knave / "turn them over!"