Who directs Alice toward the Hatter and the March Hare?

The Cheshire Cat directs Alice toward the Hatter and the March Hare.

Alice encounters the grinning cat at the Duchess’s house after the Duchess’s baby transforms into a piglet. Later, she meets the Cat in a tree and asks what sort of people live nearby. The Cat points her toward both the Hatter and the March Hare, adding that they are both mad.

Alice chooses to visit the March Hare, reasoning that a hare might be less mad than a hatter. She soon arrives at the famous tea party, where the March Hare, the Hatter, and the Dormouse sit at a table with no obvious end to tea time.

The Cheshire Cat is more guide than reliable tour director. It offers useful information while speaking in riddles and disappearing piece by piece, leaving only its grin. The Hatter and March Hare are separate characters; the Cat merely sends Alice in their direction.