Who is accused of stealing tarts in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland?

The Knave of Hearts is accused of stealing the Queen of Hearts’ tarts in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

The accusation appears during the courtroom scene near the end of the novel. The King of Hearts presides, while the Queen demands punishment and the Knave is treated as the culprit before the evidence has been properly examined.

The scene is deliberately absurd: the witnesses and evidence are unreliable, the jury behaves chaotically, and the Queen repeatedly orders executions. Alice gradually grows more confident and challenges the irrational proceedings.

A common mix-up is confusing the Knave with the King or Queen of Hearts. The Knave is the accused servant or court figure; the Queen owns the tarts, and the King acts as judge. The trial never establishes a sensible verdict before Alice wakes from the dream.