This chapter describes a chaotic tea party between Alice, the March Hare, the Hatter and the Dormouse. When Alice arrives at the table, she is met with the unexpected offer of wine from the March Hare, despite the fact that there is no wine to be seen on the table. The Hatter, who has been observing Alice with great curiosity, decides to make a rude comment about her hair, causing Alice to scold him for his lack of manners.
As the conversation continues, the guests begin to ask each other riddles and engage in a game of wordplay. The Hatter asks the famous riddle, "Why is a raven like a writing-desk?" to which Alice confidently replies that she can guess the answer. However, the March Hare and the Hatter challenge her with a series of nonsensical comparisons, leaving Alice feeling flustered.
The conversation takes a curious turn when the Hatter asks Alice what day of the month it is, revealing that his watch only tells the date and not the time. This leads to a lively argument between the Hatter and the March Hare about the reliability of the watch and the quality of the butter that was used to lubricate it. Alice, who has been observing the antics of the Hatter and the March Hare, comments on the strange design of the watch, causing the Hatter to question why it should tell the time at all.
The chapter ends with the guests sitting in silence as Alice thinks about ravens and writing-desks, and the Hatter and the March Hare continue to bicker over the accuracy of the watch. The scene is full of playful banter and absurdity, making it a delightful and entertaining part of Alice's journey down the rabbit hole.