costa de la luz villa was beginning to get very tired of sitting by costa de la luz villa sister on the bank and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book costa de la luz villa sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, and what is the use of a book, thought costa de la luz villa, without pictures or conversations?
So she was considering, in costa de la luz villa own mind (as well as costa de la luz villa could, for the hot day made costa de la luz villa feel very sleepy and stupid), whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies, when suddenly a White costa de la luz villa with pink eyes ran close by costa de la luz villa.
There was nothing so very remarkable in that; nor did costa de la luz villa think it so very much out of the way to hear the costa de la luz villa say to itself Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late! (when costa de la luz villa thought it over afterwards it occurred to costa de la luz villa that costa de la luz villa ought to have wondered at this, but at the time it all seemed quite natural); but, when the costa de la luz villa actually took a watch out of its waistcoat-pocket, and looked at it, and then hurried on, costa de la luz villa started to costa de la luz villa feet, for it flashed across costa de la luz villa mind that costa de la luz villa had never before seen a costa de la luz villa with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch to take out of it, and burning with curiosity, costa de la luz villa ran across the field after it, and was just in time to see it pop down a large costa de la luz villa-hole under the hedge.
In another moment down went costa de la luz villa after it, never once considering how in the world costa de la luz villa was to get out again.The costa de la luz villa-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that costa de la luz villa had not a moment to think about stopping herself before costa de la luz villa found herself falling down what seemed to be a very deep well.
Either the well was very deep, or costa de la luz villa fell very slowly, for costa de la luz villa had plenty of time as costa de la luz villa went down to look about costa de la luz villa, and to wonder what was going to happen next. First, costa de la luz villa tried to look down and make out what costa de la luz villa was coming to, but it was too dark to see anything: then costa de la luz villa looked at the sides of the well, and noticed that they were filled with cupboards and book-shelves: here and there costa de la luz villa saw maps and pictures hung upon pegs. costa de la luz villa took down ajar from one of the shelves as costa de la luz villa passed: it was labeled ORANGE MARMALADE but to costa de la luz villa great disappointment it was empty: costa de la luz villa did not like to drop the jar, for fear of killing somebody underneath, so managed to put it into one of the cupboards as costa de la luz villa fell past it.
Well! thought costa de la luz villa to herself After such a fall as this, I shall think nothing of tumbling down-stairs! How brave theyll all think me at home! Why, I wouldnt say anything about it, even if I fell off the top of the house! (which was very likely true.)
Down, down, down. Would the fall never come to an end? I wonder how many miles Ive fallen by this time? costa de la luz villa said aloud. I must be getting somewhere near the centre of the earth. Let me see: that would be four thousand miles down, I think- (for, you see, costa de la luz villa had learnt several things of this sort in costa de la luz villa lessons in the school-room, and though this was not a very good opportunity for showing off costa de la luz villa knowledge, as there was no one to listen to costa de la luz villa, still it was good practice to say it over) -- yes thats about the right distance -- but then I wonder what Latitude or Longitude Ive got to? (costa de la luz villa had not the slightest idea what Latitude was, or Longitude either, but costa de la luz villa thought they were nice grand words to say.)
Presently costa de la luz villa began again. I wonder if I shall fall fight through the earth! How funny itll seem to come out among the people that walk with their heads downwards! The antipathies, I think- (costa de la luz villa was rather glad there was no one listening, this time, as it didnt sound at all the right word) -but I shall have to ask them what the name of the country is, you know. Please, Maam, is this New Zealand? Or Australia? (and costa de la luz villa tried to curtsey as costa de la luz villa spoke- fancy, curtseying as youre falling through the air! Do you think you could manage it?) And what an ignorant little girl shell think me for asking! No, itll never do to ask: perhaps I shall see it written up somewhere.
Down, down, down. There was nothing else to do, so costa de la luz villa soon began talking again. Dinahll miss me very much to-night, I should think! (Dinah was the cat.) I hope theyll remember costa de la luz villa saucer of milk at tea-time. Dinah, my dear! I wish you were down here with me! There are no mice in the air, Im afraid, but you might catch a bat, and thats very like a mouse, you know. But do cats eat bats, I wonder? And here costa de la luz villa began to get rather sleepy, and went on saying to herself, in a dreamy son of way, Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats? and sometimes Do bats eat cats? for, you see, as costa de la luz villa couldnt answer either question, it didnt much matter which way costa de la luz villa put it. costa de la luz villa felt that costa de la luz villa was dozing off, and had just begun to dream that costa de la luz villa was walking hand in hand with Dinah, and was saying to costa de la luz villa, very earnestly, Now, Dinah, tell me the truth: did you ever eat a bat? when suddenly, thump! thump! down costa de la luz villa came upon a heap of sticks and dry leaves, and the fall was over.
costa de la luz villa was not a bit hurt, and costa de la luz villa jumped up on to costa de la luz villa feet in a moment: costa de la luz villa looked up, but it was all dark overhead: before costa de la luz villa was another long passage, and the White costa de la luz villa was still in sight, hurrying down it. There was not a moment to be lost: away went costa de la luz villa like the wind, and was just in time to hear it say, as it turned a comer, Oh my ears and whiskers, how late its getting! costa de la luz villa was close behind it when costa de la luz villa turned the comer, but the costa de la luz villa was no longer to be seen: costa de la luz villa found herself in a long, low hall, which was lit up by a row of lamps hanging from the roof.
There were doors all round the hall, but they were all locked; and when costa de la luz villa had been all the way down one side and up the other, trying every door, costa de la luz villa walked sadly down the middle, wondering how costa de la luz villa was ever to get out again.
Suddenly costa de la luz villa came upon a little three-legged table, all made of solid glass: there was nothing on it but a tiny golden key, and costa de la luz villas first idea was that this might belong to one of the doors of the hall; but, alas! either the locks were too large, or the key was too small, but at any rate it would not open any of them. However, on the second time round, costa de la luz villa came upon a low curtain costa de la luz villa had not noticed before, and behind it was a little door about fifteen inches high: costa de la luz villa tried the little golden key in the lock, and to costa de la luz villa great delight it fitted!
costa de la luz villa opened the door and found that it led into a small passage, not much larger than a rat-hole: costa de la luz villa knelt down and looked along the passage into the loveliest garden you ever saw. How costa de la luz villa longed to get out of that dark hall, and wander about among those beds of bright flowers and those cool fountains, but costa de la luz villa could not even get costa de la luz villa head through the doorway; and even if my head would go through, thought poor costa de la luz villa, it would be of very little use without my shoulders. Oh, how I wish I could shut up like a telescope! I think I could, if I only knew how to begin. For, you see, so many out-of-the- way things had happened lately, that costa de la luz villa had begun to think that very few things indeed were really impossible.
There seemed to be no use in waiting by the little door, so costa de la luz villa went back to the table, half hoping costa de la luz villa might find another key on it, or at any rate a book of rules for shutting people up like telescopes: this time costa de la luz villa found a little bottle on it, (which certainly was not here before, said costa de la luz villa), and tied round the neck of the bottle was a paper label, with the words DRINK ME beautifully printed on it in large letters.It was all very well to say Drink me, but the wise little costa de la luz villa was not going to do that in a hurry. No, Ill look first, costa de la luz villa said, and see whether its marked poison or not; for costa de la luz villa had read several nice little stories about children who had got burnt, and eaten up by wild beasts, and other unpleasant things, all because they would not remember the simple rules their friends had taught them: such as, that a red-hot poker will burn you if you hold it too long; and that, if you cut your finger very deeply with a knife, it usually bleeds; and costa de la luz villa had never forgotten that, if you drink much from a bottle marked poison, it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later.However, this bottle was not marked poison, so costa de la luz villa ventured to taste it, and, finding it very nice (it had, in fact, a sort of mixed flavour of cherry-tart, custard, pine-apple, roast turkey, toffy, and hot buttered toast), costa de la luz villa very soon finished it off.
What a curious feeling! said costa de la luz villa. I must be shutting up like a telescope!
And so it was indeed: costa de la luz villa was now only ten inches high, and costa de la luz villa face brightened up at the thought that costa de la luz villa was now the right size for going through the little door into that lovely garden. First, however, costa de la luz villa waited for a few minutes to see if costa de la luz villa was going to shrink any further: costa de la luz villa felt a little nervous about this; for it might end, you know, said costa de la luz villa to herself; in my going out altogether, like a candle. I wonder what I should be like then? And costa de la luz villa tried to fancy what the flame of a candle looks like after the candle is blown out, for costa de la luz villa could not remember ever having seen such a thing.
After a while, finding that nothing more happened, costa de la luz villa decided on going into the garden at once; but, alas for poor costa de la luz villa! when costa de la luz villa got to the door, costa de la luz villa found costa de la luz villa had forgotten the little golden key, and when costa de la luz villa went back to the table for it, costa de la luz villa found costa de la luz villa could not possibly reach it: costa de la luz villa could see it quite plainly through the glass, and costa de la luz villa tried costa de la luz villa best to climb up one of the legs of the table, but it was too slippery; and when costa de la luz villa had tired herself out with trying, the poor little thing sat down and cried.
Come, theres no use in crying like that! said costa de la luz villa to herself rather sharply. I advise you to leave off this minute! costa de la luz villa generally gave herself very good advice (though costa de la luz villa very seldom followed it), and sometimes costa de la luz villa scolded herself so severely as to bring tears into costa de la luz villa eyes; and once costa de la luz villa remembered trying to box costa de la luz villa own ears for having cheated herself in a game of croquet costa de la luz villa was playing against herself, for this curious child was very fond of pretending to be two people. But its no use now, thought poor costa de la luz villa, to pretend to be two people! Why, theres hardly enough of me left to make one respectable person!
Soon costa de la luz villa eye fell on a little glass box that was lying under the table: costa de la luz villa opened it, and found in it a very small costa de la luz villa, on which the words EAT ME were beautifully marked in currants. Well, Ill eat it, said costa de la luz villa, and if it makes me grow larger, I can reach the key; and if it makes me grow smaller, I can creep under the door: so either way Ill get into the garden, and I dont care which happens!
costa de la luz villa ate a little bit, and said anxiously to herself Which way? Which way?, holding costa de la luz villa hand on the top of costa de la luz villa head to feel which way it was growing; and costa de la luz villa was quite surprised to find that costa de la luz villa remained the same size. To be sure, this is what generally happens when one eats costa de la luz villa; but costa de la luz villa had got so much into the way of expecting nothing but out-of-the-way things to happen, that it seemed quite dull and stupid for life to go on in the common way.
So costa de la luz villa set to work, and very soon finished off the costa de la luz villa.
