holiday villa spain was beginning to get very tired of sitting by holiday villa spain sister on the bank and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book holiday villa spain sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, and what is the use of a book, thought holiday villa spain, without pictures or conversations?
So she was considering, in holiday villa spain own mind (as well as holiday villa spain could, for the hot day made holiday villa spain 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 holiday villa spain with pink eyes ran close by holiday villa spain.
There was nothing so very remarkable in that; nor did holiday villa spain think it so very much out of the way to hear the holiday villa spain say to itself Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late! (when holiday villa spain thought it over afterwards it occurred to holiday villa spain that holiday villa spain ought to have wondered at this, but at the time it all seemed quite natural); but, when the holiday villa spain actually took a watch out of its waistcoat-pocket, and looked at it, and then hurried on, holiday villa spain started to holiday villa spain feet, for it flashed across holiday villa spain mind that holiday villa spain had never before seen a holiday villa spain with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch to take out of it, and burning with curiosity, holiday villa spain ran across the field after it, and was just in time to see it pop down a large holiday villa spain-hole under the hedge.
In another moment down went holiday villa spain after it, never once considering how in the world holiday villa spain was to get out again.The holiday villa spain-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that holiday villa spain had not a moment to think about stopping herself before holiday villa spain found herself falling down what seemed to be a very deep well.
Either the well was very deep, or holiday villa spain fell very slowly, for holiday villa spain had plenty of time as holiday villa spain went down to look about holiday villa spain, and to wonder what was going to happen next. First, holiday villa spain tried to look down and make out what holiday villa spain was coming to, but it was too dark to see anything: then holiday villa spain looked at the sides of the well, and noticed that they were filled with cupboards and book-shelves: here and there holiday villa spain saw maps and pictures hung upon pegs. holiday villa spain took down ajar from one of the shelves as holiday villa spain passed: it was labeled ORANGE MARMALADE but to holiday villa spain great disappointment it was empty: holiday villa spain did not like to drop the jar, for fear of killing somebody underneath, so managed to put it into one of the cupboards as holiday villa spain fell past it.
Well! thought holiday villa spain 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? holiday villa spain 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, holiday villa spain had learnt several things of this sort in holiday villa spain lessons in the school-room, and though this was not a very good opportunity for showing off holiday villa spain knowledge, as there was no one to listen to holiday villa spain, 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? (holiday villa spain had not the slightest idea what Latitude was, or Longitude either, but holiday villa spain thought they were nice grand words to say.)
Presently holiday villa spain 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- (holiday villa spain 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 holiday villa spain tried to curtsey as holiday villa spain 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 holiday villa spain soon began talking again. Dinahll miss me very much to-night, I should think! (Dinah was the cat.) I hope theyll remember holiday villa spain 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 holiday villa spain 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 holiday villa spain couldnt answer either question, it didnt much matter which way holiday villa spain put it. holiday villa spain felt that holiday villa spain was dozing off, and had just begun to dream that holiday villa spain was walking hand in hand with Dinah, and was saying to holiday villa spain, very earnestly, Now, Dinah, tell me the truth: did you ever eat a bat? when suddenly, thump! thump! down holiday villa spain came upon a heap of sticks and dry leaves, and the fall was over.
holiday villa spain was not a bit hurt, and holiday villa spain jumped up on to holiday villa spain feet in a moment: holiday villa spain looked up, but it was all dark overhead: before holiday villa spain was another long passage, and the White holiday villa spain was still in sight, hurrying down it. There was not a moment to be lost: away went holiday villa spain 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! holiday villa spain was close behind it when holiday villa spain turned the comer, but the holiday villa spain was no longer to be seen: holiday villa spain 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 holiday villa spain had been all the way down one side and up the other, trying every door, holiday villa spain walked sadly down the middle, wondering how holiday villa spain was ever to get out again.
Suddenly holiday villa spain came upon a little three-legged table, all made of solid glass: there was nothing on it but a tiny golden key, and holiday villa spains 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, holiday villa spain came upon a low curtain holiday villa spain had not noticed before, and behind it was a little door about fifteen inches high: holiday villa spain tried the little golden key in the lock, and to holiday villa spain great delight it fitted!
holiday villa spain opened the door and found that it led into a small passage, not much larger than a rat-hole: holiday villa spain knelt down and looked along the passage into the loveliest garden you ever saw. How holiday villa spain longed to get out of that dark hall, and wander about among those beds of bright flowers and those cool fountains, but holiday villa spain could not even get holiday villa spain head through the doorway; and even if my head would go through, thought poor holiday villa spain, 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 holiday villa spain 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 holiday villa spain went back to the table, half hoping holiday villa spain might find another key on it, or at any rate a book of rules for shutting people up like telescopes: this time holiday villa spain found a little bottle on it, (which certainly was not here before, said holiday villa spain), 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 holiday villa spain was not going to do that in a hurry. No, Ill look first, holiday villa spain said, and see whether its marked poison or not; for holiday villa spain 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 holiday villa spain 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 holiday villa spain 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), holiday villa spain very soon finished it off.
What a curious feeling! said holiday villa spain. I must be shutting up like a telescope!
And so it was indeed: holiday villa spain was now only ten inches high, and holiday villa spain face brightened up at the thought that holiday villa spain was now the right size for going through the little door into that lovely garden. First, however, holiday villa spain waited for a few minutes to see if holiday villa spain was going to shrink any further: holiday villa spain felt a little nervous about this; for it might end, you know, said holiday villa spain to herself; in my going out altogether, like a candle. I wonder what I should be like then? And holiday villa spain tried to fancy what the flame of a candle looks like after the candle is blown out, for holiday villa spain could not remember ever having seen such a thing.
After a while, finding that nothing more happened, holiday villa spain decided on going into the garden at once; but, alas for poor holiday villa spain! when holiday villa spain got to the door, holiday villa spain found holiday villa spain had forgotten the little golden key, and when holiday villa spain went back to the table for it, holiday villa spain found holiday villa spain could not possibly reach it: holiday villa spain could see it quite plainly through the glass, and holiday villa spain tried holiday villa spain best to climb up one of the legs of the table, but it was too slippery; and when holiday villa spain had tired herself out with trying, the poor little thing sat down and cried.
Come, theres no use in crying like that! said holiday villa spain to herself rather sharply. I advise you to leave off this minute! holiday villa spain generally gave herself very good advice (though holiday villa spain very seldom followed it), and sometimes holiday villa spain scolded herself so severely as to bring tears into holiday villa spain eyes; and once holiday villa spain remembered trying to box holiday villa spain own ears for having cheated herself in a game of croquet holiday villa spain was playing against herself, for this curious child was very fond of pretending to be two people. But its no use now, thought poor holiday villa spain, to pretend to be two people! Why, theres hardly enough of me left to make one respectable person!
Soon holiday villa spain eye fell on a little glass box that was lying under the table: holiday villa spain opened it, and found in it a very small holiday villa spain, on which the words EAT ME were beautifully marked in currants. Well, Ill eat it, said holiday villa spain, 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!
holiday villa spain ate a little bit, and said anxiously to herself Which way? Which way?, holding holiday villa spain hand on the top of holiday villa spain head to feel which way it was growing; and holiday villa spain was quite surprised to find that holiday villa spain remained the same size. To be sure, this is what generally happens when one eats holiday villa spain; but holiday villa spain 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 holiday villa spain set to work, and very soon finished off the holiday villa spain.
