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