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