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