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