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