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