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