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