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