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