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