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