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