English
Alicewasbeginningtogetverytiredofsittingbyhersisteronthebank,andofhavingnothingtodo:onceortwiceshehadpeepedintothebookhersisterwasreading,butithadnopicturesorconversationsinit,'andwhatistheuseofabook,'thoughtAlice'withoutpicturesorconversation?'
Soshewasconsideringinherownmind(aswellasshecould,forthehotdaymadeherfeelverysleepyandstupid),whetherthepleasureofmakingadaisy–chainwouldbeworththetroubleofgettingupandpickingthedaisies,whensuddenlyaWhiteRabbitwithpinkeyesranclosebyher.
TherewasnothingsoVERYremarkableinthat;nordidAlicethinkitsoVERYmuchoutofthewaytoheartheRabbitsaytoitself,'Ohdear!Ohdear!Ishallbelate!'
(whenshethoughtitoverafterwards,itoccurredtoherthatsheoughttohavewonderedatthis,butatthetimeitallseemedquitenatural);butwhentheRabbitactuallyTOOKAWATCHOUTOFITSWAISTCOAT–POCKET,andlookedatit,andthenhurriedon,Alicestartedtoherfeet,foritflashedacrosshermindthatshehadneverbeforeseenarabbitwitheitherawaistcoat–pocket,orawatchtotakeoutofit,andburningwithcuriosity,sheranacrossthefieldafterit,andfortunatelywasjustintimetoseeitpopdownalargerabbit–holeunderthehedge.
InanothermomentdownwentAliceafterit,neveronceconsideringhowintheworldshewastogetoutagain.
Therabbit–holewentstraightonlikeatunnelforsomeway,andthendippedsuddenlydown,sosuddenlythatAlicehadnotamomenttothinkaboutstoppingherselfbeforeshefoundherselffallingdownaverydeepwell.
Eitherthewellwasverydeep,orshefellveryslowly,forshehadplentyoftimeasshewentdowntolookaboutherandtowonderwhatwasgoingtohappennext.
First,shetriedtolookdownandmakeoutwhatshewascomingto,butitwastoodarktoseeanything;thenshelookedatthesidesofthewell,andnoticedthattheywerefilledwithcupboardsandbook–shelves;hereandthereshesawmapsandpictureshunguponpegs.
Shetookdownajarfromoneoftheshelvesasshepassed;itwaslabelled'ORANGEMARMALADE',buttohergreatdisappointmentitwasempty:shedidnotliketodropthejarforfearofkillingsomebody,somanagedtoputitintooneofthecupboardsasshefellpastit.
'Well!'thoughtAlicetoherself,'aftersuchafallasthis,Ishallthinknothingoftumblingdownstairs!Howbravethey'llallthinkmeathome!
Why,Iwouldn'tsayanythingaboutit,evenifIfelloffthetopofthehouse!'(Whichwasverylikelytrue.)
Down,down,down.WouldthefallNEVERcometoanend!'
IwonderhowmanymilesI'vefallenbythistime?'shesaidaloud.'
Imustbegettingsomewherenearthecentreoftheearth.
Letmesee:thatwouldbefourthousandmilesdown,Ithink—'(for,yousee,Alicehadlearntseveralthingsofthissortinherlessonsintheschoolroom,andthoughthiswasnotaVERYgoodopportunityforshowingoffherknowledge,astherewasnoonetolistentoher,stillitwasgoodpracticetosayitover)'—yes,that'sabouttherightdistance—butthenIwonderwhatLatitudeorLongitudeI'vegotto?'
(AlicehadnoideawhatLatitudewas,orLongitudeeither,butthoughttheywerenicegrandwordstosay.)
Presentlyshebeganagain.'IwonderifIshallfallrightTHROUGHtheearth!
Howfunnyit'llseemtocomeoutamongthepeoplethatwalkwiththeirheadsdownward!
TheAntipathies,Ithink—'(shewasrathergladthereWASnoonelistening,thistime,asitdidn'tsoundatalltherightword)'—butIshallhavetoaskthemwhatthenameofthecountryis,youknow.
Please,Ma'am,isthisNewZealandorAustralia?'
(andshetriedtocurtseyasshespoke—fancyCURTSEYINGasyou'refallingthroughtheair!Doyouthinkyoucouldmanageit?)
'Andwhatanignorantlittlegirlshe'llthinkmeforasking!
No,it'llneverdotoask:perhapsIshallseeitwrittenupsomewhere.'
Down,down,down.Therewasnothingelsetodo,soAlicesoonbegantalkingagain.
'Dinah'llmissmeverymuchto–night,Ishouldthink!'(Dinahwasthecat.)'
Ihopethey'llrememberhersaucerofmilkattea–time.Dinahmydear!Iwishyouweredownherewithme!
Therearenomiceintheair,I'mafraid,butyoumightcatchabat,andthat'sverylikeamouse,youknow.Butdocatseatbats,Iwonder?'
AndhereAlicebegantogetrathersleepy,andwentonsayingtoherself,inadreamysortofway,'Docatseatbats?Docatseatbats?'andsometimes,'Dobatseatcats?'
for,yousee,asshecouldn'tanswereitherquestion,itdidn'tmuchmatterwhichwaysheputit.
Shefeltthatshewasdozingoff,andhadjustbeguntodreamthatshewaswalkinghandinhandwithDinah,andsayingtoherveryearnestly,'Now,Dinah,tellmethetruth:didyouevereatabat?'whensuddenly,thump!thump!
downshecameuponaheapofsticksanddryleaves,andthefallwasover.
Alicewasnotabithurt,andshejumpedupontoherfeetinamoment:shelookedup,butitwasalldarkoverhead;beforeherwasanotherlongpassage,andtheWhiteRabbitwasstillinsight,hurryingdownit.
Therewasnotamomenttobelost:awaywentAlicelikethewind,andwasjustintimetohearitsay,asitturnedacorner,'Ohmyearsandwhiskers,howlateit'sgetting!'
Shewasclosebehinditwhensheturnedthecorner,buttheRabbitwasnolongertobeseen:shefoundherselfinalong,lowhall,whichwaslitupbyarowoflampshangingfromtheroof.
Thereweredoorsallroundthehall,buttheywerealllocked;andwhenAlicehadbeenallthewaydownonesideanduptheother,tryingeverydoor,shewalkedsadlydownthemiddle,wonderinghowshewasevertogetoutagain.
Suddenlyshecameuponalittlethree–leggedtable,allmadeofsolidglass;therewasnothingonitexceptatinygoldenkey,andAlice'sfirstthoughtwasthatitmightbelongtooneofthedoorsofthehall;but,alas!
eitherthelocksweretoolarge,orthekeywastoosmall,butatanyrateitwouldnotopenanyofthem.
However,onthesecondtimeround,shecameuponalowcurtainshehadnotnoticedbefore,andbehinditwasalittledooraboutfifteenincheshigh:shetriedthelittlegoldenkeyinthelock,andtohergreatdelightitfitted!
Aliceopenedthedoorandfoundthatitledintoasmallpassage,notmuchlargerthanarat–hole:shekneltdownandlookedalongthepassageintotheloveliestgardenyoueversaw.
Howshelongedtogetoutofthatdarkhall,andwanderaboutamongthosebedsofbrightflowersandthosecoolfountains,butshecouldnotevengetherheadthroughthedoorway;'andevenifmyheadwouldgothrough,'thoughtpoorAlice,'itwouldbeofverylittleusewithoutmyshoulders.
Oh,howIwishIcouldshutuplikeatelescope!
IthinkIcould,ifIonlyknowhowtobegin.'
For,yousee,somanyout–of–the–waythingshadhappenedlately,thatAlicehadbeguntothinkthatveryfewthingsindeedwerereallyimpossible.
Thereseemedtobenouseinwaitingbythelittledoor,soshewentbacktothetable,halfhopingshemightfindanotherkeyonit,oratanyrateabookofrulesforshuttingpeopleupliketelescopes:thistimeshefoundalittlebottleonit,('whichcertainlywasnotherebefore,'saidAlice,)androundtheneckofthebottlewasapaperlabel,withthewords'DRINKME'beautifullyprintedonitinlargeletters.
Itwasallverywelltosay'Drinkme,'butthewiselittleAlicewasnotgoingtodoTHATinahurry.
'No,I'lllookfirst,'shesaid,'andseewhetherit'smarked"poison"ornot';forshehadreadseveralnicelittlehistoriesaboutchildrenwhohadgotburnt,andeatenupbywildbeastsandotherunpleasantthings,allbecausetheyWOULDnotrememberthesimplerulestheirfriendshadtaughtthem:suchas,thatared–hotpokerwillburnyouifyouholdittoolong;andthatifyoucutyourfingerVERYdeeplywithaknife,itusuallybleeds;andshehadneverforgottenthat,ifyoudrinkmuchfromabottlemarked'poison,'itisalmostcertaintodisagreewithyou,soonerorlater.
However,thisbottlewasNOTmarked'poison,'soAliceventuredtotasteit,andfindingitverynice,(ithad,infact,asortofmixedflavourofcherry–tart,custard,pine–apple,roastturkey,toffee,andhotbutteredtoast,)sheverysoonfinisheditoff.
'Whatacuriousfeeling!'saidAlice;'Imustbeshuttinguplikeatelescope.'
Andsoitwasindeed:shewasnowonlytenincheshigh,andherfacebrightenedupatthethoughtthatshewasnowtherightsizeforgoingthroughthelittledoorintothatlovelygarden.
First,however,shewaitedforafewminutestoseeifshewasgoingtoshrinkanyfurther:shefeltalittlenervousaboutthis;'foritmightend,youknow,'saidAlicetoherself,'inmygoingoutaltogether,likeacandle.IwonderwhatIshouldbelikethen?'
Andshetriedtofancywhattheflameofacandleislikeafterthecandleisblownout,forshecouldnotremembereverhavingseensuchathing.
Afterawhile,findingthatnothingmorehappened,shedecidedongoingintothegardenatonce;but,alasforpoorAlice!
whenshegottothedoor,shefoundshehadforgottenthelittlegoldenkey,andwhenshewentbacktothetableforit,shefoundshecouldnotpossiblyreachit:shecouldseeitquiteplainlythroughtheglass,andshetriedherbesttoclimbuponeofthelegsofthetable,butitwastooslippery;andwhenshehadtiredherselfoutwithtrying,thepoorlittlethingsatdownandcried.
'Come,there'snouseincryinglikethat!'
saidAlicetoherself,rathersharply;'Iadviseyoutoleaveoffthisminute!'
Shegenerallygaveherselfverygoodadvice,(thoughsheveryseldomfollowedit),andsometimesshescoldedherselfsoseverelyastobringtearsintohereyes;andoncesherememberedtryingtoboxherownearsforhavingcheatedherselfinagameofcroquetshewasplayingagainstherself,forthiscuriouschildwasveryfondofpretendingtobetwopeople.
'Butit'snousenow,'thoughtpoorAlice,'topretendtobetwopeople!
Why,there'shardlyenoughofmelefttomakeONErespectableperson!'
Soonhereyefellonalittleglassboxthatwaslyingunderthetable:sheopenedit,andfoundinitaverysmallcake,onwhichthewords'EATME'werebeautifullymarkedincurrants.
'Well,I'lleatit,'saidAlice,'andifitmakesmegrowlarger,Icanreachthekey;andifitmakesmegrowsmaller,Icancreepunderthedoor;soeitherwayI'llgetintothegarden,andIdon'tcarewhichhappens!'
Sheatealittlebit,andsaidanxiouslytoherself,'Whichway?Whichway?'
,holdingherhandonthetopofherheadtofeelwhichwayitwasgrowing,andshewasquitesurprisedtofindthatsheremainedthesamesize:tobesure,thisgenerallyhappenswhenoneeatscake,butAlicehadgotsomuchintothewayofexpectingnothingbutout–of–the–waythingstohappen,thatitseemedquitedullandstupidforlifetogooninthecommonway.
Soshesettowork,andverysoonfinishedoffthecake.
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