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