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