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