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