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