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