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