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