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