CHAPTER I. Down the Rabbit-Hole

Alice was beginning to get very sick and tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, as well as having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, however it had no pictures or conversations with it, ‘and what is the usage of a book,’ thought Alice ‘without pictures or conversations?’

As she could, for the hot day made her 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 Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her so she was considering in her own mind (as well.

There clearly was nothing so VERY remarkable in that; nor did Alice think it so VERY much out of the real option to hear the Rabbit say to itself, ‘Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!’ (when she thought it over afterwards, it occurred to her that she need to have wondered only essaywriter at that, but at the time all of it seemed quite natural); but when the Rabbit actually TOOK A WRISTWATCH AWAY FROM ITS WAISTCOAT-POCKET, and looked at it, and then hurried on, Alice started initially to her feet, for this flashed across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a wristwatch to obtain from it, and burning with curiosity, she ran over the field after it, and fortunately was just in time to notice it pop down a big rabbit-hole beneath the hedge.

In another moment down went Alice she was to get out again after it, never once considering how in the world.

The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for a few way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a second to think about stopping herself herself falling down a very deep well before she found.

Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had plenty of time as she went down to appear about her also to wonder that which was going to happen next. First, she tried to look down and also make out what she was arriving at, but it was too dark to see anything; then she looked over the sides regarding the well, and noticed which they were filled up with cupboards and book-shelves; here and there she saw maps and pictures hung upon pegs. She took down a jar in one regarding the shelves as she passed; it was labelled ‘ORANGE MARMALADE’, but to her great disappointment it had been empty: she did in contrast to to drop the jar for anxiety about killing somebody, so managed to place it into one of many cupboards as she fell past it.

‘Well!’ thought Alice to herself, ‘after such a fall since this, I shall think nothing of tumbling down stairs! How brave they are going to all think me in the home! Why, I would personallyn’t say anything if I fell off the top of your home!’ (Which was more than likely true. about it, even)

Down, down, down. Would the fall NEVER started to a conclusion! ‘I wonder how miles that are many’ve fallen by this time?’ she said aloud. ‘I should be getting somewhere near the centre of the earth. I’d like to see: that would be four thousand miles down, I think–‘ (for, you see, Alice had learnt a number of things with this sort in her own lessons when you look at the schoolroom, and even though it was not a rather opportunity that is good showing off her knowledge, as there clearly was no body to listen to her, still it was good practice to say it over) ‘–yes, which is about the right distance–but then I wonder what Latitude or Longitude I’ve got to?’ (Alice had no idea what Latitude was, or Longitude either, but thought these were nice grand words to express.)

Presently she began again. ‘I wonder if i will fall right THROUGH the planet earth! How funny it will seem to turn out among the people that walk due to their heads downward! The Antipathies, I think–‘ (she was rather glad there is no one listening, this time, I shall have to ask them what the name of the country is, you know as it didn’t sound at all the right word) ‘–but. Please, Ma’am, is this New Zealand or Australia?’ (and she tried to curtsey as she spoke–fancy CURTSEYING while you’re falling through the air! Would you think you might manage it?) ‘And what an ignorant young girl she’ll think me for asking! No, it’s going to never do in order to ask: perhaps it shall be seen by me written up somewhere.’

Down, down, down. There clearly was nothing else to do, so Alice soon began talking again. ‘Dinah’ll miss me very much to-night, I should think!’ (Dinah was the cat.) ‘I hope they will remember her saucer of milk at tea-time. Dinah my dear! I wish you were down here with me! There are not any mice within the fresh air, i am afraid, you might catch a bat, and that’s very like a mouse, you realize. But do cats eat bats, I wonder?’ And here Alice began to get rather sleepy, and went on saying to herself, in a dreamy type of way, ‘Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats?’ and sometimes, ‘Do bats eat cats?’ for, the thing is, it didn’t much matter which way she put it as she couldn’t answer either question. She felt that she was dozing off, and had just started to dream that she was walking hand in hand with Dinah, and saying to her very earnestly, ‘Now, Dinah, let me know the reality: do you ever eat a bat?’ when suddenly, thump! thump! down she come upon a heap of sticks and leaves that are dry and the fall was over.

Alice was not a bit hurt, and she jumped through to to her feet in a second: she looked up, but it was all overhead that is dark before her was another long passage, and also the White Rabbit was still in sight, hurrying down it. There is not a second to be lost: away went Alice like the wind, and was just with time to hear it say, as it turned a large part, ‘Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it’s getting!’ She was close behind it when she turned the corner, however the Rabbit was no more to be seen: she found herself in a long, low hall, which was lit up by a row of lamps hanging through the roof.

There were doors all round the hall, nonetheless they were all locked; and when Alice was indeed all of the real way down one side or over the other, trying every door, she walked sadly along the middle, wondering how she was ever to leave again.

Suddenly she came upon a little three-legged table, all made from solid glass; there is nothing onto it except a small golden key, and Alice’s first thought was that it might fit in with among the doors associated with hall; but, alas! either the locks were too big, or the key was too small, but at the very least it might not open some of them. However, regarding the second time round, she come upon the lowest curtain she had not noticed before, and behind it was just a little door about fifteen inches high: she tried the tiny golden key in the lock, and to her great delight it fitted!

Alice opened the door and discovered so it led into a tiny passage, not much larger than a rat-hole: she knelt down and looked along the passage into the loveliest garden you ever saw. How she longed to leave of that dark hall, and wander about among those beds of bright flowers and those cool fountains, but she could not really get her head through the doorway; ‘and even in the event my head would proceed through,’ thought poor Alice, ‘it will be of hardly any use without my shoulders. Oh, the way I wish i possibly could shut up like a telescope! I believe I could, you see, so many out-of-the-way things had happened lately, that Alice had begun to think that very few things indeed were really impossible if I only know how to begin.’ For.