CHAPTER I. Down the Rabbit-Hole

Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister in the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, nonetheless it had no pictures or conversations in it, ‘and what’s the use of a novel,’ 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 was nothing so VERY remarkable for the reason that; nor did Alice think it so VERY much out from the option to hear the Rabbit say to itself, ‘Oh dear! Oh dear! I will be late!’ (when she thought it over afterwards, it occurred to her at it, and then hurried on, Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch to take out of it, and burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it, and fortunately was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge that she ought to have wondered at this, but at the time it all seemed quite natural); but when the Rabbit actually TOOK A WATCH OUT OF ITS WAISTCOAT-POCKET, and looked.

An additional 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 many way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a second to give some thought to stopping herself before she found herself falling down a tremendously deep well.

Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, as she went down to look about her and to wonder what was going to happen next for she had plenty of time. First, she attempted to look down and also make out what she was arriving at, but it was too dark to see anything; then she looked at the sides for the well, and noticed that they were filled with cupboards and book-shelves; every now and then she saw maps and pictures hung upon pegs. She took down a jar in one associated with shelves into one of the cupboards as she fell past it as she passed; it was labelled ‘ORANGE MARMALADE’, but to her great disappointment it was empty: she did not like to drop the jar for fear of killing somebody, so managed to put 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 wouldn’t say anything if I fell off the top of the home!’ (Which was more than likely true. about any of it, even)

Down, down, down. Would the fall NEVER arrive at a conclusion! ‘I wonder how miles that are many’ve fallen by this time?’ she said aloud. ‘I must be getting somewhere nearby the centre regarding the earth. Allow me to see: that might be four thousand miles down, I think–‘ (for, the truth is, Alice had learnt several things with this sort inside her lessons within 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 had been 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 clue what Latitude was, or Longitude either, but thought these were nice grand words to say.)

Presently she began again. ‘I wonder if I shall fall right THROUGH the earth! How funny it’s going to appear to come out among the people that walk making use of their heads downward! The Antipathies, I think–‘ (she was rather glad there clearly was no one listening, this time, because it didn’t sound at most of the right word) ‘–but i will have to question them what the name of the country is, you know. 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 can manage it?) ‘And what an ignorant girl that is little’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 was nothing else to do, so Alice soon began talking again. ‘Dinah’ll miss me very to-night that is much I should think!’ (Dinah was the cat.) ‘I hope they are going to remember her saucer of milk at tea-time. Dinah my dear! I wish you were down here with me! There are not any mice when you look at the fresh air, i am afraid, you might catch a bat, and that is very like a mouse, you know. But do cats eat bats, I wonder?’ And here Alice begun to get rather sleepy, and went on saying to herself, in a dreamy kind of way, ‘Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats?’ and quite often, ‘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, together with just begun to dream that she was walking hand in hand with Dinah, and saying to her very earnestly, ‘Now, Dinah, tell me the truth: do you ever eat essay writers a bat?’ when suddenly, thump! thump! down she come upon a heap of sticks and dry leaves, therefore the fall was over.

Alice had not been a bit hurt, and she jumped up on to her feet in a minute: she looked up, but it was all overhead that is dark before her was another long passage, while the White Rabbit was still in sight, hurrying down it. There was not a moment to away be lost went Alice such as the wind, and was just over time to hear it say, as it turned a corner, ‘Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it is getting!’ She was close behind it when she turned the corner, but the Rabbit was no further to be seen: she found herself in a lengthy, low hall, which was lit up by a row of lamps hanging from the roof.

There have been doors all round the hall, but they were all locked; and when Alice was indeed all the way down one side and up one other, trying every door, she walked sadly down the middle, wondering how she was ever to leave again.

Suddenly she come upon a little three-legged table, all made from solid glass; there clearly was nothing that it 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 on it except a tiny golden key, and Alice’s first thought was. However, on the second time round, she come upon a minimal curtain she had not noticed before, and she tried the little golden key in the lock, and to her great delight it fitted behind it was a little door about fifteen inches high!

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