Author: Lewis Carroll
Publisher:
Published: 2021-02-22
Total Pages: 46
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →
Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing todo: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures orconversations in it, and where is the use of a book, thought Alice, without pictures or conversations?So she was considering in her own mind, (as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel verysleepy and stupid, ) whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain was worth the trouble of getting upand picking the daisies, when a white rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her.There was nothing very remarkable in that, nor did Alice think it so very much out of the way tohear the rabbit say to itself "dear, dear! I shall be too late!" (when she thought it over afterwards, itoccurred to her 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, looked at it, and then hurriedon, Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbitwith either a waistcoat-pocket or a watch to take out of it, and, full of curiosity, she hurried acrossthe field after it, and was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge. In amoment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again.The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, sosuddenly, that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself, before she found herselffalling down what seemed a deep well. Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for shehad plenty of time as she went down to look about her, and to wonder what would happen next.First, she tried to look down and make out what she was coming to, but it was too dark to seeanything: then, she looked at the sides of the well, and noticed that they were filled with cupboardsand book-shelves: here and there were maps and pictures hung on pegs. She took a jar down off oneof the shelves as she passed: it was labelled "Orange Marmalade," but to her great disappointment itwas empty: she did not like to drop the jar, for fear of killing somebody underneath, so managed toput it into one of the cupboards as she fell past it."Well!" thought Alice to herself, "after such a fall as this, I shall think nothing of tumbling downstairs! How brave they'll all think me at home! Why, I wouldn't say anything about it, even if I felloff the top of the house!" (which was most likely true.)Down, down, down. Would the fall never come to an end? "I wonder how many miles I've fallen bythis time?" she 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 Alice had learnt several things ofthis sort in her lessons in the schoolroom, and though this was not a very good opportunity ofshowing off her knowledge, as there was no one to hear her, still it was good practice to say it over, )"yes that's the right distance, but then what Longitude or Latitude-line shall I be in?" (Alice had noidea what Longitude was, or Latitude either, but she thought they were nice grand words to say.)Presently she began again: "I wonder if I shall fall right through the earth! How funny it'll be tocome out among the people that walk with their heads downwards! But I shall have to ask themwhat the name of the country is, you know. Please, Ma'am, is this New Zealand or Australia?"-and 3she tried to curtsey as she spoke (fancy curtseying as you're falling through the air! do you think youcould manage it?) "and what an ignorant little girl she'll think me for asking! No, it'll never do to ask: perhaps I shall see it written up somewh
