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