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