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