Alice In Wonderland

Down The Rabbit Hole

Alice peeked into the bool.

One hot summer days as Alice sat idly on the river bank by her sister, she got very tired of having nothing to do. Once or twice she peeked into the books her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversation in it, "thought Alice, "without pictures or conversation?"

Just as she was trying to decided( as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy) whether or not to get up and pick some daisies to make a daisy chain, a White Rabbit with pink eyes dashed by.

Nor did Alice think it so very unusual to hear the Rabbit say to himself, "Oh, dear! Oh , dear! I shall be late for a very important date." When she thought about it afterwards, it occurred to her that she ought to have wondered about that, but at the time it all seemed quite natural.

But when the Rabbit actually took a watch out of his waistcoat pocket, looked at it, and then hurried on, Alice jumped to her feet. For she suddenly realized she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat pocket or a watch to take out of it.

Burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after him, just in time to see him pop down a large rabbit hole under the hedge. Without a moment's hesitation, Alice jumped in the hole after him, never once considering. The Rabbit Took a Watch Out.

How in the world she would get out again.

The rabbit hole stretched straight ahead like a tunnel for some way, and then dropped off so suddenly that Alice didn't have a moment to think about stopping herself before she fell down a deep well.

Either the well was very deep or she fell slowly, for she had plenty of times as she went down to took about her and to wonder what was going to happen next.

First, Alice tried to took down and make out what she was coming to, but it was too dark to see anything. Then she looked at the sides of the well and noticed that they were filled with cupboard and bookshelves. Here and there maps and pictures hung upon pegs. She took down a jar from one of the shelves 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 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 down stairs! How brave they'll all think me at home! Why, I wouldn't 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 I've fallen by this 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 of this sort in her lessons in the schoolroom, and though this was not a very good opportunity for showing off her knowledge, as there was no one to listen to her, still it was good practice to say it over) '--yes, that's about the right distance--but then I wonder what Latitude or Longitude I've got to?' (Alice had no idea what Latitude was, or Longitude either, but 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 seem to come out among the people that walk with their heads downward! The Antipathies, I think--' (she was rather glad there was no one listening, this time, as it didn't sound at all the right word) '--but I shall have to ask 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 as you're falling through the air! Do you think you could 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 somewhere.'