Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Republished, Original By Lewis Carroll)

Chapter One - Down The Rabbit-hole

ALICE WAS BEGINNING TO get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, and "what 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 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 Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her.

      There was nothing so very remarkable in that; nor did Alice think it so out the way to hear the rabbit say to itself, "Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!" (When she thought over it afterwards, it occurred 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 out a watch from its waist-coat pocket, and looked at it, and went on, for it flashed across her mind that she had either never seen a rabbit with a waist-coat pocket, or a watch to take out of it, and, burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it, and just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge.
In another moment 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 dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found falling down what seemed to be a very deep well. Either the well was deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had plenty of time to look about her, and to wonder what was going to happen next. First, she tried to look down to 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 they were filled with cupboards and book-shelves: here and there she saw maps and pictures hung on pegs. She took a jar down 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 someone underneath, so managed to put it into one of the cupboards as she fell past it.
    "Well! Alice thought to herself. "After such a fall as this, I shall think nothing of tumbling down-stairs! How brave they'll all think of 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 have fallen by this time?" She said aloud. "I must be getting somewhere near the centre of earth. Let me see: that'd be four thousand miles down, I think-" (for you see, Alice had learnt several things about of this sort in the school-room, 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 very good practice to say it over) "yes- that's about the right distance- but I wonder what latitude or longitude I've got to?" (Alice had not slightest idea what Latitude was, or Longitude either, but she thought they were nice grand words yo say)

       Presently she began again, "I wonder if I should fall right through the earth! How funny it'll seem to people walking 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 your falling through the air! Do you think you could nanage it?) "and what an ignorant little girl she'll think me asking! No, it'll never do to ask: perhaps I shall see it written up somewhere."