愛麗絲夢遊仙境（中英雙語典藏版）

★歷時150年不朽傳奇經典童話★
★荒誕故事中的人生體悟★

我們都讀過、聽過愛麗絲的故事，
劇情荒謬別具趣味，驀然回首竟覺其中對白寓意深遠...
「如果你不知道要去哪裡，那麼走條路都無所謂。」
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昏昏欲睡的愛麗絲瞧見了慌張奔跑的兔子，
隨即跟著一路奔跑，掉入無止盡的黑洞，
緊接而來的一舉一動都將成為一次又一次的冒險。
喝下出現在桌上的藥水，吃下腳邊的蛋糕、蘑菇，
愛麗絲的身形跟著稀奇古怪地忽大又忽小，
大哭一場後發現身處在一片眼淚海之中。
奇幻境遇裡會唱歌的烏龜，
時而現蹤時而故弄玄虛的柴郡貓，
變成豬的小嬰孩、愛砍人頭的紅心皇后，
以及最後參與的，證言毫無邏輯的審判。
一場夢境，無數個看似無用的對話，
都將幫助愛麗絲尋回自己早已看透的道理。
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《愛麗絲夢遊仙境》與《愛麗絲鏡中奇遇》出版後，備受大人小孩喜愛，甚至獲得英國維多利亞女王的青睞，旋風席捲全世界，被改編成無數戲劇、電影、歌劇、舞台劇、芭蕾舞、木偶劇、卡通等，是世界上流行最廣、影響最大的童話著作之一。

本書特色

※中英雙語版。保留英文原始文學美感。
※經典質感裝幀，具傳承典藏價值。

路易斯．卡洛 (Lewis Carroll)
英國數學家、邏輯學家，原名查爾斯．道吉森（Charles Lutwidge Dodgson）。卡洛出生於英格蘭柴郡，父親是一位牧師，富有幽默感與想像力，耳濡目染之下，卡洛12歲便開始寫作，風格創新另類。卡洛在1850年進入牛津大學基督書院就讀，在數學和古典文學方面表現卓越，1855年被任命為牛津基督書院的數學講師，直到1881年退休。
工作之餘，卡洛喜歡說故事給小朋友聽；他對基督學院院長利德爾（Henry Liddell）的三個女兒極其鍾愛，常講故事給她們聽，後來他把這些故事寫出來給利德爾的長女愛麗絲（Alice Liddell）。1865他用筆名「路易斯．卡洛」出版了這部作品，於是有了《愛麗絲夢遊仙境》。嗣後他又根據利德爾的孩子講的另外一些故事寫了續篇，就是1871年出版的《愛麗絲鏡中奇緣》。

約翰．坦尼爾 (John Tenniel)
英國知名插畫家、漫畫家與社會活動家。
曾短暫就讀皇家藝術學院， 以睿智與諷諭兼備的政治漫畫為英國Punch雜誌供稿超過50年；此外，約翰．坦尼爾最廣為人知的藝術成就要屬為《愛麗絲夢遊仙境》及《愛麗絲鏡中奇遇》兩書所創作的插圖，故事及插畫的絕妙搭配成為文壇傳世經典。因其在藝術方面的卓越成就，於1893年受維多利亞女王冊封為爵士。

導讀
找尋自己的愛麗絲 知名作家／甘耀明

相信很多人在讀過完整版《愛麗絲夢遊仙境》之前，已透過繪本、漫畫或卡通等方式，捷足瞭解了小說中的經典情節，例如：愛麗絲忽而膨脹、忽而縮小的情節；再者如撲克牌紅心國王所召開的那場像「扮家家酒」的審判庭等，皆說明了這本小說已經成了大家童年經驗的一部分。
我讀小學時，經由卡通版第一次進入愛麗絲的夢境，深深的被愛麗絲與撲克牌紅心皇后打槌球的場面吸引。在那場槌球遊戲之前，愛麗絲因為沒有跪下恭迎紅心皇后的龐大隊伍，惹得脾氣暴躁的紅心皇后下令砍她的頭。接下來的槌球遊戲中，簡直滑稽無比，刺蝟成了槌球，紅鶴成了槌球棒，演出一場動物嘉年華會。愛麗絲用槌棒打球時，紅鶴的脖子老是會伸縮轉彎，等到她會控制紅鶴的脾氣時，慢吞吞的刺蝟早就不耐煩地走了，直到愛麗絲說服刺蝟要守本分後，弓起腰作為球門的撲克牌士兵竟跑去散步了。槌球場最後又成了一場混仗，無怪紅心皇后又暴跳如雷地大喊：「砍掉你們的頭！」
那時候，我滿心期待紅心皇后的「暴力語言」成真，能砍下誰的頭顱，但是一直到愛麗絲夢醒前，沒有任何角色的頭被砍下來。我期待的並不是誰的頭被砍下後的死亡場面，而是被砍頭的角色會如何更顯明的活下去。那顆頭會被當成槌球？然後大喊：「你們不會打輕一點嗎？」或者成為小說中消失身體的柴郡貓，整個頭顱浮在空中耍寶？我之所以會這樣想，是因為了解《愛麗絲夢遊仙境》的風格不是處理死亡，而是在展現逗趣幽默的世界。如今看來，這本小說讓童年時的我創造一個岔出的情節，是閱讀中再創造的樂趣，無形中也創造出自己的一個「愛麗絲幻境」。
《愛麗絲夢遊仙境》是作者路易斯．卡洛(Lewis Carroll，1832~1898）的第一本小說。他是英國牛津大學的數學教師，生性害羞，且有口吃，但喜歡與小孩子相處，在語言、插畫及攝影等方面都有傑出表現。他是家中長子，父親是幽默感十足的牧師，或許是這些因素，提供《愛麗絲夢遊仙境》中角色的擬人化、孩童性格及風趣對話。《愛麗絲夢遊仙境》的小說雛形，是路易斯．卡洛對學院主任的三個女兒所講的故事，經過整理及修潤後，以童話的形式風靡全世界。
細心的讀者或許會發現，故事中有不少括弧說明，例如多多鳥說：「要說明它嗎？最好的方法就是我們親自做做看。」（如果你也想在冬天玩這種遊戲，我可以在這裡告訴你多多鳥是怎麼做的。）這其實是留下「說故事」過程中，成人與小孩的互動痕跡。路易斯．卡洛用豐沛的想像力說故事時，小女孩可能會不斷問：「為什麼？」、「然後呢？」此時他難免要解釋一番；或者他在觀察小女孩聽故事的表情反應時，適切加入自己的說明。一旦小女孩漸漸著迷於路易斯．卡洛所說的故事後，也就是進行到故事後半段了，那些括弧說明也淡出了故事，由情節的推演掌控了一切。
《愛麗絲夢遊仙境》是一本好看、有趣的小說，適合大人小孩閱讀，甚至作為「奇幻小說」入門是再適合不過了。但是，一位大人在閱畢這本小說後，若是只能讚嘆說出：「這是一本好看、有趣的小說。」則顯然忽略了小說中所傳達的更深刻意涵。
《愛麗絲夢遊仙境》以無厘頭、幽默諷刺、語言遊戲、口白描述的方式描寫小孩眼中的世界，相信不少人讀完這本小說後，會發出會心微笑，甚至捧腹大笑。但是，在笑聲背後，讀者會發現這樣迷魅的夢境，顯然已經在大人生活中逐漸消失。我可以在《愛麗絲夢遊仙境》中隨意找出例子，當獅鷲向愛麗絲說起鱈魚的故事，出現了以下對話：
「海裡的靴子和鞋子，」獅鷲嗓音深沉地繼續說：「是用鱈魚的雪擦的。現在你知道了。」
「那鱈魚的雪是用什麼做的？」愛麗絲好奇地追問。
「當然是鯧魚和鰻魚啦！」獅鷲顯得很不耐煩，「就算是小蝦子也會這樣告訴你的。」
套句新世代人類的口語來說，這些對話真像「地球人」與「外星人」之間的對談。用大人的眼光來看，這些話不是「事實」，再爭辯下去會使「生活效率」打折，經濟效益蒙受損失。但是，我認為這段話的意義不在於「鱈魚的雪」是不是能當成鞋油來擦靴子，而是展現小孩子如何透過摸索，創造自己的世界，在不斷尋找的過程中，一位內心充滿「為什麼」的小孩也許找到全新的世界，也許不是，但是大膽實驗的過程就是一種成長。這種能力，反而在大人身上逐漸消失，他們習慣吃同一種食物、走同一條路回家、看同樣的電視節目，然後做同一種夢想，直到幻滅為止。
在我看來，《愛麗絲夢遊仙境》最有趣的地方是在荒謬情節背後所展現的意義。在〈瘋狂茶會〉中，三月兔、帽匠及睡鼠的時間一直停在下午茶時段，彼此在對談上大玩語言遊戲，每隔一段時間起身換座位，他們的手錶只是用來報日期，並非報時間，而且「只要你喜歡，時間都可以撥到哪」。如果時間是可以任意調整的工具，那麼角色當然可以拒絕成長，永遠活在相同的記憶中，生活變得毫無生趣，連愛麗絲都大嘆：「這是我這輩子見過最愚蠢的茶會了。」
〈假海龜的故事〉這段情節裡，孤獨又悲傷的假海龜，眼珠老是泡在自己的淚水裡，一開始便說：「我曾經是隻真正的海龜。」但是從頭到尾，這隻偽裝悲傷的假海龜只談論自己光榮的過往，甚至大唱「海龜湯」便宜又好喝，卻始終沒有瞭解自己為何會變「假」，察明那個「真」的自己為何會變質。
到了小說最後的法庭審判段落，更彰顯情節的荒謬，為了定讞紅心傑克偷水果塔的罪行，整個法庭像市場般鬧哄哄地上演。十二位審判員在記事板上寫下自己名字──「笨東西」，以免審判後自己忘袓忘宗；證人之一的帽匠出席時，反而被狡猾的法官扣上「小偷」這大帽子，無言以對；另一位證人女廚師才出席作證，馬上在慌亂中落跑了；至於什麼都不曉得的愛麗絲，也被傳喚為證人，因出言反駁庭上，竟激怒了皇后，下令要砍愛麗絲。這場砸派似的鬧劇，是在愛麗絲的夢醒後結束，當然，夢醒之後，讀者很難忘記愛麗絲是如何天真爛漫地帶領大家，出入一個成人早已遺忘的夢鄉。
順帶一提的是，如果讀者看完這本小說，可以準備一本筆記本，紀錄自己的睡夢情節。你將會發現，夢中世界是多麼吻合《愛麗絲夢遊仙境》的情境，再整理這本夢的筆記簿，屬於自己的《愛麗絲夢遊仙境》就誕生了。如果你真誠地看待自己的夢，或許有那麼一天，你會發現屬於自己的愛麗絲，已經躲在夢的角落太久了，等待你的擁抱。

 

第一章．掉進兔子洞
第二章．眼淚池
第三章．會議競賽與一個很長的故事
第四章．兔子派出小比爾
第五章．毛毛蟲的忠告
第六章．豬與胡椒
第七章．瘋狂茶會
第八章．皇后的槌球場
第九章．假海龜的故事
第十章．龍蝦方塊舞
第十一章．誰偷了水果塔？
第十二章．愛麗絲的證詞
CHAPTER I．Down the Rabbit-Hole
CHAPTER II．The Pool of Tears
CHAPTER III．A Caucus-Race and a Long Tale
CHAPTER IV．The Rabbit Sends in a Little Bill
CHAPTER V．Advice from a Caterpillar
CHAPTER VI．Pig and Pepper
CHAPTER VII．A Mad Tea-Party
CHAPTER VIII．The Queen's Croquet-Ground
CHAPTER IX．The Mock Turtle's Story
CHAPTER X．The Lobster Quadrille
CHAPTER XI．Who Stole the Tarts?
CHAPTER XII．Alice's Evidence

第一章． 掉進兔子洞
愛麗絲不耐煩地坐在河岸邊，無所事事地靠在姊姊身上，她偷偷瞄了一眼姊姊正在看的書，書裡沒有圖畫，也沒有對話。愛麗絲心想：「沒有圖畫，也沒有對話的書，有什麼意思呢？」
悶熱的天氣讓愛麗絲昏昏欲睡、思緒倦怠，她心想，是否該起身採些雛菊做個花環呢？此時，一隻粉紅色眼睛的白兔突然跑過她身邊。
一隻粉紅色眼睛的兔子經過身邊，不是什麼值得大驚小怪的事，甚至於聽到兔子自言自語說著：「喔天哪！喔天哪！我要遲到了！」愛麗絲也沒有覺得很離奇。（雖然事後回想起來，她覺得她應該要很驚訝的，可是當時一切好像都很自然。）
此時，兔子突然停下腳步，從背心口袋中掏出一隻懷錶，看一看之後又匆匆跑走。愛麗絲這才跳起來，腦中閃過一個念頭：「從來沒見過穿著背心的兔子，甚至還掏出懷錶來！」她壓抑不住自己的好奇心，緊跟著兔子穿過田野，幸運地正好看見兔子鑽進灌木叢下的大洞。
愛麗絲不顧一切跟著跳進去，根本沒有考慮之後是否出得來。
兔子洞一開始像條走廊，筆直地向前延伸，後來就突然直通向下。
愛麗絲還來不及止步，就往一個深井般的通道直直墜落。
也許是通道太長太深，也許是下落的速度太慢，愛麗絲下墜的同時還有時間一邊東張西望，一邊猜測接下來會發生什麼事。一開始，她死命往下看，想知道最後會掉到什麼地方，但是底下一片漆黑，什麼也看不見。於是她轉而看向四周的井壁，井壁上排滿了櫥櫃和書架，以及掛在釘子上的地圖和圖畫。她順手從架子上拿了一個罐頭，上面寫著「橘子果醬」，但罐子裡面是空的，令她大失所望。她不敢把空罐頭扔掉，怕砸到下面的人。因此，當她繼續往下掉的時候，她想辦法把空罐頭放到另一個櫥櫃裡去。
「好吧！」愛麗絲心想，「我摔過了這麼一大跤，以後要是我再從樓梯上滾下來，那也沒什麼大不了的！家裡的人一定都會誇獎我真是勇敢，為什麼，因為即便我從屋頂上掉下來，我也一句話都不會說的！」（這很可能是真的。）
掉啊，掉啊，掉啊，這一跤永遠都跌不到底嗎？「我不知道掉了多少公里？」愛麗絲大聲說著：「我一定已經靠近地球中心的某個地方了。讓我算算看⋯⋯已經墜落大約六千公里了，一定有⋯⋯」看吧，愛麗絲在學校已經學到一點東西，儘管現在不是賣弄知識的好時機，因為根本沒人聽她說話， 不過練習說說也好。「⋯⋯ 沒錯， 大概就是這個距離—但是，不知道在什麼經緯度呢？」愛麗絲既不明白什麼是經度，也不明白什麼是緯度，只是認為這個字眼很棒，聽起來還蠻有深度的。
過一會兒後，她又說話：「不知道我會不會穿過地球？如果我一出去就能遇見那些頭朝下走路的人，那該多有趣啊！這叫做反感世界吧？」這次她很高興沒有人聽見她說話，因為她自己也覺得她用錯詞了。「不過，我想我得問問他們的國家叫什麼名字。夫人，請問這裡是紐西蘭還是澳洲呢？」她一邊說一邊試著行屈膝禮。（從空中往下掉時還行屈膝禮！你覺得你有辦法想像這個畫面嗎？）「可是如果我真的這樣問，他們一定會把我當成傻孩子，連自己在什麼國家都不知道。」愛麗絲心裡又想：「不，絕對不能這麼問，也許我會在某個地方看到國名的標示吧！」
掉啊，掉啊，掉啊，除此之外沒有別的事可做，於是愛麗絲又開始講起話來：「我敢說黛娜今晚一定會想我。」黛娜是她的貓。「希望他們沒有忘記下午茶時間給她一碟牛奶。我的乖黛娜，真希望你現在跟我一起往下掉。可是恐怕空中沒有你要吃的老鼠，不過或許你可以抓到一隻蝙蝠，蝙蝠很像老鼠，你知道的。可是貓吃不吃蝙蝠呢？」
愛麗絲有些睏了，但依舊迷迷糊糊地自言自語：「貓吃蝙蝠嗎？ 貓吃蝙蝠嗎？」然後有的時候是：「蝙蝠吃貓嗎？」不過這兩個問題她都答不出來，所以不管怎麼樣問都無所謂。她睡著了，開始做起夢來。她夢見自己和黛娜正手拉著手散步，並且認真地問：「黛娜，跟我說實話，你到底有沒有吃過蝙蝠？」突然間，砰！砰！她掉到一堆乾枯的枝葉上，總算不再往下掉了。
愛麗絲毫髮無傷，她馬上跳起來，向上一看，頭頂一片漆黑。往前一看，又是一條長長的通道，她看見那隻白兔正急急忙忙地往前跑。這回可別跟丟了，愛麗絲像一陣風似地馬上追過去。她聽見兔子在轉彎時說著：「哎呀，我的耳朵和鬍子，都這麼晚了！」當時她仍然緊跟在後，可是一過轉角，兔子就不見了。她發現自己來到一個長長的、低矮的走廊，天花板上掛著一長排的燈，將走廊照得通亮。
走廊四周全是門，但都上了鎖。愛麗絲從頭走到尾，推一推、拉一拉，沒有一扇門打得開，她愁眉苦臉地來到走廊中央，思索她該怎麼出去。
突然間，她發現一張玻璃三腳桌。桌上除了一把小小的金鑰匙，什麼也沒有。愛麗絲立刻想到這把鑰匙可能是用來開啟其中一扇門的。可是，哎呀，不是鎖孔太大，就是鑰匙太小，無論如何，她試了一輪，打不開任何一扇門。不過，在繞第二圈時，她發現一個先前沒注意到的矮簾子，簾子後面有一扇約四十公分高的小門。她把小金鑰匙插進門鎖裡，太好了，剛剛好。
愛麗絲打開門，看見一條小通道，不比老鼠洞大，她跪下來，順著通道望出去，看到一個非常可愛的小花園。她多想從這個黑暗的長廊走出去，到美麗的花園和清涼噴泉中玩耍！可是那門小的連頭都過不去，可憐的愛麗絲心想：
「哎，就算頭能過得去，肩膀過不去也沒用，真希望能像望遠鏡那樣伸縮把自己變小！我想我一定有辦法變小的，只要我知道該怎麼做。」（你看，發生了這麼多稀奇古怪的事，讓愛麗絲認為世界上幾乎什麼事都是有可能的。）
一直守在小門旁空等也不是辦法，於是愛麗絲又回到桌子旁，希望再找到一把鑰匙，或者好歹一本教人如何像望遠鏡那樣伸縮的書。這次，她在桌上發現一個小瓶子，愛麗絲說：「它剛才絕對不在這裡。」瓶口上繫著一張紙條，上面寫著兩個很漂亮的大字：「喝我」。
「喝我」這個建議很不錯，可是聰明的愛麗絲並不打算立刻匆忙地照做。「不行，我要先檢查一下，」她說，「看看瓶子上面有沒有寫著『毒藥』這個字眼。」因為她聽過一些關於小孩子被燒傷、被野獸吃掉的小故事，以及其他一些可怕的事情，全都是因為他們沒有把大人說過的話放在心上，例如：火鉗握得太久就會把手燒壞；用小刀割手指就會出血；還有一點，她也牢記在心：如果把寫著「毒藥」瓶裡的藥水喝進肚子，肯定會完蛋。
然而，這個瓶子上並沒有寫著「毒藥」，於是愛麗絲大膽地嚐了一口，味道很好，混合著櫻桃水果塔、奶油蛋糕、鳳梨、烤火雞、牛奶糖、熱奶油麵包的味道。愛麗絲一口氣就把一整瓶喝光了。
「好奇怪的感覺喔！」愛麗絲說：「我一定是像望遠鏡那樣縮小了。」
果然，現在的她只有二十五公分高了，大小正好可以穿過小門到那個可愛的花園去，她高興得眉飛色舞。不過，她又等了幾分鐘，看看自己會不會繼續縮小下去。想到這點，她開始有點緊張了。「結果會怎麼樣呢？」愛麗絲對自己說，「也許我會一直縮小下去，就像蠟燭的火苗那樣到最後全部熄滅。那我會怎麼樣呢？」於是她又努力想像蠟燭熄滅後的火焰。可是想了半天也想不出來，因為她不記得自己曾經見過那樣的東西。
過了一會兒，好像沒有再發生什麼事，她決定立刻到花園去。但是，唉呀！可憐的愛麗絲！她走到小門前，才發覺自己忘了拿那把小金鑰匙。等她走回桌子旁，卻發現自己太矮了，根本拿不到鑰匙。透過透明的玻璃桌面她可以清楚地看到鑰匙，她盡力攀著桌腳向上爬，可是實在是太滑了。可憐的小愛麗絲一次又一次地從桌腳溜下來，累得精疲力竭，於是她坐在地上開始嚎啕大哭。
「振作！像你哭成這樣是沒用的！」愛麗絲語氣嚴厲地對自己說：「我建議你最好在一分鐘內停止哭泣！」她常常給自己一些很不錯的建議。話雖如此，但她很少照做。然後有時候罵自己罵得太兇，還把自己罵哭了；有一次她在和自己比賽槌球時作了弊，結果打了自己一巴掌。這個古怪的孩子很喜歡假裝同時扮成兩個人。「可是現在沒有用了，」可憐的小愛麗絲想，「假裝自己是兩個人！為什麼，因為現在我小到沒辦法當一個完整的人了！」
不久，愛麗絲看見桌子底下有一個小玻璃盒。她打開一看，裡面有塊很小的蛋糕，用小葡萄乾寫著「吃我」。「好，我就吃它，」愛麗絲說：「如果它能使我變大，我就能拿得到那把鑰匙了；如果它使我變得更小，那我就可以從門縫下面爬過去。反正只要能讓我到那個花園去，不管怎麼變都可以。」
她咬了一小口，就焦急地自言自語：「是哪一種？變大還是變小？」她把手放在頭頂，摸摸看往上還是往下，卻驚訝地發現一點也沒變。吃蛋糕本來是很正常的事，可是愛麗絲太期待會發生一些稀奇古怪的事，因此這些很正常的事反倒顯得枯燥乏味了。於是，她開始大口吃起來，很快就把一塊蛋糕吃完了。

01 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 conversation?"
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 very much out of the way to hear the Rabbit say to itself, "Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!" (when she thought it over 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 a watch out of its waistcoat-pocket, and looked at it, and then hurried on, Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with
either a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch to take out of it, and burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it, and fortunately was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge.
In another moment down 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 then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down a very deep well.
Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had plenty of time as she went down to look about her and to wonder what was going to happen next. First, she tried to look 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 cupboards and book shelves; here and there she saw maps and pictures hung upon pegs. She took down a jar from one of the shelves as she passed; i t 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."
Down, down, down. There was nothing else to do, so Alice soon began talking again. "Dinah'll miss me very much to-night, I should think!" (Dinah was the cat.) "I hope they'll remember her saucer of milk at tea-time. Dinah my dear! I wish you were down here with me! There are no mice in the air, I'm afraid, but you might catch a bat, and that's very like a mouse, you know. But do cats eat bats, I wonder?"
And here Alice began to get rather sleepy, and went on saying to herself, in a dreamy sort of way, "Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats?" and sometimes, "Do bats eat cats?" for, you see, as she couldn't answer either question, it didn't much matter which way she put it. She felt that she was dozing off, and had just begun to dream that she was walking hand in hand with Dinah, and saying to her very earnestly, "Now, Dinah, tell me the truth: did you ever eat a bat?" when suddenly, thump! thump! down she came upon a heap of sticks and dry leaves, and the fall was over.
Alice was not a bit hurt, and she jumped up on to her feet in a moment: she looked up, but it was all dark overhead; before her was another long passage, and the White Rabbit was still in sight, hurrying down it. There was not a moment to be lost: away went Alice like the wind, and was just in time to hear it say, as it turned a corner, "Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it's getting!" She was close behind it when she turned the corner, but the Rabbit was no longer to be seen: she 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 Alice had been all the way down one side and up the other, trying every door, she walked sadly down the middle, wondering how she was ever to get out again.
Suddenly she came upon a little three-legged table, all made of solid glass; there was nothing on it except a tiny golden key, and Alice's first thought was that it 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, she came upon a low curtain she had not noticed before, and behind it was a little door about fifteen inches high: she tried the little golden key in the lock, and to her great delight it fitted!
Alice opened the door and found that it led into a small passage, not much larger than a rat-hole: she knelt down and looked along the passage into the loveliest garden you ever saw. How she longed to get out of that dark hall, and wander about among those beds of bright flowers and those cool fountains, but she could not even get her head through the doorway; "and even if my head
would go through," thought poor Alice, "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 know how to begin." For, you see, so many out-of-the-way things had happened lately, that Alice 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 she went back to the table, half hoping she might find another key on it, or at any rate a book of rules for shutting people up like telescopes: this time she found a little bottle on it, ("which certainly was not here before," said Alice,) and 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 Alice was not going to do that in a hurry. "No, I'll look first," she said, "and see whether it's marked 'poison' or not"; for she had read several nice little histories 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 she 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 Alice ventured to taste it, and finding it very nice, (it had, in fact, a sort of mixed flavour of cherry-tart, custard, pineapple, roast turkey, toffee, and hot buttered toast,) she very soon finished it off.
* * * * * * *
"What a curious feeling!" said Alice; "I must be shutting up like a telescope."
And so it was indeed: she was now only ten inches high, and her face brightened up at the thought that she was now the right size for going through the little door into that lovely garden. First, however, she waited for a few minutes to see if she was going to shrink any further: she felt a little nervous about this; "for it might end, you know," said Alice to herself, "in my going out altogether, like a candle. I wonder what I should be like then?" And she tried to fancy what the flame of a candle is like after the candle is blown out, for she could not remember ever having seen such a thing.
After a while, finding that nothing more happened, she decided on going into the garden at once; but, alas for poor Alice! when she got to the door, she found she had forgotten the little golden key, and when she went back to the table for it, she found she could not possibly reach it: she could see it quite plainly through the glass, and she tried her best to climb up one of the legs of the table, but it was too slippery; and when she had tired herself out with trying, the poor little thing sat down and cried.
"Come, there's no use in crying like that!" said Alice to herself, rather sharply; "I advise you to leave off this minute!" She generally gave herself very good advice, (though she very seldom followed it), and sometimes she scolded herself so severely as to bring tears into her eyes; and once she remembered trying to box her own ears for having cheated herself in a game of croquet she was
playing against herself, for this curious child was very fond of pretending to be two people. "But it's no use now," thought poor Alice, "to pretend to be two people! Why, there's hardly enough of me left to make one respectable person!"
Soon her eye fell on a little glass box that was lying under the table: she opened it, and found in it a very small cake, on which the words "EAT ME" were beautifully marked in currants. "Well, I'll eat it," said Alice, "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 I'll get into the garden, and I don't care which happens!"
She ate a little bit, and said anxiously to herself, "Which way? Which way?" holding her hand on the top of her head to feel which way it was growing, and she was quite surprised to find that she remained the same size: to be sure, this generally happens when one eats cake, but Alice had got so much into the way of expecting nothing but out-of-theway things to happen, that it seemed quite dull and stupid for life to go on in the common way.
So she set to work, and very soon finished off the cake.