Алиса в стране чудес

           ‘IwonderifIshallfallrightthroughtheearth! Howfunnyit’llseemtocomeoutamongthepeoplethatwalkwiththeirheadsdownward! TheAntipathies,Ithink—’(shewasrathergladtherewasnoonelistening,thistime,asitdidn’tsoundatalltherightword)‘—butIshallhavetoaskthemwhatthenameofthecountryis,youknow. Please,Ma’am,isthisNewZealandorAustralia?’ (andshetriedtocurtseyasshespoke—fancycurtseyingasyou’refallingthroughtheair! Doyouthinkyoucouldmanageit?) ‘Andwhatanignorantlittlegirlshe’llthinkmeforasking! No,it’llneverdotoask:perhapsIshallseeitwrittenupsomewhere.’ 

           Down,down,down. Therewasnothingelsetodo,soAlicesoonbegantalkingagain. ‘Dinah’llmissmeverymuchto-night,Ishouldthink!’ (Dinahwasthecat.)‘Ihopethey’llrememberhersaucerofmilkattea-time. Dinahmydear! Iwishyouweredownherewithme! Therearenomiceintheair,I’mafraid,butyoumightcatchabat,andthat’sverylikeamouse,youknow. Butdocatseatbats,Iwonder?’ AndhereAlicebegantogetrathersleepy,andwentonsayingtoherself,inadreamysortofway,‘Docatseatbats? Docatseatbats?’ andsometimes,‘Dobatseatcats?’ for,yousee,asshecouldn’tanswereitherquestion,itdidn’tmuchmatterwhichwaysheputit. Shefeltthatshewasdozingoff,andhadjustbeguntodreamthatshewaswalkinghandinhandwithDinah,andsayingtoherveryearnestly, ‘Now,Dinah,tellmethetruth:didyouevereatabat?’ whensuddenly,thump!thump!downshecameuponaheapofsticksanddryleaves,andthefallwasover. 

           Alicewasnotabithurt,andshejumpedupontoherfeetinamoment:shelookedup,butitwasalldarkoverhead; beforeherwasanotherlongpassage,andtheWhiteRabbitwasstillinsight,hurryingdownit.