You were beginning to get very tired of sitting by your sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice you had peeped into the book your sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, “and what is the use of a book,” you thought “without pictures or conversations?” As you spoke a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her.

 

There was nothing so very remarkable except in that the Rabbit actually took a watch out of its waistcoat-pocket, and looked at it, and then hurried on. You started to your feet and, burning with curiosity, you ran across the field after it. Fortunately you were just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge.

 

In another moment down you went after it, never once considering how in the world you were to get out again.

 

The well was very deep, or you fell very slowly, for you had plenty of time as you went down to look about and to wonder what was going to happen next. “Well!” you thought to yourself, “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!”

 

Down, down, down and then suddenly, thump! thump! You came upon a heap of sticks and dry leaves, and the fall was over.

 

You were not a bit hurt, and you jumped up on to your feet in a moment. Before you was another long passage, and the White Rabbit was still in sight, hurrying down it. There was not a moment to be lost: away you went like the wind.

 

Suddenly you came upon a little three-legged table, all made of solid glass; there was nothing on it except a tiny golden key. You came upon a low curtain you had not noticed before, and behind it was a little door about fifteen inches high: you tried the little golden key in the lock, and to your great delight it fitted!