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; 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.'

  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. ()