Read Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland Online

20

CHAPTER IV. THE RABBIT SENDS IN A LITTLE BILL 


By this time she had found her way into a tidy little room with a table in the 
window, and on it (as she had hoped) a fan and two or three pairs of tiny white kid 
gloves; she took up the fan and a pair of the gloves, and was just going to leave 
the room, when her eye fell upon a little bottle that stood near the looking-glass. 
There was no label this time with the words 'Drink Me,' but nevertheless she 
uncorked it and put it to her lips. T know something interesting is sure to happen,' 
she said to herself, 'whenever I eat or drink anything; so I'll just see what this 
bottle does. I do hope it'll make me grow large again, for really I'm quite tired of 
being such a tiny little thing!' 

It did so indeed, and much sooner than she had expected; before she had drunk 
half the bottle, she found her head pressing against the ceiling and had to stoop 
to save her neck from being broken. She hastily put down the bottle, saying to 
herself 'That's quite enough - I hope I shan't grow any more - As it is, I can't get 
out at the door - I do wish I hadn't drunk quite so much!' 

Alas! it was too late to wish that! She went on growing and growing and very 
soon had to kneel down on the floor; in another minute there was not even room 
for this and she tried the effect of 
lying down with one elbow against 
the door, and the other arm curled 
round her head. Still she went on 
growing, and, as a last resource, 
she put one arm out of the win- 
dow, and one foot up the chimney, 
and said to herself 'Now I can do 
no more, whatever happens. What 
will become of me?' 

Luckily for Alice, the little 
magic bottle had now had its full effect, and she grew no larger; still it was very 
uncomfortable, and, as there seemed to be no sort of chance of her ever getting 
out of the room again, no wonder she felt unhappy. 

'It was much pleasanter at home,' thought poor Alice, 'when one wasn't al- 
ways growing larger and smaller, and being ordered about by mice and rabbits. 
I almost wish I hadn't gone down that rabbit-hole - and yet - and yet - it's rather 
curious, you know, this sort of life! I do wonder what can have happened to me! 
When I used to read fairy-tales, I fancied that kind of thing never happened, and 
now here I am in the middle of one! There ought to be a book written about me, 
that there ought! And when I grow up, I'll write one - but I'm grown up now,' she 
added in a sorrowful tone, 'at least there's no room to grow up any more here' 

'But then,' thought Alice, 'shall I never get any older than I am now? That'll 
be a comfort, one way - never to be an old woman - but then - always to have 
lessons to learn! Oh, I shouldn't like thatV