Maximum-assistance view: every word above everyday vocabulary is explained at every appearance; each name is introduced at its first appearance in the chapter.

CHAPTER I.

Down the Rabbit-Hole (the burrow of a rabbit)

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 (to look through a small opening) into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, “and what is the use (use: habit; custom — the old sense here) of a book,” thought Alice “without pictures or conversations?”

So she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy (heavy with sleep) and stupid), whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain (daisies strung together) would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies (the small white-and-yellow flower), when suddenly a White Rabbit (the hurrying rabbit with the watch, whom Alice follows) with pink eyes ran close by her.

There was nothing so very remarkable (worthy of note) in that; nor did Alice think it so very much out of the way to hear the Rabbit (the long-eared burrowing animal) say to itself, “Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!” (when she thought it over afterwards (later), it occurred to her that she ought (should) to have wondered at this, but at the time it all seemed quite natural); but when the Rabbit (the long-eared burrowing animal) actually took a watch out of its waistcoat-pocket (the little pocket of a waistcoat), and looked at it, and then hurried (to move with haste) on, Alice started to her feet, for it flashed (a sudden burst of light) across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit (the long-eared burrowing animal) with either a waistcoat-pocket (the little pocket of a waistcoat), or a watch to take out of it, and burning with curiosity (eagerness to know), she ran across the field after it, and fortunately (by good fortune) was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole (the burrow of a rabbit) under the hedge (a row of bushes as a fence).

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

The rabbit-hole (the burrow of a rabbit) went straight on like a tunnel (a dug passage) for some way, and then dipped (to lower briefly into) 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 (a shelved cabinet) and book-shelves (shelves for books); here and there she saw maps and pictures hung upon pegs (a wooden pin). She took down a jar (a wide-mouthed vessel; to jolt) from one of the shelves (a flat holding board) as she passed; it was labelled (a naming tag) “ORANGE MARMALADE”, but to her great disappointment (a failed hope) it was empty: she did not like to drop the jar (a wide-mouthed vessel; to jolt) for fear of killing somebody underneath (below), so managed to put it into one of the cupboards (a shelved cabinet) as she fell past it.

“Well!” thought Alice to herself, “after such a fall as this, I shall think nothing of tumbling (to fall rolling) down stairs (a step of a flight)! How brave (full of courage) they’ll all think me at home! Why, I wouldn (wouldn't: would not)’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 (out loud). “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 (a taught portion) in the schoolroom (a room for lessons), 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 (soon; now) 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 (toward below)! The Antipathies (Alice's slip for the Antipodes: the far side of the world), I think—” (she was rather glad there was no one listening, this time, as it didn (did — didn't: did not)’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 (a woman's bow, bending the knees) as she spoke—fancy (the imagination; a liking) curtseying (a woman's bow, bending the knees) as you’re falling through the air! Do you think you could manage it?) “And what an ignorant (without knowledge) 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 (the small dish under a cup) of milk at tea-time (the hour of tea). Dinah my dear! I wish you were down here with me! There are no mice (the small grey rodent) in the air, I’m afraid, but you might catch a bat (the flying mouse-like creature of the night), and that’s very like a mouse (the small grey rodent), you know. But do cats eat bats (the flying mouse-like creature of the night), I wonder?” And here Alice began to get rather sleepy (heavy with sleep), and went on saying to herself, in a dreamy (lost in dreams) sort of way, “Do cats eat bats (the flying mouse-like creature of the night)? Do cats eat bats (the flying mouse-like creature of the night)?” and sometimes, “Do bats (the flying mouse-like creature of the night) eat cats?” for, you see, as she couldn (could — couldn't: could not)’t answer either question, it didn (did — didn't: did not)’t much matter which way she put it. She felt that she was dozing (nineteen to the dozen: without stopping) off, and had just begun to dream that she was walking hand in hand with Dinah, and saying to her very earnestly (with deep seriousness), “Now, Dinah, tell me the truth: did you ever eat a bat (the flying mouse-like creature of the night)?” when suddenly, thump (a heavy blow)! thump (a heavy blow)! down she came upon a heap (a piled mass) 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 (above the head); before her was another long passage (passage: a sea-journey — the old sense here), and the White Rabbit was still in sight, hurrying (to move with haste) 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 (the organ of hearing) and whiskers (hair on the cheeks), how late it’s getting!” She was close behind it when she turned the corner, but the Rabbit (the long-eared burrowing animal) was no longer to be seen: she found herself in a long, low hall, which was lit up by a row of lamps (a light vessel) 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 (with sadness) down the middle, wondering how she was ever to get out again.

Suddenly she came upon a little three-legged (with three legs) 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 be one's own; to be part of) to one of the doors of the hall; but, alas (a cry of sorrow)! 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 (a hanging cloth screen) she had not noticed before, and behind it was a little door about fifteen (fifteen) inches (a small measure of length) high: she tried the little golden key in the lock, and to her great delight (great pleasure) it fitted!

Alice opened the door and found that it led into a small passage (passage: a sea-journey — the old sense here), not much larger than a rat-hole (a rat's hole): she knelt (to go down on the knees) down and looked along the passage (passage: a sea-journey — the old sense here) into the loveliest garden you ever saw. How she longed to get out of that dark hall, and wander (to roam without aim) about among those beds of bright flowers and those cool fountains (a spring of water thrown up), but she could not even get her head through the doorway (the opening of a door); “and even if my head would go through,” thought poor Alice, “it would be of very little use (use: habit; custom — the old sense here) without my shoulders. Oh, how I wish I could shut up like a telescope (the tube for seeing far)! I think I could, if I only knew how to begin.” For, you see, so many out-of-the-way (unusual) things had happened lately (not long ago), that Alice had begun to think that very few things indeed were really impossible.

There seemed to be no use (use: habit; custom — the old sense here) 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 (the tube for seeing far): 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 (a naming tag), with the words “DRINK ME (the label on the little bottle),” beautifully (finely) printed on it in large letters.

It was all very well to say “Drink me (the label on the little bottle),” but the wise little Alice was not going to do that in a hurry (to move with haste). “No, I’ll look first,” she said, “and see whether it’s marked ‘poison (a killing substance)’ or not”; for she had read several nice little histories about children who had got burnt, and eaten up by wild beasts (an animal) and other unpleasant (not pleasing) things, all because they would not remember the simple rules their friends had taught them: such as, that a red-hot (glowing hot) poker (the metal rod for stirring a fire) will burn you if you hold it too long; and that if you cut your finger (a digit of the hand) very deeply (to a great depth) with a knife (the cutting blade), it usually bleeds (to lose blood); and she had never forgotten that, if you drink much from a bottle marked “poison (a killing substance),” it is almost certain to disagree (to differ) with you, sooner or later.

However, this bottle was not marked “poison (a killing substance),” so Alice ventured (a risky undertaking) to taste it, and finding it very nice, (it had, in fact, a sort of mixed flavour (the taste of a thing) of cherry-tart (a pastry filled with cherries), custard (a sweet sauce of eggs and milk), pine-apple (the sweet spiny fruit), roast (to cook before the fire) turkey, toffee (a chewy sweet of boiled sugar and butter), and hot buttered (the yellow fat made from cream) toast (a drink to one's health; browned bread),) she very soon finished it off.

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“What a curious (eager to know; strange) feeling!” said Alice; “I must be shutting up like a telescope (the tube for seeing far).”

And so it was indeed: she was now only ten inches (a small measure of length) high, and her face brightened (to make brighter) 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 (to draw back; grow smaller) any further: she felt a little nervous (easily shaken) about this; “for it might end, you know,” said Alice to herself, “in my going out altogether (wholly), like a candle (a wax light). I wonder what I should be like then?” And she tried to fancy (the imagination; a liking) what the flame (the fire's tongue) of a candle (a wax light) is like after the candle (a wax light) 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 (a cry of sorrow) 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 (clearly; simply) through the glass, and she tried her best to climb (to go up) up one of the legs of the table, but it was too slippery (hard to hold; sliding); and when she had tired herself out with trying, the poor little thing sat down and cried.

“Come, there’s no use (use: habit; custom — the old sense here) in crying like that!” said Alice to herself, rather sharply (keenly); “I advise (to counsel) you to leave off this minute!” She generally gave herself very good advice, (though she very seldom (rarely) followed it), and sometimes she scolded (to find fault angrily) herself so severely (with hard strictness) as to bring tears (a drop of weeping; to rip) into her eyes; and once she remembered trying to box her own ears (the organ of hearing) for having cheated (to deceive for gain) herself in a game of croquet (a lawn game of knocking balls through hoops with mallets) she was playing against herself, for this curious (eager to know; strange) child was very fond (loving) of pretending (to make believe) to be two people. “But it’s no use (use: habit; custom — the old sense here) now,” thought poor Alice, “to pretend (to make believe) to be two people! Why, there’s hardly enough of me left to make one respectable (worthy of respect) 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 (the words marked on the little cake)” were beautifully (finely) marked in currants (a small dried grape). “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 (to move low and slowly) 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 (with anxious worry) 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-the-way (unusual) things to happen, that it seemed quite dull (not sharp; not bright) and stupid for life to go on in the common way.

So she set to work, and very soon finished off the cake.

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