Once upon a time, there was a little girl called Alice: and she had a very curious dream.
Would you like to hear what it was that she dreamed about?
Well, this was the _first_ thing that happened. A White Rabbit came running by, in a great hurry; and, just as it passed Alice, it stopped, and took its watch out of its pocket.
Wasn’t _that_ a funny thing? Did _you_ ever see a Rabbit that had a watch, and a pocket to put it in? Of course, when a Rabbit has a watch, it _must_ have a pocket to put it in: it would never do to carry it about in its mouth----and it wants its hands sometimes, to run about with.
Hasn’t it got pretty pink eyes (I think _all_ White Rabbits have pink eyes); and pink ears; and a nice brown coat; and you can just see its red pocket-handkerchief peeping out of its coat-pocket: and, what with its blue neck-tie and its yellow waistcoat, it really is _very_ nicely dressed.
“Oh dear, oh dear!” said the Rabbit. “I shall be too late!” _What_ would it be too late _for_, I wonder? Well, you see, it had to go and visit the Duchess (you’ll see a picture of the Duchess, soon, sitting in her kitchen): and the Duchess was a very cross old lady: and the Rabbit _knew_ she’d be very angry indeed if he kept her waiting. So the poor thing was as frightened as frightened could be (Don’t you see how he’s trembling? Just shake the book a little, from side to side, and you’ll soon see him tremble), because he thought the Duchess would have his head cut off, for a punishment. That was what the Queen of Hearts used to do, when _she_ was angry with people (you’ll see a picture of _her_, soon): at least she used to _order_ their heads to be cut off, and she always _thought_ it was done, though they never _really_ did it.
And so, when the White Rabbit ran away, Alice wanted to see what would happen to it: so she ran after it: and she ran, and she ran, till she tumbled right down the rabbit-hole.
And then she had a very long fall indeed. Down, and down, and down, till she began to wonder if she was going right _through_ the World, so as to come out on the other side!
It was just like a very deep well: only there was no water in it. If anybody _really_ had such a fall as that, it would kill them, most likely: but you know it doesn’t hurt a bit to fall in a _dream_, because, all the time you _think_ you’re falling, you really _are_ lying somewhere, safe and sound, and fast asleep!