| Presently the Rabbit came up to
the door, and tried to open it; but, as the door opened inwards, and Alice's
elbow was pressed hard against it, that attempt proved a failure. Alice
heard it say to itself `Then I'll go round and get in at the window.'
`THAT you won't' thought Alice, and, after waiting till she fancied
she heard the Rabbit just under the window, she suddenly spread out her
hand, and made a snatch in the air. Next came an angry voice--the Rabbit's--`Pat! Pat! Where are you?' And then a voice she had never heard before, `Sure then I'm here! Digging for apples, yer honour! `Digging for apples, indeed!' said the Rabbit angrily. `Here! Come and help me out of THIS!' (Sounds of more broken glass.) `Now tell me, Pat, what's that in the window?' `Sure, it's an arm, yer honour!' (He pronounced it `arrum.') `An arm, you goose! Who ever saw one that size? Why, it fills the whole window!' `Sure, it does, yer honour: but it's an arm for all that.' `Well, it's got no business there, at any rate: go and take it away!' There was a long silence after this, and Alice could only hear whispers now and then; such as, `Sure, I don't like it, yer honour, at all, at all!' `Do as I tell you, you coward!' and at last she spread out her hand again, and made another snatch in the air. This time there were TWO little shrieks, and more sounds of broken glass. `What a number of cucumber-frames there must be!' thought Alice. `I wonder what they'll do next! As for pulling me out of the window, I only wish they COULD! I'm sure I don't want to stay in here any longer! She waited for some time without hearing anything more: |
  |
She
did not get hold of anything, but she heard a little shriek and a fall,
and a crash of broken glass, from which she concluded that it was just
possible it had fallen into a cucumber-frame, or something of the sort.
at
last came a rumbling of little cartwheels, and the sound of a good many
voice all talking together: she made out the words: `Where's the other
ladder?--Why, I hadn't to bring but one; Bill's got the other--Bill! fetch
it here, lad!--Here, put 'em up at this corner--No, tie 'em together first--they
don't reach half high enough yet--Oh! they'll do well enough; don't be
particular- -Here, Bill! catch hold of this rope--Will the roof bear?--Mind
that loose slate--Oh, it's coming down! Heads below!' (a loud crash)--`Now,
who did that?--It was Bill, I fancy--Who's to go down the chimney?--Nay,
I shan't! YOU do it!--That I won't, then!--Bill's to go down--Here, Bill!
the master says you're to go down the chimney!'