Alice in Wonderland, Part 1, Down the rabbit hole"

Narrator Hello. This is the story of an ordinary girl called Alice. Our story begins on an ordinary summer’s day. Let’s meet Alice: here she is, sitting next to the river with her sister on a very hot summer’s afternoon. Her sister is reading a book, and with no-one to talk to, Alice is bored… and a bit sleepy. Soon, she’ll be in a Wonderland full of strange and wonderful adventures… but Alice doesn’t know that yet…

Alice Ohh… There’s nothing to do… except lie on the grass and pick daisies. Shall I make a daisy chain for my dear little Dinah? Oh… I don’t know… it’s sooo hot…

White Rabbit Oh dear! Oh dear! I’m late! I’m so very late! Oh dear oh dear!

Alice A white rabbit! A talking white rabbit? Perhaps. But a rabbit with a pocket-watch? A rabbit with pockets? I must see where he’s going!

Narrator Alice had never seen a rabbit with a pocket, or a waistcoat, or a pocket-watch before. So, she ran after the rabbit as fast as she could, and when the rabbit jumped down a large rabbit hole, Alice jumped straight after him.

Alice Oohhhh… Either this hole is very deep or I’m falling very slowly. And what a curious rabbit-hole! Who would think a rabbit-hole would have bookshelves … and books … and maps … and jars of marmalade ?

Narrator Alice fell down, down, down. She fell for so long that she began to think about Dinah, her cat.

Alice Dinah will miss me tonight! I hope they’ll remember her milk at tea-time. Dinah, my dear, I wish you were down here with me!

Narrator Alice was beginning to feel quite sleepy when suddenly, her fall was over and she found herself sitting on a pile of leaves and grass.

Alice Ouch! Who’s there?

White Rabbit Oh, my ears and whiskers! How late it’s getting!!

Alice Wait! Please sir, wait a moment!

Narrator The White Rabbit ran down a long tunnel. Alice ran after him. But when she reached the end of the tunnel she found only a long hall with doors all the way round. Alice tried to open the doors - but they were all locked. Then she saw a table with a tiny key on it.

Alice These doors are all too big. There must be a smaller door somewhere. I wonder… hmmm, let me take a look behind this little curtain… ooh! a tiny little door! Let me try the key… What a beautiful garden! But how can I visit it? The door is so tiny - I can’t even fit my head through! Oh! It’s no use. I wish I could fold up like a telescope! Wait a minute … what’s this? It certainly wasn’t here before. A bottle - I wonder what it is? Let me see the label. Hmmm: Drink me… Oh! Oh! Ohhhhhh!!!! What a curious feeling! I’m folding up like a telescope!

Narrator And so she was! Alice got smaller and smaller until she was small enough to fit through the door. But she’d forgotten something …

Alice The key!

Narrator Alice was too small to reach the key on the table. She tried and tried to climb up the table leg but it was too slippery. When she had tired herself out with trying, poor little Alice sat down and cried.

Alice It’s no use. I can’t reach the key, so I can’t get into the garden and that’s that. There’s no use crying like that! Alice! I advise you to stop this minute! Oohh… what’s this? A little glass box… with cake inside! Ooh: and there’s a note. Eat me. Hmmm. I wonder if it will make me grow… if I grow, I will be able to reach the key. But what if it makes me even smaller? Well, if it makes me smaller, I will be able to creep under the door.

Narrator And Alice began to eat the cake. Did she grow big enough to reach the key? Or perhaps the cake made her small enough to creep under the door and into her beautiful garden. I’ll tell you what happened next time. Goodbye.