Alice's Adventures in WonderlandWersja dostosowana do wieku

Alice was terribly bored sitting beside her sister on the riverbank. The sun was so hot that the grass felt like a warm blanket, and the bees buzzed drowsily in the clover. Her sister was reading a book, but Alice could see it had neither pictures nor conversations, and what is a book without those? She sighed deeply and counted the grass blades around her. Nothing exciting happened. Until a white rabbit came running by. It wasn't like any rabbit Alice had seen before – it had pink eyes that shone in the sunlight, a waistcoat with little pockets, and it pulled out a pocket watch while looking very busy. "Oh dear, oh dear, I'm late!" it squeaked in a high-pitched voice, shaking its head. It was so strange that Alice jumped up without thinking. She had never seen a rabbit with a watch before, and certainly not one that could talk. She ran after it across the meadow, through a hedge, and just as she thought she would catch up, it disappeared down a large hole under a bush. Alice didn't hesitate for a second. She bent forward and peered into the darkness. She felt her heart beating fast, and a strange excitement filled her. "Now or never," she said to herself, and then she jumped after it.

The fall was strangely quiet and calm. She didn't fall fast, but drifted downwards as if floating in a slow elevator. The walls were lined with shelves and cupboards, and she managed to see maps and books and old boxes. She grabbed a jar labeled "ORANGE MARMALADE" and was disappointed when it turned out to be empty. Still, it smelled sweet and nice. So as not to drop it and hit someone far below, she put it in a cupboard that drifted past. "What if I fall all the way through the earth?" she thought. "Then I'll come to people who walk on their heads, or who have never seen a cake." She stared down into the darkness and tried to see the bottom, but it was impossible. "Maybe I'll fall forever?" she wondered. She felt her hair float around her head, and her dress fluttered like a sail. But before she could figure out more, she landed softly on a pile of dry leaves and twigs. She stood up and brushed dust off her dress. Before her lay a long, low hall with lamps burning in the ceiling and a row of doors along the wall. All were locked. She tried them one by one, but none gave way.

Alice went from door to door trying the handles, but none moved. She gave one a light kick, but it didn't budge. She was about to give up when she noticed a little glass table by one wall. It was so low she had almost walked past it. On the table lay a tiny golden key that sparkled in the lamplight. "Finally," she said and grabbed it. It was small and shiny, and felt warm in her hand. But the key was much too small for any of the doors. She made another round and finally found a low curtain she hadn't noticed before. Behind it hid a door barely taller than a mouse. Alice put the key in the lock – it fit perfectly! She bent down and looked through the doorway. The most beautiful sight met her: a garden with fountains and flowers of all colors, and a sun shining warmly over green trees. She tried to crawl through, but her head barely fit. The rest of her body was much too large. "If only I could fold myself up like a telescope," she sighed, and sat down on the floor with the key in her hand.

Then she spotted a bottle on the glass table. It had a label that said "DRINK ME" in nice, round letters. Alice was a careful girl and knew you shouldn't drink unknown things. "It could be poisonous," she said to herself. She studied the bottle closely. It didn't look dangerous, and it didn't say "POISON" on it. She sniffed carefully – it smelled like cherries and vanilla and something warm and good, like freshly baked cookies. So she took a small sip. The taste was wonderful: it reminded her of turkey and caramel and sandwiches and pineapple all at once. She drank a little more, and felt something strange happening. She began to shrink. It felt like she was sinking into her own shoes, and her dress became looser around her body. The table grew higher and higher before her eyes. Soon she was no bigger than a thimble. "Now I can go through the door!" she cried happily. But as she ran towards it, she discovered the golden key was still on the table. The table was now as tall as a tower, and she couldn't reach it.

Alice sat down and began to cry. "So silly, so silly," she sobbed. "Why didn't I take the key with me?" The tears flowed and flowed, and soon there was a little puddle around her. "Stop crying," she said sternly to herself. "Sitting and sniffling won't help. You have to find a solution!" But the tears kept coming, and the puddle grew bigger. Under the table lay a small box with a cake inside. On top it was written in currants: "EAT ME". Alice wiped her eyes and took a bite. It tasted sweet and a little tangy. "I hope this makes me bigger again," she said. It did. She grew so fast that her head soon hit the ceiling and her feet pressed against the walls. She had to tilt her head to fit. She grabbed the key with a large hand, but now she was much too big for the door. "Why does everything happen so backwards here?" she cried, both angry and desperate. The tears started flowing again, and she swam in them while growing even more.

In the middle of the pool of tears, a mouse splashed by. It was long and grey and looked very serious. "Excuse me," said Alice. "Do you know the way to the shore?" The mouse looked at her with dark eyes. "I don't know," it said dryly. "I'm just trying to get up." Alice swam beside it and tried to be friendly. "Have you met my cat, Dinah?" she asked. The mouse went completely stiff and shook its head. "Don't talk about cats!" it said sternly and swam away faster. "Sorry," called Alice. "Dinah is really very kind. She catches mice, but she only plays." The mouse refused to answer and disappeared into some reeds. Alice swam on and met several animals: a duck with wet feathers, a dodo who looked confused, an eagle with sharp eyes, and a lory who squawked in frustration. They were all wet and tired and trying to find land. Finally, they saw a strip of dry sand, and they swam towards it with all their might.

On the shore, the animals gathered in a wet, shivering ring. "We need to get dry," said the dodo, who was the wisest of them. "I propose a race." "A race?" asked the duck, shaking off the water. "Where should we run?" "No one knows," said the dodo. "That's the point. We all run together in a circle, and when I call stop, we'll be dry." They lined up and ran in a large, messy circle. Some ran too fast, some too slow, and Alice tripped over a stone. "Stop!" called the dodo after a while. Everyone was out of breath and a little drier, but no one knew who had won. "Everyone has won!" decided the dodo. "And everyone must have a prize." Alice found some candies in her pocket and handed them out to all. They tasted them and nodded contentedly. "And what do you get, who gave the prizes?" asked the dodo. "You get a thimble." He took Alice's own thimble and gave it back with a deep bow. Alice laughed and blushed.

The Mouse was asked to tell a story to make them completely dry. "A dry story," said the dodo. The Mouse began to tell about kings and judges and olden days. But Alice stared so intently at its tail that she didn't listen. "Your tail is very long," she said thoughtfully. The Mouse was offended. "You're not listening to me!" "Yes, I am," said Alice. "You were talking about a tail." "That's not the same!" hissed the Mouse and disappeared into the grass. "Dinah would like you," Alice called after it. "She's good at catching mice." When the animals heard the word "cat," they all froze. "Cat!" squeaked the lory. "That's dangerous!" And before Alice could apologize, the whole gathering had scattered in all directions. She stood alone on the shore, surrounded by nothing but silence and the sound of lapping waves. "Now I have no one left," she said sadly and sat down on a stone.

A busy trotting made her look up. The White Rabbit was coming again, with white gloves and a fan under its arm. "Oh, the Duchess will be so angry!" it squeaked, looking around. When it spotted Alice, it cried out: "Mary Ann! Why are you standing there relaxing? Run home and fetch my gloves and fan, at once!" Alice was so surprised she didn't protest. "Yes, sir," she said and ran in the direction the Rabbit pointed. She found a little, neat house with clean curtains and a front yard. Inside the living room lay the gloves and fan on a table, and next to them stood a bottle. "I need to get a little bigger," said Alice and took a sip. Lo and behold, she began to grow. She grew and grew until her head pressed against the ceiling and her arms didn't fit. "Too much," she groaned and tried to shrink, but it was too late. She had to lie on the floor with her head out the door and one foot up the chimney.

Outside she heard the Rabbit's voice. "Mary Ann! Where are my gloves?" It tried to open the door, but Alice's elbow held it shut. "Let me in!" called the Rabbit. "I can't," said Alice and immediately regretted it. The Rabbit fell silent, then began whispering with someone else. "We must get her out," said a voice. "Through the chimney!" A lizard, named Bill, was sent up. When it came down feet first, Alice kicked it so it flew back up like a cork. "Poor Bill," someone muttered outside. Pebbles began to rain in through the window. Alice picked up a stone and noticed it turned into a cake when it hit the floor. "Eat me," was written on top. She took a bite. At once she began to shrink, and when she was small enough, she slipped out the door and ran into the woods.

The woods were dense and shady. Alice walked among the trees, thinking about everything that had happened. "Nothing is as it should be here," she said. "One day I'm big, the next small. Rabbits have watches and talk, and cats..." She stopped. In front of her sat a blue Caterpillar on a large mushroom. It was smoking a hookah and looking at her with sad, wise eyes. "Who are you?" asked the Caterpillar. "I... I don't really know," said Alice. "I've changed so many times today that I don't know who I am anymore." "That sounds confusing," said the Caterpillar. "It is," said Alice. The Caterpillar took a deep puff and slowly blew out the smoke. "Recite a poem," it said. "That will show me who you are." Alice tried to recite a poem she knew, but the words came out all wrong. The Caterpillar shook its head. "You have changed. But I can help. One side of this mushroom makes you taller, the other makes you shorter." Then it disappeared among the leaves.

Alice carefully broke off a piece from each side of the mushroom. She held them in each hand and didn't know which was which. "Just try," she said and took a bite of the right one. She grew so fast that her neck shot up like a giraffe and her head disappeared among the branches. A pigeon flew up in fright from a nest. "Serpent!" it cried. "I'm not a serpent," said Alice, but the pigeon was not convinced. "I've seen serpents before, and you look just like one! You want my eggs!" Alice tried to explain, but the pigeon was too scared to listen. She quickly took a bite of the other mushroom piece and shrank until she was a reasonable size. The pigeon looked at her with suspicious eyes and settled down. Alice put the mushroom pieces in her pocket and walked on. "Now I must be careful," she said to herself. "Change isn't always easy, but I must learn to control it."

After a while she came to a small house. It was so low that she had to crawl to see in the window. A frog with stiff legs stood on the steps knocking on the door, with a large fish in a jacket beside it. "Delivery from the Queen," said the fish solemnly and held out an invitation. The frog received it and bowed. Alice knocked on the door. "Unnecessary," whispered the frog. "Inside it's so noisy that no one will hear anyway." Alice opened the door and was met by a cloud of pepper. "Atchoo!" She sneezed several times and tried to see through the haze. In the kitchen stood a cook stirring a huge pot. She threw pepper in the air, not caring about anyone. On a chair sat the Duchess with a baby on her lap, singing a lullaby that sounded more like a threat. In the fireplace sat a large, broad cat grinning.

"Excuse me," said Alice between sneezes. "Why does your cat grin like that?" "It's a Cheshire Cat," said the Duchess. "And they always grin." She thrust the baby at Alice. "Hold it for a moment. I must get ready for the Queen's croquet game." Before Alice could protest, the Duchess had disappeared out the door. Alice looked at the baby. Its face was strange, and its ears were too long. It grunted and snorted. "You're not quite like other babies," said Alice gently. When she lifted the blanket, she saw the baby had turned into a little pig. It looked at her with dark, blunt eyes. "Well, then it's best you become a pig," said Alice and set it down. The pig wagged its tail and trotted contentedly into the woods. "That was that," said Alice and wiped her nose. The cat in the fireplace grinned even wider.

"Can you tell me which way I should go?" Alice asked the cat. "That depends on where you want to go," said the cat. "I don't much care where, as long as I get somewhere," said Alice. "Then you can go any way," said the cat. "You're sure to get somewhere if you walk long enough." Alice sighed. "What sort of people live here?" "In that direction," said the cat, pointing with its paw, "lives the Hatter. In the other direction lives the March Hare. Both are mad." "I don't want to be around mad people," said Alice. "You can't avoid it," said the cat. "Everyone here is mad. I'm mad, you're mad." "How do you know I'm mad?" asked Alice. "You must be," said the cat, "or you wouldn't have come here." Then it began to disappear, bit by bit, first the tail, then the body, until only the grin hung in the air. "I've seen many cats without grins," thought Alice, "but never a grin without a cat."

Alice went in the direction the cat had pointed, and soon came to a long table under a large tree. Around the table sat the March Hare and the Hatter drinking tea. Between them lay a small fellow, the Dormouse, sleeping with his head on a cup. "No room! No room!" they cried when they saw Alice. "There's plenty of room," said Alice, and sat down in a large armchair. "Would you like some more tea?" asked the March Hare. "I haven't had any yet," said Alice. "Then you can't have more," said the Hatter. "That's logical." Alice thought nothing was logical, but she said nothing. "Why is a raven like a writing desk?" asked the Hatter. Alice thought for a long time. "I give up," she said. "I don't know." "I don't either," said the Hatter contentedly. "You're strange," said Alice. "We're mad," said the March Hare. "That's much better than being ordinary."

The Hatter took out his pocket watch and shook it. "It doesn't strike anymore," he said. "I had a quarrel with Time, and ever since it's always been six o'clock for me." "Six is tea time," said the March Hare. "That's why we always drink tea." Alice looked at the dirty dishes and empty cups. "But you never move!" "What's the point?" said the Hatter. "It's always six." He dipped his bread and butter into the tea and took a bite. The Dormouse woke up for a moment and muttered: "Three sisters who lived in a well of treacle…" Then he fell asleep again. "What did they draw?" asked Alice. "Things beginning with M," said the Dormouse in his sleep. Alice grew annoyed. "M doesn't begin with M, it's just a letter!" But no one listened to her. Finally she stood up. "You are rude," she said and left. "Come back when you can answer the riddle!" shouted the Hatter.

As Alice walked on, she saw a door in a tree. She opened it and suddenly was back in the long hall with the glass table. "At last," she said and took the golden key. She ate a bit of her mushroom and shrank until she was small enough for the door. Then she opened it and stepped out into the beautiful garden she had seen from afar. The garden was even more beautiful than she had imagined. Fountains splashed, flowers smelled sweet, and trees swayed in the gentle breeze. "I'm here," she whispered. She felt the grass under her feet and saw butterflies fluttering among the roses. But voices from the avenue made her look around. Three gardeners, with faces like playing cards, stood painting white roses red with large, nervous strokes. "Why are you painting?" asked Alice. "So the Queen doesn't find out we planted the wrong ones," whispered one. "She beheads people for less."

Before the gardeners could explain further, trumpets and drums were heard. "The procession!" cried one. Soldiers in red and black uniforms marched by, followed by courtiers in fine clothes, and finally the King and Queen of Hearts. The Queen was tall and sharp, with eyes that swept over everything and everyone. She stopped at the roses. "What is this?" she said in a voice like ice. "White roses?" "No, Your Majesty, they are red," stammered one of the gardeners. "They look white to me," said the Queen. "Off with his head!" Alice stepped forward quickly. "They have just planted them, Your Majesty," she said. "Perhaps they need a little time to turn red." The Queen looked at Alice with narrow eyes. "Who are you?" "Alice, Your Majesty." "Do you play croquet?" "Yes," Alice lied. "Good," said the Queen. "Follow me."

The croquet ground was a sight Alice would never forget. The mallets were flamingos that twisted around and looked at her with round, shiny eyes. The balls were hedgehogs that curled up when you tried to hit them. The soldiers stood on their hands and feet as arches, and moved when you least expected it. The Queen played with great zeal and shouted "Off with his head!" to anyone who missed. Alice tried to hit the flamingo, but it refused to cooperate. Every time she aimed, the flamingo looked at her with an offended expression and twisted away. The hedgehog rolled in the wrong direction, and the soldiers changed places. "This is impossible," muttered Alice. "Everyone cheats, and no one follows the rules." In the midst of all the chaos, she suddenly saw a familiar grin in the air. The Cheshire Cat sat on an invisible branch, smiling broadly. "How is the game going?" it asked.

"Terrible," said Alice. "No one plays properly, and the Queen is shouting about beheading all the time." "That's how it is here," said the cat. "Would you like your head too?" asked Alice half-jokingly. "It may well be," said the cat and slowly disappeared. When the Queen saw Alice talking to herself, she came storming over. "Who are you talking to?" "A friend, Your Majesty," said Alice. "Where is he?" "He is invisible," said Alice. The Queen's face turned red. "No one is invisible without my permission! Off with his head!" The executioner came running, but when he saw there was no head to chop, he stood confused. "I cannot cut off the head of something I don't see," he said. "Then cut off what you do see!" shouted the Queen. But the cat was already gone. The Queen snorted and went back to the game. "Enough!" she cried. "Gryphon, take the child to the Mock Turtle! She shall hear the story."

The Gryphon came forward. It had the head and wings of an eagle, but the body of a lion. "Come," it said kindly. "The Mock Turtle is waiting." Alice followed the Gryphon to the shore, where a strange creature sat on a stone crying. It was the Mock Turtle, but it didn't look like any turtle Alice had seen. It had ox legs and a large, wrinkled head. "Why are you crying?" asked Alice. "Because I am sad," said the Mock Turtle. "I always am." "Tell her about the school," said the Gryphon. The Mock Turtle wiped its eyes and began: "We went to school in the sea. We learned different subjects: reading and writing, but also twisting and turning, which is much harder. We had teachers like the Eel and the Crab, and we danced the Lobster Quadrille." "The Lobster Quadrille?" asked Alice curiously. "The best dance," said the Gryphon. "Would you like to see it?"

The Mock Turtle and the Gryphon showed Alice the Lobster Quadrille. They hopped and skipped in a circle, sang a song about lobsters and turtles, and threw imaginary lobsters into the air. Alice tried to dance along, but she tripped on her dress and laughed until her stomach hurt. "Lovely," she said when they stopped. "Once more?" "No," said the Mock Turtle, sighing. "Dancing makes me sad." Instead, it sang a song about soup. "Beautiful soup, so creamy and warm, that makes one smile and feel glad," it sang with a voice that rippled like the sea. Alice sat perfectly still. The song was sad and beautiful at the same time. "Thank you," she said when the Mock Turtle finished. "That was nice." "Now we must go," said the Gryphon, pricking up its ears. "The trial is beginning, and the Queen wants you there." "The trial?" asked Alice. "What kind of trial?" "The Knave is being tried for stealing the tarts," said the Gryphon. "Everyone must be there."

The courtroom was full of people. The King of Hearts sat on the throne with a large wig and a crown that wobbled. The Queen of Hearts sat beside him, looking as sharp as ever. In the middle of the room stood the Knave of Hearts, chained and pale. He looked guilty, but Alice thought he looked more scared than anything else. The jurors sat on a bench writing in their notebooks. They were a collection of animals and birds, and they wrote constantly, even though nothing had been said yet. "Silence in the court!" shouted the White Rabbit, who was the herald. "The Knave of Hearts is accused of stealing the Queen's tarts. What do you have to say?" "Not guilty," said the Knave with a trembling voice. "We shall see," said the King, adjusting his wig. "Call the first witness." "The Hatter!" shouted the Rabbit. The Hatter came in with a cup of tea in one hand and a slice of bread and butter in the other. He looked very nervous.

"What do you know about the tarts?" asked the King. "Nothing, Your Majesty," said the Hatter. "I was only having tea." "You are always having tea," said the Queen sharply. "That is true," said the Hatter. "Time and I are not friends, so it is always six o'clock." The King looked confused. "Is that relevant?" "No, Your Majesty," said the Hatter. "Then you may go," said the King. "But be careful with your tea." The next witness was the Cook. She came in with a pepper pot in her hand and sneezed loudly. "What are tarts made of?" asked the King. "Pepper, mostly," said the Cook. "And treacle," muttered the Dormouse, who sat sleeping in the windowsill. "Arrest him for contempt!" cried the Queen. "Next witness!" "Alice!" shouted the Rabbit. Alice stood up. She felt herself growing a little every minute, for she had eaten a bit of her mushroom without thinking.

"What do you know about this case?" asked the King. "Nothing," said Alice. "That's very important," said the King. "Rule forty-two: All persons more than a mile high must leave the court." "That's not a rule," said Alice firmly. "And besides, I'm not a mile high." "You almost are," said the King nervously. "I'm not leaving," said Alice. "You have no evidence." "Produce the evidence!" shouted the King. The White Rabbit came with a paper. It was a poem that was supposed to have been written by the Knave. "Read it," said the King. The Rabbit read aloud. The poem was about someone saying something to someone else about something that may or may not have been stolen. It made no sense. "It's nonsense," said Alice. "It could be about anyone." "That's enough evidence for me," said the King contentedly. The jury wrote something in their books. The Queen stood up. "Sentence first, then the evidence," she said. "That's not how it's done," cried Alice, who had grown tall. "You're nothing but a pack of cards!"

At that moment, the whole court flew up into the air. Soldiers, courtiers, animals, and birds turned into small paper cards that swirled around her head. They hit her face like light, sharp wings. "Stop!" cried Alice, batting them away. "You are not real!" But they kept fluttering, and she felt a sting on her cheek. Then she heard a voice. "Alice! Wake up!" She opened her eyes. She was lying on the grass by the riverbank, her head in her sister's lap. The sun was shining, and leaves rustled in the wind. "You've been asleep a long time," said her sister, smiling. "I was dreaming," said Alice breathlessly. "I dreamed everything: rabbits with watches, a mad hatter, a queen shouting off with their heads, and a cat that was just a grin." She laughed. "It was the strangest thing I've ever experienced." "It was just a dream," said her sister. "But it felt real," said Alice. She got up and brushed the grass off her dress. "Now I must go home for tea. Are you coming?"

Her sister remained sitting, watching Alice as she ran across the meadow. She smiled to herself and closed her eyes. She imagined everything Alice had told her: the long hall with many doors, the garden with fountains, the mad tea party, and the grand courtroom where a little girl grew big enough to speak her mind. "What a dream," she whispered. But at the same time, it felt as if some of the magic was real, as if the land beneath the earth waited somewhere, ready to be discovered again. The river glittered in the sunlight, and the wind carried a distant laugh. Her sister opened her eyes and stood up. "Perhaps I will dream tonight too," she thought. She felt the grass under her feet, and the gentle summer air stroked her cheek. She took one last look at the horizon, where the meadow met the sky in a soft, green haze. And she walked home, through the meadow where everything was quiet and beautiful, but never quite the same as before. For once you have been in Wonderland, even in a dream, the world becomes a little more magical.