Alice Down the Well – Part 1
Chapter 1 – Alice Down the Well
I hate fetching the water. Why can't my sister do it for once? After all, she has to contribute to our family as well. Alice trudged unwillingly to the well in the village square, a very large bucket in hand. It was very heavy for someone her age, and was so large that she had to sling it over her back.
Wiping the sweat off her face, she held the rope, tied the handle tightly to the bucket, and heaved it over the wall of the well. She watched as it dropped.
This is tiring work. Did my parents just have to find the smallest, weakest and youngest of our family to do such a tiring job? Seeing that the bucket was floating on the water, Alice picked up pebbles and dropped them into the bucket. That actually sounds quite good! She began dropping them in all different places, like the water, the wooden parts of the bucket and on top of other pebbles. The bucket dropped lower and lower, until the water finally filled it.
Oh, oh, the cleverness of me! Alice smiled at her idea, and reached for the handle. However, due to her playfulness, she had put too many pebbles into the bucket, and was too heavy for her to wind up. So Alice did the only thing she could think of – going down the well herself.
Carefully, she lowered herself down the rope. It began swaying, and she desperately wanted to climb up again. If my parents knew, though…I don't think I'll have dinner tonight. So she continued. The coarse rope scratched her smooth hands, but she did not care. She did not want an empty stomach that night!
The well was a lot deeper than Alice expected it to be. It was dark, and she never liked that. I wish dear Dinah was here, she would keep my company by purring. It was also very damp and very cold. Her dress was completely soaked, and Alice began shivering all over.
Just keep going, just keep going…I must have dinner tonight. Alice cautiously slid her hands down the rope, until she heard a very faint meowing. How great! The kittens are here! She looked up, and saw three cats up there. It was dark compared to the brightness of the sun, but Alice could recognise her dear kittens, ivory white Dinah andSnowdrop,and ebony black Kitty. She stretched one hand out to touch them, but they would not come closer.
Come on, kitty, keep your little mistress company. Alice longed to climb up, but remembered about her dinner just in time. So she withdrew her hand, and continued downwards. Then she felt something against her legs. She had reached the water! Then she saw Dinah leap down with her.
No! Dinah, no, I don't want to go any further down! That was what Alice wanted to say. However, her cat fell down amazingly quickly, and knocked her off the rope. She felt herself dropping down with her cat…