We often ask ourselves, "How do you get to Wonderland?"

Do you go over the hill, or just beyond a tree?

Where the clouds roll away and leave the sky?

Where could that land be, the one people cannot see?

But where do the stars go? And the crescent moon?

They could be anywhere in the afternoon.

But where is the path to Wonderland?

Over the hill or over there?

I just wonder where...

...

A flock of birds took to the skies as they formed a V-shaped formation above the rolling pastures of Brussels's countryside. Far from the eyes of the city, trees lined the flowering green hills. A few ducks roaming around the fields decided in favor of the beckoning water and glided across the crystal-blue pond. The countryside was indeed so peaceful.

Not too far from the pond, there lay a large oak tree that stood with such majesty, as though it had stood there for ages. Sitting beside was a lady with fine, lacelike ginger hair, a blue riding dress, and bonnet, who was reciting a text from an important-looking book on the history of Brussels. She seemed well put together and very elegant, as all women should.

The woman, named Heather, was yet again droning on about King William this, King William that. "...true leaders, and had been of late very much accustomed to all usurpation and conquest," Heather recited with a flick of her tongue. "Edwin and Morcar, the earls of Merciaand Northumbria declared for him, and even Stigand...Ooh!"

Heather felt an oak leaf fall on her face. Sighing with nonchalance, she cocked her head upward. "Tintin!" she said sternly.

Seated on a sturdy branch above her, the young man sat upright, cradling his white fox terrier Snowy. The man, who was Tintin, pulled himself together and inquired, "Hmm? Oh yes, I'm listening, Heather."

Satisfied, Heather continued with the reading. "...and even Stigand," she read, " the archbishop of Canterbury, had agreed to meet with William and offer him the crown." As she had read that sentence, Tintin could help himself and let out a giggle.

"And William's conduct at first was mo..." Tintin then started to laugh as he was dressing his dog in a crown of leaves.

Slightly angered, Heather turned to Tintin and demanded, "Tintin! Will you kindly pay attention to your history lesson?"

Tintin sighed in distaste. "I'm sorry Heather. But how can one just pay attention to a book that has no pictures in it?" Sighing, Heather answered, "Tintin, there are so many good books in the world that don't all have pictures."

"Well, maybe in this world, perhaps," Tintin added. "But if I had a world of my own, then it would just be nothing but pictures all around." "Oh Tintin, stop that," Heather told him. "That is just nonsense."

"Nonsense?" Tintin questioned. Heather ignored him and went back to the book. "Now, once more," she said. "From the top." Feeling disillusioned, Tintin reluctantly climbed down the tree without Heather noticing. "That's it, Snowy," Tintin said. "If I had my own world, then everything would be complete nonsense." He then continued toward the open fields.

"Nothing will be wht they are," Tintin continued, reclining on the soft grass, "because they'll be what they weren't before. Likewise, what is was isn't, and what it isn't now, it is. You see what I mean, Snowy?"

"Rowf!" Snowy barked. "Of course, in my world, you wouldn't say 'woof'," Tintin told Snowy. "Instead, you'd say, 'Yes, Mister Tintin'." "Rowf! Rowf!" "But you would!" Tintin told Snowy. "You'd be just like everyone else, Snowy, and other animals too." He then sat up to lie down once gain, flat on his body.

"Hmm, in my world," Tintin wondered aloud to himself, "animals that are well dressed and live in such prestigious houses...in my own world. Then flowers could sit and talk to me for hours and hours, when I'm all alone in my own little world." Tintin then watched his reflection in the pond, the tiny waves rippling back and forth.

"And I'll see a dozen nice and friendly birds, everyone can see that," Tintin mumbled, almost lulling himself to a slight whisper. "I can listen to a babbling brook, playing a song I understand. I just wish all this could be that way," Tintin whispered as he touched the glistening water with his hand, "it'll be my own wonderland..."

Feeling quite sleepy now, Tintin sighed heavily and carried Snowy over to a tall maple tree. Resting his head against the trunk of the tree, Tintin slowly drifted into a peaceful sleep.

...

"Hmmm, hmm hmmm hmm, do-do-do-do-do..."

Snowy was sound asleep when the strange humming noise woke him with a start. Cocking his head, Snowy turned to find that it was only Professor Calculus...with rabbit ears?!

"Rowf!" Snowy began to bark loudly. "Woof woof woof! Rowf Rowf!"

"Arg, Snowy. What do you want now?" Tintin muttered sleepily, waking up. He then turned to see where Snowy was barking. "Oh, give it a rest, Snowy," Tintin mumbed. "It's just the Professor, he..." Tintin rubbed his eyes to get a better look. "Wait a minute, Professor Calculus?" Tintin asked, startled. "With...rabbit ears? A-And a...a big watch?!"

Professor Calculus, still swinging his little pendulum, then took out a rather large watch out of his pocket and gasped. "Oh dear!" he started to say. "Goodness me, I'm late. I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!" He then took off, striding the pathway rather swiftly.

"Strange!" Tintin said, getting up. "Now what could he be late for?" He then took off for the Professor. "Professor!" he called out. "Please, Professor! Wait!" Snowy then began sprinting toward Tintin as he continued pursuing the Professor.

"Oh dear, am I late!" Professor Calculus told himself, picking up speed as he continued walking. "I'm late! Late for a very important date! No time to say hello. I am very late!"

Tintin heard what the Professor was sying to himself, and he started to wonder. "Now I wonder what could be so important now," he wondered. "It must be very important; maybe he's off to a party? Or something else?" He then started to run swiftly. "Professor Calculus!" Tintin called out. "Professor! Wait! Please!"

"Goodness me, I am so overdue!" Professor Calculus said, watching the time on his watch slowly ticking away. "Now I am in the stew. No time to say hello now! Goodness, I'm late!" Professor Calculus then reached a sturdy oak tree far from the countryside, where a most unusual thing happened. The Professor then began to shrink down to the size of a rabbit, and then he disappeared into a tiny, rabbit-sized hole inside the tree.

Panting heavily, Tintin finally reached the tree where the Professor had disappeared into. Snowy then began snuffing the dirt on the ground, sniffing around until he began pawing at the rabbit hole. "Rowf!" Snowy began to bark, alarming Tintin. "Rowf! Rowf! Rowf!"

"Huh," Tintin said, looking at the rabbit hole below him. "Seems like a weird place to host a party, eh Snowy?" Tintin said, kneeling down. "Rowf!" Snowy barked again.

"Hmm, if I want to know more about whatever it is that the Professor's late for, then I must investigate this," Tintin said aloud. He then got to his knees and crawled inside. Strangely enough, Tintin was able to fit inside the rabbit hole, as if it almost expanded magically for him to fit through such a tiny space.

"Ugh, you know, Snowy," Tintin grunted as he crawled further inside, "we really...unngh...be...doing this...unngh. And there was...ennngh!...no...invitation sent out...for...us!" He soon reached the far end of the hole.

"And you know what they say, Snowy," Tintin muttered as he kept crawling further inside the hole. "They say curiosity will soon lead us to certain troub-Aaaaaaaaaaaaaggggggggghhh!"

Tintin then tripped over a small ledge, and he suddenly found himself falling. He could practically hear Snowy barking frantically for his owner.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiieeee!" Tintin cried out as he was falling. "Goodbye now, Snowy!" he called out, waving farewell to Snowy as he waved his paw in return. "Goodbye...!" Suddenly, Tintin felt the force of the gravity pulling him further as he kept falling, falling, falling...

...