continuity: alice spoke with the caterpillar who explained that the mushroom would change her height when it left her. she tried to obey its directions.
part FIVE 5: Alice looked thoughtfully at the mushroom. she understood it that the taller part caused tallness and the lower part caused shortness. she did not trust it yet so she also considered that it might be fooling her and one side would make her taller. if so how does a round mushroom have two sides? in this silly world it might not matter but first she would trust the caterpillar. she broke the stem. the stalk was in her left palm. the top was in her right palm. she carefully bit a bit of its top... one leg S-T-R-E-T-C-H-E-D up while the other hung helplessly.
she tried to balance on one leg as she bit a bit of stalk. ("Which? it had said! censor] she felt a painful hit under her chin that had slammed down on her feet. She felt frightened very much by this sudden change. she hopefully tried to bite its top but opening her mouth was hardly possible. she had barely enough space to squeeze it into her mouth due to her chin pressing on her foot. she managed to nibble it. its top successfully helped her. her head became free at last!
she felt delight which soon changed to alarm when she looked toward her shoulders but found that her shoulders were not by her neck. she could not see either one. she looked down and saw an immense length of neck, which seemed to rise like a stalk out of a sea of green leaves that lay far below her. she felt fear that despite moving her hands, she could not see them. She asked them "oh my poor hands! where are you?" She only heard a little rustle in the leaves.
Al lowered her head down toward her hands. she felt joyful delight that her neck was bending easily in every direction, like a serpent. She made a beautiful zigzag so her head lowered down to dive in among the leaves, which she found were treetops. suddenly she felt a pain on her face and heard a sharp hiss. she retreated from the leaves. a fly that was actually a large pigeon had flown into her face. it was using its wings to violently slap her repeatedly. it screamed, "Serpent!"
"I'm not a serpent," Alice denied indignantly, "stop hitting me!" It ignored her and added desperately, with a frustrated sob, "I've tried every way but they always come." Al asked, "I haven't the least idea what you mean." it continued to accuse her, "SERPENT! I've built a nest on tree roots, but serpents came to take my eggs. I've tried on bushes but serpents came." I am always guarding for serpents, day and night! I haven't slept in three weeks!"
"I'm very sorry they annoyed you," said Alice trying to calm it. it continued, "I tried the highest tree in the woods," and concluded raising its voice to a shriek, "and was thinking I was free of 'em at last! you came down from the sky!" Al began again to argue, "But I'm not a serpent, I'm a... I'm a..." it interrupted her stammers, "Well! What are you? I see you're trying to invent something." she concluded doubtfully, "I'm a little girl." her tone was doubtful due to remembering her numerous changes. It exclaimed, "LITTLE??" Alice felt too surprised to reply.
it argued cynically, "A likely story indeed! I've seen many girls, but girls do not have such a neck as yours. you're a serpent who wants my eggs. have you ever eaten an egg?" She truthfully answered "only cooked and..." it interrupted, "you might take mine and cook it" while al finished saying, "certainly not your type anyway. I don't want any of yours. " it shouted shrilly, "if so then go" then turned and settled down into its nest again.
Alice lowered her head down among the trees, but her neck kept getting entangled among the branches. several times she stopped to free it. in due haste her mouth was near her hands that still held the mushroom so very carefully she began nibbling at the pieces of mushroom, from one and then the other, and growing sometimes taller and sometimes shorter, until she had succeeded in making her neck and her body her usual size. a very long time had passed since she had been this size so even her usual size felt unusually odd and strange for two minutes.
al planned in her mind, "now that i am my right size again, i must find the beautiful garden." she added aloud to her neck, "our constant changes are confusing i do not know what will happen from one minute to another!" she looked around her and noticed that one of the trees had a door. She exclaimed, "That's very strange" she reconsidered a WOOD door on a tree is not VERY far from normal. it had no handle. when she pushed it, it was locked. she searched but could not find any keyhole so she pushed again... this opened it. Alice walked through into... the long hall. she stood near the little glass table, once more. she felt hopeful due to the mushroom pieces. she took the tiny golden key, and unlocked the door that led to the garden. this time she stayed by the door when she ate the pieces of mushroom and after a few tries she was about fifteen inches tall. she walked along the little passage. at last! she entered the beautiful garden. she walked among the bright flowers and the cool fountains.
+fan fiction: THE PIGEON said "go" ERGO she asked it how to GO to the garden. it told her "go to the room there." pointing at the mushroom. al went to the mushroom on which caterpillar had sat, and found a seam where the mushroom stem was layered and overlapped. she pulled the layers of mushroom apart and ENTERED the room... IT the room in mushroom was the chamber with the glass table and low door.
to be continued
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