Prevod
Nekoč je živela deklica po imenu Alice in imela je prav nenavadne sanje. Bi radi slišali, o čem je sanjala?
No, najprej se je zgodilo tole. Mimo je pritekel Beli zajec, ki se mu je strašno mudilo; in ravno ko je pritekel mimo Alice, se je ustavil in iz žepa potegnil uro.
Ali ni bilo to smešno? Ste že kdaj videli zajca, ki bi imel uro in žep, da bi jo spravil vanj? Seveda mora zajec, če ima uro, imeti tudi žep zanjo: nikakor je ne bi mogel prenašati v gobčku — pa tudi tačke včasih potrebuje, da z njimi teka naokrog.
Ali nima lepih rožnatih oči (mislim, da imajo vsi beli zajci rožnate oči), pa rožnatih ušes in čednega rjavega suknjiča? Iz žepa njegovega suknjiča lahko ravno še vidite kukati rdeč robček; in z modro kravato ter rumenim telovnikom je res prav lepo oblečen.
»Ojoj, ojoj!« je rekel zajec. »Zamudil bom!« Le kam bi zamudil, se sprašujem? No, veste, moral je na obisk k Vojvodinji (kmalu boste videli sliko Vojvodinje, kako sedi v svoji kuhinji); Vojvodinja pa je bila zelo sitna stara gospa in zajec je vedel, da se bo strašansko razjezila, če ga bo morala čakati. Zato je bil revež prestrašen, da bolj že ne bi mogel biti (Ali ne vidite, kako se trese? Samo malo stresite knjigo sem ter tja, pa boste takoj videli, kako trepeta), saj je mislil, da mu bo Vojvodinja za kazen dala odsekati glavo. Tako je ravnala Srčna kraljica, kadar je bila jezna na ljudi (kmalu boste videli tudi njeno sliko): vsaj ukazala je, naj jim odsekajo glave, in vselej je mislila, da so njen ukaz izvršili, čeprav tega v resnici nikoli niso storili.
In ko je Beli zajec stekel proč, je Alice hotela videti, kaj se bo zgodilo z njim, zato se je pognala za njim; tekla je in tekla, dokler ni padla naravnost v zajčjo luknjo.
Potem pa je padala zares zelo dolgo. Navzdol in navzdol in navzdol, dokler se ni začela spraševati, ali bo padla kar skozi Zemljo in prišla ven na drugi strani!
Bilo je kakor v zelo globokem vodnjaku, le da v njem ni bilo vode. Če bi kdo v resnici tako padel, bi se najbrž ubil; toda saj veste, da padec v sanjah prav nič ne boli, ker ves čas, ko mislite, da padate, v resnici nekje ležite na varnem in trdno spite!
Vendar se je ta strašni padec nazadnje le končal in Alice je pristala na kupu vejic in suhega listja. Prav nič se ni poškodovala, zato je skočila na noge in spet stekla za zajcem.
In tako so se začele nenavadne sanje Alice. Ko boste naslednjič videli belega zajca, si poskusite predstavljati, da boste tudi vi imeli nenavadne sanje, prav takšne kakor ljuba mala Alice.
II.
Izvirnik
Once upon a time, there was a little girl called Alice: and she had a very curious dream.
Would you like to hear what it was that she dreamed about?
Well, this was the first thing that happened. A White Rabbit came running by, in a great hurry; and, just as it passed Alice, it stopped, and took its watch out of its pocket.
Wasn’t that a funny thing? Did you ever see a Rabbit that had a watch, and a pocket to put it in? Of course, when a Rabbit has a watch, it must have a pocket to put it in: it would never do to carry it about in its mouth----and it wants its hands sometimes, to run about with.
Hasn’t it got pretty pink eyes (I think all White Rabbits have pink eyes); and pink ears; and a nice brown coat; and you can just see its red pocket-handkerchief peeping out of its coat-pocket: and, what with its blue neck-tie and its yellow waistcoat, it really is very nicely dressed.
“Oh dear, oh dear!” said the Rabbit. “I shall be too late!” What would it be too late for, I wonder? Well, you see, it had to go and visit the Duchess (you’ll see a picture of the Duchess, soon, sitting in her kitchen): and the Duchess was a very cross old lady: and the Rabbit knew she’d be very angry indeed if he kept her waiting. So the poor thing was as frightened as frightened could be (Don’t you see how he’s trembling? Just shake the book a little, from side to side, and you’ll soon see him tremble), because he thought the Duchess would have his head cut off, for a punishment. That was what the Queen of Hearts used to do, when she was angry with people (you’ll see a picture of her, soon): at least she used to order their heads to be cut off, and she always thought it was done, though they never really did it.
And so, when the White Rabbit ran away, Alice wanted to see what would happen to it: so she ran after it: and she ran, and she ran, till she tumbled right down the rabbit-hole.
And then she had a very long fall indeed. Down, and down, and down, till she began to wonder if she was going right through the World, so as to come out on the other side!
It was just like a very deep well: only there was no water in it. If anybody really had such a fall as that, it would kill them, most likely: but you know it doesn’t hurt a bit to fall in a dream, because, all the time you think you’re falling, you really are lying somewhere, safe and sound, and fast asleep!
However, this terrible fall came to an end at last, and down came Alice on a heap of sticks and dry leaves. But she wasn’t a bit hurt, and up she jumped, and ran after the Rabbit again.
And so that was the beginning of Alice’s curious dream. And, next time you see a White Rabbit, try and fancy you’re going to have a curious dream, just like dear little Alice.
II.
