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22 THE POOL
again. She got up and went to the table to
measure herself by it, and found that, as nearly
as she could guess, she was now about two feet
high, and was going on shrinking rapidly: she
soon found out that the cause of this was the
fan she was holding, and she dropped it hastily,
just in time to save herself from shrinking away
altogether.
“That was a narrow escape!” said Alice, a
good deal frightened at the sudden change, but
very glad to find herself still in existence; “and
now for the garden!” and she ran with all
speed back to the little door: but, alas! the
little door was shut again, and the little golden
key was lying on the glass table as before, “and
things are worse than ever,” thought the poor
child, “for I never was so small as this before,
never! And I declare it’s too bad, that it is!”
As she said these words her foot slipped,
and in another moment, splash! she was up to
her chin in salt water. Her first idea was that
she had somehow fallen into the sea, “and in