Alice in Wonderland – ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’
LEWIS CAROLL
ALICE was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, “and what is the use of a book,” thought Alice, “without pictures or conversations?”
Alice bohat bore ho rahi thi, kyunke wo apni behan ke saath kinare par baithi hui thi aur uske paas koi kaam nahi tha. Kabhi kabhi usne apni behan ki kitaab mein jhaank kar dekha, lekin us kitaab mein na koi tasveer thi aur na hi koi baat-cheet. “Aur bhala aisi kitaab ka kya faida,” Alice ne socha, “jisme na tasveer ho aur na baat-cheet?”
So she was considering in her own mind, (as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid,) whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies, when suddenly a white rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her.
Wo apne dimaag mein soch rahi thi (jitna wo soch sakti thi, kyunke garmi ke din ki wajah se usay neend si aa rahi thi aur dimagh dheela sa lag raha tha), ke kya phoolon ki mala banana itna mazedaar hoga ke uth kar phool todne ki mehnat ki jaye? Tabhi achanak ek safed khargosh (white rabbit) laal aankhon ke saath uske paas se daudta hua guzra.
There was nothing so very remarkable in that; nor did Alice think it so very much out of the way to hear the Rabbit saj to itself, “Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!” (when she thought it over afterwards, it oc-curred to her that she ought to have wondered, at this, but at the time it all seemed quite natural); but when the Rabbit actually took a watch out of its waistcoat-pocket, and looked at it, and then hurried on, Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch to take out of it, and, burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it. and was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge.
Is mein kuch khaas ajeeb baat nahi thi. Alice ko bhi yeh kuch zyada alag nahi laga jab usne suna ke wo khargosh khud se keh raha tha: “Oh bhai! Oh bhai! Main to late ho jaunga!” (Baad mein jab Alice ne is baat par socha to use laga ke usay hairaan hona chahiye tha, lekin us waqt sab kuch bilkul theek lag raha tha.) Lekin jab us khargosh ne apni jeeb (waistcoat) ki jeb se ek ghari (watch) nikaali, aur use dekha, phir jaldi se chala gaya — tab Alice khari ho gayi, kyunke uske zehan mein ekdum yeh baat aayi ke usne pehle kabhi koi khargosh nahi dekha jiski jeb ho ya ghari ho! Bohat zyada tajjub (curiosity) mein, Alice us khargosh ke peeche bhaag gayi, aur bilkul time pe dekha ke wo khargosh ek bade se suraakh (rabbit-hole) mein ghus gaya jo jhaadi ke neeche tha.
In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again.
Agle hi lamhe mein Alice bhi us ke peeche suraakh mein ghus gayi, bina yeh soche samjhe ke wo wapas bahar kaise niklegi.
The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly clown, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down what seemed to be a very deep well.
Wo khargosh ka suraakh seedha jaa raha tha jaise koi tunnel (surang) ho, lekin achanak neeche ki taraf ghoom gaya — itna achanak ke Alice ko khud ko rokne ka moka bhi nahi mila, aur wo ek bohot gehri kunwain jaisi jagah mein girti chali gayi.
Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had plenty of time as she went down to look about her, and to wonder what was going to happen next. First, she tried to look down and make out what she was coming to, but it was too dark to see anything: then she looked at the sides of the well, and noticed that they were filled with cupboards and bookshelves: here and there she saw maps and pictures hung upon pegs. She took down a jar from one of the shelves as she passed: it was labelled “ORANGE MARMALADE,” but to her great disappointment it was empty: she did not like to drop the jar for fear of killing somebody underneath, so managed to put it into one of the cupboards as she fell past it.
Ya to wo kunwa bohot gehra tha, ya Alice bohot aahista gir rahi thi, kyunke uske paas neeche girte hue har taraf dekhne ka kaafi time tha, aur sochne ka bhi ke ab aage kya hoga. Pehle to usne neeche jhaank kar dekha ke wo kahan ja rahi hai, lekin andhera itna tha ke kuch nazar nahi aaya. Phir usne kunwe ke side ki deewaron ko dekha — wahan almariyan aur kitaabon ke shelf bane hue the. Yahan wahan naqshay (maps) aur tasveerain (pictures) bhi latki hui thi. Usne ek shelf se guzarte hue ek sheeshi (jar) uthayi jisme likha tha “Orange Marmalade” (santra jam) — lekin uski badqismati se wo khaali thi. Usne socha ke neeche girate hue agar jar gira diya to shayad neeche kisi ko lag jaye, isliye usne use wapas ek almari mein rakh diya jab wo uske paas se guzri.
“Well!” thought Alice to herself, “after such a fall as this. I shall think nothing of tumbling down stairs! How brave they ’11 all think me at home! Why, 1 wouldn’t say anything about it, even if I fell off the top of the house!” (Which was very likely true.)
“Wah bhai!” Alice ne apne aap se kaha, “ab to agar main seedhiyon se bhi gir jaun to mujhe kuch farq nahi padega! Ghar wale to mujhe bohot himmat wali samjhenge! Shayad main to chhat se gir jaun tab bhi kuch na kahun!” (aur yeh baat shayad sach bhi thi).
Down, down, down. Would the fall never come to an end? “I wonder how many miles I’ve fallen by this time?” she said aloud. “I must be getting somewhere near the centre of the earth. Let me see: that would be four thousand miles down, I think-” (for. you see, Alice had learnt several things of this sort in her lessons in the schoolroom, and though this was not a very good opportunity for showing off her knowledge, as there was no one to listen to her. still it was good practice to say it over) -yes, that’s about the right distance-but then I wonder what Latitude or Longitude I’ve got to?” (Alice had not the slightest idea what Latitude was, or Longitude either, but she thought they were nice grand words to say.)
Neeche, neeche, aur neeche — lagta tha jaise girna kabhi khatam hi nahi hoga. “Main sochti hoon ab tak kitna door gir chuki hoon?” usne zor se kaha. “Shayad ab main zameen ke beech tak pahunch gayi hoon! Dekhu to — shayad 4000 mile neeche!” (Kyunke Alice ne school mein aisi baatein padhi thi, aur yeh waqt to nahi tha apna gyaan dikhane ka — kyunke koi sunne wala to tha nahi — lekin phir bhi bol kar practice ho rahi thi.) “Haan, lagta to theek hi hai… lekin main kis Latitude ya Longitude pe hoon?” (Alice ko asal mein yeh nahi pata tha ke Latitude ya Longitude hota kya hai, lekin usay yeh bade maze daar aur smart shabd lagte the kehne ke liye.)
Presently she began again. “I wonder if I shall fall right through the earth! How funny it’ll seem to come out among the people that walk with their heads downwards! The Antipathies, I think–” (she was rather glad there was no one listening, this time, as it didn’t sound at all the right word) “-but I shall have to ask them what the name of the country is, you know. Please, Ma’am, is this New Zealand or Australia?” (and she tried to curtsey as she spoke-fancy curtseying as you ‘re. falling through the air! Do you think you could manage it?) “And what an ignorant little girl she’ll think me for asking! No, it’ll never do to ask: perhaps I shall see it written up somewhere.”
Thodi der baad Alice ne phir se bolna shuru kiya, “Mujhe lagta hai kya main seedha zameen ke paar gir jaungi? Kitna ajeeb hoga agar main aise logon ke beech nikaloon jo ulti taraf — sir neeche aur pair upar — chal rahe hoon!” “Antipathies” usne kaha — (phir socha, achha hua koi sun nahi raha, kyunke yeh shabd sahi nahi lag raha tha). “Mujhe unse poochhna padega ke yeh kaunsa desh hai. Ma’am, kya yeh New Zealand hai ya Australia?” Aur usne hawa mein girte girte zameen ki taraf jhukne ki koshish ki — jaise ladkiyaan zameen par salaam ya jhukaav karti hain. Socho zara — hawa mein girte hue aisa karna! Kya aap se ho paaye ga? Phir usne socha, “Woh log mujhe kitni anpadh ladki samjhenge agar main yeh poochhti rahi!” Phir kaha, “Chalo chhodo, shayad kahin likha mil jaye.”
Down, down, down. There was nothing else to do. so Alice soon began talking again. “Dinah 11 miss me very much to-night, I should think!” (Dinah was the cat.) “I hope they’ll remember her saucer of milk at tea-time. Dinah, my clear! I wish you were down here with me! There are no mice in the air, I’m afraid, but you might catch a bat, and that’s very like a mouse, you know. But clo cats eat bats, I wonder?” And here Alice began to get rather sleepy, and went on saying to herself, in a dreamy sort of way, “Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats?” and sometimes, “Do bats eat cats?” for, you see, as she couldn’t answer either question, it didn’t much matter which way she put it. She felt that she was dozing off, and had just begun to dream that she was walking hand in hand with Dinah, and was saying to her very earnestly, “Now, Dinah, tell me the truth: did you ever eat a bat?” when suddenly, thump! thump! down she came upon a heap of sticks and dry leaves, and the fall was over.
Neeche, neeche, aur neeche — aur kuch karne ko tha nahi, to Alice ne phir se bolna shuru kiya: “Dinah (billi) mujhe bohot yaad karegi aaj raat!” “Mujhe umeed hai ke koi usay doodh ka bartan de dega shaam ko.” “Dinah meri pyari! Kaash tum mere saath yahan hoti! Hawa mein to choohe nahi hote, lekin shayad tum ek bat (chaugaddar) pakad leti, jo choohe jaisa hi hota hai.” Phir socha, “Lekin kya billi bat kha sakti hai?” Ab Alice ne halka sa sust mehsoos karna shuru kiya, aur neend mein jaisi halat mein bolti rahi: “Kya billiyan bat khati hain? Kya billiyan bat khati hain?” Kabhi kehti, “Kya bat billiyan khati hain?” Kyunkay jawab to uske paas kisi ka nahi tha, to kaise bhi keh lo, farq nahi padta. Phir usay mehsoos hua ke wo so ja rahi hai, aur khwab dekhna shuru kar diya — jisme wo Dinah ka haath pakad ke chal rahi thi, aur usse keh rahi thi: “Sach batao Dinah, kya tumne kabhi bat khaya hai?” Tabhi achanak “Thump! Thump!” ki awaaz hui — wo sookhe patton aur lakdiyon ke dher par ja giri, aur girna khatam ho gaya.
Alice was not a bit hurt, and she jumped up on to her feet in a moment: she looked up, but it was all dark overhead: before her was another long passage, and the White Rabbit was still in sight, hurrying down it. There was not a moment to be lost: away went Alice like the wind, and was just in time to hear it say, as it turned a corner, Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it’s getting!” She was close behind it when she turned the coiner, but the Rabbit was no longer to be seen: she found herself in a long, low hall, which was lit up by a row of lamps hanging from the roof.
Alice bilkul bhi chot nahi lagi, wo turant uth khadi hui. Usne upar dekha — sirf andhera tha. Uske samne ek aur lambi si gufa jaisi raah thi, aur White Rabbit abhi bhi usme bhaagta hua dikhai de raha tha. Ek second bhi zaya nahi kiya — Alice tez hawa ki tarah daudi, aur bilkul time pe usne suna ke Rabbit keh raha tha: “Oh meri kaan aur moonchein, kitni der ho gayi!” Wo uske peeche thi jab Rabbit ne mod liya, lekin jab Alice ne mod liya to Rabbit gayab ho chuka tha. Ab Alice ek lambi, choti si hall mein khadi thi — jisme upar se lamp (roshni) latak rahi thi jo hall ko roshan kar rahi thi.
There were doors all round the hall, but they were all locked, and when Alice had been all the way down one side and up the other, trying every door, she walked sadly down the middle, wondering how she was ever to get out again.
Us hall ke charon taraf darwazay thay, lekin sab band (locked) thay. Alice ne har darwaza ek ek karke check kiya — ek side se doosri side tak gayi, lekin koi bhi darwaza nahi khula. Phir wo udhasi se beech mein chalti hui sochne lagi ke wo ab bahar kaise niklegi?
Suddenly she came upon a little three-legged table, all made of solid glass; there was nothing on it but a tiny golden key, and Alice’s first idea was that this might belong to one of the doors of the hall: but alas! either the locks were too large, or the key was too small, but at any rate it would not open any of them. However, on the second time round, she came upon a low curtain she had not noticed before. and behind it was a little door about fifteen inches high: she tried the little golden key in the lock, and to her great delight it fitted!
Achanak usne ek chhoti si teen pairon wali table dekhi jo saaf sheeshe (glass) ki bani thi. Table par sirf ek chhoti si sunehri chaabi (golden key) rakhi thi. Alice ne socha shayad yeh kisi darwaze ki chaabi ho. Lekin afsos! ya to tala bohot bada tha, ya chaabi bohot chhoti, kyunke chaabi kisi bhi darwaze mein nahi fit hui. Phir jab Alice dobara idhar udhar dekhti hui chali, to usne ek neeche latka hua parda (curtain) dekha jo pehle usne notice nahi kiya tha. Us parde ke peechhe ek bohot chhota sa darwaza tha, takreeban 15 inch uncha.
Alice opened the door and found that it led into a small passage, not much larger than a rat-hole: she knelt down and looked along the passage into the loveliest garden you ever saw. How she longed to get out of that dark hall, and wander about among those beds of bright flowers and those cool fountains, but she could not even get her head though the doorway; “and even if my head would go through.” thought poor Alice, “it would be of very little use without my shoulders. Oh, how I wish I could shut up like a telescope! I think I could, if I only knew how to begin.” For, you see, so many out-of-the-way things had happened lately that Alice had begun to think that very few things indeed were really impossible.
Usne sunehri chaabi us tala mein lagayi — aur khushi se dekha ke chaabi fit ho gayi! Usne darwaza khola to dekha ke wo ek patli si gali mein jaa raha tha, jo kisi choohe ke suraakh jaisa chhota tha. Alice ghutnon ke bal baithi aur us raaste se jhaank kar dekha — bahar ek bohot khoobsurat bagh (garden) tha! Kitna dil chaha us andheri hall se nikal kar un rang birange phoolon aur thandi fontainon ke beech ghooma jaye! Lekin uska sar bhi us chhote darwaze se nahi jaa raha tha. Alice ne socha, “Aur agar mera sir chala bhi jaye, to bina kandhon ke kya faida? Kaash main telescope (doorbin) ki tarah chhoti ho jaaun! Mujhe lagta hai main kar sakti hoon — agar bas yeh samajh aa jaye ke shuru kaise karna hai.” Kyunkay ab tak Alice ke saath itni ajeeb baatein ho chuki thi ke usay lagne laga ke duniya mein kuch bhi namumkin nahi hai.
There seemed to be 110 use in waiting by the little door, so she went back to the table, half hoping she might find another key on it, or at any rate a book of rules for shutting people up like telescopes: this time she found a little bottle on it, (“which certainly was not here before,” said Alice,) and tied round the neck of the bottle was a paper label with the words “DRINK ME” beautifully printed on it in large letters.
Us chhote darwaze ke paas rukne ka koi faida nahi tha, to Alice phir se table ke paas gayi. Dil mein thoda umeed thi ke shayad wahan koi doosri chaabi mil jaye — ya kam se kam koi kitab jisme likha ho ke kaise logon ko telescope ki tarah chhota karte hain! Is baar usne dekha ke table par ek chhoti si bottle rakhi thi. “Yeh to pehle yahan nahi thi,” Alice ne kaha. Bottle ke dhakkan ke paas ek tag laga hua tha, jisme bara bara likha tha: “DRINK ME” (Mujhe Peeyo).
It was all very well to say “Drink me,” but the wise little Alice was not going to do that in a hurry: “no, I’ll look first,” she said, ” and see whether it’s marked ‘poison’ or not:” for she had read several nice little stories about children who had got burnt, and eaten up by wild beasts, and other unpleasant things, all because they would not remember the simple rules their friends had taught them, such as, that a red-hot poker will burn you if you hold it too long; and that if you cut your finger very deeply with a knife, it usually bleeds; and she had never forgotten that, if you drink much from a bottle marked “poison,” it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later.
“Drink Me (Mujhe Peeyo)” likha to tha, lekin samajhdar chhoti Alice itni jaldi se kuch bhi peene wali nahi thi. Usne kaha, “Nahi, pehle dekh leti hoon ke kahin is par ‘zeher’ (poison) to nahi likha.” Kyunke usne kai kahaniyaan padhi thi jisme bachche jal gaye the, ya jungle ke janwaron ne kha liya tha, ya aisi aur buri cheezein sirf is liye hui thi ke unhone wo simple rules (asaan niyam) follow nahi kiye jo unke doston ne sikhaye thay. Jaise ke: Agar tum ek garam sariya (red-hot iron rod) ko zyada der tak pakdoge to haath jal jayega. Agar chaku se gehra cut lagao to khoon nikalta hai. Aur sabse zaroori: agar tum kisi bottle mein likha “poison” dekh kar bhi usay peelo, to nuksan to zaroor hoga, chahe thodi der mein ho ya baad mein.
However, this bottle was not marked “poison,” so Alice ventured to taste it, and finding it very nice, (it had, in fact, a sort of mixed flavour of cherry-tart, custard, pine-apple, roast turkey, toffy, and hot buttered toast,) she very soon finished it off.
Lekin is bottle par to “poison” likha hi nahi tha, to Alice ne thoda sa chakhne ka faisla kiya. Aur jaise hi taste kiya to use laga yeh to bohot mazedaar hai! Iska taste kuch kuch aisa tha jaise: cherry pie, custard, pineapple, roast turkey, toffee, aur garam butter toast ka mix ho! Alice ne poori bottle peeli daali.
“What a curious feeling!” said Alice, “T must be shutting up like a telescope.”
“Kitna ajeeb ehsaas hai!” Alice ne kaha, “Lagta hai main telescope (doorbin) ki tarah chhoti ho rahi hoon.”
And so it was indeed: she was now only ten inches high, and her face brightened up at the thought that she was now the right size for going through the little door into that lovely garden. First, however, she waited for a few minutes to see if she was going to shrink any further: she felt a little nervous about this, “for it might end. you know,” said Alice to herself, “in my going out altogether, like a candle. I wonder what I should be like then?” And she tried to fancy what the flame of a candle looks like after the candle is blown out, for she could not remember ever having seen such a thing.
Aur waqai aisa hi ho raha tha — ab wo sirf 10 inch ki reh gayi thi. Uska chehra khushi se chamak utha, kyunke ab wo us chhoti si darwaze se nikal kar us sundar garden mein ja sakti thi. Lekin pehle usne thodi der ruk kar dekha ke kya wo aur chhoti to nahi ho rahi. Thoda sa dar bhi lag raha tha. Alice ne socha, “Kya pata main bilkul hi gayab ho jaun, jaise candle bujh jaati hai!” Phir usne imagine kiya ke candle bujhne ke baad uski flame (aag) kaisi lagti hai, lekin use yaad nahi aaya ke usne kabhi aise dekha ho.
After a while, finding that nothing more happened, she decided on going into the garden at once, but, alas for poor Alice! when she got to the door, she found she had forgotten the little golden key, and when she went back to the table for it, she found she could not possibly reach it: she could see it quite plainly through the glass, and she tried her best to climb up one of the legs of the table, but it was too slippery, and when she had tired herself out with trying, the poor little thing sat down and cried.
Kuch der baad jab kuch aur nahi hua, to Alice ne socha ke ab garden mein chali jaati hoon. Lekin bechari Alice ke saath kya hua? Jab wo darwaze tak pahunchi to yaad aaya ke chhoti sunehri chaabi to table par hi reh gayi! Aur jab wo table ke paas wapas gayi to dekha ke ab to wo chaabi tak pohanch hi nahi sakti — Chaabi bilkul clear nazar aa rahi thi sheeshe ke andar, lekin wo table ke pair par chadhne ki jitni bhi koshish karti, pair bohot slippery (phisalne wale) thay. Bohot koshish karne ke baad jab wo thak gayi, to bechari chhoti si Alice zameen par baith gayi, aur rona shuru kar diya.
“Come, there’s no use in crying like that!” said Alice to herself, rather sharply, “I advise you to leave off this minute!” She generally gave herself very good advice, (though she very seldom followed it,) and sometimes she scolded herself so severely as to bring tears into her eyes, and once she remembered trying to box her own ears for having cheated herself in a game of croquet she was playing against herself, for this curious child was very fond of pretending to be two people. “But it’s 110 use now,” thought poor Alice, “to pretend to be two people! Why, there’s hardly enough of me left to make one respectable person!”
“Aray chhoro, aise rone ka kya faida!” Alice ne apne aap se thoda gusse mein kaha. “Main tumhe salah deti hoon ke abhi isi waqt rona band karo!” Alice aksar apne aap ko achhi salah deti thi (halankay wo zyada tar apni salah kabhi nahi maanti thi), aur kabhi kabhi to wo apne aap par itna gussa karti thi ke uski aankhon mein aansu aa jaate the. Usay yaad tha ek baar usne apne aap ko thappad maarne ki koshish ki thi, kyunke wo khud ke against ek croquet (ek game) khel rahi thi, aur usme cheat kar liya tha! Yeh larki waise bhi thodi ajeeb si thi, usay aisa dikhawa karna bohot pasand tha jaise wo do alag alag log ho. “Lekin ab kya faida,” bechari Alice ne socha, “ke main pretend karoon ke main do log hoon? Ab to main itni chhoti ho gayi hoon ke ek theek-thaak insaan banne ke liye bhi kaafi nahi hoon!”
Soon her eye fell on a little glass box that was lying under the table: she opened it, and found in it a very small cake, on which the words “EAT ME” were beautifully marked in currants. “Well, I’ll eat it.” said Alice, “and if it makes me grow larger, I can reach the key; and if it makes me grow smaller, I can creep under the door; so either way I’ll get into the garden, and I don’t care which happens!”
Tabhi uski nazar ek chhoti si glass box (sheeshe ki dabbi) par padi jo table ke neeche rakhi thi. Usne dabba khola aur dekha ke usme ek bohot chhoti si cake thi, jisme “EAT ME” (Mujhe Khao) currant se likha hua tha. “Chalo, isay kha leti hoon,” Alice ne kaha. “Agar isse main badi ho gayi to chaabi tak pahunch jaungi, aur agar chhoti ho gayi to darwaze ke neeche se guzr jaungi — dono tareeqon se to garden mein pohanch hi jaungi. Mujhe fark nahi padta kya hota hai!”
She ate a little’, bit, and said anxiously to herself “Which way? Which way?” holding her hand on the top of her head to feel which way it was growing, and she was quite surprised to find that she remained the same size: to be sure, this is what generally happens when one eats cake, but Alice had got so much into the way of expecting nothing but out-of-the-way things to happen, that it seemed quite dull and stupid for life to go on in the common way.
Usne cake ka thoda sa tukda khaya, aur thoda tension mein apne aap se poocha: “Ab kya hoga? Main badi hoon ya chhoti?” Usne apna haath sir par rakha ke dekhe ke uska size badh raha hai ya ghatt raha hai. Lekin use bohot hairani hui ke uska size waisa ka waisa hi tha — kuch bhi nahi badla. Waise to yeh aam baat hai — cake khane se zyada kuch nahi hota — Lekin Alice ab tak itni ajeeb cheezein dekh chuki thi ke use har baar koi naya kamaal hone ki umeed rehti thi. Aur jab kuch bhi nahi hua to use laga ke zindagi to badi bore aur simple si ho gayi hai.
So she set to work and very soon finished off the cake.
To phir usne decide kiya ke cake poori khatam kar leti hoon, aur usne jaldi se poora cake khaa liya.
