One hot afternoon, Alice was resting in her back garden while her older sister read a boring novel.
She saw a white rabbit hopping by, who took out its pocket watch, and said, ‘I’m late! I’m late, for a very important date!’
Alice’s sister only looked up briefly from her boring novel and mumbled something like, ‘I love the way that rhymes.’
‘But Alice’s curiosity was aroused. ‘Date with whom? Where?’
‘The tea party, of course, and you’d better hurry if you want to make it before the pouring of the tea!’
‘How do I get there?’
‘Follow me down this hole! Quick! And stay in the middle of the hole, don’t get too near the edges!’
Alice’s sister looked up just then. ‘Alice! Don’t even think about it! The mad hatter lives at the end of that hole!’
The rabbit replied, ‘Not so at all! He only appears mad at first, but once you catch his drift, you’ll find him the sanest hatter as ever there was! Coming Alice?’
So the rabbit jumped in, and Alice, after getting up her courage, jumped in after him.’
‘Remember, stay in the middle!’ called the rabbit from further down.
‘Okay, I’ll try.’
It was then that she noticed that around the edges, it was very rough. If she got close, her skirt would surely snag, and stop her fall to the bottom - and to the tea party.
She also noticed that when she paid attention to any of the snags, she would begin to drift towards it in her fall.
‘Stay in the middle!’ called the rabbit again. ‘Don’t let the snags pull you towards them!’
Indeed, as she stayed in the middle, focusing on what was ahead, she thought she could actually smell the tea, the biscuits and buns.
So she focused on that, but suddenly, one rock she saw jutting out from the edge reminded her very much of Billy, at school, who was always tormenting her, and hiding her things.
Just thinking about him made her upset, and of course, she began drifting towards that rocky snag.
‘That rock is just ideal to pull out of the side and throw it at Billy next time I see him,’ she said to herself.
‘You can’t afford revenge. Look straight down the hole and think of the tea party that awaits! Forgive Billy!’
So, she looked straight down and thought about the tea party. Then she began drifting back to the middle.
‘But Billy…’ she began to drift back.
‘Forgive him!’
So she said, ‘I forgive you, Billy.’ She looked down towards the tea party. ‘I wish you could come too, if you could only taste what I smell, you’d like it so much you’d stop being such a bully!’
‘That’s right,’ called the rabbit.
They kept falling. Alice was enjoying the fall, like it was a ride through the air, like she was flying. The ever-growing scent of the tea and buns only heightened the feeling.
Then, further down, she spotted another rocky protrusion. There seemed to be people on it – or it made her think of people, she couldn’t tell – who wanted to make a change in the way things were. They were talking about something going on in society, with the leadership, with politics, and saying, ‘This must stop! We must make it stop! YOU can make it stop!’
‘Oh, yes!,’ said Alice, ‘I must do my part to make this stop, and to make society better. I must join my voice with theirs!’
Of course, she began drifting towards that edge.
‘Alice!’ called the rabbit. ‘The tea party that awaits is so much better than any political party!’
‘Oh yes,’ said Alice, ‘I must focus on the middle, and on the tea party.’
Indeed, the scent from below made Alice think this tea must be blended from the very best of all the exotic teas in the world. If everyone would only sip this tea, it would solve the worlds problems!’
‘Tea party?’ said someone. ‘We have a tea party.’
‘No,’ called the rabbit. ‘Our tea is too fine to be thrown into the Boston Harbour.’
So, Alice continued focusing on the aroma of the tea and the lovely pastries that was now quite distinct.
She wondered if she was properly dressed for the tea party.
She must have been thinking out loud, as, from the next rock, someone answered her, ‘Of course not! That dress is so yesterday! And that phone there, isn’t that model from five years ago? I bet it was your mother’s! (it was) C’mon! Wake up and smell the coffee!’
‘You’re dressed just fine!’ called the rabbit. ‘Don’t fall for consumerism! Smell the tea instead!’
Alice knew he was right. Just the scent of the tea and wonderful delicacies was enough to give her a sense of contentment such that the consumerist dream could never bring.
So, finally, they reached the tea party. It was far grander than what she could catch the scent of on the way down.
And there, at the head of the table, stood the most handsome, elegant gentleman Alice had ever set eyes on, looking at her through eyes that radiated warmth and care. Here was the father Alice never had, the object of many of her dreams and longings. Here, stood the Prince – who made hats for a living.
She realised that she, herself, was now dressed in the most magnificent wedding gown she had ever seen.
‘Mr. Hatter,’ said the white rabbit, ‘May I present to you, your bride.’
