Semester – IV (Prose)
Alice in Wonderland: Down the Rabbit-Hole
Lewis Caroll
Down The Rabbit Hole Question Answers
Q. Who is the protagonist or main character of the story ‘Down the Rabbit Hole?
Ans: The protagonist or main character of the story “Down the Rabbit Hole” is Alice.
She is a curious and imaginative little girl who loves to explore new things.
Q. Who is the author of the story “Down the Rabbit Hole”? From which literary work is this story taken?
Ans: The story “Down the Rabbit Hole” was written by Lewis Carroll.
➤ This story is an extract from his well-known novel “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.”
Q. Why did Alice feel bored and sleepy when she was with her sister?
Ans: Alice felt bored and sleepy because it was a hot and lazy afternoon, and she had nothing to do.
➤ Her sister was reading a book with no pictures or conversations, which Alice found very dull and uninteresting.
Q. Why Alice does not like her sister’s book? What does she think about the book?
Ans: Alice does not like her sister’s book because it has no pictures or conversations.
➤ She thinks such books are useless and not worth reading. In her opinion, a book without pictures or conversations is very boring and uninteresting.
Q. What did Alice see when she was sitting on the riverbank?
Ans. While sitting on the riverbank, Alice saw a White Rabbit wearing a waistcoat and carrying a pocket watch. It was running past her, muttering to itself that it would be late.
Q. What did the White Rabbit wear? What did he have in his pocket?
Ans. The White Rabbit was wearing a smart little waistcoat.
➤ He had a pocket watch in his pocket.
Q. What was Alice considering in her own mind sitting on the bank?
Or, What was Alice thinking while sitting by the bank?
Ans: Sitting on the riverbank, Alice was considering about whether it was worth the trouble of getting up and making a daisy chain.
Q. What was the rabbit muttering to itself, and where did it go afterwards?
Ans. The White Rabbit was muttering to itself, “Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!”
➤ After saying this, it hurried across the field and suddenly jumped down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge.
Q. Why was Alice burning with curiosity?
Ans. Alice was burning with curiosity because she had never seen a rabbit wearing a waistcoat, talking to itself, and carrying a pocket watch. She was intrigued by the White Rabbit’s human-like behaviour.
Q. Why didn’t Alice stop to think before jumping into the rabbit-hole?
Ans. Alice was so curious about the White Rabbit that she jumped after it into the hole without thinking even for a moment. She did not consider how she would get out of the hole before jumping.
Q. What seemed natural to Alice, though she ought to have wondered at it?
or, What seemed natural to Alice when she should have wondered about it?
Ans. Alice heard the White Rabbit talking. to itself and saying, “Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!” At that moment, it seemed quite natural to her. Later, when she thought it over, she felt she ought to have wondered about it.
Q. What does Alice feel or experience during her fall into the rabbit-hole?
Ans. During her fall, Alice feels like she is falling for a long time, as if going down a deep well. She remains calm, curious, and keeps thinking about what might happen next.
Q. Describe the White Rabbit’s actions and appearance in your own words.
Ans. The White Rabbit looked very unusual. He had pink eyes and was wearing a smart little waistcoat.
He behaved like a human by talking to himself, checking his pocket watch, and hurrying as if he had an important appointment.
Q. What was unusual about the sides of the well?
Ans. The sides of the well were unusual. They were filled with cupboards and bookshelves. Here and there were maps and pictures hung upon pegs.
Q. Where did the Rabbit disappear?
Ans. The White Rabbit disappeared into a large rabbit-hole under the hedge.
Alice followed it down the hole, which led her into Wonderland.
Q. Why did Alice think that dropping the jar might kill somebody?
Ans. Alice thought that if she dropped the jar while falling, it might fall straight down and hit someone below. So, she held it carefully and placed it safely on a shelf.
Q. How is the rabbit-hole described in the story?
Ans. In the story, the rabbit-hole under the hedge is described as a large empty hole.
At first, it looks like a straight tunnel, but after going a little further, it suddenly slopes downwards like a deep well.
Q. How did Alice fall down the rabbithole?
Ans. Alice saw the White Rabbit jump into a large hole. Without thinking for a moment, she jumped after it. The hole descended so suddenly and deeply that she found herself falling into a place like a deep well.
Q. What was written on the jar that Alice picked up while falling down? What did she do with the jar?
Ans. While falling down the rabbit-hole, Alice picked up a glass jar.
➤ The jar had the words “ORANGE MARMALADE” written on it.
➤ Since it was empty, she carefully placed it on a shelf.
Q. What did Alice notice at the sides of the well?
Or, What did Alice see as she fell through rabbit-hole?
Ans. As Alice fell down the rabbit-hole, she noticed cupboards and bookshelves along the sides of the well. She also saw maps and pictures hanging here and there.
Q. Why did Alice wonder about latitude or longitude?
Ans: Alice wondered about latitude and longitude because she felt she had been falling for such a long time that she might pass through the earth and come out on the other side.
Q. Why did Alice use words like Latitude or Longitude?
Ans. Alice used words like Latitude or Longitude because she thought they sounded very grand, even though she did not know their meanings.
Q. Why did Alice say the word “Antipathies”? What did she actually want to mean?
Ans. Alice said the word “Antipathies” by mistake while trying to remember her lesson about New Zealand or Australia.
➤ She actually wanted to say “antipodes,” which means people living on the other side of the world. The word “Antipodes” is often used to mean Australia and New Zealand.
Q. Who was Dinah? What was Alice thinking about Dinah while she was falling?
Ans. Dinah was Alice’s pet cat.
➤ While falling, Alice wondered if Dinah would miss her. Then, in a dreamy way, she thought whether cats eat bats or bats eat cats.
Q. What did Alice see when she landed after the fall?
Ans: When Alice landed, she found herself in a hall with many locked doors. On a little three-legged glass table, she saw a tiny golden key. Then she saw a tiny door that led to a beautiful garden. But she was too big to go through it.
Q. What was the White Rabbit saying as it turned the corner?
Ans. As the white rabbit turned the corner, he said, “Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it’s getting ! “.
Q. Describe the hall in your words.
Ans. The hall was a long, low place, lit up by rows of lamps hanging from the roof. There were many doors all around it, but they were locked. On a glass table in the middle stood a tiny golden key, which opened a small door leading to a beautiful garden.
Q. What did Alice find on the little three-legged glass table in the hall?
Ans. Alice found a tiny golden key lying on the little three-legged glass table. Later, she used the key in a small door behind a curtain, which led to a beautiful garden.
Q: Why did Alice want to go into the garden?
Ans: Alice wanted to go into the garden because it looked so beautiful and peaceful that she longed to be among the flowers and fountains.
Q. Describe in your own words the garden that Alice saw.
Ans. The garden that Alice saw was the most beautiful place she could imagine. It was full of bright, colourful flowers and cool, sparkling fountains. The garden looked calm, vibrant, and refreshing.
Q. Why could not Alice open any of the doors in the hall?
Ans. Alice could not open any of the doors in the hall because they were all locked, and she could not find the key that fitted any of them.
Q. Why could Alice not pass through the small passage after unlocking the door?
Ans. Alice could not pass through the small passage after unlocking the door because the door was too small for her. She was much too big to fit through it.
Q. What did Alice find on the table when she came back for the second time?
Ans. When Alice came back to the table for the second time, she found a little bottle on the table with a label that said “DRINK ME.”
Q. Why did Alice decide to drink from the bottle? What happened when she drank from the bottle labelled ‘DRINK ME’?
Ans. Alice decided to drink from the bottle because it had a label saying “DRINK ME,” and it was not marked ‘poison’.
➤ When Alice drank from the bottle labeled ‘DRINK ME’, she became very small, small enough to go through the tiny door into the garden.
Q. “I must be shutting up like a telescope.” – What made Alice feel she was shutting up like a telescope?
Ans. Alice felt she was “shutting up like a telescope” because after drinking from the bottle, her body began shrinking rapidly, becoming smaller and smaller made her feel as though she was folding up like a telescope.
Q. What was written on the small cake? Where was it found?
Ans. “EAT ME” was written on the small cake.
➤ It was found in a small glass box under the table.
Q. Why did Alice want to eat the cake that she found?
Ans. Alice wanted to eat the cake because it had the words “EAT ME” written on it, she hoped it would make her grow bigger, which would help her reach the key or get through the door.
Q. Why did Alice sit down and cry?
Ans. Alice sat down and cried because she felt helpless and frustrated. She had grown too big to go through the little door and didn’t know what to do.
Q. Why did Alice tell herself to stop crying?
Ans. Alice told herself to stop crying because she realized crying wouldn’t help her and she had to find a way to solve her problem.
Q. Why was Alice very fond of pretending to be two people?
Ans. Alice was fond of pretending to be two people because she had a curious mind. She liked talking to herself, giving advice, and even scolding herself as if she were someone else.