Wonderland (Intergalactic Fairy Tales Book 1) Read Free Page B

up,” said the creature, obviously uncomfortable.
    “Well, let’s change that right now. I’m going to be your friend and I’m going to give you a proper name, like any person or ship should have,” said Alice, cupping her chin in her hand. “Which one are you anyway, person or ship?”
    “I’m both!” huffed the ship-creature. “Don’t be so narrow-minded. It won’t serve you well on Wonderland.”
    “Hmmm,” said Alice, rubbing her chin. “I don’t have much experience in naming people, so I shall name you like a ship and many of the best ship names come from their appearance, in my opinion. I never understood nonsense like naming your ship The Jolly Roger. That doesn’t fit at all.”
    “No, I don’t like that name one bit,” said the ship-creature.
    Alice thought for a moment about her initial impression of the creature with its large eyes and floppy ears. “I think I shall call you The White Rabbit,” said Alice, a smile lighting up her face. “If that’s all right with you.”
    Alice got the impression of a smile in the creature’s voice when he responded, “Oh, I do so enjoy watching rabbits scurry and scamper about. They’re so fast and they run through tunnels. I think it’s a great name for me indeed.”
    “Good! I think I’ll call you Rabbit for short,” said Alice, her smile stretching to ridiculous proportions. Now she had officially commandeered her first ship and given it a new name. She was truly a pirate in the real sense of the word. Forget her parents and all of their nonsense about how she couldn’t be a pirate. Too bad it was only a dream.
     

 
     
     
    CHAPTER THREE
     
     
    Alice leaned forward in her chair, watching the stars slip by, intent on studying every aspect of her first adventure as a real pirate. It was all terribly exciting for the first few hours. She and Rabbit talked about their families and their adventures. Alice did most of the talking, but she didn’t mind. Rabbit was a good listener and objected to the right things and laughed in the right places.
    After a while though, Alice started to run out of things to talk about and the view didn’t change much. She’d read that during calm seas it could get dreadfully dull on the sea, but it never really seemed possible. The life of a pirate was so full of adventure. How could it ever get boring? She decided that it had to be due to the lack of a crew on the ship. Things were bound to get boring if you only ever had one other person to talk to. Maybe she could find a crew on this Wonderland that Rabbit said they were headed to. Then they could start doing some real plundering.
    “How long until we get to Wonderland?” asked Alice.
    “Not long now,” said Rabbit in a speculative tone. “I’m nearly to the place where I can make my Tunnel.”
    “Tunnel?” asked Alice. “How does one make a tunnel through space? It’s nothing but one big empty hole to begin with.”
    “That’s a great question that I’m not nearly smart enough to answer,” said Rabbit, a chuckle coloring his words. “I just know how to do it.”
    “That’s mad. How can you do something you don’t understand?”
    “Well, do you understand how you digest your food and turn it into energy to keep your body moving? Or how your heart beats and pumps blood through your veins?” asked Rabbit, his voice taking on the tenor of one of her school teachers.
    “No, not really,” answered Alice, seeing the point Rabbit was trying to make. “But that doesn’t mean that I can’t continue to do them.”
    “Exactly, my dear, exactly. Now hold on again, the Tunnel can get a bit bumpy sometimes. Wouldn’t want you to bang that pretty little blonde head of yours.”
    “I can take care of myself, thank you very much,” said Alice, though she did grip the arms of her chair more firmly. “I’m a pirate on an adventure to a distant world. I don’t need any help.”
    Rabbit sniffed impolitely and covered it up with a cough. “All