At the end of the book Alice tells her sister about her dream and then runs off for dinner. Below is the books conclusion in its entirety because I really think it's quite wonderful:
But her sister sat still just as she left her, leaning her head on her hand, watching the setting sun, and thinking of little Alice and all her wonderful Adventures, till she too began dreaming after a fashion, and this was her dream:
First, she dreamed about little Alice herself: once again the tiny hands were clasped upon her knee, and the bright eager eyes were looking up into hers-she could hear the very tones of her voice, and see that queer little toss of her head to keep back the wandering hair that would always get into her eyes--and as still as she listened, or seemed to listen, the whole place around her became alive with the strange creatures of her little sister's dream.
The long grass rustled at her feet as the White Rabbit hurried by--the frightened Mouse splashed his way through the neighboring pool--she could hear the rattle of the teacups as the March Hare and his friends shared their never-ending meal, and the shrill voice of the Queen ordering off her unfortunate guests to execution--once more the pig-baby was sneezing on the Duchess's knee, while plates and dishes crashed around it--once more the shriek of the Gryphon, the squeaking of the Lizard's slate-pencil, and the choking of the suppressed guinea pigs, filled the air, mixed up with the distant sob of the miserable Mock Turtle.
So she sat on, with closed eyes, and half believed herself in Wonderland, though she knew she had but to open them again, and all would change to dull reality--the grass would be only rustling in the wind, and the pool rippling to the waving of the reeds--the rattling teacups would change to tinkling sheep-bells, and the Queen's shrill cries to the voice of the shepherd boy--and the sneeze of the baby, the shriek of the Gryphon, and the other queer noises, would change (she knew) to the confused clamor of the busy farm-yard--while the lowing of the cattle in the distance would take the place of the Mock Turtle's heavy sobs.
Lastly, she pictured to herself how this same little sister of hers would, in the after-time, be herself a grown woman; and how she would keep, through all her riper years, the simple and loving heart of her childhood; and how she would gather about her other little children, and make their eyes bright and eager with many a strange tale, perhaps even the dream of Wonderland of long ago; and how she would feel with all their simple sorrows, and find a pleasure in all their simple joys, remembering her own child-life, and the happy summer days.
Hopefully you enjoying rereading it as much as me! :) Anywho, the reason I love this so much is because, one, it points out the world's versatility or shows that their is always more than one way of looking at something. It displays that our surroundings can be viewed as dull reality or be made a bit more exciting by seeing through the eyes of a child. The Bible tells us that we must receive the Kingdom of God like a child or we will never enter it. (Luke 18:16-17) I think this is because children tend to see everything like they are seeing it for the first time and as though it is beautiful and new and exciting even the rest of the world thinks otherwise. And those of us who can hold on to the understanding of how to look at the world in that way can enjoy life much more fully but also have the maturity to separate day dreams from reality. You see, Wonderland is real. Perhaps no the one in which the Queen of Hearts rages on but there is certainly a land where everything is wonderful. And that land is not the kind that you journey to physically but rather a state of mind that changes the way "ordinary" things seem to a particular individual.
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