Wonderland is the world of Alice’s dreams. The plot of
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is episodic and follows a
kind of internal or dream logic that seems as though it could make sense but really does not. Alice lies drowsing against her sister under a tree on a hot July afternoon when she suddenly finds herself tumbling after a talking White
Rabbit down a long, dark rabbit hole lined with shelves and cupboards. She finally reaches the bottom, where she enters a hallway lined with locked doors. A golden key lying on a glass table opens a tiny door that leads into a beautiful garden.
The remainder of the first part of the book describes Alice’s
adventures as she attempts to enter this garden. First, she tries changing her size, by sipping from a mysterious bottle labeled "DRINK ME" and consuming a cake labeled "EAT ME." She shrinks to ten inches, then shoots up to nine feet tall, whereupon she weeps in frustration. When she shrinks again, she slips into the pool of her own tears. The pool becomes crowded with swimming animals, which make their way to shore to dry themselves by running a Caucus-race and listening to a long, dry tale.
The dreamscape shifts; the pool and the hallway disappear. The White Rabbit runs past and, mistaking Alice for his maid, orders her to go to his house to fetch his fan and gloves. When she reaches his room, she drinks from an unmarked bottle, which causes her to grow again. The White Rabbit throws pebbles at her through the window; the pebbles turn to cakes. Alice eats one, shrinks again, and escapes into a wood. Now she is only three inches tall. Alice has a dangerous encounter with a puppy, who appears enormous compared to her miniature stature.
Next she meets the Caterpillar, who sits on a mushroom and smokes a hookah, or water pipe. He offers her two pieces of his mushroom, one of which will make her grow and the other of which will cause her to shrink. She nibbles until she becomes the correct height to enter the Duchess’ house, which is guarded by a Frog Footman. A Fish Footman rushes in with an invitation from the Queen of Hearts to the Duchess to play croquet. Alice enters the house to see the Duchess holding a baby. The Cook is putting too much pepper in a cauldron of soup, which causes the baby to sneeze and howl. The Duchess gives the baby to Alice, who takes it outside, whereupon it turns into a pig and runs away. Alice speaks with the Cheshire Cat, who vanishes slowly, leaving behind nothing but its grin. Alice joins a tea party with the March Hare, the Mad Hatter, and the Dormouse, who keeps falling asleep. They interrogate her rudely until she leaves them in disgust. Suddenly, she finds herself in the door-lined hallway again. She takes the key from the table, nibbles her mushroom in order to shrink to the proper size, then unlocks the tiny door and escapes into the beautiful garden at last.
In the garden, Alice encounters three gardeners, shaped like cards, who are busy painting some white roses red in order to appease the Queen of Hearts. A royal procession enters; it consists of an animate deck of cards. The last to enter are the King and Queen of Hearts. The Queen orders the beheading of the gardeners, then invites Alice to play croquet. The game is chaotic. The rules for croquet in Wonderland seem completely nonsensical to Alice.
The Queen sends Alice off with the Gryphon to visit the Mock Turtle, who recounts the story of his school days. The Gryphon and the Mock Turtle sing and dance the Lobster Quadrille, which is a parody of Mary Howitt’s poem "The Spider and the Fly."
Finally, Alice finds herself at the trial of the Knave of Hearts. The King acts as the judge, with the Queen at his side, giving him advice. The Knave is accused of stealing tarts. During the testimony of the Mad Hatter, Alice feels herself growing again. Alice is then called to speak to the court. By this time, she is so large that when she stands up, she tips over the jury box, spilling the creatures of the jury onto the courtroom floor. Alice quibbles with the King over his courtroom procedures. The Queen demands Alice’s head, but Alice is defiant. The entire party turns into a pack of cards and flies in Alice’s face. She awakes to find her sister brushing some leaves off of her face. She tells her sister about her curious dream, then she hurries in to tea.