... suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her. So begins Lewis Carroll's famous story, which has become one of the best-loved books ever written. Alice's adventures lead her down the rabbit-hole into Wonderland, where she meets an array of curious characters, including the Mad Hatter, the Mock Turtle and the grinning Cheshire-Cat.
The four children acquired the magic carpet when they found a special fire egg -- it hatched in their nursery fireplace. The phoenix came from the egg, and when he saw their mother's new Persian rug, he showed them that it was a magical thing -- a flying carpet that would take them any time and that place they could wish for. Witty, genuine, full of timeless sympathy and childish sensibility, T…