a collection of beatrix potter stories-第10节
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and sits before the fire。
THE Mouse thinks she is
looking very ill。 He
comes sliding down the bell…
pull。
MISS MOPPET looks
worse and worse。 The
Mouse comes a little nearer。
MISS MOPPET holds
her poor head in her
paws； and looks at him
through a hole in the duster。
The Mouse comes VERY close。
AND then all of a sudden
Miss Moppet jumps
upon the Mouse！
AND because the Mouse
has teased Miss Moppet
Miss Moppet thinks she
will tease the Mouse； which
is not at all nice of Miss
Moppet。
SHE ties him up in the
duster； and tosses it
about like a ball。
BUT she forgot about that
hole in the duster； and
when she untied itthere
was no Mouse！
HE has wriggled out and
run away； and he is
dancing a jig on the top of
the cupboard！
THE END
THE TALE OF
MR。 JEREMY FISHER
FOR
STEPHANIE
FROM
COUSIN B。
ONCE upon a time there
was a frog called Mr。
Jeremy Fisher； he lived in a
little damp house amongst the
buttercups at the edge of a
pond。
THE water was all slippy…
sloppy in the larder and
in the back passage。
But Mr。 Jeremy liked
getting his feet wet； nobody ever
scolded him； and he never
caught a cold！
HE was quite pleased when
he looked out and saw
large drops of rain； splashing
in the pond
〃I WILL get some worms
and go fishing and catch
a dish of minnows for my
dinner；〃 said Mr。 Jeremy
Fisher。 〃If I catch more than
five fish； I will invite my
friends Mr。 Alderman Ptolemy
Tortoise and Sir Isaac Newton。
The Alderman； however； eats
salad。〃
MR。 JEREMY put on a
macintosh； and a pair
of shiny goloshes； he took his
rod and basket； and set off
with enormous hops to the
place where he kept his boat。
THE boat was round and
green； and very like the
other lily…leaves。 It was
tied to a water…plant in
the middle of the pond。
MR。 JEREMY took a reed
pole； and pushed the
boat out into open water。 〃I
know a good place for minnows；〃
said Mr。 Jeremy
Fisher。
MR。 JEREMY stuck his
pole into the mud and
fastened his boat to it。
Then he settled himself
cross…legged and arranged his
fishing tackle。 He had the
dearest little red float。 His
rod was a tough stalk of
grass； his line was a fine long
white horse…hair； and he tied
a little wriggling worm at the
end。
THE rain trickled down his
back； and for nearly an
hour he stared at the float。
〃This is getting tiresome；
I think I should like some
lunch；〃 said Mr。 Jeremy
Fisher。
HE punted back again
amongst the water…
plants； and took some lunch
out of his basket。
〃I will eat a butterfly
sandwich； and wait till the
shower is over；〃 said Mr。
Jeremy Fisher。
A GREAT big water…beetle
came up underneath the
lily leaf and tweaked the toe
of one of his goloshes。
Mr。 Jeremy crossed his legs
up shorter； out of reach； and
went on eating his sandwich。
ONCE or twice something
moved about with a
rustle and a splash amongst
the rushes at the side of the
pond。
〃I trust that is not a rat；〃
said Mr。 Jeremy Fisher； 〃I
think I had better get away
from here。〃
MR。 JEREMY shoved the
boat out again a little
way； and dropped in the bait。
There was a bite almost
directly； the float gave a
tremendous bobbit！
〃A minnow！ a minnow！ I
have him by the nose！〃 cried
Mr。 Jeremy Fisher； jerking
up his rod。
BUT what a horrible
surprise！ Instead of a
smooth fat minnow； Mr。
Jeremy landed little Jack
Sharp the stickleback； covered
with spines！
THE stickleback floundered
about the boat； pricking
and snapping until he was
quite out of breath。 Then he
jumped back into the water。
AND a shoal of other little
fishes put their heads
out； and laughed at Mr。
Jeremy Fisher。
AND while Mr。 Jeremy sat
disconsolately on the
edge of his boatsucking his
sore fingers and peering down
into the watera MUCH worse
thing happened； a really
FRIGHTFUL thing it would have
been； if Mr。 Jeremy had not
been wearing a macintosh！
A GREAT big enormous
trout came upker…
pflop…p…p…p！ with a splash
and it seized Mr。 Jeremy with
a snap； 〃Ow！ Ow！ Ow！〃
and then it turned and dived
down to the bottom of the
pond！
BUT the trout was so displeased
with the taste of
the macintosh； that in less
than half a minute it spat him
out again； and the only thing
it swallowed was Mr。 Jeremy's
goloshes。
MR。 JEREMY bounced up
to the surface of the
water； like a cork and the
bubbles out of a soda water
bottle； and he swam with
all his might to the edge of
the pond。
HE scrambled out on the
first bank he came to；
and he hopped home across
the meadow with his
macintosh all in tatters。
〃WHAT a mercy that was
not a pike！〃 said
Mr。 Jeremy Fisher。 〃I have
lost my rod and basket； but
it does not much matter； for I
am sure I should never have
dared to go fishing again！〃
HE put some sticking
plaster on his fingers；
and his friends both came to
dinner。 He could not offer
them fish； but he had something
else in his larder。
SIR ISAAC NEWTON
wore his black and gold
waistcoat；
AND Mr。 Alderman Ptolemy
Tortoise brought a salad
with him in a string bag。
AND instead of a nice dish
of minnowsthey had a
roasted grasshopper with
lady…bird sauce； which frogs
consider a beautiful treat； but
_I_ think it must have been
nasty！
THE END
THE TALE OF
TIMMY TIPTOES
FOR
MANY UNKNOWN LITTLE FRIENDS；
INCLUDING MONICA
ONCE upon a time there was
a little fat comfortable
grey squirrel； called Timmy
Tiptoes。 He had a nest
thatched with leaves in the
top of a tall tree； and he
had a little squirrel wife called
Goody。
TIMMY TIPTOES sat out；
enjoying the breeze； he
whisked his tail and chuckled
〃Little wife Goody； the nuts
are ripe； we must lay up a
store for winter and spring。〃
Goody Tiptoes was busy
pushing moss under the
thatch〃The nest is so
snug； we shall be sound asleep
all winter。〃 〃Then we shall
wake up all the thinner； when
there is nothing to eat in
spring…time；〃 replied prudent
Timothy。
WHEN Timmy and Goody
Tiptoes came to the
nut thicket； they found other
squirrels were there already。
Timmy took off his jacket
and hung it on a twig； they
worked away quietly by themselves。
EVERY day they made
several journeys and
picked quantities of nuts。
They carried them away in
bags； and stored them in
several hollow stumps near
the tree where they had built
their nest。
WHEN these stumps were
full； they began to
empty the bags into a hole
high up a tree； that had belonged
to a wood…pecker； the
nuts rattled downdown
down inside。
〃How shall you ever get
them out again？ It is like a
money…box！〃 said Goody。
〃I shall be much thinner
before spring…time； my love；〃
said Timmy Tiptoes； peeping
into the hole。
THEY did collect quantities
because they did not
lose them！ Squirrels who bury
their nuts in the ground lose
more than half； because they
cannot remember the place。
The most forgetful squirrel
in the wood was called Silvertail。
He began to dig； and
he could not remember。 And
then he dug again and found
some nuts that did not belong
to him； and there was a fight。
And other squirrels began to
dig；the whole wood was in
commotion！
UNFORTUNATELY； just
at this time a flock of
little birds flew by； from
bush to bush； searching for
green caterpillars and spiders。
There were several sorts of
little birds； twittering different
songs。
The first one sang
〃Who's bin digging…up MY
nuts？ Who's…been…digging…
up MY nuts？〃
And another sang〃Little
bita bread and…NO…cheese！
Little bit…a…bread an'…NO…
cheese！〃
THE squirrels followed and
listened。 The first little
bird flew into the bush where
Timmy and Goody Tiptoes
were quietly tying up their
bags； and it sang〃Who's…
bin digging…up MY nuts？
Who's been digging…up MY…
nuts？〃
Timmy Tiptoes went on
with his work without
replying； indeed； the little bird
did not expect an answer。 It
was only singing its natural
song； and it meant nothing at
all。
BUT when the other squirrels
heard that song； they
rushed upon Timmy Tiptoes
and cuffed and scratched him；
and upset his bag of nuts。
The innocent little bird which
had caused all the mischief；
flew away in a fright！
Timmy rolled over and over；
and then turned tail and fled
towards his nest； followed by
a crowd of squirrels shouting
〃Who's…been digging…up
MY…nuts？〃
THEY caught him and
dragged him up the very
same tree；
