a collection of beatrix potter stories-第4节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃I cannot go back。 If I slipped I might
fall in the fire and singe my beautiful tail
and my little blue jacket。〃
The chimney was a very big old…fashioned
one。 It was built in the days when
people burnt logs of wood upon the hearth。
The chimney stack stood up above the
roof like a little stone tower； and the daylight
shone down from the top； under the
slanting slates that kept out the rain。
Tom Kitten was getting very frightened！
He climbed up； and up； and up
Then he waded sideways through inches
of soot。 He was like a little sweep himself。
It was most confusing in the dark。 One
flue seemed to lead into another。
There was less smoke； but Tom Kitten
felt quite lost。
He scrambled up and up； but before he
reached the chimney top he came to a place
where somebody had loosened a stone in
the wall。 There were some mutton bones
lying about
〃This seems funny；〃 said Tom Kitten。
〃Who has been gnawing bones up here in
the chimney？ I wish I had never come！
And what a funny smell！ It is something
like mouse； only dreadfully strong。 It
makes me sneeze；〃 said Tom Kitten。
He squeezed through the hole in the wall；
and dragged himself along a most uncomfortably
tight passage where there was
scarcely any light。
He groped his way carefully for several
yards； he was at the back of the skirting…
board in the attic； where there is a little
mark * in the picture。
All at once he fell head over heels in the
dark； down a hole； and landed on a heap of
very dirty rags。
When Tom Kitten picked himself up and
looked about himhe found himself in a
place that he had never seen before； although
he had lived all his life in the house。
It was a very small stuffy fusty room；
with boards； and rafters； and cobwebs； and
lath and plaster。
Opposite to himas far away as he could
sitwas an enormous rat。
〃What do you mean by tumbling into
my bed all covered with smuts？〃 said the
rat； chattering his teeth。
〃Please sir； the chimney wants sweeping；〃
said poor Tom Kitten。
〃Anna Maria！ Anna Maria！〃 squeaked
the rat。 There was a pattering noise and
an old woman rat poked her head round a
rafter。
All in a minute she rushed upon Tom
Kitten； and before he knew what was happening
His coat was pulled off； and he was rolled
up in a bundle； and tied with string in very
hard knots。
Anna Maria did the tying。 The old rat
watched her and took snuff。 When she had
finished； they both sat staring at him with
their mouths open。
〃Anna Maria；〃 said the old man rat
（whose name was Samuel Whiskers）；
〃Anna Maria； make me a kitten dumpling
roly…poly pudding for my dinner。〃
〃It requires dough and a pat of butter；
and a rolling…pin；〃 said Anna Maria；
considering Tom Kitten with her head on one
side。
〃No；〃 said Samuel Whiskers； 〃make it
properly； Anna Maria； with breadcrumbs。〃
Nonsense！ Butter and dough；〃 replied
Anna Maria。
The two rats consulted together for a
few minutes and then went away。
Samuel Whiskers got through a hole in
the wainscot； and went boldly down the
front staircase to the dairy to get the
butter。 He did not meet anybody。
He made a second journey for the rolling…
pin。 He pushed it in front of him with
his paws； like a brewer's man trundling a
barrel。
He could hear Ribby and Tabitha talking；
but they were busy lighting the candle to
look into the chest。
They did not see him。
Anna Maria went down by way of the
skirting…board and a window shutter to the
kitchen to steal the dough。
She borrowed a small saucer； and scooped
up the dough with her paws。
She did not observe Moppet。
While Tom Kitten was left alone under
the floor of the attic； he wriggled about and
tried to mew for help。
But his mouth was full of soot and cob…
webs； and he was tied up in such very tight
knots； he could not make anybody hear him。
Except a spider； which came out of a
crack in the ceiling and examined the knots
critically； from a safe distance。
It was a judge of knots because it had a
habit of tying up unfortunate blue…bottles。
It did not offer to assist him。
Tom Kitten wriggled and squirmed until
he was quite exhausted。
Presently the rats came back and set to
work to make him into a dumpling。 First
they smeared him with butter； and then they
rolled him in the dough。
〃Will not the string be very indigestible；
Anna Maria？〃 inquired Samuel Whiskers。
Anna Maria said she thought that it was
of no consequence； but she wished that Tom
Kitten would hold his head still； as it
disarranged the pastry。 She laid hold of his
ears。
Tom Kitten bit and spat； and mewed and
wriggled； and the rolling…pin went roly…
poly； roly； roly； poly； roly。 The rats each
held an end。
〃His tail is sticking out！ You did not
fetch enough dough； Anna Maria。〃
〃I fetched as much as I could carry；〃
replied Anna Maria。
〃I do not think〃said Samuel Whiskers；
pausing to take a look at Tom Kitten〃I
do NOT think it will be a good pudding。 It
smells sooty。〃
Anna Maria was about to argue the point；
when all at once there began to be other
sounds up abovethe rasping noise of a
saw； and the noise of a little dog； scratching
and yelping！
The rats dropped the rolling…pin； and
listened attentively。
〃We are discovered and interrupted；
Anna Maria； let us collect our property；
and other people's；and depart at once。〃
〃I fear that we shall be obliged to leave
this pudding。〃
〃But I am persuaded that the knots would
have proved indigestible； whatever you may
urge to the contrary。〃
〃Come away at once and help me to tie up
some mutton bones in a counterpane；〃 said
Anna Maria。 〃I have got half a smoked
ham hidden in the chimney。〃
So it happened that by the time John
Joiner had got the plank upthere was nobody
under the floor except the rolling…pin
and Tom Kitten in a very dirty dumpling！
But there was a strong smell of rats； and
John Joiner spent the rest of the morning
sniffing and whining； and wagging his tail；
and going round and round with his head in
the hole like a gimlet。
Then he nailed the plank down again； and
put his tools in his bag； and came downstairs。
The cat family had quite recovered。 They
invited him to stay to dinner。
The dumpling had been peeled off Tom
Kitten； and made separately into a bag pudding；
with currants in it to hide the smuts。
They had been obliged to put Tom Kitten
into a hot bath to get the butter off。
John Joiner smelt the pudding； but he
regretted that he had not time to stay to
dinner； because he had just finished making
a wheel…barrow for Miss Potter； and she
had ordered two hen…coops。
And when I was going to the post late in
the afternoonI looked up the lane from
the corner； and I saw Mr。 Samuel Whiskers
and his wife on the run； with big bundles
on a little wheel…barrow； which looked very
like mine。
They were just turning in at the gate to
the barn of Farmer Potatoes。
Samuel Whiskers was puffing and out of
breath。 Anna Maria was still arguing in
shrill tones。
She seemed to know her way； and she
seemed to have a quantity of luggage。
I am sure _I_ never gave her leave to borrow
my wheel…barrow！
They went into the barn； arid hauled
their parcels with a bit of string to the top
of the haymow。
After that； there were no more rats for
a long time at Tabitha Twitchit's。
As for Farmer Potatoes； he has been
driven nearly distracted。 There are rats；
and rats； and rats in his barn！ They eat
up the chicken food； and steal the oats and
bran； and make holes in the meal bags。
And they are all descended from Mr。
and Mrs。 Samuel Whiskerschildren and
grand…children and great great grand…children。
There is no end to them！
Moppet and Mittens have grown up into
very good rat…catchers。
They go out rat…catching in the village；
and they find plenty of employment。 They
charge so much a dozen； and earn their
living very comfortably。
They hang up the rats' tails in a row or
the barn door； to show how many they have
caughtdozens and dozens of them。
But Tom Kitten has always been afraid
of a rat； he never durst face anything that
is bigger than
A Mouse。
THE END
THE TALE OF MR TOD
I HAVE made many books about
well…behaved people。 Now； for
a change； I am going to make a
story about two disagreeable people；
called Tommy Brock and Mr。 Tod。
Nobody could call Mr。 Tod 〃nice。〃
The rabbits could not bear him；
they could smell him half a mile off。
He was of a
