a collection of beatrix potter stories-第6节

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and　a　large　carving　knife　and

fork；　and　a　chopper。



At　the　other　end　of　the　table　was

a　partly　unfolded　tablecloth；　a　plate；

a　tumbler；　a　knife　and　fork；　salt…

cellar；　mustard　and　a　chairin　short；

preparations　for　one　person's　supper。





No　person　was　to　be　seen；　and

no　young　rabbits。　The　kitchen　was

empty　and　silent；　the　clock　had　run

down。　Peter　and　Benjamin　flattened

their　noses　against　the　window；　and

stared　into　the　dusk。



Then　they　scrambled　round　the

rocks　to　the　other　side　of　the　house。

It　was　damp　and　smelly；　and　over…

grown　with　thorns　and　briars。



The　rabbits　shivered　in　their　shoes。





〃Oh　my　poor　rabbit　babies！　What

a　dreadful　place；　I　shall　never　see

them　again！〃　sighed　Benjamin。



They　crept　up　to　the　bedroom

window。　It　was　closed　and　bolted

like　the　kitchen。　But　there　were

signs　that　this　window　had　been

recently　open；　the　cobwebs　were

disturbed；　and　there　were　fresh　dirty

footmarks　upon　the　window…sill。



The　room　inside　was　so　dark；

that　at　first　they　could　make　out

nothing；　but　they　could　hear　a　noise

a　slow　deep　regular　snoring　grunt。

And　as　their　eyes　became　accustomed

to　the　darkness；　they　perceived

that　somebody　was　asleep

on　Mr。　Tod's　bed；　curled　up　under

the　blanket。〃He　has　gone　to　bed

in　his　boots；〃　whispered　Peter。





Benjamin；　who　was　all　of　a　twitter；

pulled　Peter　off　the　window…sill。



Tommy　Brock's　snores　continued；

grunty　and　regular　from　Mr。　Tod's

bed。　Nothing　could　be　seen　of　the

young　family。



The　sun　had　set；　an　owl　began

to　hoot　in　the　wood。　There　were

many　unpleasant　things　lying　about；

that　had　much　better　have　been

buried；　rabbit　bones　and　skulls；　and

chickens'　legs　and　other　horrors。　It

was　a　shocking　place；　and　very　dark。



They　went　back　to　the　front　of

the　house；　and　tried　in　every　way

to　move　the　bolt　of　the　kitchen

window。　They　tried　to　push　up　a

rusty　nail　between　the　window

sashes；　but　it　was　of　no　use；

especially　without　a　light。





They　sat　side　by　side　outside　the

window；　whispering　and　listening。



In　half　an　hour　the　moon　rose

over　the　wood。　It　shone　full　and

clear　and　cold；　upon　the　house

amongst　the　rocks；　and　in　at　the

kitchen　window。　But　alas；　no　little

rabbit　babies　were　to　be　seen！



The　moonbeams　twinkled　on　the

carving　knife　and　the　pie　dish；　and

made　a　path　of　brightness　across

the　dirty　floor。



The　light　showed　a　little　door　in



a　wall　beside　the　kitchen　fireplace

a　little　iron　door　belonging　to　a

brick　oven；　of　that　old…fashioned

sort　that　used　to　be　heated　with

faggots　of　wood。



And　presently　at　the　same　moment

Peter　and　Benjamin　noticed　that

whenever　they　shook　the　window

the　little　door　opposite　shook　in

answer。　The　young　family　were

alive；　shut　up　in　the　oven！





Benjamin　was　so　excited　that　it

was　a　mercy　he　did　not　awake

Tommy　Brock；　whose　snores

continued　solemnly　in　Mr。　Tod's　bed。



But　there　really　was　not　very　much

comfort　in　the　discovery。　They　could

not　open　the　window；　and　although

the　young　family　was　alivethe　little

rabbits　were　quite　incapable　of　letting

themselves　out；　they　were　not

old　enough　to　crawl。



After　much　whispering；　Peter　and

Benjamin　decided　to　dig　a　tunnel。

They　began　to　burrow　a　yard　or　two

lower　down　the　bank。　They　hoped

that　they　might　be　able　to　work

between　the　large　stones　under　the

house；　the　kitchen　floor　was　so　dirty

that　it　was　impossible　to　say　whether

it　was　made　of　earth　or　flags。





They　dug　and　dug　for　hours。

They　could　not　tunnel　straight　on

account　of　stones；　but　by　the　end

of　the　night　they　were　under　the

kitchen　floor。　Benjamin　was　on　his

back；　scratching　upwards。　Peter's

claws　were　worn　down；　he　was

outside　the　tunnel；　shuffling　sand

away。　He　called　out　that　it　was

morningsunrise；　and　that　the

jays　were　making　a　noise　down

below　in　the　woods。



Benjamin　Bunny　came　out　of　the

dark　tunnel；　shaking　the　sand　from

his　ears；　he　cleaned　his　face　with

his　paws。　Every　minute　the　sun

shone　warmer　on　the　top　of　the　hill。

In　the　valley　there　was　a　sea　of

white　mist；　with　golden　tops　of

trees　showing　through。





Again　from　the　fields　down　below

in　the　mist　there　came　the　angry

cry　of　a　jay…followed　by　the　sharp

yelping　bark　of　a　fox！



Then　those　two　rabbits　lost　their

heads　completely。　They　did　the

most　foolish　thing　that　they　could

have　done。　They　rushed　into　their

short　new　tunnel；　and　hid　themselves

at　the　top　end　of　it；　under

Mr。　Tod's　kitchen　floor。





Mr。　Tod　was　coming　up　Bull

Banks；　and　he　was　in　the　very　worst

of　tempers。　First　he　had　been　upset

by　breaking　the　plate。　It　was

his　own　fault；　but　it　was　a　china

plate；　the　last　of　the　dinner　service

that　had　belonged　to　his　grandmother；

old　Vixen　Tod。　Then　the

midges　had　been　very　bad。　And　he

had　failed　to　catch　a　hen　pheasant　on

her　nest；　and　it　had　contained　only

five　eggs；　two　of　them　addled。　Mr。

Tod　had　had　an　unsatisfactory　night。





As　usual；　when　out　of　humour；

he　determined　to　move　house。　First

he　tried　the　pollard　willow；　but　it

was　damp；　and　the　otters　had　left

a　dead　fish　near　it。　Mr。　Tod　likes

nobody's　leavings　but　his　own。



He　made　his　way　up　the　hill；　his

temper　was　not　improved　by　noticing

unmistakable　marks　of　badger。

No　one　else　grubs　up　the　moss　so

wantonly　as　Tommy　Brock。





Mr。　Tod　slapped　his　stick　upon

the　earth　and　fumed；　he　guessed

where　Tommy　Brock　had　gone　to。

He　was　further　annoyed　by　the　jay

bird　which　followed　him　persistently。

It　flew　from　tree　to　tree　and　scolded；

warning　every　rabbit　within　hearing

that　either　a　cat　or　a　fox　was　coming

up　the　plantation。　Once　when　it

flew　screaming　over　his　head

Mr。　Tod　snapped　at　it；　and　barked。



He　approached　his　house　very

carefully；　with　a　large　rusty　key。

He　sniffed　and　his　whiskers　bristled。

The　house　was　locked　up；　but　Mr。

Tod　had　his　doubts　whether　it　was

empty。　He　turned　the　rusty　key　in

the　lock；　the　rabbits　below　could

hear　it。　Mr。　Tod　opened　the　door

cautiously　and　went　in。





The　sight　that　met　Mr。　Tod's　eyes

in　Mr。　Tod's　kitchen　made　Mr。　Tod

furious。　There　was　Mr。　Tod's　chair；

and　Mr。　Tod's　pie　dish；　and　his　knife

and　fork　and　mustard　and　salt　cellar

and　his　table…cloth　that　he　had　left

folded　up　in　the　dresserall　set　out

for　supper　（or　breakfast）without

doubt　for　that　odious　Tommy　Brock



There　was　a　smell　of　fresh　earth

and　dirty　badger；　which　fortunately



overpowered　all　smell　of　rabbit。



But　what　absorbed　Mr。　Tod's

attention　was　a　noisea　deep　slow

regular　snoring　grunting　noise；

coming　from　his　own　bed。



He　peeped　through　the　hinges　of

the　half…open　bedroom　door。　Then

he　turned　and　came　out　of　the

house　in　a　hurry。　His　whiskers

bristled　and　his　coat…collar　stood　on

end　with　rage。





For　the　next　twenty　minutes

Mr。　Tod　kept　creeping　cautiously

into　the　house；　and　retreating

hurriedly　out　again。　By　degrees　he

ventured　further　inright　into　the

bedroom。　When　he　was　outside　the

house；　he　scratched　up　the　earth　with

fury。　But　when　he　was　insidehe

did　not　like　the　look　of　Tommy

Brock's　teeth。



He　was　lying　on　his　back　with

his　mouth　open；　grinning　from　ear

to　ear。　He　snored　peacefully　and

regularly；　but　one　eye　was　not

perfectly　shut。



Mr。　Tod　came　in　and　out　of　the

bedroom。　Twice　he　brought　in　his

walking…stick；　and　once　he　brought

in　the　coal…scuttle。　But　he　thought

better　of　it；　and　took　them　away。





When　he　came　back　after　removing

the　coal…scuttle；　Tommy　Brock

was　lying　a　little　more　sideways；

but　he　seemed　even　sounder　asleep。

He　was　an　incurably　indolent　person；

he　was　not　in　the　least　afraid

of　Mr。　Tod；　he　was　simply　too　lazy

and　comfortable　to　move。



Mr。　Tod　came　back　yet　again　into

the　bedroom　with　a　clothes　line。　He

stood　a　minute　watching　Tommy

Brock　and　listening　attentively　to

the　snores。　They　were　very　loud

indeed；　but　seemed　quite　natural。



Mr。　Tod　turned　his　back　towards

the　bed；　and　undid　the　window。

It　creaked；　he　turned　round　with

a　jump。　Tommy　Brock；　who　had

opened　one　eyeshut　it　hastily。

The　snores　continued。





Mr。　Tod's　proceedings　were　peculiar；

and　rather　uneasy；　（because　the

bed　was　between　the　window　and

the　door　of　the　bedroom）。　He　opened

the　window　a　little　way；　and　pushed

out　the　greater　part　of　the　clothes

line　on　to　the　window　sill。　The　rest

of　the　line；　with　a　hook　at　the　end；

remained　in　his　hand。



Tommy　Brock　snored　conscientiously。

Mr。　Tod　stood　and　looked

at　him　for　a　minute；　then　he　left

the　room　again。





Tommy　Brock　opened　both　eyes；

and　looked　at　the　rope　and　grinned。

There　was　a　noise　outside　the

window。　Tommy　Brock　shut　his

eyes　in　a　hurry。



Mr。　Tod　had　gon