a collection of beatrix potter stories-第8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！
quarrelled again at breakfast。 Old Mr。
Bouncer could no longer deny that
he had invited company into the
rabbit hole； but he refused to reply
to the questions and reproaches of
Flopsy。 The day passed heavily。
Old Mr。 Bouncer； very sulky；
was huddled up in a corner； barricaded
with a chair。 Flopsy had
taken away his pipe and hidden
the tobacco。 She had been having
a complete turn out and spring…
cleaning； to relieve her feelings。
She had just finished。 Old Mr。
Bouncer； behind his chair； was
wondering anxiously what she
would do next。
In Mr。 Tod's kitchen； amongst the
wreckage； Benjamin Bunny picked
his way to the oven nervously；
through a thick cloud of dust。 He
opened the oven door； felt inside；
and found something warm and
wriggling。 He lifted it out carefully；
and rejoined Peter Rabbit。
〃I've got them！ Can we get away？
Shall we hide； Cousin Peter？〃
Peter pricked his ears； distant
sounds of fighting still echoed in
the wood。
Five minutes afterwards two
breathless rabbits came scuttering
away down Bull Banks； half carrying
half dragging a sack between
them； bumpetty bump over the
grass。 They reached home safely
and burst into the rabbit hole。
Great was old Mr。 Bouncer's
relief and Flopsy's joy when Peter
and Benjamin arrived in triumph
with the young family。 The rabbit…
babies were rather tumbled and
very hungry； they were fed and
put to bed。 They soon recovered。
A long new pipe and a fresh supply
of rabbit tobacco was presented to
Mr。 Bouncer。 He was rather upon
his dignity； but he accepted。
Old Mr。 Bouncer was forgiven；
and they all had dinner。 Then Peter
and Benjamin told their storybut
they had not waited long enough
to be able to tell the end of the
battle between Tommy Brock and
Mr。 Tod。
THE END
THE TALE OF
MRS。 TIGGY…WINKLE
for
THE REAL LITTLE LUCIE
OF NEWLANDS
ONCE upon a time there
was a little girl called
Lucie； who lived at a farm
called Little…town。 She was
a good little girlonly she
was always losing her pocket…
handkerchiefs！
One day little Lucie came
into the farm…yard crying
oh； she did cry so！ 〃I've lost
my pocket…handkin！ Three
handkins and a pinny！ Have
YOU seen them； Tabby Kitten？〃
THE Kitten went on washing
her white paws； so
Lucie asked a speckled hen
〃Sally Henny…penny； has
YOU found three pocket…handkins？〃
But the speckled hen ran
into a barn； clucking
〃I go barefoot； barefoot；
barefoot！〃
AND then Lucie asked Cock
Robin sitting on a twig。
Cock Robin looked sideways
at Lucie with his bright black
eye； and he flew over a stile
and away。
Lucie climbed upon the stile
and looked up at the hill behind
Little…town…a hill that goes
upupinto the clouds as
though it had no top！
And a great way up the hillside
she thought she saw some
white things spread upon the
grass。
LUCIE scrambled up the
hill as fast as her stout
legs would carry her； she ran
along a steep path…wayup
and upuntil Littletown was
right away down belowshe
could have dropped a pebble
down the chimney！
PRESENTLY she came to
a spring； bubbling out
from the hill…side。
Some one had stood a tin
can upon a stone to catch the
waterbut the water was
already running over； for the
can was no bigger than an
egg…cup！ And where the sand
upon the path was wetthere
were foot…marks of a VERY
small person。
Lucie ran on； and on。
THE path ended under a
big rock。 The grass was
short and green； and there
were clothes…props cut from
bracken stems； with lines of
plaited rushes； and a heap of
tiny clothes pinsbut no
pocket…handkerchiefs！
But there was something
elsea door！ straight into the
hill； and inside it some one
was singing
〃Lily…white and clean； oh！
With little frills between； oh！
Smooth and hot…red rusty spot
Never here be seen； oh！〃
LUCIE； knockedonce
twice； and interrupted
the song。 A little frightened
voice called out 〃Who's that？〃
Lucie opened the door： and
what do you think there was
inside the hill？a nice clean
kitchen with a flagged floor
and wooden beamsjust like
any other farm kitchen。 Only
the ceiling was so low that
Lucie's head nearly touched it；
and the pots and pans were
small； and so was everything
there。
THERE was a nice hot
singey smell； and at the
table； with an iron in her hand
stood a very stout short person
staring anxiously at Lucie。
Her print gown was tucked
up； and she was wearing a
large apron over her striped
petticoat。 Her little black
nose went sniffle； sniffle； snuffle；
and her eyes went twinkle；
twinkle； and underneath her
capwhere Lucie had yellow
curlsthat little person had
PRICKLES！
〃WHO are you？〃 said
Lucie。 〃Have you
seen my pocket…handkins？〃
The little person made a
bob…curtsey〃Oh； yes； if you
please'm； my name is Mrs。
Tiggy…winkle； oh； yes if you
please'm； I'm an excellent clear…
starcher！〃 And she took
something out of a clothes…
basket； and spread it on the
ironing…blanket。
〃WHAT'S that thing？〃
said Lucie〃that's
not my pocket…handkin？〃
〃Oh no； if you please'm；
that's a little scarlet waist…coat
belonging to Cock Robin！〃
And she ironed it and folded
it； and put it on one side。
THEN she took something
else off a clothes…horse
〃That isn't my pinny？〃 said
Lucie。
〃Oh no； if you please'm；
that's a damask table…cloth
belonging to Jenny Wren；
look how it's stained with
currant wine！ It's very bad
to wash！〃 said Mrs。 Tiggy…
winkle。
MRS。 TIGGY…WINKLE'S
nose went sniffle； sniffle；
snuffle； and her eyes went
twinkle； twinkle； and she
fetched another hot iron from
the fire。
THERE'S one of my
pocket…handkins！〃 cried
Lucie〃and there's my pinny！〃
Mrs。 Tiggy…winkle ironed it；
and goffered it； and shook out
the frills。
〃Oh that IS lovely！〃 said
Lucie。
〃AND what are those long
yellow things with fingers
like gloves？〃
〃Oh； that's a pair of stockings
belonging to Sally Henny…
pennylook how she's worn
the heels out with scratching
in the yard！ She'll very soon
go barefoot！〃 said Mrs。 Tiggy…
winkle。
〃WHY； there's another
handkersniffbut it
isn't mine； it's red？〃
〃Oh no； if you please'm；
that one belongs to old Mrs。
Rabbit； and it DID so smell
of onions！ I've had to wash
it separately； I can't get out
the smell。〃
〃There's another one of
mine；〃 said Lucie。
〃WHAT are those funny
little white things？〃
〃That's a pair of mittens
belonging to Tabby Kitten； I
only have to iron them； she
washes them herself。〃
〃There's my last pocket…
handkin！〃 said Lucie。
〃AND what are you dipping
into the basin of starch？〃
〃They're little dicky shirt…
fronts belonging to Tom Titmouse
most terrible particular！〃
said Mrs。 Tiggy…winkle。
〃Now I've finished my ironing；
I'm going to air some clothes。〃
〃WHAT are these dear soft
fluffy things？〃 said
Lucie。
〃Oh those are wooly coats
belonging to the little lambs
at Skelghyl。〃
〃Will their jackets take off？〃
asked Lucy。
〃Oh yes； if you please'm；
look at the sheep…mark on the
shoulder。 And here's one
marked for Gatesgarth； and
three that come from Littletown。
They're ALWAYS marked
at washing！〃 said Mrs。 Tiggy…
winkle。
AND she hung up all sorts
and sizes of clothes
small brown coats of mice；
and one velvety black mole…
skin waist…coat； and a red tail…
coat with no tail belonging to
Squirrel Nutkin； and a very
much shrunk blue jacket
belonging to Peter Rabbit； and
a petticoat； not marked； that
had gone lost in the washing
and at last the basket was
empty！
THEN Mrs。 Tiggy…winkle
made teaa cup for herself
and a cup for Lucie。 They
sat before the fire on a bench
and looked sideways at one
another。 Mrs。 Tiggy…winkle's
hand； holding the tea…cup； was
very very brown； and very very
wrinkly with the soap…suds；
and all through her gown and
her cap； there were HAIR…PINS
sticking wrong end out； so
that Lucie didn't like to sit
too near her。
WHEN they had finished
tea； they tied up the
clothes in bundles； and Lucie's
pocket…handkerchiefs were
folded up inside her clean
pinny； and fastened with a
silver safety…pin。
And then they made up the
fire with turf； and came out
and locked the door； and hid
the key under the door…sill。
THEN away down the hill
trotted Lucie and Mrs。
Tiggy…winkle with the bundles
of clothes！
All the way down the path
little animals came out of the
fern to meet them； the very
first that they met were Peter
Rabbit
