the great big treasury of beatrix potter-第12章

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Then　they　all　hid　under　a　bush　and　watched　for　Mr。　McGregor。

Mr。　McGregor　came　back　and　picked　up　the　sack；　and　carried　it　off。

He　carried　it　hanging　down；　as　if　it　were　rather　heavy。

The　Flopsy　Bunnies　followed　at　a　safe　distance。


They　watched　him　go　into　his　house。

And　then　they　crept　up　to　the　window　to　listen。

Mr。　McGregor　threw　down　the　sack　on　the　stone　floor　in　a　way　that　would　have　been　extremely　painful　to　the　Flopsy　Bunnies；　if　they　had　happened　to　have　been　inside　it。

They　could　hear　him　drag　his　chair　on　the　flags；　and　chuckle

〃One；　two；　three；　four；　five；　six　leetle　rabbits！〃　said　Mr。　McGregor。


〃Eh？　What's　that？　What　have　they　been　spoiling　now？〃　enquired　Mrs。　McGregor。

〃One；　two；　three；　four；　five；　six　leetle　fat　rabbits！〃　repeated　Mr。　McGregor；　counting　on　his　fingers　〃one；　two；　three〃

〃Don't　you　be　silly：　what　do　you　mean；　you　silly　old　man？〃

〃In　the　sack！　one；　two；　three；　four；　five；　six！〃　replied　Mr。　McGregor。

（The　youngest　Flopsy　Bunny　got　upon　the　windowsill。）

Mrs。　McGregor　took　hold　of　the　sack　and　felt　it。　She　said　she　could　feel　six；　but　they　must　be　OLD　rabbits；　because　they　were　so　hard　and　all　different　shapes。

〃Not　fit　to　eat；　but　the　skins　will　do　fine　to　line　my　old　cloak。〃

〃Line　your　old　cloak？〃　shouted　Mr。　McGregor〃I　shall　sell　them　and　buy　myself　baccy！〃

〃Rabbit　tobacco！　I　shall　skin　them　and　cut　off　their　heads。〃


Mrs。　McGregor　untied　the　sack　and　put　her　hand　inside。

When　she　felt　the　vegetables　she　became　very　very　angry。　She　said　that　Mr。　McGregor　had　〃done　it　a　purpose。〃

And　Mr。　McGregor　was　very　angry　too。　One　of　the　rotten　marrows　came　flying　through　the　kitchen　window；　and　hit　the　youngest　Flopsy　Bunny。

It　was　rather　hurt。


Then　Benjamin　and　Flopsy　thought　that　it　was　time　to　go　home。

So　Mr。　McGregor　did　not　get　his　tobacco；　and　Mrs。　McGregor　did　not　get　her　rabbit　skins。

But　next　Christmas　Thomasina　Tittlemouse　got　a　present　of　enough　rabbit　wool　to　make　herself　a　cloak　and　a　hood；　and　a　handsome　muff　and　a　pair　of　warm　mittens。




THE　TALE　OF　MRS。　TITTLEMOUSE

＇Nellie's　Little　Book＇




Once　upon　a　time　there　was　a　woodmouse；　and　her　name　was　Mrs。　Tittlemouse。

She　lived　in　a　bank　under　a　hedge。

Such　a　funny　house！　There　were　yards　and　yards　of　sandy　passages；　leading　to　store…　rooms　and　nut　cellars　and　seed　cellars；　all　amongst　the　roots　of　the　hedge。


There　was　a　kitchen；　a　parlor；　a　pantry；　and　a　larder。

Also；　there　was　Mrs。　Tittle…　mouse's　bedroom；　where　she　slept　in　a　little　box　bed！

Mrs。　Tittlemouse　was　a　most　terribly　tidy　particular　little　mouse；　always　sweeping　and　dusting　the　soft　sandy　floors。

Sometimes　a　beetle　lost　its　way　in　the　passages。

〃Shuh！　shuh！　little　dirty　feet！〃　said　Mrs。　Tittlemouse；　clattering　her　dustpan。


And　one　day　a　little　old　woman　ran　up　and　down　in　a　red　spotty　cloak。

〃Your　house　is　on　fire；　Mother　Ladybird！　Fly　away　home　to　your　children！〃

Another　day；　a　big　fat　spider　came　in　to　shelter　from　the　rain。

〃Beg　pardon；　is　this　not　Miss　Muffet's？〃

〃Go　away；　you　bold　bad　spider！　Leaving　ends　of　cobweb　all　over　my　nice　clean　house！〃

She　bundled　the　spider　out　at　a　window。

He　let　himself　down　the　hedge　with　a　long　thin　bit　of　string。


Mrs。　Tittlemouse　went　on　her　way　to　a　distant　storeroom；　to　fetch　cherrystones　and　thistle…　down　seed　for　dinner。

All　along　the　passage　she　sniffed；　and　looked　at　the　floor。

〃I　smell　a　smell　of　honey；　is　it　the　cowslips　outside；　in　the　hedge？　I　am　sure　I　can　see　the　marks　of　little　dirty　feet。〃

Suddenly　round　a　corner；　she　met　Babbitty　Bumble〃Zizz；　Bizz；　Bizzz！〃　said　the　bumble　bee。

Mrs。　Tittlemouse　looked　at　her　severely。　She　wished　that　she　had　a　broom。

〃Good…day；　Babbitty　Bumble；　I　should　be　glad　to　buy　some　bees…　wax。　But　what　are　you　doing　down　here？　Why　do　you　always　come　in　at　a　window；　and　say；　Zizz；　Bizz；　Bizzz？〃　Mrs。　Tittle…　mouse　began　to　get　cross。


〃Zizz；　Wizz；　Wizzz！〃　replied　Babbitty　Bumble　in　a　peevish　squeak。　She　sidled　down　a　passage；　and　disappeared　into　a　storeroom　which　had　been　used　for　acorns。

Mrs。　Tittlemouse　had　eaten　the　acorns　before　Christmas；　the　storeroom　ought　to　have　been　empty。

But　it　was　full　of　untidy　dry　moss。

Mrs。　Tittlemouse　began　to　pull　out　the　moss。　Three　or　four　other　bees　put　their　heads　out；　and　buzzed　fiercely。

〃I　am　not　in　the　habit　of　letting　lodgings；　this　is　an　intrusion！〃　said　Mrs。　Tittlemouse。　〃I　will　have　them　turned　out　〃　〃Buzz！　Buzz！　Buzzz！〃〃I　wonder　who　would　help　me？〃　〃Bizz；　Wizz；　Wizzz！〃

〃I　will　not　have　Mr。　Jackson；　he　never　wipes　his　feet。〃


Mrs。　Tittlemouse　decided　to　leave　the　bees　till　after　dinner。

When　she　got　back　to　the　parlor；　she　heard　some　one　coughing　in　a　fat　voice；　and　there　sat　Mr。　Jackson　himself。

He　was　sitting　all　over　a　small　rocking　chair；　twiddling　his　thumbs　and　smiling；　with　his　feet　on　the　fender。

He　lived　in　a　drain　below　the　hedge；　in　a　very　dirty　wet　ditch。

〃How　do　you　do；　Mr。　Jackson？　Deary　me；　you　have　got　very　wet！〃

〃Thank　you；　thank　you；　thank　you；　Mrs。　Tittlemouse！　I'll　sit　awhile　and　dry　myself；〃　said　Mr。　Jackson。

He　sat　and　smiled；　and　the　water　dripped　off　his　coat　tails。　Mrs。　Tittlemouse　went　round　with　a　mop。


He　sat　such　a　while　that　he　had　to　be　asked　if　he　would　take　some　dinner？

First　she　offered　him　cherry…　stones。　〃Thank　you；　thank　you；　Mrs。　Tittlemouse！　No　teeth；　no　teeth；　no　teeth！〃　said　Mr。　Jackson。

He　opened　his　mouth　most　unnecessarily　wide；　he　certainly　had　not　a　tooth　in　his　head。

Then　she　offered　him　thistle…　down　seed〃Tiddly；　widdly；　widdly！　Pouff；　pouff；　puff。〃　said　Mr。　Jackson。　He　blew　the　thistle…　down　all　over　the　room。

〃Thank　you；　thank　you；　thank　you；　Mrs。　Tittlemouse！　Now　what　I　reallyREALLY　should　like　would　be　a　little　dish　of　honey！〃


〃I　am　afraid　I　have　not　got　any；　Mr。　Jackson！〃　said　Mrs。　Tittlemouse。

〃Tiddly；　widdly；　widdly；　Mrs。　Tittlemouse！〃　said　the　smiling　Mr。　Jackson；　〃I　can　SMELL　it；　that　is　why　I　came　to　call。〃

Mr。　Jackson　rose　ponderously　from　the　table；　and　began　to　look　into　the　cupboards。

Mrs。　Tittlemouse　followed　him　with　a　dishcloth；　to　wipe　his　large　wet　footmarks　off　the　parlor　floor。

When　he　had　convinced　himself　that　there　was　no　honey　in　the　cupboards；　he　began　to　walk　down　the　passage。

〃Indeed；　indeed；　you　will　stick　fast；　Mr。Jackson！〃

〃Tiddly；　widdly；　widdly；　Mrs。　Tittlemouse！〃


First　he　squeezed　into　the　pantry。

〃Tiddly；　widdly；　widdly？　No　honey？　No　honey；　Mrs。　Tittlemouse？〃

There　were　three　creepy…crawly　people　hiding　in　the　plate　rack。　Two　of　them　got　away；　but　the　littlest　one　he　caught。

Then　he　squeezed　into　the　larder。　Miss　Butterfly　was　tasting　the　sugar；　but　she　flew　away　out　of　the　window。

〃Tiddly；　widdly；　widdly；　Mrs。　Tittlemouse；　you　seem　to　have　plenty　of　visitors！〃

〃And　without　any　invitation！〃　said　Mrs。　Thomasina　Tittlemouse。


They　went　along　the　sandy　passage〃Tiddly；　widdly〃　〃Buzz！　Wizz！　Wizz！〃

He　met　Babbitty　round　a　corner；　and　snapped　her　up；　and　put　her　down　again。

〃I　do　not　like　bumble　bees。　They　are　all　over　bristles；〃　said　Mr。　Jackson；　wiping　his　mouth　with　his　coat　sleeve。

〃Get　out；　you　nasty　old　toad！〃　shrieked　Babbitty　Bumble。

〃I　shall　go　distracted！〃　scolded　Mrs。　Tittlemouse。

She　shut　herself　up　in　the　nut　cellar　while　Mr。　Jackson　pulled　out　the　bees…nest。　He　seemed　to　have　no　objection　to　stings。

When　Mrs。　Tittlemouse　ventured　to　come　outeverybody　had　gone　away。

But　the　untidiness　was　something　dreadful〃Never　did　I　see　such　a　messsmears　of　honey；　and　moss；　and　thistledownand　marks　of　big　and　little　dirty　feet　all　over　my　nice　clean　house！〃


She　gathered　up　the　moss　and　the　remains　of　the　bees…　wax。

Then　she　went　out　and　fetched　some　twigs；　to　partly　close　up　the　front　door。

〃I　will　make　it　too　small　for　Mr。　Jackson！〃

She　fetched　soft　soap；　and　flannel；　and　a　new　scrubbing　brush　from　the　storeroom。　But　she　was　too　tired　to　do　any　more。　First　she　fell　asleep　in　her　chair；　and　then　she　went　to　bed。

〃Will　it　ever　be　tidy　again？〃　said　poor　Mrs。　Tittlemouse。


Next　morning　she　got　up　very　early　and　began　a　spring　cleaning　which　lasted　a　fort…　night。

She　swept；　and　scrubbed；　and　dust