贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > a collection of beatrix potter stories >

第10章

a collection of beatrix potter stories-第10章

小说: a collection of beatrix potter stories 字数: 每页4000字

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!




little animals came out of the

fern to meet them; the very

first that they met were Peter

Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny!



AND she gave them their

nice clean clothes; and

all the little animals and birds

were so very much obliged to

dear Mrs。 Tiggy…winkle。



SO that at the bottom of the

hill when they came to

the stile; there was nothing

left to carry except Lucie's

one little bundle。



LUCIE scrambled up the

stile with the bundle in

her hand; and then she turned

to say 〃Good…night;〃 and to

thank the washer…woman

But what a VERY odd thing!

Mrs。 Tiggy…winkle had not

waited either for thanks or for

the washing bill!



She was running running

running up the hilland

where was her white frilled

cap? and her shawl? and her

gownand her petticoat?



AND how small she had

grownand how brown

and covered with PRICKLES!



Why! Mrs。 Tiggy…winkle

was nothing but a HEDGEHOG。



     *  *   *   *



(Now some people say that little

Lucie had been asleep upon the stile

but then how could she have found

three clean pocket…handkins and a pinny;

pinned with a silver safety…pin?



And besides_I_ have seen that door

into the back of the hill called Cat

Bellsand besides _I_ am very well

acquainted with dear Mrs。 Tiggy…winkle!)







THE TALE OF

GINGER & PICKLES





ONCE upon a time there was a

village shop。 The name over

the window was 〃Ginger and

Pickles。〃



It was a little small shop just the



right size for DollsLucinda and

Jane Doll…cook always bought their

groceries at Ginger and Pickles。



The counter inside was a

convenient height for rabbits。 Ginger

and Pickles sold red spotty pocket…

handkerchiefs at a penny three

farthings。



They also sold sugar; and snuff

and galoshes。



In fact; although it was such a

small shop it sold nearly everything

except a few things that you

want in a hurrylike bootlaces;

hair…pins and mutton chops。





Ginger and Pickles were the

people who kept the shop。 Ginger

was a yellow tom…cat; and Pickles

was a terrier。



The rabbits were always a little

bit afraid of Pickles。





The shop was also patronized by

miceonly the mice were rather

afraid of Ginger。



Ginger usually requested Pickles

to serve them; because he said it

made his mouth water。



〃I cannot bear;〃 said he; 〃to see

them going out at the door carrying

their little parcels。〃





〃I have the same feeling about

rats;〃 replied Pickles; 〃but it

would never do to eat our own

customers; they would leave us and

go to Tabitha Twitchit's。〃



〃On the contrary; they would go

nowhere;〃 replied Ginger gloomily。





(Tabitha Twitchit kept the only

other shop in the village。 She did

not give credit。)





Ginger and Pickles gave unlimited

credit。



Now the meaning of 〃credit〃 is

thiswhen a customer buys a bar

of soap; instead of the customer

pulling out a purse and paying for

itshe says she will pay another

time。



And Pickles makes a low bow and

says; 〃With pleasure; madam;〃

and it is written down in a book。





The customers come again and

again; and buy quantities; in spite

of being afraid of Ginger and

Pickles。





But there is no money in what

is called the 〃till。〃





The customers came in crowds

every day and bought quantities;

especially the toffee customers。

But there was always no money;

they never paid for as much as a

pennyworth of peppermints。





But the sales were enormous; ten

times as large as Tabitha Twitchit's。





As there was always no money;

Ginger and Pickles were obliged to

eat their own goods。



Pickles ate biscuits and Ginger

ate a dried haddock。



They ate them by candle…light

after the shop was closed。





When it came to Jan。 1st there

was still no money; and Pickles

was unable to buy a dog licence。



〃It is very unpleasant; I am

afraid of the police;〃 said Pickles。



〃It is your own fault for being

a terrier; _I_ do not require a licence;

and neither does Kep; the Collie

dog。〃





〃It is very uncomfortable; I am

afraid I shall be summoned。 I

have tried in vain to get a licence

upon credit at the Post Office;〃

said Pickles。 〃The place is full of

policeman。 I met one as I was

coming home。〃





〃Let us send in the bill again to

Samuel Whiskers; Ginger; he owes

22/9 for bacon。〃



〃I do not believe that he intends

to pay at all;〃 replied Ginger。





〃And I feel sure that Anna

Maria pockets things… Where

are all the cream crackers?〃

〃You have eaten them yourself;〃

replied Ginger。





Ginger and Pickles retired into

the back parlour。



They did accounts。 They added

up sums and sums; and sums。



〃Samuel Whiskers has run up

a bill as long as his tail; he has

had an ounce and three…quarters of

snuff since October。〃





〃What is seven pounds of butter

at 1/3; and a stick of sealing wax

and four matches?〃



〃Send in all the bills again to

everybody 'with compts' 〃 replied

Ginger。





After a time they heard a noise

in the shop; as if something had

been pushed in at the door。 They

came out of the back parlour。 There

was an envelope lying on the counter;

and a policeman writing in a

note…book!





Pickles nearly had a fit; he barked

and he barked and made little

rushes。



〃Bite him; Pickles! bite him!〃

spluttered Ginger behind a sugar…

barrel; 〃he's only a German doll!〃



The policeman went on writing

in his notebook; twice he put his

pencil in his mouth; and once he

dipped it in the treacle。





Pickles barked till he was hoarse。

But still the policeman took no

notice。 He had bead eyes; and his

helmet was sewed on with stitches。





At length on his last little rush

Pickles found that the shop was

empty。 The policeman had disappeared。



But the envelope remained。





〃Do you think that he has gone

to fetch a real live policeman? I

am afraid it is a summons;〃 said

Pickles。



〃No;〃 replied Ginger; who had

opened the envelope; 〃it is the

rates and taxes; L 3 19 11 3/4 。〃





〃This is the last straw;〃 said

Pickles; 〃let us close the shop。〃



They put up the shutters; and

left。 But they have not removed

from the neighbourhood。 In fact

some people wish they had gone

further。





Ginger is living in the warren。 I

do not know what occupation he

pursues; he looks stout and

comfortable。



Pickles is at present a gamekeeper。





The closing of the shop caused

great inconvenience。 Tabitha

Twitchit immediately raised the

price of everything a half…penny;

and she continued to refuse to give

credit。





Of course there are the trades…

men's cartsthe butcher; the fishman

and Timothy Baker。



But a person cannot live on 〃seed

wigs〃 and sponge…cake and butter…

bunsnot even when the sponge…

cake is as good as Timothy's!





After a time Mr。 John Dormouse

and his daughter began to sell

peppermints and candles。





But they did not keep 〃self…fitting

sixes〃; and it takes five mice to

carry one seven inch candle。





Besidesthe candles which they

sell behave very strangely in warm

weather。





And Miss Dormouse refused to

take back the ends when they were

brought back to her with complaints。





And when Mr John Dormouse

was complained to; he stayed in

bed; and would say nothing but

〃very snug;〃 which is not the way

to carry on a retail business





So everybody was pleased when

Sally Henny Penny sent out a

printed poster to say that she was

going to re…open the shop

〃Henny's Opening Sale! Grand

co…operative Jumble! Penny's

penny prices! Come buy; come

try; come buy!〃



The poster really was most 'ticing。



There was a rush upon the opening

day。 The shop was

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的