a collection of beatrix potter stories-第13章

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going　to　invite　you　to　come　here；

to　supper；　my　dear　Ribby；　to　eat

something　MOST　DELICIOUS。〃



〃I　will　come　very　punctually；　my

dear　Ribby；〃　wrote　Duchess；　and

then　at　the　end　she　added〃I　hope

it　isn't　mouse？〃





And　then　she　thought　that　did

not　look　quite　polite；　so　she　scratched

out　〃isn't　mouse〃　and　changed

it　to　〃I　hope　it　will　be　fine；〃　and

she　gave　her　letter　to　the　postman。



But　she　thought　a　great　deal

about　Ribby's　pie；　and　she　read

Ribby's　letter　over　and　over　again。



〃I　am　dreadfully　afraid　it　WILL　be

mouse！〃　said　Duchess　to　herself

〃I　really　couldn't；　COULDN'T　eat

mouse　pie。　And　I　shall　have　to

eat　it；　because　it　is　a　party。　And

MY　pie　was　going　to　be　veal　and

ham。　A　pink　and　white　pie…dish！

and　so　is　mine；　just　like　Ribby's

dishes；　they　were　both　bought　at

Tabitha　Twitchit's。〃



Duchess　went　into　her　larder

and　took　the　pie　off　a　shelf　and

looked　at　it。



〃It　is　all　ready　to　put　into　the

oven。　Such　lovely　pie…crust；　and

I　put　in　a　little　tin　patty…pan　to

hold　up　the　crust；　and　I　made　a

hole　in　the　middle　with　a　fork　to

let　out　the　steamOh　I　do　wish　I

could　eat　my　own　pie；　instead　of　a

pie　made　of　mouse！〃





Duchess　considered　and　considered

and　read　Ribby'　s　letter　again



〃A　pink　and　white　pie…dish…and

YOU　shall　eat　it　all。　'You'　means

methen　Ribby　is　not　going　to

even　taste　the　pie　herself？　A　pink

and　white　pie…dish！　Ribby　is　sure

to　go　out　to　buy　the　muffins。　。　。　。　。

Oh　what　a　good　idea！　Why

shouldn't　I　rush　along　and　put　my

pie　into　Ribby's　oven　when　Ribby

isn't　there？〃



Duchess　was　quite　delighted

with　her　own　cleverness！





Ribby　in　the　meantime　had

received　Duchess's　answer；　and　as

soon　as　she　was　sure　that　the　little

dog　would　comeshe　popped　HER

pie　into　the　oven。　There　were　two

ovens；　one　above　the　other；　some

other　knobs　and　handles　were　only

ornamental　and　not　intended　to

open。　Ribby　put　the　pie　into　the

lower　oven；　the　door　was　very　stiff。



〃The　top　oven　bakes　too　quickly；〃

said　Ribby　to　herself。　〃It　is　a



pie　of　the　most　delicate　and　tender

mouse　minced　up　with　bacon。　And

I　have　taken　out　all　the　bones；

because　Duchess　did　nearly　choke

herself　with　a　fish…bone　last　time　I

gave　a　party。　She　eats　a　little　fast

rather　big　mouthfuls。　But　a

most　genteel　and　elegant　little　dog

infinitely　superior　company　to

Cousin　Tabitha　Twitchit。〃



Ribby　put　on　some　coal　and

swept　up　the　hearth。　Then　she

went　out　with　a　can　to　the　well；

for　water　to　fill　up　the　kettle。





Then　she　began　to　set　the　room

in　order；　for　it　was　the　sitting…room

as　well　as　the　kitchen。　She　shook

the　mats　out　at　the　front…door　and

put　them　straight；　the　hearth…rug

was　a　rabbit…skin。　She　dusted　the

clock　and　the　ornaments　on　the

mantelpiece；　and　she　polished　and

rubbed　the　tables　and　chairs。





Then　she　spread　a　very　clean

white　table…cloth；　and　set　out　her

best　china　tea…set；　which　she　took

out　of　a　wall…cupboard　near　the

fireplace。　The　tea…cups　were　white　with

a　pattern　of　pink　roses；　and　the

dinner…plates　were　white　and　blue。



When　Ribby　had　laid　the　table

she　took　a　jug　and　a　blue　and　white

dish；　and　went　out　down　the　field　to

the　farm；　to　fetch　milk　and　butter。





When　she　came　back；　she　peeped

into　the　bottom　oven；　the　pie　looked

very　comfortable。



Ribby　put　on　her　shawl　and

bonnet　and　went　out　again　with　a

basket；　to　the　village　shop　to　buy　a

packet　of　tea；　a　pound　of　lump

sugar；　and　a　pot　of　marmalade。



And　just　at　the　same　time；

Duchess　came　out　of　HER　house；　at

the　other　end　of　the　village。





Ribby　met　Duchess　half…way

own　the　street；　also　carrying　a

basket；　covered　with　a　cloth。　They

only　bowed　to　one　another；　they

did　not　speak；　because　they　were

going　to　have　a　party。



As　soon　as　Duchess　had　got

round　the　corner　out　of　sightshe

simply　ran！　Straight　away　to

Ribby's　house！





Ribby　went　into　the　shop　and

bought　what　she　required；　and

came　out；　after　a　pleasant　gossip

with　Cousin　Tabitha　Twitchit。



Cousin　Tabitha　was　disdainful

afterwards　in　conversation



〃A　little　DOG　indeed！　Just　as　if

there　were　no　CATS　in　Sawrey！

And　a　PIE　for　afternoon　tea！　The

very　idea！〃　said　Cousin　Tabitha

Twitchit。



Ribby　went　on　to　Timothy

Baker's　and　bought　the　muffins。

Then　she　went　home。





There　seemed　to　be　a　sort　of

scuffling　noise　in　the　back　passage；

as　she　was　coming　in　at　the　front

door。



〃I　trust　that　is　not　that　Pie：　the

spoons　are　locked　up；　however；〃

said　Ribby。



But　there　was　nobody　there

Ribby　opened　the　bottom　oven　door

with　some　difficulty；　and　turned　the

pie。　There　began　to　be　a　pleasing

smell　of　baked　mouse！



Duchess　in　the　meantime；　had

slipped　out　at　the　back　door。





〃It　is　a　very　odd　thing　that

Ribby's　pie　was　NOT　in　the　oven

when　I　put　mine　in！　And　I　can　t

find　it　anywhere；　I　have　looked　all

over　the　house。　I　put　MY　pie　into

a　nice　hot　oven　at　the　top。　I　could

not　turn　any　of　the　other　handles；

I　think　that　they　are　all　shams；〃

said　Duchess；　〃but　I　wish　I　could

have　removed　the　pie　made　of

mouse！　I　cannot　think　what　she

has　done　with　it？　I　heard　Ribby

coming　and　I　had　to　run　out　by　the

back　door！〃





Duchess　went　home　and　brushed

her　beautiful　black　coat；　and　then

she　picked　a　bunch　of　flowers　in

her　garden　as　a　present　for　Ribby；

and　passed　the　time　until　the　clock

struck　four。



Ribbyhaving　assured　herself

by　careful　search　that　there　was

really　no　one　hiding　in　the　cupboard

or　in　the　larderwent

upstairs　to　change　her　dress。





She　put　on　a　lilac　silk　gown；　for

the　party；　and　an　embroidered

muslin　apron　and　tippet。



〃It　is　very　strange；〃　said　Ribby；

〃I　did　not　THINK　I　left　that　drawer

pulled　out；　has　somebody　been

trying　on　my　mittens？〃



She　came　downstairs　again；　and

made　the　tea；　and　put　the　teapot　on

the　hob。　She　peeped　again　into

the　BOTTOM　oven；　the　pie　had　become

a　lovely　brown；　and　it　was

steaming　hot。





She　sat　down　before　the　fire　to

wait　for　the　little　dog。　〃I　am　glad

I　used　the　BOTTOM　oven；〃　said　Ribby；

〃the　top　one　would　certainly

have　been　very　much　too　hot。　I

wonder　why　that　cupboard　door

was　open？　Can　there　really　have

been　some　one　in　the　house？〃





Very　punctually　at　four　o'clock；

Duchess　started　to　go　to　the　party。

She　ran　so　fast　through　the　village

that　she　was　too　early；　and　she　had

to　wait　a　little　while　in　the　lane

that　leads　down　to　Ribby's　house。



〃I　wonder　if　Ribby　has　taken

MY　pie　out　of　the　oven　yet？〃　said

Duchess；　〃and　whatever　can　have

become　of　the　other　pie　made　of

mouse？〃





At　a　quarter　past　four　to　the

minute；　there　came　a　most　genteel

little　tap…tappity。　〃Is　Mrs。　Ribston

at　home？〃　inquired　Duchess　in

the　porch。



〃Come　in！　and　how　do　you　do；

my　dear　Duchess？〃　cried　Ribby。

〃I　hope　I　see　you　well？〃



〃Quite　well；　I　thank　you；　and

how　do　YOU　do；　my　dear　Ribby？〃

said　Duchess。　〃I've　brought　you

some　flowers；　what　a　delicious

smell　of　pie！〃





〃Oh；　what　lovely　flowers！　Yes；

it　is　mouse　and　bacon！〃



〃Do　not　talk　about　food；　my

dear　Ribby；〃　said　Duchess；　〃what

a　lovely　white　tea…cloth！　。　。　。　。　Is　it

done　to　a　turn？　Is　it　still　in　the

oven？〃



〃I　think　it　wants　another　five

minutes；〃　said　Ribby。　〃Just　a

shade　longer；　I　will　pour　out　the

tea；　while　we　wait。　Do　you　take

sugar；　my　dear　Duchess？〃





〃Oh　yes；　please！　my　dear

Ribby；　and　may　I　have　a　lump

upon　my　nose？〃



〃With　pleasure；　my　dear　Duchess；

how　beautifully　you　beg！　Oh；

how　sweetly　pretty！〃



Duchess　sat　up　with　the　sugar

on　her　nose　and　sniffed



〃How　good　that　pie　smells！　I

do　love　veal　and　hamI　mean　to

say　mouse　and　bacon〃



She　dropped　the　sugar　in

confusion；　and　had　to　go　hunting