a collection of beatrix potter stories-第14章

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say　mouse　and　bacon〃



She　dropped　the　sugar　in

confusion；　and　had　to　go　hunting　under



the　tea…table；　so　did　not　see　which

oven　Ribby　opened　in　order　to　get

out　the　pie。



Ribby　set　the　pie　upon　the　table；

there　was　a　very　savoury　smell。



Duchess　came　out　from　under

the　table…cloth　munching　sugar；

and　sat　up　on　a　chair。



〃I　will　first　cut　the　pie　for　you；

I　am　going　to　have　muffin　and

marmalade；〃　said　Ribby。



〃Do　you　really　prefer　muffin？

Mind　the　patty…pan！〃



〃　I　beg　your　pardon？〃　said　Ribby。





〃May　I　pass　you　the　marmalade？〃

said　Duchess　hurriedly。



The　pie　proved　extremely　toothsome；

and　the　muffins　light　and

hot。　They　disappeared　rapidly；

especially　the　pie！



〃I　think〃（thought　the　Duchess

to　herself）〃I　THINK　it　would

be　wiser　if　I　helped　myself　to　pie；

though　Ribby　did　not　seem　to　notice

anything　when　she　was　cutting　it。

What　very　small　fine　pieces　it　has

cooked　into！　I　did　not　remember　that

I　had　minced　it　up　so　fine；　I　suppose

this　is　a　quicker　oven　than　my　own。〃





〃How　fast

Duchess　is

eating！〃　thought

Ribby　to　herself；

as　she　a

buttered　her

fifth　muffin。



The　pie…dish　was　emptying

rapidly！　Duchess

had　had　four

helps　already；　and

was　fumbling

with　the　spoon。





〃A　little　more　bacon；　my　dear

Duchess？〃　said　Ribby。



〃Thank　you；　my　dear　Ribby；　I

was　only　feeling　for　the　patty…pan。〃



〃The　patty…pan？　my　dear

Duchess？〃



〃The　patty…pan　that　held　up　the

pie…crust；〃　said　Duchess；　blushing

under　her　black　coat。



〃Oh；　I　didn't　put　one　in；　my

dear　Duchess；〃　said　Ribby；　〃I

don't　think　that　it　is　necessary　in

pies　made　of　mouse。〃





Duchess　fumbled　with　the　spoon

〃I　can't　find　it！〃　she　said

anxiously。



〃There　isn't　a　patty…pan；〃　said

Ribby；　looking　perplexed。



〃Yes；　indeed；　my　dear　Ribby；

where　can　it　have　gone　to？〃　said

Duchess。



〃There　most　certainly　is　not　one；

my　dear　Duchess。　I　disapprove　of

tin　articles　in　puddings　and　pies。　It

is　most　undesirable（especially

when　people　swallow　in　lumps！）〃

she　added　in　a　lower　voice。





Duchess　looked　very　much

alarmed；　and　continued　to　scoop

the　inside　of　the　pie…dish。



〃My　Great…aunt　Squintina

（grandmother　of　Cousin　Tabitha

Twitchit）died　of　a　thimble　in　a

Christmas　plum…pudding。　_I_　never

put　any　article　of　metal　in　MY

puddings　or　pies。〃





Duchess　looked　aghast；　and

tilted　up　the　pie…dish。



〃I　have　only　four　patty…pans；

and　they　are　all　in　the　cupboard。〃



Duchess　set　up　a　howl。



〃I　shall　die！　I　shall　die！　I　have

swallowed　a　patty…pan！　Oh；　my

dear　Ribby；　I　do　feel　so　ill！〃



〃It　is　impossible；　my　dear

Duchess；　there　was　not　a　patty…pan。〃



Duchess　moaned　and　whined

and　rocked　herself　about。



〃Oh　I　feel　so　dreadful。　I　have

swallowed　a　patty…pan！〃





〃There　was　NOTHING　in　the　pie；〃

said　Ribby　severely。



〃Yes　there　WAS；　my　dear　Ribby；

I　am　sure　I　have　swallowed　it！〃



〃Let　me　prop　you　up　with　a

pillow；　my　dear　Duchess；　where　do

you　think　you　feel　it？〃



〃Oh　I　do　feel　so　ill　ALL　OVER　me；

my　dear　Ribby；　I　have　swallowed

a　large　tin　patty…pan　with　a　sharp

scalloped　edge！〃



〃Shall　I　run　for　the　doctor？　I

will　just　lock　up　the　spoons！〃



〃Oh　yes；　yes！　fetch　Dr。　Maggotty；

my　dear　Ribby：　he　is　a　Pie

himself；　he　will　certainly　understand。〃



Ribby　settled　Duchess　in　an

armchair　before　the　fire；　and　went

out　and　hurried　to　the　village　to

look　for　the　doctor。



She　found　him　at　the　smithy。



He　was　occupied　in　putting　rusty



nails　into　a　bottle　of　ink；　which　he

had　obtained　at　the　post　office。



〃Gammon？　ha！　HA！〃　said　he；

with　his　head　on　one　side。



Ribby　explained　that　her　guest

had　swallowed　a　patty…pan。



〃Spinach？　ha！　HA！〃　said　he；

and　accompanied　her　with　alacrity。



He　hopped　so　fast　that　Ribby

had　to　run。　It　was　most　conspicuous。

All　the　village　could　see　that

Ribby　was　fetching　the　doctor。





〃I　KNEW　they　would　over…eat

themselves！〃　said　Cousin　Tabitha

Twitchit。



But　while　Ribby　had　been　hunting

for　the　doctora　curious　thing

had　happened　to　Duchess；　who　had

been　left　by　herself；　sitting　before

the　fire；　sighing　and　groaning　and

feeling　very　unhappy。



〃How　COULD　I　have　swallowed　it！

such　a　large　thing　as　a　patty…pan！〃



She　got　up　and　went　to　the　table；

and　felt　inside　the　pie…dish　again

with　a　spoon。





〃No；　there　is　no　patty…pan；　and

I　put　one　in；　and　nobody　has　eaten

pie　except　me；　so　I　must　have

swallowed　it！〃



She　sat　down　again；　and　stared

mournfully　at　the　grate。　The　fire

crackled　and　danced；　and　something

sizz…z…zled！





Duchess　started！　She　opened　the

door　of　the　TOP　oven；out　came　a

rich　steamy　flavour　of　veal　and

ham；　and　there　stood　a　fine　brown

pie；and　through　a　hole　in　the　top

of　the　pie…crust　there　was　a　glimpse

of　a　little　tin　patty…pan！



Duchess　drew　a　long　breath



〃Then　I　must　have　been　eating

MOUSE！　。　。　。　NO　wonder　I　feel　ill。

。　。　。　But　perhaps　I　should　feel　worse

if　I　had　really　swallowed　a　patty…

pan！〃　Duchess　reflected〃What

a　very　awkward　thing　to　have

to　explain　to　Ribby！　I　think



I　will　put　my　pie　in　the　back…yard

and　say　nothing　about　it。　When

I　go　home；　I　will　run　round　and

take　it　away。〃　She　put　it　outside

the　back…door；　and　sat　down　again

by　the　fire；　and　shut　her　eyes；　when

Ribby　arrived　with　the　doctor；　she

seemed　fast　asleep。





〃Gammon；　ha；　HA？〃　said　the

doctor。



〃I　am　feeling　very　much　better；〃

said　Duchess；　waking　up　with　a

jump。



〃I　am　truly　glad　to　hear　it！〃

He　has　brought　you　a　pill；　my　dear

Duchess！〃



〃I　think　I　should　feel　QUITE　well

if　he　only　felt　my　pulse；〃　said

Duchess；　backing　away　from　the

magpie；　who　sidled　up　with　something

in　his　beak。



〃It　is　only　a　bread　pill；　you　had

much　better　take　it；　drink　a　little

milk；　my　dear　Duchess！〃



〃Gammon？　Gammon？〃　said

the　doctor；　while　Duchess　coughed

and　choked。



〃Don't　say　that　again！〃　said

Ribby；　losing　her　temper〃Here；

take　this　bread　and　jam；　and　get　out

into　the　yard！〃



〃Gammon

and　spinach！

ha　ha　HA！〃

shouted　Dr。

Maggotty

triumphantly　outside　the　back　door。





〃I　am　feeling　very　much　better；

my　dear　Ribby；〃　said　Duchess。

〃Do　you　not　think　that　I　had　better

go　home　before　it　gets　dark？〃



〃Perhaps　it　might　be　wise；　my

dear　Duchess。　I　will　lend　you　a

nice　warm　shawl；　and　you　shall

take　my　arm。〃



〃I　would　not　trouble　you　for

worlds；　I　feel　wonderfully　better。

One　pill　of　Dr。　Maggotty〃



〃Indeed　it　is　most　admirable；　if

it　has　cured　you　of　a　patty…pan！　I

will　call　directly　after　breakfast　to

ask　how　you　have　slept。〃





Ribby　and　Duchess　said　good…

bye　affectionately；　and　Duchess

started　home。　Half…way　up　the

lane　she　stopped　and　looked　back；

Ribby　had　gone　in　and　shut　her

door。　Duchess　slipped　through　the

fence；　and　ran　round　to　the　back

of　Ribby's　house；　and　peeped　into

the　yard。



Upon　the　roof　of　the　pig…stye　sat

Dr。　Maggotty　and　three　jackdaws。

The　jackdaws　were　eating　pie…

crust；　and　the　magpie　was　drinking

gravy　out　of　a　patty…pan。



〃Gammon；　ha；　HA！〃　he　shouted

when　he　saw　Duchess's　little　black

nose　peeping　round　the　corner。





Duchess　ran　home　feeling　uncommonly

silly！



When　Ribby　came　out　for　a　pailful

of　water　to　wash　up　the　tea…

things；　she　found　a　pink　and　white

pie…dish　lying　smashed　in　the　middle

of　the　yard。　The　patty…pan

was　under　the　pump；　where　Dr

Maggotty　had　considerately　left　it。



Ribby　stared　with　amazement

〃Did　you　ever　see　the　like！　so　there

really　WAS　a　patty…pan？　。　。　。　。　But

my　patty…pans　are　all　in　the　kitchen

cupboard。　Well　I　never　did！　。　。　。　。

Next　time　I　want　to　give　a　party

I　will　invite　Cousin　Tabitha

Twitchit！〃







T