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

第14章

a collection of beatrix potter stories-第14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!




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

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的