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a collection of beatrix potter stories-第2章

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

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got your clothes?〃



PETER replied〃The scarecrow

in Mr。 McGregor's

garden;〃 and described how he

had been chased about the

garden; and had dropped his

shoes and coat。



Little Benjamin sat down beside

his cousin; and assured him

that Mr。 McGregor had gone

out in a gig; and Mrs。 McGregor

also; and certainly for the day;

because she was wearing her

best bonnet。



PETER said he hoped that

it would rain。



At this point; old Mrs。

Rabbit's voice was heard inside

the rabbit hole calling

〃Cotton…tail! Cotton…tail!

fetch some more camomile!〃



Peter said he thought he

might feel better if he went

for a walk。



THEY went away hand in

hand; and got upon the

flat top of the wall at the bottom

of the wood。 From here they

looked down into Mr。 McGregor's

garden。 Peter's coat

and shoes were plainly to be

seen upon the scarecrow;

topped with an old tam…o…

shanter of Mr。 McGregor's。



LITTLE Benjamin said;

〃It spoils people's clothes

to squeeze under a gate; the

proper way to get in; is to

climb down a pear tree。〃



Peter fell down head first;

but it was of no consequence;

as the bed below was newly

raked and quite soft。



IT had been sown with lettuces。



They left a great many odd

little foot…marks all over the

bed; especially little Benjamin;

who was wearing clogs。



LITTLE Benjamin said that

the first thing to be done

was to get back Peter's clothes;

in order that they might be

able to use the pocket handkerchief。



They took them off the scarecrow。

There had been rain

during the night; there was

water in the shoes; and the

coat was somewhat shrunk。



Benjamin tried on the tam…

o…shanter; but it was too big

for him。



THEN he suggested that

they should fill the pocket…

handkerchief with onions; as

a little present for his Aunt。



Peter did not seem to be

enjoying himself; he kept

hearing noises。



BENJAMIN; on the contrary;

was perfectly at

home; and ate a lettuce leaf。

He said that he was in the

habit of coming to the garden

with his father to get lettuces

for their Sunday dinner。



(The name of little Benjamin's

papa was old Mr。 Benjamin

Bunny。)



The lettuces certainly were

very fine。



PETER did not eat anything;

he said he should

like to go home。 Presently he

dropped half the onions。



LITTLE Benjamin said that

it was not possible to get

back up the pear…tree; with a

load of vegetables。 He led

the way boldly towards the

other end of the garden。 They

went along a little walk on

planks; under a sunny red…

brick wall。



The mice sat on their door…

steps cracking cherry…stones;

they winked at Peter Rabbit

and little Benjamin Bunny。



PRESENTLY Peter let the

pocket…handkerchief go

again。



THEY got amongst flower…

pots; and frames and

tubs; Peter heard noises worse

than ever; his eyes were as big

as lolly…pops!



He was a step or two in

front of his cousin; when he

suddenly stopped。



THIS is what those little

rabbits saw round that

corner!



Little Benjamin took one

look; and then; in half a minute

less than no time; he hid himself

and Peter and the onions

underneath a large basket。 。 。 。



THE cat got up and stretched

herself; and came and

sniffed at the basket。



Perhaps she liked the smell

of onions!



Anyway; she sat down upon

the top of the basket。



SHE sat there for FIVE HOURS。



 *   *   *   *   *



I cannot draw you a picture

of Peter and Benjamin underneath

the basket; because it

was quite dark; and because

the smell of onions was fearful;

it made Peter Rabbit and little

Benjamin cry。



The sun got round behind

the wood; and it was quite late

in the afternoon; but still the

cat sat upon the basket。



AT length there was a pitter…

patter; pitter…patter; and

some bits of mortar fell from

the wall above。



The cat looked up and saw

old Mr。 Benjamin Bunny

prancing along the top of the

wall of the upper terrace。



He was smoking a pipe of

rabbit…tobacco; and had a little

switch in his hand。



He was looking for his son。



OLD Mr。 Bunny had no

opinion whatever of cats。



He took a tremendous jump

off the top of the wall on to

the top of the cat; and cuffed

it off the basket; and kicked it

into the garden…house; scratching

off a handful of fur。



The cat was too much surprised

to scratch back。



WHEN old Mr。 Bunny had

driven the cat into the

green…house; he locked the

door。



Then he came back to the

basket and took out his son

Benjamin by the ears; and

whipped him with the little

switch。



Then he took out his nephew

Peter。



THEN he took out the handkerchief

of onions; and

marched out of the garden。



When Mr。 McGregor

returned about half an

hour later; he observed several

things which perplexed him。



It looked as though some

person had been walking all

over the garden in a pair of

clogsonly the foot…marks

were too ridiculously little!



Also he could not understand

how the cat could have

managed to shut herself up

INSIDE the green…house; locking

the door upon the OUTSIDE。



WHEN Peter got home;

his mother forgave him;

because she was so glad to see

that he had found his shoes

and coat。 Cotton…tail and

Peter folded up the pocket…

handkerchief; and old Mrs。

rabbit strung up the onions

and hung them from the

kitchen ceiling; with the

rabbit…tobacco。



THE END













THE TALE OF

THE FLOPSY BUNNIES





FOR ALL LITTLE FRIENDS

OF

MR。 McGREGOR & PETER & BENJAMIN





IT is said that the effect of

eating too much lettuce

is 〃soporific。〃



 _I_ have never felt sleepy after

eating lettuces; but then _I_ am

not a rabbit。



They certainly had a very

soporific effect upon the Flopsy

Bunnies!



WHEN Benjamin Bunny

grew up; he married

his Cousin Flopsy。 They had

a large family; and they were

very improvident and cheerful。



I do not remember the separate

names of their children;

they were generally called the

〃Flopsy Bunnies。〃



AS there was not always

quite enough to eat;

Benjamin used to borrow

cabbages from Flopsy's

brother; Peter Rabbit; who

kept a nursery garden。



SOMETIMES Peter Rabbit

had no cabbages to spare。



WHEN this happened; the

Flopsy Bunnies went

across the field to a rubbish

heap; in the ditch outside

Mr。 McGregor's garden。



MR。 McGREGOR'S rubbish

heap was a mixture。

There were jam pots and paper

bags; and mountains of chopped

grass from the mowing machine

(which always tasted oily); and

some rotten vegetable marrows

and an old boot or two。 One

dayoh joy!there were a

quantity of overgrown lettuces;

which had 〃shot〃 into flower。



THE Flopsy Bunnies simply

stuffed lettuces。 By

degrees; one after another;

they were overcome with

slumber; and lay down in the

mown grass。



Benjamin was not so much

overcome as his children。

Before going to sleep he was

sufficiently wide awake to put

a paper bag over his head to

keep off the flies。



THE little Flopsy Bunnies

slept delightfully in the

warm sun。 From the lawn

beyond the garden came the

distant clacketty sound of the

mowing machine。 The blue…

bottles buzzed about the wall;

and a little old mouse picked

over the rubbish among the

jam pots。



(I can tell you her name; she

was called Thomasina Tittlemouse;

a woodmouse with a

long tail。)



SHE rustled across the paper

bag; and awakened Benjamin

Bunny。



The mouse apologized

profusely; and said that she knew

Peter Rabbit。



WHILE she and Benjamin

were talking; close under

the wall; they heard a heavy

tread above their heads; and

suddenly Mr。 McGregor

emptied out a sack

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