a collection of beatrix potter stories-第5章

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！



poly；　roly；　roly；　poly；　roly。　The　rats　each

held　an　end。



〃His　tail　is　sticking　out！　You　did　not

fetch　enough　dough；　Anna　Maria。〃



〃I　fetched　as　much　as　I　could　carry；〃

replied　Anna　Maria。



〃I　do　not　think〃said　Samuel　Whiskers；

pausing　to　take　a　look　at　Tom　Kitten〃I

do　NOT　think　it　will　be　a　good　pudding。　It

smells　sooty。〃



Anna　Maria　was　about　to　argue　the　point；

when　all　at　once　there　began　to　be　other

sounds　up　abovethe　rasping　noise　of　a

saw；　and　the　noise　of　a　little　dog；　scratching

and　yelping！





The　rats　dropped　the　rolling…pin；　and

listened　attentively。



〃We　are　discovered　and　interrupted；

Anna　Maria；　let　us　collect　our　property；

and　other　people's；and　depart　at　once。〃



〃I　fear　that　we　shall　be　obliged　to　leave

this　pudding。〃





〃But　I　am　persuaded　that　the　knots　would

have　proved　indigestible；　whatever　you　may

urge　to　the　contrary。〃



〃Come　away　at　once　and　help　me　to　tie　up

some　mutton　bones　in　a　counterpane；〃　said

Anna　Maria。　〃I　have　got　half　a　smoked

ham　hidden　in　the　chimney。〃





So　it　happened　that　by　the　time　John

Joiner　had　got　the　plank　upthere　was　nobody

under　the　floor　except　the　rolling…pin

and　Tom　Kitten　in　a　very　dirty　dumpling！





But　there　was　a　strong　smell　of　rats；　and

John　Joiner　spent　the　rest　of　the　morning

sniffing　and　whining；　and　wagging　his　tail；

and　going　round　and　round　with　his　head　in

the　hole　like　a　gimlet。





Then　he　nailed　the　plank　down　again；　and

put　his　tools　in　his　bag；　and　came　downstairs。



The　cat　family　had　quite　recovered。　They

invited　him　to　stay　to　dinner。



The　dumpling　had　been　peeled　off　Tom

Kitten；　and　made　separately　into　a　bag　pudding；

with　currants　in　it　to　hide　the　smuts。



They　had　been　obliged　to　put　Tom　Kitten

into　a　hot　bath　to　get　the　butter　off。



John　Joiner　smelt　the　pudding；　but　he

regretted　that　he　had　not　time　to　stay　to

dinner；　because　he　had　just　finished　making

a　wheel…barrow　for　Miss　Potter；　and　she

had　ordered　two　hen…coops。





And　when　I　was　going　to　the　post　late　in

the　afternoonI　looked　up　the　lane　from

the　corner；　and　I　saw　Mr。　Samuel　Whiskers

and　his　wife　on　the　run；　with　big　bundles

on　a　little　wheel…barrow；　which　looked　very

like　mine。



They　were　just　turning　in　at　the　gate　to

the　barn　of　Farmer　Potatoes。



Samuel　Whiskers　was　puffing　and　out　of

breath。　Anna　Maria　was　still　arguing　in

shrill　tones。



She　seemed　to　know　her　way；　and　she

seemed　to　have　a　quantity　of　luggage。



I　am　sure　_I_　never　gave　her　leave　to　borrow

my　wheel…barrow！





They　went　into　the　barn；　arid　hauled

their　parcels　with　a　bit　of　string　to　the　top

of　the　haymow。





After　that；　there　were　no　more　rats　for

a　long　time　at　Tabitha　Twitchit's。





As　for　Farmer　Potatoes；　he　has　been

driven　nearly　distracted。　There　are　rats；

and　rats；　and　rats　in　his　barn！　They　eat

up　the　chicken　food；　and　steal　the　oats　and

bran；　and　make　holes　in　the　meal　bags。



And　they　are　all　descended　from　Mr。

and　Mrs。　Samuel　Whiskerschildren　and

grand…children　and　great　great　grand…children。



There　is　no　end　to　them！





Moppet　and　Mittens　have　grown　up　into

very　good　rat…catchers。



They　go　out　rat…catching　in　the　village；

and　they　find　plenty　of　employment。　They

charge　so　much　a　dozen；　and　earn　their

living　very　comfortably。





They　hang　up　the　rats'　tails　in　a　row　or

the　barn　door；　to　show　how　many　they　have

caughtdozens　and　dozens　of　them。





But　Tom　Kitten　has　always　been　afraid

of　a　rat；　he　never　durst　face　anything　that

is　bigger　than



　　　　　　　　　　A　Mouse。







THE　END











THE　TALE　OF　MR　TOD



I　HAVE　made　many　books　about

well…behaved　people。　Now；　for

a　change；　I　am　going　to　make　a

story　about　two　disagreeable　people；

called　Tommy　Brock　and　Mr。　Tod。

Nobody　could　call　Mr。　Tod　〃nice。〃

The　rabbits　could　not　bear　him；

they　could　smell　him　half　a　mile　off。

He　was　of　a　wandering　habit　and

he　had　foxey　whiskers；　they　never

knew　where　he　would　be　next。





One　day　he　was　living　in　a　stick…

house　in　the　coppice；　causing　terror

to　the　family　of　old　Mr。　Benjamin

Bouncer。　Next　day　he　moved　into

a　pollard　willow　near　the　lake；

frightening　the　wild　ducks　and　the

water　rats。



In　winter　and　early　spring　he

might　generally　be　found　in　an　earth

amongst　the　rocks　at　the　top　of　Bull

Banks；　under　Oatmeal　Crag。



He　had　half　a　dozen　houses；　but

he　was　seldom　at　home。





The　houses　were　not　always　empty

when　Mr。　Tod　moved　OUT；　because

sometimes　Tommy　Brock　moved

IN；　（without　asking　leave）。



Tommy　Brock　was　a　short　bristly

fat　waddling　person　with　a　grin；　he

grinned　all　over　his　face。　He　was

not　nice　in　his　habits。　He　ate　wasp

nests　and　frogs　and　worms；　and　he

waddled　about　by　moonlight；　digging

things　up。





His　clothes　were　very　dirty；　and

as　he　slept　in　the　day…time；　he　always

went　to　bed　in　his　boots。　And　the

bed　which　he　went　to　bed　in；　was

generally　Mr。　Tod's。



Now　Tommy　Brock　did　occasionally

eat　rabbit…pie；　but　it　was　only

very　little　young　ones　occasionally；

when　other　food　was　really　scarce。

He　was　friendly　with　old　Mr。

Bouncer；　they　agreed　in　disliking



the　wicked　otters　and　Mr。　Tod；　they

often　talked　over　that　painful　subject。



Old　Mr。　Bouncer　was　stricken　in

years。　He　sat　in　the　spring　sunshine

outside　the　burrow；　in　a　muffler；

smoking　a　pipe　of　rabbit　tobacco。



He　lived　with　his　son　Benjamin

Bunny　and　his　daughter…in…law

Flopsy；　who　had　a　young　family。

Old　Mr。　Bouncer　was　in　charge　of

the　family　that　afternoon；　because

Benjamin　and　Flopsy　had　gone　out。



The　little　rabbit…babies　were　just　old

enough　to　open　their　blue　eyes　and

kick。　They　lay　in　a　fluffy　bed　of

rabbit　wool　and　hay；　in　a　shallow

burrow；　separate　from　the　main

rabbit　hole。　To　tell　the　truthold

Mr。　Bouncer　had　forgotten　them。



He　sat　in　the　sun；　and　conversed

cordially　with　Tommy　Brock；　who

was　passing　through　the　wood　with

a　sack　and　a　little　spud　which　he　used

for　digging；　and　some　mole　traps。

He　complained　bitterly　about　the



scarcity　of　pheasants'　eggs；　and

accused　Mr。　Tod　of　poaching

them。　And　the　otters　had　cleared

off　all　the　frogs　while　he　was　asleep

in　winter〃I　have　not　had　a　good

square　meal　for　a　fortnight；　I　am

living　on　pig…nuts。　I　shall　have　to

turn　vegetarian　and　eat　my　own

tail！〃　said　Tommy　Brock。



It　was　not　much　of　a　joke；　but　it

tickled　old　Mr。　Bouncer；　because

Tommy　Brock　was　so　fat　and

stumpy　and　grinning。



So　old　Mr。　Bouncer　laughed；　and

pressed　Tommy　Brock　to　come　inside；

to　taste　a　slice　of　seed…cake　and

〃a　glass　of　my　daughter　Flopsy's

cowslip　wine。〃　Tommy　Brock

squeezed　himself　into　the　rabbit

hole　with　alacrity。





Then　old　Mr。　Bouncer　smoked

another　pipe；　and　gave　Tommy

Brock　a　cabbage　leaf　cigar　which　was

so　very　strong　that　it　made　Tommy

Brock　grin　more　than　ever；　and　the

smoke　filled　the　burrow。　Old　Mr。

Bouncer　coughed　and　laughed；　and

Tommy　Brock　puffed　and　grinned。



And　Mr。　Bouncer　laughed　and

coughed；　and　shut　his　eyes　because

of　the　cabbage　smoke　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。

　



When　Flopsy　and　Benjamin　came

backold　Mr。　Bouncer　woke　up。

Tommy　Brock　and　all　the　young

rabbit…babies　had　disappeared！



Mr。　Bouncer　would　not　confess

that　he　had　admitted　anybody　into

the　rabbit　hole。　But　the　smell　of

badger　was　undeniable；　and　there

were　round　heavy　footmarks　in　the

sand。　He　was　in　disgrace；　Flopsy

wrung　her　ears；　and　slapped　him。





Benjamin　Bunny　set　off　at　once

after　Tommy　Brock。



There　was　not　much　difficulty　in

tracking　him；　he　had　left　his　foot…

mark　and　gone　slowly　up　the　winding

footpath　through　the　wood。

Here　he　had　rooted　up　the　moss

and　wood　sorrel。　There　he　had　dug

quite　a　deep　hole　fo