a collection of beatrix potter stories-第9章

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the　wood。



Five　minutes　afterwards　two

breathless　rabbits　came　scuttering

away　down　Bull　Banks；　half　carrying

half　dragging　a　sack　between

them；　bumpetty　bump　over　the

grass。　They　reached　home　safely

and　burst　into　the　rabbit　hole。





Great　was　old　Mr。　Bouncer's

relief　and　Flopsy's　joy　when　Peter

and　Benjamin　arrived　in　triumph

with　the　young　family。　The　rabbit…

babies　were　rather　tumbled　and

very　hungry；　they　were　fed　and

put　to　bed。　They　soon　recovered。



A　long　new　pipe　and　a　fresh　supply

of　rabbit　tobacco　was　presented　to

Mr。　Bouncer。　He　was　rather　upon

his　dignity；　but　he　accepted。





Old　Mr。　Bouncer　was　forgiven；

and　they　all　had　dinner。　Then　Peter

and　Benjamin　told　their　storybut

they　had　not　waited　long　enough

to　be　able　to　tell　the　end　of　the

battle　between　Tommy　Brock　and

Mr。　Tod。



THE　END











THE　TALE　OF

MRS。　TIGGY…WINKLE





for

THE　REAL　LITTLE　LUCIE

OF　NEWLANDS





ONCE　upon　a　time　there

was　a　little　girl　called

Lucie；　who　lived　at　a　farm

called　Little…town。　She　was

a　good　little　girlonly　she

was　always　losing　her　pocket…

handkerchiefs！



One　day　little　Lucie　came

into　the　farm…yard　crying

oh；　she　did　cry　so！　〃I've　lost

my　pocket…handkin！　Three

handkins　and　a　pinny！　Have

YOU　seen　them；　Tabby　Kitten？〃



THE　Kitten　went　on　washing

her　white　paws；　so

Lucie　asked　a　speckled　hen



〃Sally　Henny…penny；　has

YOU　found　three　pocket…handkins？〃



But　the　speckled　hen　ran

into　a　barn；　clucking



〃I　go　barefoot；　barefoot；

barefoot！〃



AND　then　Lucie　asked　Cock

Robin　sitting　on　a　twig。



Cock　Robin　looked　sideways

at　Lucie　with　his　bright　black

eye；　and　he　flew　over　a　stile

and　away。



Lucie　climbed　upon　the　stile

and　looked　up　at　the　hill　behind

Little…town…a　hill　that　goes

upupinto　the　clouds　as

though　it　had　no　top！



And　a　great　way　up　the　hillside

she　thought　she　saw　some

white　things　spread　upon　the

grass。



LUCIE　scrambled　up　the

hill　as　fast　as　her　stout

legs　would　carry　her；　she　ran

along　a　steep　path…wayup

and　upuntil　Littletown　was

right　away　down　belowshe

could　have　dropped　a　pebble

down　the　chimney！



PRESENTLY　she　came　to

a　spring；　bubbling　out

from　the　hill…side。



Some　one　had　stood　a　tin

can　upon　a　stone　to　catch　the

waterbut　the　water　was

already　running　over；　for　the

can　was　no　bigger　than　an

egg…cup！　And　where　the　sand

upon　the　path　was　wetthere

were　foot…marks　of　a　VERY

small　person。



Lucie　ran　on；　and　on。



THE　path　ended　under　a

big　rock。　The　grass　was

short　and　green；　and　there

were　clothes…props　cut　from

bracken　stems；　with　lines　of

plaited　rushes；　and　a　heap　of

tiny　clothes　pinsbut　no

pocket…handkerchiefs！



But　there　was　something

elsea　door！　straight　into　the

hill；　and　inside　it　some　one

was　singing



　　　　　〃Lily…white　and　clean；　oh！

　　　　　With　little　frills　between；　oh！

　　　　　Smooth　and　hot…red　rusty　spot

　　　　　Never　here　be　seen；　oh！〃





LUCIE；　knockedonce

twice；　and　interrupted

the　song。　A　little　frightened

voice　called　out　〃Who's　that？〃



Lucie　opened　the　door：　and

what　do　you　think　there　was

inside　the　hill？a　nice　clean

kitchen　with　a　flagged　floor

and　wooden　beamsjust　like

any　other　farm　kitchen。　Only

the　ceiling　was　so　low　that

Lucie's　head　nearly　touched　it；

and　the　pots　and　pans　were

small；　and　so　was　everything

there。



THERE　was　a　nice　hot

singey　smell；　and　at　the

table；　with　an　iron　in　her　hand

stood　a　very　stout　short　person

staring　anxiously　at　Lucie。



Her　print　gown　was　tucked

up；　and　she　was　wearing　a

large　apron　over　her　striped

petticoat。　Her　little　black

nose　went　sniffle；　sniffle；　snuffle；

and　her　eyes　went　twinkle；

twinkle；　and　underneath　her

capwhere　Lucie　had　yellow

curlsthat　little　person　had

PRICKLES！



〃WHO　are　you？〃　said

Lucie。　〃Have　you

seen　my　pocket…handkins？〃



The　little　person　made　a

bob…curtsey〃Oh；　yes；　if　you

please'm；　my　name　is　Mrs。

Tiggy…winkle；　oh；　yes　if　you

please'm；　I'm　an　excellent　clear…

starcher！〃　And　she　took

something　out　of　a　clothes…

basket；　and　spread　it　on　the

ironing…blanket。





〃WHAT'S　that　thing？〃

said　Lucie〃that's

not　my　pocket…handkin？〃



〃Oh　no；　if　you　please'm；

that's　a　little　scarlet　waist…coat

belonging　to　Cock　Robin！〃



And　she　ironed　it　and　folded

it；　and　put　it　on　one　side。



THEN　she　took　something

else　off　a　clothes…horse

〃That　isn't　my　pinny？〃　said

Lucie。



〃Oh　no；　if　you　please'm；

that's　a　damask　table…cloth

belonging　to　Jenny　Wren；

look　how　it's　stained　with

currant　wine！　It's　very　bad

to　wash！〃　said　Mrs。　Tiggy…

winkle。



MRS。　TIGGY…WINKLE'S

nose　went　sniffle；　sniffle；

snuffle；　and　her　eyes　went

twinkle；　twinkle；　and　she

fetched　another　hot　iron　from

the　fire。



THERE'S　one　of　my

pocket…handkins！〃　cried

Lucie〃and　there's　my　pinny！〃



Mrs。　Tiggy…winkle　ironed　it；

and　goffered　it；　and　shook　out

the　frills。



〃Oh　that　IS　lovely！〃　said

Lucie。



〃AND　what　are　those　long

yellow　things　with　fingers

like　gloves？〃



〃Oh；　that's　a　pair　of　stockings

belonging　to　Sally　Henny…

pennylook　how　she's　worn

the　heels　out　with　scratching

in　the　yard！　She'll　very　soon

go　barefoot！〃　said　Mrs。　Tiggy…

winkle。



〃WHY；　there's　another

handkersniffbut　it

isn't　mine；　it's　red？〃



〃Oh　no；　if　you　please'm；

that　one　belongs　to　old　Mrs。

Rabbit；　and　it　DID　so　smell

of　onions！　I've　had　to　wash

it　separately；　I　can't　get　out

the　smell。〃



〃There's　another　one　of

mine；〃　said　Lucie。



〃WHAT　are　those　funny

little　white　things？〃



〃That's　a　pair　of　mittens

belonging　to　Tabby　Kitten；　I

only　have　to　iron　them；　she

washes　them　herself。〃



〃There's　my　last　pocket…

handkin！〃　said　Lucie。



〃AND　what　are　you　dipping

into　the　basin　of　starch？〃



〃They're　little　dicky　shirt…

fronts　belonging　to　Tom　Titmouse

most　terrible　particular！〃

said　Mrs。　Tiggy…winkle。

〃Now　I've　finished　my　ironing；

I'm　going　to　air　some　clothes。〃



〃WHAT　are　these　dear　soft

fluffy　things？〃　said

Lucie。



〃Oh　those　are　wooly　coats

belonging　to　the　little　lambs

at　Skelghyl。〃



〃Will　their　jackets　take　off？〃

asked　Lucy。



〃Oh　yes；　if　you　please'm；

look　at　the　sheep…mark　on　the

shoulder。　And　here's　one

marked　for　Gatesgarth；　and

three　that　come　from　Littletown。

They're　ALWAYS　marked

at　washing！〃　said　Mrs。　Tiggy…

winkle。



AND　she　hung　up　all　sorts

and　sizes　of　clothes

small　brown　coats　of　mice；

and　one　velvety　black　mole…

skin　waist…coat；　and　a　red　tail…

coat　with　no　tail　belonging　to

Squirrel　Nutkin；　and　a　very

much　shrunk　blue　jacket

belonging　to　Peter　Rabbit；　and

a　petticoat；　not　marked；　that

had　gone　lost　in　the　washing

and　at　last　the　basket　was

empty！



THEN　Mrs。　Tiggy…winkle

made　teaa　cup　for　herself

and　a　cup　for　Lucie。　They

sat　before　the　fire　on　a　bench

and　looked　sideways　at　one

another。　Mrs。　Tiggy…winkle's

hand；　holding　the　tea…cup；　was

very　very　brown；　and　very　very

wrinkly　with　the　soap…suds；

and　all　through　her　gown　and

her　cap；　there　were　HAIR…PINS

sticking　wrong　end　out；　so

that　Lucie　didn't　like　to　sit

too　near　her。



WHEN　they　had　finished

tea；　they　tied　up　the

clothes　in　bundles；　and　Lucie's

pocket…handkerchiefs　were

folded　up　inside　her　clean

pinny；　and　fastened　with　a

silver　safety…pin。



And　then　they　made　up　the

fire　with　turf；　and　came　out

and　locked　the　door；　and　hid

the　key　under　the　door…sill。



THEN　away　down　the　hill

trotted　Lucie　and　Mrs。

Tiggy…winkle　with　the　bundles

of　clothes！



All　the　way　down　the　path

little　animals　came　out　of　the

fern　to　meet　them；　the　very

first　that　they　met　were　Peter

Rabbit　and　Benjamin　Bunn