a collection of beatrix potter stories-第7章
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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 Bunny！
AND she gave them their
nice clean clothes； and
all the little animals and birds
were so very much obliged to
dear Mrs。 Tiggy…winkle。
SO that at the bottom of the
hill when they came to
the stile； there was nothing
left to carry except Lucie's
one little bundle。
LUCIE scrambled up the
stile with the bundle in
her hand； and then she turned
to say 〃Good…night；〃 and to
thank the washer…woman
But what a VERY odd thing！
Mrs。 Tiggy…winkle had not
waited either for thanks or for
the washing bill！
She was running running
running up the hilland
where was her white frilled
cap？ and her shawl？ and her
gownand her petticoat？
AND how small she had
grownand how brown
and covered with PRICKLES！
Why！ Mrs。 Tiggy…winkle
was nothing but a HEDGEHOG。
* * * *
（Now some people say that little
Lucie had been asleep upon the stile
but then how could she have found
three clean pocket…handkins and a pinny；
pinned with a silver safety…pin？
And besides_I_ have seen that door
into the back of the hill called Cat
Bellsand besides _I_ am very well
acquainted with dear Mrs。 Tiggy…winkle！）
THE TALE OF
GINGER & PICKLES
ONCE upon a time there was a
village shop。 The name over
the window was 〃Ginger and
Pickles。〃
It was a little small shop just the
right size for DollsLucinda and
Jane Doll…cook always bought their
groceries at Ginger and Pickles。
The counter inside was a
convenient height for rabbits。 Ginger
and Pickles sold red spotty pocket…
handkerchiefs at a penny three
farthings。
They also sold sugar； and snuff
and galoshes。
In fact； although it was such a
small shop it sold nearly everything
except a few things that you
want in a hurrylike bootlaces；
hair…pins and mutton chops。
Ginger and Pickles were the
people who kept the shop。 Ginger
was a yellow tom…cat； and Pickles
was a terrier。
The rabbits were always a little
bit afraid of Pickles。
The shop was also patronized by
miceonly the mice were rather
afraid of Ginger。
Ginger usually requested Pickles
to serve them； because he said it
made his mouth water。
〃I cannot bear；〃 said he； 〃to see
them going out at the door carrying
their little parcels。〃
〃I have the same feeling about
rats；〃 replied Pickles； 〃but it
would never do to eat our own
customers； they would leave us and
go to Tabitha Twitchit's。〃
〃On the contrary； they would go
nowhere；〃 replied Ginger gloomily。
（Tabitha Twitchit kept the only
other shop in the village。 She did
not give credit。）
Ginger and Pickles gave unlimited
credit。
Now the meaning of 〃credit〃 is
thiswhen a customer buys a bar
of soap； instead of the customer
pulling out a purse and paying for
itshe says she will pay another
time。
And Pickles makes a low bow and
says； 〃With pleasure； madam；〃
and it is written down in a book。
The customers come again and
again； and buy quantities； in spite
of being afraid of Ginger and
Pickles。
But there is no money in what
is called the 〃till。〃
The customers came in crowds
every day and bought quantities；
especially the toffee customers。
But there was always no money；
they never paid for as much as a
pennyworth of peppermints。
But the sales were enormous； ten
times as large as Tabitha Twitchit's。
As there was always no money；
Ginger and Pickles were obliged to
eat their own goods。
Pickles ate biscuits and Ginger
ate a dried haddock。
They ate them by candle…light
after the shop was closed。
When it came to Jan。 1st there
was still no money； and Pickles
was unable to buy a dog licence。
〃It is very unpleasant； I am
afraid of the police；〃 said Pickles。
〃It is your own fault for being
a terrier； _I_ do not require a licence；
and neither does Kep； the Collie
dog。〃
〃It is very uncomfortable； I am
afraid I shall be summoned。 I
have tried in vain to get a licence
upon credit at the Post Office；〃
said Pickles。 〃The place is full of
policeman。 I met one as I was
coming home。〃
〃Let us send in the bill again to
Samuel Whiskers； Ginger； he owes
22/9 for bacon。〃
〃I do not believe that he intends
to pay at all；〃 replied Ginger。
〃And I feel sure that Anna
Maria pockets things… Where
are all the cream crackers？〃
〃You have eaten them yourself；〃
replied Ginger。
Ginger and Pickles retired into
the back parlour。
They did accounts。 They added
up sums and sums； and sums。
〃Samuel Whiskers has run up
a bill as long as his tail； he has
had an ounce and three…quarters of
snuff since October。〃
〃What is seven pounds of butter
at 1/3； and a stick of seal
