a collection of beatrix potter stories-第8章
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snuff since October。〃
〃What is seven pounds of butter
at 1/3； and a stick of sealing wax
and four matches？〃
〃Send in all the bills again to
everybody 'with compts' 〃 replied
Ginger。
After a time they heard a noise
in the shop； as if something had
been pushed in at the door。 They
came out of the back parlour。 There
was an envelope lying on the counter；
and a policeman writing in a
note…book！
Pickles nearly had a fit； he barked
and he barked and made little
rushes。
〃Bite him； Pickles！ bite him！〃
spluttered Ginger behind a sugar…
barrel； 〃he's only a German doll！〃
The policeman went on writing
in his notebook； twice he put his
pencil in his mouth； and once he
dipped it in the treacle。
Pickles barked till he was hoarse。
But still the policeman took no
notice。 He had bead eyes； and his
helmet was sewed on with stitches。
At length on his last little rush
Pickles found that the shop was
empty。 The policeman had disappeared。
But the envelope remained。
〃Do you think that he has gone
to fetch a real live policeman？ I
am afraid it is a summons；〃 said
Pickles。
〃No；〃 replied Ginger； who had
opened the envelope； 〃it is the
rates and taxes； L 3 19 11 3/4 。〃
〃This is the last straw；〃 said
Pickles； 〃let us close the shop。〃
They put up the shutters； and
left。 But they have not removed
from the neighbourhood。 In fact
some people wish they had gone
further。
Ginger is living in the warren。 I
do not know what occupation he
pursues； he looks stout and
comfortable。
Pickles is at present a gamekeeper。
The closing of the shop caused
great inconvenience。 Tabitha
Twitchit immediately raised the
price of everything a half…penny；
and she continued to refuse to give
credit。
Of course there are the trades…
men's cartsthe butcher； the fishman
and Timothy Baker。
But a person cannot live on 〃seed
wigs〃 and sponge…cake and butter…
bunsnot even when the sponge…
cake is as good as Timothy's！
After a time Mr。 John Dormouse
and his daughter began to sell
peppermints and candles。
But they did not keep 〃self…fitting
sixes〃； and it takes five mice to
carry one seven inch candle。
Besidesthe candles which they
sell behave very strangely in warm
weather。
And Miss Dormouse refused to
take back the ends when they were
brought back to her with complaints。
And when Mr John Dormouse
was complained to； he stayed in
bed； and would say nothing but
〃very snug；〃 which is not the way
to carry on a retail business
So everybody was pleased when
Sally Henny Penny sent out a
printed poster to say that she was
going to re…open the shop
〃Henny's Opening Sale！ Grand
co…operative Jumble！ Penny's
penny prices！ Come buy； come
try； come buy！〃
The poster really was most 'ticing。
There was a rush upon the opening
day。 The shop was crammed
with customers； and there were
crowds of mice upon the biscuit
canisters。
Sally Henny Penny gets rather
flustered when she tries to count
out change； and she insists on being
paid cash； but she is quite harmless。
And she has laid in a remarkable
assortment of bargains。
There is something to please
everybody。
THE END
THE STORY OF
MISS MOPPET
THIS is a Pussy called
Miss Moppet； she thinks
she has heard a mouse！
THIS is the Mouse peeping
out behind the cupboard；
and making fun of
Miss Moppet。 He is not
afraid of a kitten。
THIS is Miss Moppet
jumping just too late；
she misses the Mouse and
hits her own head。
SHE thinks it is a very
hard cupboard！
THE Mouse watches Miss
Moppet from the top of
the cupboard。
MISS MOPPET ties up
her head in a duster；
and sits before the fire。
THE Mouse thinks she is
looking very ill。 He
comes sliding down the bell…
pull。
MISS MOPPET looks
worse and worse。 The
Mouse comes a little nearer。
MISS MOPPET holds
her poor head in her
paws； and looks at him
through a hole in the duster。
The Mouse comes VERY close。
AND then all of a sudden
Miss Moppet jumps
upon the Mouse！
AND because the Mouse
has teased Miss Moppet
Miss Moppet thinks she
will tease the Mouse； which
is not at all nice of Miss
Moppet。
SHE ties him up in the
duster； and tosses it
about like a ball。
BUT she forgot about that
hole in the duster； and
when she untied itthere
was no Mouse！
HE has wriggled out and
run away； and he is
dancing a jig on the top of
the cupboard！
THE END
THE TALE OF
MR。 JEREMY FISHER
FOR
STEPHANIE
FROM
COUSIN B。
ONCE upon a time there
was a frog called Mr。
Jeremy Fisher； he lived in a
little damp house amongst the
buttercups at the edge of a
pond。
THE water was all slippy…
sloppy in the larder and
in the back passage。
But Mr。 Jeremy liked
getting his feet wet； nobody ever
scolded him； and he never
caught a cold！
HE was quite pleased when
he looked out and saw
large drops of rain； splashing
in the pond
〃I WILL get some worms
and go fishing and catch
a dish of minnows for my
dinner；〃 said Mr。 Jeremy
Fisher。 〃If I catch more than
five fish； I will invite my
friends Mr。 Alderman Ptolemy
Tortoise and Sir Isaac Newton。
The Alderman； however； eats
salad。〃
MR。 JEREMY put on a
macintosh； and a pair
of shiny goloshes； he took his
rod and basket； and set off
with enormous hops to the
place where he kept his boat。
THE boat was round and
green； and very like the
other lily…leaves。 It was
tied to a water…plant in
the middle of the pond。
MR。 JEREMY took a reed
pole； and pushed the
boat out into open water。 〃I
know a good place for minnows；〃
said Mr。 Jeremy
Fisher。
MR。 JEREMY stuck his
pole into the mud and
fastened his boat to it。
Then he settled himself
cross…legged and arranged his
fishing tackle。 He had the
dearest little red float。 His
rod was a tough stalk of
grass； his line was a fine long
white horse…hair； and he tied
a little wriggling worm at the
end。
THE rain trickled down his
back； and for nearly an
hour he stared at the float。
〃This is getting tiresome；
I think I should like some
lunch；〃 said Mr。 Jeremy
Fisher。
HE punted back again
amongst the water…
plants； and took some lunch
out of his basket。
〃I will eat a butterfly
sandwich； and wait till the
shower is over；〃 said Mr。
Jeremy Fisher。
A GREAT big water…beetle
came up underneath the
lily leaf and tweaked the toe
of one of his goloshes。
Mr。 Jeremy crossed his legs
up shorter； out of reach； and
went on eating his sandwich。
ONCE or twice something
moved about with a
rustle and a splash amongst
the rushes at the side of the
pond。
〃I trust that is not a rat；〃
said Mr。 Jeremy Fisher； 〃I
think I had better get away
from here。〃
MR。 JEREMY shoved the
boat out again a little
way； and dropped in the bait。
There was a bite almost
directly； the float gave a
tremendous bobbit！
〃A minnow！ a minnow！ I
have him by the nose！〃 cried
Mr。 Jeremy Fisher； jerking
up his rod。
BUT what a horrible
surprise！ Instead of a
smooth fat minnow； Mr。
Jeremy landed little Jack
Sharp the stickleback； covered
with spines！
THE stickleback floundered
about the boat； pricking
and snapping until he was
quite out of breath。 Then he
jumped back into the water。
AND a shoal of other little
fishes put their heads
out； and laughed at Mr。
Jeremy Fisher。
AND while Mr。 Jeremy sat
disconsolately on the
edge of his boatsucking his
sore fingers and peering down
into the watera MUCH worse
thing happened； a really
FRIGHTFUL thing it would have
been； if Mr。 Jeremy had not
been wearing a macintosh！
A GREAT big enormous
trout came upker…
pflop…p…p…p！ with a splash
and it seized Mr。 Jeremy with
a snap； 〃Ow！ Ow！ Ow！〃
and then it turned and dived
down to the bottom of the
pond！
BUT the trout was so displeased
with the taste of
the macintosh； that in less
than half a minute it spat him
out again； and the only thing
it swallowed was Mr。 Jeremy's
goloshes。
MR。 JEREMY bounced up
to the surface of the
water； like a cork and the
bubbles out of a soda water
bottle； and he swam with
all his might to the edge of
the pond。
HE scrambled out on the
first bank he came to；
and he hopped home across
the meadow with his
macintosh all in tatters。
〃WHAT a mercy that was
not a pike！〃 said
Mr。 Jeremy Fisher。 〃I have
lost my rod and basket； but
it does not much matter； for I
am sure I should never have
dared to go fishing again！〃
HE put some sticking
plaster on his fingers；
and his friends both came to
dinner。 He could not offer
them fish； but he had something
else in his larder。
SIR ISAAC NEWTON
wore his black and gold
waistcoat；
AND Mr。 Alderman Ptolemy
Tortoise brought a salad
with him in a string bag。
AND instead of a nice dish
of minnowsthey had a
roasted grasshopper with
lady…bird sauce； which frogs
consider a beautiful treat； but
_I_ think it must have been
nasty！
THE END
THE TALE OF
TIMMY TIPTOES
FOR
MANY UNKNOWN LITTLE FRIENDS；
INCLUDING MONICA
ONCE upon a time there was
a little fat comfortable
grey squirrel； called Timmy
Tiptoes。 He had a nest
thatched with leaves in the
top of a tall tree； and he
had a little squirrel wife called
Goody。
TIMMY TIPTOES sat out；
enjoying the breeze； he
whisked his tail and chuckled
〃Little wife Goody； the nuts
are ripe； we must lay up a
store for winter and spring。〃
Goody Tiptoes was busy
pushing moss under the
thatch〃The nest is so
snug； we shall be sound asleep
all winter。〃 〃Then we shall
wake up all the thinner； when
there is nothing to eat in
spring…time；〃 replied prudent
Timothy。
WHEN Timmy and Goody
Tiptoes came to the
nut thicket； they found other
squirrels were there already。
Timmy took off his jacket
and hung it on a twig； they
worked away quietly by themselves。
EVERY day they made
several journeys and
picked quantities of nuts。
They carried them away in
bags； and stored them in
several hollow stumps near
the tree where they had built
their nest。
WHEN these stumps were
full； they began to
empty the bags into a hole
high up a tree； that had belonged
to a wood…pecker； the
nuts rattled downdown
down inside。
〃
