a collection of beatrix potter stories-第8部分

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〃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　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