the original peter rabbit books([1].波特文集)-第11节
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there was no Mouse！
HE has wriggled out and run away； and he is dancing a jig on the top
of the cupboard！
THE END
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The Original Peter Rabbit Books
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。
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〃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 boat
sucking 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。
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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
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The Original Peter Rabbit Books
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。
〃How shall you ever get them out again？ It is like a money…box！〃 said
Goody。
〃I shall be much thinner before spring…time； my love；〃 said Timmy
Tiptoes； peeping into the hole。
THEY did collect quantities because they did not lose them！
Squirrels who bury their nuts in the ground lose more than half； because
they cannot remember the place。
The most forgetful squirrel in the wood was called Silvertail。 He began
to dig； and he could not remember。 And then he dug again and found some
nuts that did not belong to him； and there was a fight。 And other squirrels
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The Original Peter Rabbit Books
began to dig；the whole wood was in commotion！
UNFORTUNATELY； just at this time a flock of little birds flew by；
from bush to bush； searching for green caterpillars and spiders。 There were
several sorts of little birds； twittering different songs。
The first one sang 〃Who's bin digging…up MY nuts？ Who's…been…
digging… up MY nuts？〃
And another sang〃Little bita bread and…NO…cheese！ Little bit…a…bread
an'…NO… cheese！〃
THE squirrels followed and listened。 The first little bird flew into the
bush where Timmy and Goody Tiptoes were quietly tying up their bags；
and it sang〃Who's… bin digging…up MY nuts？ Who's been digging…up
MY… nuts？〃
Timmy Tiptoes went on with his work without replying； indeed； the
little bird did not expect an answer。 It was only singing its natural song；
and it meant nothing at all。
BUT when the other squirrels heard that song； they rushed upon
Timmy Tiptoes and cuffed and scratche
