the original peter rabbit books([1].波特文集)-第9节
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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
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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。
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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
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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！）
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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
g
