登陆注册
15314500000014

第14章 THE TALE OF MRS.TIGGY-WINKLE(2)

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- penny--lookhow 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 handkersniff--but 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 tea--a cup for herself and a cup for Lucie.They sat before the fire on a bench and looked sideways at oneanother.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 hill--and where was her white frilled cap? and her shawl? and her gown--and her petticoat?

AND how small she had grown--and 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 Bells--and besides _I_ am very well acquainted with dear Mrs.Tiggy- winkle!)

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 帝国总裁的下堂妇

    帝国总裁的下堂妇

    他是帝国总裁,冷酷,阴鸷,视感情为游戏,视女人为草芥。她是苦命孤女,安静、温顺。她走进他的世界,暗恋到无法自拔。但她面对的,永远只是他的横眉冷对冷嘲热潮。心痛,于是持续整整十年。
  • 茅山宗之捉鬼人

    茅山宗之捉鬼人

    茅山弟子张文轩因宗门传统离开师傅独闯繁华都市,帮基友捉鬼,与厉鬼大战,误闯古墓勇斗尸王,乡村老尸,池塘水鬼,医院捉鬼及龙山大妖,看张文轩如何捉鬼降妖,化险为夷……ps:新作写得不好请谅解!
  • 冰山宠溺蛮丫头

    冰山宠溺蛮丫头

    第一次见面,她弄脏了他的衬衣,第二次见面,她刮坏了他的车,第三次见面,她失去了她的初吻
  • 诗家鼎脔

    诗家鼎脔

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 蔑视天下:腹黑魔尊妖临天下

    蔑视天下:腹黑魔尊妖临天下

    紫眸一瞥,谁与争锋.......她,魔尊之女,尊贵的魔界少尊,却陨落在诛魔剑下。再次重生,腹黑狡诈的她遇到了命中的他——“少尊,我乃你的‘童养夫’”“当年魔尊救我,就是为了让我好好服侍少尊。”某男。“我认识你吗?”某女。“不不不,你当然不认识我妈,认识我就可以了”.......当腹黑魔少尊遇到无赖的魔王,会发生什么有趣的化学反应呢?
  • 邪王别嚣张:邪魅萌宝要翻天

    邪王别嚣张:邪魅萌宝要翻天

    二十一世纪华夏族日益强大,杀手榜近三年来一直稳居第一,著有“杀手之王”“罗刹暗魅”自己之称。这么强大的存在因为一次意外竟然穿越到异世大陆,成了将军府嫡出的三小姐。俊爹爹,美娘亲,帅哥哥,集聚宠爱于一身,冷酷特工化身为天才萌宝。如此优秀的她,遇见温柔的他,邪魅的他,天真的他,腹黑的他,各种风格的美男都痴心于她,她的真命天子到底会是谁呢?
  • 神临大道

    神临大道

    异界大陆,万族林立。地球大学生王坤却被混沌至宝混沌珠带到这个大陆。拥有至强神体,但被天道忌惮,从此踏上逆天改命的道路,却又发现惊天阴谋。为兄弟两肋插刀,为红颜浴血奋战。血战四方、睥睨八荒,最终亲临无上大道
  • 英雄联盟之英雄谁属

    英雄联盟之英雄谁属

    那是联盟还没有建立之前的时代,那是硝烟四起的年代!恶魔之心的传承者,嚎哭深渊的绝唱,天使的堕落,异界的来客!蛮王,赵信,泰隆人族强者,巫妖,泽拉斯,诡术妖姬,至强法师,猴哥,卡兹克,卡萨丁,异界狂人......动荡的大陆谁主沉浮,群起的强者英雄谁属?
  • 时崎狂三综漫世界

    时崎狂三综漫世界

    宅女夏紫雪因为一次意外成为了时崎狂三,被主神版的吉尔伽美什调遣至各个动漫进行历练,这背后到底隐藏着怎样的真实!
  • 爵影

    爵影

    误入他界,成为最废柴弟子?到底是福是祸,难逃的死运,能否翻手为云,覆手为雨?少女的心思有谁知,背离的爱人,神秘的灵魂,消失的种族……最后,究竟结局如何?