第 12 节
作者:
换裁判 更新:2024-09-08 23:53 字数:9322
Timmy Tiptoes and cuffed and scratched him; and upset his bag of nuts。
The innocent little bird which had caused all the mischief; flew away in a
fright!
Timmy rolled over and over; and then turned tail and fled towards his
nest; followed by a crowd of squirrels shouting 〃Who's…been digging…up
MY…nuts?〃
THEY caught him and dragged him up the very same tree; where there
was the little round hole; and they pushed him in。 The hole was much too
small for Timmy Tiptoes' figure。 They squeezed him dreadfully; it was a
wonder they did not break his ribs。 〃We will leave him here till he
confesses;〃 said Silvertail Squirrel; and he shouted into the hole
〃Who's…been…digging…up MY…nuts?〃
TIMMY TIPTOES made no reply; he had tumbled down inside the
tree; upon half a peck of nuts belonging to himself。 He lay quite stunned
and still。
GOODY TIPTOES picked up the nut bags and went home。 She made
a cup of tea for Timmy; but he didn't come and didn't come。
Goody Tiptoes passed a lonely and unhappy night。 Next morning she
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ventured back to the nut…bushes to look for him; but the other unkind
squirrels drove her away。
She wandered all over the wood; calling
〃Timmy Tiptoes! Timmy Tiptoes! Oh; where is Timmy Tiptoes?〃
IN the meantime Timmy Tiptoes came to his senses。 He found himself
tucked up in a little moss bed; very much in the dark; feeling sore; it
seemed to be under ground。 Timmy coughed and groaned; because his ribs
hurted him。 There was a chirpy noise; and a small striped Chipmunk
appeared with a night light; and hoped he felt better?
It was most kind to Timmy Tiptoes; it lent him its nightcap; and the
house was full of provisions。
THE Chipmunk explained that it had rained nuts through the top of the
tree 〃Besides; I found a few buried!〃 It laughed and chuckled when it
heard Timmy's story。 While Timmy was confined to bed; it 'ticed him to
eat quantities〃But how shall I ever get out through that hole unless I thin
myself? My wife will be anxious!〃 〃Just another nut or two nuts; let me
crack them for you;〃 said the Chipmunk。 Timmy Tiptoes grew fatter and
fatter!
NOW Goody Tiptoes had set to work again by herself。 She did not put
any more nuts into the woodpecker's hole; because she had always
doubted how they could be got out again。 She hid them under a tree root;
they rattled down; down; down。 Once when Goody emptied an extra big
bagful; there was a decided squeak; and next time Goody brought another
bagful; a little striped Chipmunk scrambled out in a hurry。
〃IT is getting perfectly full… up down…stairs; the sitting…room is full;
and they are rolling along the passage; and my husband; Chippy Hackee;
has run away and left me。 What is the explanation of these showers of
nuts?〃
〃I am sure I beg your pardon; I did not not know that anybody lived
here;〃 said Mrs。 Goody Tiptoes; 〃but where is Chippy Hackee? My
husband; Timmy Tiptoes; has run away too。〃 〃I know where Chippy is; a
little bird told me;〃 said Mrs。 Chippy Hackee。
SHE led the way to the woodpecker's tree; and they listened at the
hole。
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Down below there was a noise of nut crackers; and a fat squirrel voice
and a thin squirrel voice were singing together
〃My little old man and I fell out; How shall we bring this matter
about? Bring it about as well as you can; And get you gone; you little old
man!〃
〃You could squeeze in; through that little round hole;〃 said Goody
Tiptoes。 〃Yes; I could;〃 said the Chipmunk; 〃but my husband; Chippy
Hackee; bites!〃
Down below there was a noise of cracking nuts and nibbling; and then
the fat squirrel voice and the thin squirrel voice sang
〃For the diddlum day Day diddle dum di! Day diddle diddle dum
day!〃
THEN Goody peeped in at the hole; and called down〃Timmy
Tiptoes! Oh fie; Timmy Tiptoes!〃 And Timmy replied; 〃Is that you; Goody
Tiptoes? Why; certainly!〃
He came up and kissed Goody through the hole; but he was so fat that
he could not get out。
Chippy Hackee was not too fat; but he did not want to come; he stayed
down below and chuckled。
AND so it went on for a fortnight; till a big wind blew off the top of
the tree; and opened up the hole and let in the rain。
Then Timmy Tiptoes came out; and went home with an umbrella。
BUT Chippy Hackee continued to camp out for another week;
although it was uncomfortable。
AT last a large bear came walking through the wood。 Perhaps he also
was looking for nuts; he seemed to be sniffing around。
CHIPPY HACKEE went home in a hurry!
AND when Chippy Hackee got home; he found he had caught a cold
in his head; and he was more uncomfortable still。
And now Timmy and Goody Tiptoes keep their nut…store fastened up
with a little padlock。
AND whenever that little bird sees the Chipmunks; he sings〃Who's…
been… digging…up MY…nuts? Who's been digging…up MY…nuts?〃 But
nobody ever answers!
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THE END
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THE PIE AND THE PATTY…PAN
Pussy…cat sits by the firehow should she be fair? In walks the little
dogsays 〃Pussy are you there? How do you do mistress Pussy? Mistress
Pussy; how do you do?〃 〃I thank you kindly; little dog; I fare as well as
you!〃 Old Rhyme。
ONCE upon a time there was a Pussy…cat called Ribby; who invited a
little dog called Duchess to tea。
〃Come in good time; my dear Duchess;〃 said Ribby's letter; 〃and we
will have something so very nice。 I am baking it in a pie…disha pie…
dish with a pink rim。 You never tasted anything so good! And YOU
shall eat it all! _I_ will eat muffins; my dear Duchess!〃 wrote Ribby。
Duchess read the letter and wrote an answer:〃I will come with much
pleasure at a quarter past four。 But it is very strange。 _I_ was just going to
invite you to come here; to supper; my dear Ribby; to eat something
MOST DELICIOUS。〃
〃I will come very punctually; my dear Ribby;〃 wrote Duchess; and
then at the end she added〃I hope it isn't mouse?〃
And then she thought that did not look quite polite; so she scratched
out 〃isn't mouse〃 and changed it to 〃I hope it will be fine;〃 and she gave
her letter to the postman。
But she thought a great deal about Ribby's pie; and she read Ribby's
letter over and over again。
〃I am dreadfully afraid it WILL be mouse!〃 said Duchess to herself
〃I really couldn't; COULDN'T eat mouse pie。 And I shall have to eat it;
because it is a party。 And MY pie was going to be veal and ham。 A pink
and white pie…dish! and so is mine; just like Ribby's dishes; they were both
bought at Tabitha Twitchit's。〃
Duchess went into her larder and took the pie off a shelf and looked at
it。
〃It is all ready to put into the oven。 Such lovely pie…crust; and I put in
a little tin patty…pan to hold up the crust; and I made a hole in the middle
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with a fork to let out the steamOh I do wish I could eat my own pie;
instead of a pie made of mouse!〃
Duchess considered and considered and read Ribby' s letter again
〃A pink and white pie…dish…and YOU shall eat it all。 'You' means me
then Ribby is not going to even taste the pie herself? A pink and white pie…
dish! Ribby is sure to go out to buy the muffins。 。 。 。 。 Oh what a good idea!
Why shouldn't I rush along and put my pie into Ribby's oven when Ribby
isn't there?〃
Duchess was quite delighted with her own cleverness!
Ribby in the meantime had received Duchess's answer; and as soon as
she was sure that the little dog would comeshe popped HER pie into the
oven。 There were two ovens; one above the other; some other