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