A Collection of Beatrix Potter Stories Part 16

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 quant.i.ties--"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 woodp.e.c.k.e.r'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 pa.s.sage; 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 woodp.e.c.k.e.r's tree, and they listened at the hole.

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 n.o.body ever answers!

THE END

THE PIE AND THE PATTY-PAN

p.u.s.s.y-cat sits by the fire--how should she be fair?

In walks the little dog--says "p.u.s.s.y are you there?

How do you do mistress p.u.s.s.y? Mistress p.u.s.s.y, 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 p.u.s.s.y-cat called Ribby, who invited a little dog called d.u.c.h.ess to tea.

"Come in good time, my dear d.u.c.h.ess," said Ribby's letter, "and we will have something so very nice.

I am baking it in a pie-dish--a pie- dish with a pink rim. You never tasted anything so good! And YOU shall eat it all! _I_ will eat m.u.f.fins, my dear d.u.c.h.ess!" wrote Ribby.

d.u.c.h.ess 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 d.u.c.h.ess; 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 d.u.c.h.ess 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-dis.h.!.+

and so is mine; just like Ribby's dishes; they were both bought at Tabitha Twitchit's."

d.u.c.h.ess went into her larder and took the pie off a shelf and looked at it.