The shed was almost quite full offeathers—it was almost suffocating;but it was comfortable and very soft.Jemima Puddle-duck was rathersurprised to find such a vast quantityof feathers. But it was verycomfortable; and she made a nestwithout any trouble at all.When she came out, the sandy-whiskered gentleman was sitting on alog reading the newspaper—at leasthe had it spread out, but he waslooking over the top of it.He was so polite that he seemedalmost sorry to let Jemima go homefor the night. He promised to takegreat care of her nest until she cameback again the next day.He said he loved eggs andducklings; he should be proud to see afine nestful in his woodshed.Jemima Puddle-duck came everyafternoon; she laid nine eggs in thenest. They were greeny white and verylarge. The foxy gentleman admiredthem immensely. He used to turnthem over and count them whenJemima was not there.At last Jemima told him that sheintended to begin to sit next day—"andI will bring a bag of corn with me, sothat I need never leave my nest untilthe eggs are hatched. They might catchcold," said the conscientious Jemima.
"Madam, I beg you not to troubleyourself with a bag; I will provideoats. But before you commence yourtedious sitting, I intend to give you atreat. Let us have a dinner party all toourselves!"May I ask you to bring up someherbs from the farm garden to makea savory omelet? Sage and thyme, andmint and two onions, and someparsley. I will provide lard for thestuff—lard for the omelet," said thehospitable gentleman with sandywhiskers.Jemima Puddle-duck was asimpleton: not even the mention ofsage and onions made her suspicious.She went round the farm garden,nibbling off snippets of all thedifferent sorts of herbs that are usedfor stuffing roast duck.And she waddled into the kitchenand got two onions out of a basket.The collie dog Kep met her comingout, "What are you doing with thoseonions? Where do you go everyafternoon by yourself, JemimaPuddle-duck?"Jemima was rather in awe of thecollie; she told him the whole story.The collie listened, with his wisehead on one side; he grinned whenshe described the polite gentlemanwith sandy whiskers.
He asked several questions aboutthe wood and about the exact positionof the house and shed.Then he went out, and trotteddown the village. He went to look fortwo foxhound puppies who were outat walk with the butcher.Jemima Puddle-duck went up thecart road for the last time, on a sunnyafternoon. She was rather burdenedwith bunches of herbs and two onionsin a bag.She flew over the wood, andalighted opposite the house of thebushy long-tailed gentleman.He was sitting on a log; he sniffedthe air and kept glancing uneasilyround the wood. When Jemimaalighted he quite jumped."Come into the house as soon asyou have looked at your eggs. Give methe herbs for the omelet. Be sharp!"He was rather abrupt. JemimaPuddle-duck had never heard himspeak like that.She felt surprised and uncomfortable.While she was inside she heardpattering feet round the back of theshed. Someone with a black nosesniffed at the bottom of the door, andthem locked it.Jemima became much alarmed.A moment afterward there weremost awful noises—barking, baying,growls and howls, squealing andgroans.And nothing more was ever seen ofthat foxy-whiskered gentleman.Presently Kep opened the door ofthe shed and let out Jemima Puddle-duck.Unfortunately the puppies rushedin and gobbled up all the eggs beforehe could stop them.He had a bite on his ear, and boththe puppies were limping.
Jemima Puddle-duck was escortedhome in tears on account of thoseeggs.She laid some more in June, and shewas permitted to keep them herself:but only four of them hatched.Jemima Puddle-duck said that itwas because of her nerves; but shehad always been a bad sitter.
[In Remembrance of "Sammy,"the Intelligent Pink-Eyed Representative ofa Persecuted (But Irrepressible) Race.An Affectionate Little Friend,and Most Accomplished Thief!]
Once upon a time there was an oldcat, called Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit, whowas an anxious parent. She used tolose her kittens continually, andwhenever they were lost they werealways in mischief!On baking day she determined toshut them up in a cupboard.She caught Moppet and Mittens,but she could not find Tom.Mrs. Tabitha went up and down allover the house, mewing for TomKitten. She looked in the pantry underthe staircase, and she searched thebest spare bedroom that was allcovered up with dust sheets. She wentright upstairs and looked into theattics, but she could not find himanywhere.It was an old, old house, full ofcupboards and passages. Some of thewalls were four feet thick, and thereused to be queer noises inside them,as if there might be a little secretstaircase. Certainly there were oddlittle jagged doorways in the wainscot,and things disappeared at night—especially cheese and bacon.Mrs. Tabitha became more andmore distracted and meweddreadfully.While their mother was searchingthe house, Moppet and Mittens hadgot into mischief.
The cupboard door was not locked,so they pushed it open and came out.They went straight to the doughwhich was set to rise in a pan beforethe fire.They patted it with their little softpaws—"Shall we make dear littlemuffins?" said Mittens to Moppet.But just at that moment somebodyknocked at the front door, andMoppet jumped into the flour barrelin a fright.Mittens ran away to the dairy andhid in an empty jar on the stone shelfwhere the milk pans stand.
The visitor was a neighbor, Mrs.Ribby; she had called to borrow someyeast.Mr. Tabitha came downstairsmewing dreadfully—"Come in,Cousin Ribby, come in, and sit yedown! I'm in sad trouble, CousinRibby," said Tabitha, shedding tears."I've lost my dear son Thomas; I'mafraid the rats have got him." Shewiped her eyes with her apron."He's a bad kitten, Cousin Tabitha;he made a cat's cradle of my bestbonnet last time I came to tea. Wherehave you looked for him?""All over the house! The rats are toomany for me. What a thing it is tohave an unruly family!" said Mrs.Tabitha Twitchit."I'm not afraid of rats; I will helpyou to find him; and whip him, too!What is all that soot in the fender?""The chimney wants sweeping—Oh, dear me, Cousin Ribby—nowMoppet and Mittens are gone!"They have both got out of thecupboard!"
Ribby and Tabitha set to work tosearch the house thoroughly again.They poked under the beds withRibby's umbrella and they rummagedin cupboards. They even fetched acandle and looked inside a clotheschest in one of the attics. They couldnot find anything, but once theyheard a door bang and somebodyscuttered downstairs."Yes, it is infested with rats," saidTabitha tearfully. "I caught sevenyoung ones out of one hole in the backkitchen, and we had them for dinnerlast Saturday. And once I saw the oldfather rat—an enormous old rat—Cousin Ribby. I was just going to jumpupon him, when he showed his yellowteeth at me and whisked down thehole."The rats get upon my nerves,Cousin Ribby," said Tabitha.Ribby and Tabitha searched andsearched. They both heard a curiousroly-poly noise under the attic floor.But there was nothing to be seen.They returned to the kitchen."Here's one of your kittens at least,"said Ribby, dragging Moppet out ofthe flour barrel.
They shook the flour off her and sether down on the kitchen floor. Sheseemed to be in a terrible fright."Oh! Mother, Mother," saidMoppet, "there's been an old womanrat in the kitchen, and she's stolensome of the dough!"The two cats ran to look at thedough pan. Sure enough there weremarks of little scratching fingers, anda lump of dough was gone!"Which way did she go, Moppet?"But Moppet had been too muchfrightened to peep out of the barrelagain.Ribby and Tabitha took her withthem to keep her safely in sight, whilethey went on with their search.They went into the dairy.The first thing they found wasMittens, hiding in an empty jar.They tipped over the jar, and shescrambled out."Oh, Mother, Mother!" saidMittens—
"Oh! Mother, Mother, there hasbeen an old man rat in the dairy—adreadful 'normous big rat, Mother;and he's stolen a pat of butter and therolling pin."Ribby and Tabitha looked at oneanother."A rolling pin and butter! Oh, mypoor son Thomas!" exclaimedTabitha, wringing her paws."A rolling pin?" said Ribby. "Did wenot hear a roly-poly noise in the atticwhen we were looking into thatchest?"Ribby and Tabitha rushed upstairsagain. Sure enough the roly-poly noisewas still going on quite distinctlyunder the attic floor."This is serious, Cousin Tabitha,"said Ribby. "We must send for JohnJoiner at once, with a saw."Now, this is what had beenhappening to Tom Kitten, and itshows how very unwise it is to go up achimney in a very old house, where aperson does not know his way, andwhere there are enormous rats.
Tom Kitten did not want to be shutup in a cupboard. When he saw thathis mother was going to bake, hedetermined to hide.He looked about for a niceconvenient place, and he fixed uponthe chimney.The fire had only just been lighted,and it was not hot; but there was awhite choky smoke from the greensticks. Tom Kitten got upon the fenderand looked up. It was a big old-fashioned fireplace.The chimney itself was wideenough inside for a man to stand upand walk about. So there was plentyof room for a little Tom Cat.He jumped right up into thefireplace, balancing himself upon theiron bar where the kettle hangs.Tom Kitten took another big jumpoff the bar and landed on a ledge highup inside the chimney, knocking downsome soot into the fender.
Tom Kitten coughed and chokedwith the smoke; he could hear thesticks beginning to crackle and burnin the fireplace down below. He madeup his mind to climb right to the top,and get out on the slates, and try tocatch sparrows."I cannot go back. If I slipped Imight fall in the fire and singe mybeautiful tail and my little bluejacket."The chimney was a very big old-fashioned one. It was built in the dayswhen people burnt logs of wood uponthe hearth.The chimney stack stood up abovethe roof like a little stone tower, andthe daylight shone down from the top,under the slanting slates that kept outthe rain.Tom Kitten was getting veryfrightened! He climbed up, and up,and up.Then he waded sideways throughinches of soot. He was like a littlesweep himself.
It was most confusing in the dark.One flue seemed to lead into another.There was less smoke, but TomKitten felt quite lost.He scrambled up and up; butbefore he reached the chimney top hecame to a place where somebody hadloosened a stone in the wall. Therewere some mutton bones lying about."This seems funny," said TomKitten. "Who has been gnawing bonesup here in the chimney? I wish I hadnever come! And what a funny smell?It is something like mouse, onlydreadfully strong. It makes mesneeze," said Tom Kitten.He squeezed through the hole inthe wall and dragged himself along amost uncomfortably tight passagewhere there was scarcely any light.He groped his way carefully forseveral yards; he was at the back ofthe skirting board in the attic, wherethere is a little mark * in the picture.
All at once he fell head over heels inthe dark, down a hole, and landed ona heap of very dirty rags.When Tom Kitten picked himself upand looked about him, he foundhimself in a place that he had neverseen before, although he had lived allhis life in the house. It was a verysmall stuffy fusty room, with boards,and rafters, and cobwebs, and lathand plaster.Opposite to him—as far away as hecould sit—was an enormous rat."What do you mean by tumblinginto my bed all covered with smuts?"said the rat, chattering his teeth."Please, sir, the chimney wantssweeping," said poor Tom Kitten."Anna Maria! Anna Maria!"squeaked the rat. There was apattering noise and an old woman ratpoked her head round a rafter.
All in a minute she rushed uponTom Kitten, and before he knew whatwas happening. . .. . . his coat was pulled off, and hewas rolled up in a bundle, and tiedwith string in very hard knots.Anna Maria did the tying. The oldrat watched her and took snuff. Whenshe had finished, they both sat staringat him with their mouths open."Anna Maria," said the old man rat(whose name was Samuel Whiskers),"Anna Maria, make me a kittendumpling roly-poly pudding for mydinner.""It requires dough and a pat ofbutter and a rolling pin," said AnnaMaria, considering Tom Kitten withher head on one side."No," said Samuel Whiskers, "makeit properly, Anna Maria, withbreadcrumbs.""Nonsense! Butter and dough,"replied Anna Maria.
The two rats consulted together fora few minutes and then went away.Samuel Whiskers got through ahole in the wainscot and went boldlydown the front staircase to the dairyto get the butter. He did not meetanybody.He made a second journey for therolling pin. He pushed it in front ofhim with his paws, like a brewer'sman trundling a barrel.He could hear Ribby and Tabithatalking, but they were too busylighting the candle to look into thechest.They did not see him.Anna Maria went down by way ofskirting board and a window shutterto the kitchen to steal the dough.She borrowed a small saucer andscooped up the dough with her paws.She did not observe Moppet.
While Tom Kitten was left aloneunder the floor of the attic, hewriggled about and tried to mew forhelp.But his mouth was full of soot andcobwebs, and he was tied up in suchvery tight knots, he could not makeanybody hear him.Except a spider who came out of acrack in the ceiling and examined theknots critically, from a safe distance.It was a judge of knots because ithad a habit of tying up unfortunatebluebottles. It did not offer to assisthim.Tom Kitten wriggled and squirmeduntil he was quite exhausted.Presently the rats came back andset to work to make him into adumpling. First they smeared himwith butter, and then they rolled himin the dough."Will not the string be veryindigestible, Anna Maria?" inquiredSamuel Whiskers.Anna Maria said she thought that itwas of no consequence; but shewished that Tom Kitten would holdhis head still, as it disarranged thepastry. She laid hold of his ears.
Tom Kitten bit and spit, andmewed and wriggled; and the rollingpin went roly-poly, roly; roly-poly,roly. The rats each held an end."His tail is sticking out! You did notfetch enough dough, Anna Maria.""I fetched as much as I couldcarry," replied Anna Maria."I do not think"—said SamuelWhiskers, pausing to take a look atTom Kitten—"I do NOT think it will bea good pudding. It smells sooty."Anna Maria was about to argue thepoint when all at once there began tobe other sounds up above—therasping noise of a saw, and the noiseof a little dog, scratching and yelping!The rats dropped the rolling pinand listened attentively."We are discovered and interrupted,Anna Maria; let us collect ourproperty—and other people's—anddepart at once."I fear that we shall be obliged toleave this pudding."But I am persuaded that the knotswould have proved indigestible,whatever you may urge to thecontrary.""Come away at once and help meto tie up some mutton bones in acounterpane," said Anna Maria. "Ihave got half a smoked ham hidden inthe chimney."
So it happened that by the timeJohn Joiner had got the plank up—there was nobody here under the floorexcept the rolling pin and Tom Kittenin a very dirty dumpling!But there was a strong smell ofrats; and John Joiner spent the rest ofthe morning sniffing and whining,and wagging his tail, and going roundand round with his head in the holelike a gimlet.Then he nailed the plank downagain and put his tools in his bag, andcame downstairs.The cat family had quite recovered.They invited him to stay to dinner.The dumpling had been peeled offTom Kitten and made separately intoa bag pudding, with currants in it tohide the smuts.They had been obliged to put TomKitten into a hot bath to get the butteroff.John Joiner smelt the pudding; buthe regretted that he had not time tostay to dinner, because he had justfinished making a wheelbarrow forMiss Potter, and she had ordered twohen coops.
And when I was going to the postlate in the afternoon—I looked up theland from the corner, and I saw Mr.Samuel Whiskers and his wife on therun, with big bundles on a littlewheelbarrow, which looked verymuch like mine.They were just turning in at thegate to the barn of Farmer Potatoes.Samuel Whiskers was puffing andout of breath. Anna Maria was stillarguing in shrill tones.She seemed to know her way, andshe seemed to have a quantity ofluggage.I am sureInever gave her leave toborrow my wheelbarrow!They went into the barn andhauled their parcels with a bit ofstring to the top of the haymow.After that, there were no more ratsfor a long time at Tabitha Twitchit's.
As for Farmer Potatoes, he has beendriven nearly distracted. There arerats, and rats, and rats in his barn!They eat up the chicken food, andsteal the oats and bran, and makeholes in the meal bags.And they are all descended fromMr. and Mrs. Samuel Whiskers—children and grandchildren andgreat-great-grandchildren.There is no end to them!Moppet and Mittens have grown upinto very good rat-catchers.They go out rat-catching in thevillage, and they find plenty ofemployment. They charge so much adozen and earn their living verycomfortably.They hang up the rats' tails in arow on the barn door, to show howmany they have caught—dozens anddozens of them.
But Tom Kitten has always beenafraid of a rat; he never durst faceanything that is bigger than—A Mouse.
[For All Little Friends ofMr. McGregor and Peter and Benjamin]
It is said that the effect of eatingtoo much lettuce is "soporific."I have never felt sleepy after eatinglettuces; but then I am not arabbit.They certainly had a very soporificeffect upon the Flopsy Bunnies!When Benjamin Bunny grew up,he married his Cousin Flopsy.They had a large family, and theywere very improvident and cheerful.I do not remember the separatenames of their children; they weregenerally called the "Flopsy Bunnies."As there was not always quiteenough to eat,—Benjamin used toborrow cabbages from Flopsy'sbrother, Peter Rabbit, who kept anursery garden.
Sometimes Peter Rabbit had nocabbages to spare.When this happened, the FlopsyBunnies went across the field to arubbish heap, in the ditch outsideMr. McGregor's garden.Mr. McGregor's rubbish heapwas a mixture. There were jampots and paper bags, and mountainsof chopped grass from themowing machine (which alwaystasted oily), and some rottenvegetable marrows and an old bootor two. One day—oh joy!—therewere a quantity of overgrownlettuces, which had "shot" intoflower.
The Flopsy Bunnies simply stuffedthemselves with lettuces. By degrees,one after another, they were overcomewith slumber, and lay down in themown grass.Benjamin was not so muchovercome as his children. Beforegoing to sleep he was sufficientlywide awake to put a paper bagover his head to keep off the flies.The little Flopsy Bunnies sleptdelightfully in the warm sun.From the lawn beyond the gardencame the distant clacketty soundof the mowing machine. The blue-bottles buzzed about the wall,and a little old mouse picked overthe rubbish among the jam pots.(I can tell you her name, shewas called Thomasina Tittle-mouse, a woodmouse with a longtail.)
She rustled across the paperbag, and awakened BenjaminBunny.The mouse apologized profusely,and said that she knewPeter Rabbit.While she and Benjamin weretalking, close under the wall, theyheard a heavy tread above theirheads; and suddenly Mr. McGregoremptied out a sackful oflawn mowings right upon the topof the sleeping Flopsy Bunnies!Benjamin shrank down under hispaper bag. The mouse hid in ajam pot.
The little rabbits smiled sweetlyin their sleep under the shower ofgrass; they did not awake becausethe lettuces had been so soporific.They dreamt that their motherFlopsy was tucking them up in ahay bed.Mr. McGregor looked downafter emptying his sack. He sawsome funny little brown tips ofears sticking up through the lawnmowings. He stared at them forsome time.Presently a fly settled on one ofthem and it moved.Mr. McGregor climbed down onto the rubbish heap—"One, two, three, four! five! sixleetle rabbits!" said he as hedropped them into his sack. TheFlopsy Bunnies dreamt that theirmother was turning them over inbed. They stirred a little in theirsleep, but still they did not wakeup.
Mr. McGregor tied up the sackand left it on the wall.He went to put away the mowingmachine.While he was gone, Mrs. FlopsyBunny (who had remained athome) came across the field.She looked suspiciously at thesack and wondered where everybodywas?Then the mouse came out of herjam pot, and Benjamin took thepaper bag off his head, and theytold the doleful tale.Benjamin and Flopsy were indespair, they could not undo thestring.But Mrs. Tittlemouse was aresourceful person. She nibbled ahole in the bottom corner of thesack.
The little rabbits were pulledout and pinched to wake them.Their parents stuffed the emptysack with three rotten vegetablemarrows, an old blackingbrushand two decayed turnips.Then they all hid under a bushand watched for Mr. McGregor.Mr. McGregor came back andpicked up the sack, and carried itoff.He carried it hanging down, asif it were rather heavy.The Flopsy Bunnies followed ata safe distance.
They watched him go intohis house.And then they crept up tothe window to listen.Mr. McGregor threw down thesack on the stone floor in a waythat would have been extremelypainful to the Flopsy Bunnies, ifthey had happened to have beeninside it.They could hear him drag hischair on the flags, and chuckle—"One, two, three, four, five, sixleetle rabbits!" said Mr. McGregor.
"Eh? What's that? What havethey been spoiling now?" enquiredMrs. McGregor."One, two, three, four, five, sixleetle fat rabbits!" repeated Mr.McGregor, counting on his fingers—"one, two, three—""Don't you be silly: what do youmean, you silly old man?""In the sack! one, two, three,four, five, six!" replied Mr. McGregor.(The youngest Flopsy Bunny gotupon the windowsill.)Mrs. McGregor took hold of thesack and felt it. She said she couldfeel six, but they must be OLD rabbits,because they were so hardand all different shapes."Not fit to eat; but the skins willdo fine to line my old cloak.""Line your old cloak?" shoutedMr. McGregor—"I shall sell themand buy myself baccy!""Rabbit tobacco! I shall skinthem and cut off their heads."