and take it away." She put it outside the back-door, and sat down again by the fire, and shut her eyes; when Ribby arrived with the doctor, she seemed fast asleep.                 "I am feeling very much better,"                said Duchess, waking up with a jump.                 "I am truly glad to hear it! He has brought you a pill, my dear Duchess!"                 "I think I should feel QUITE well if he only felt my pulse," said Duchess, backing away from the magpie, who sidled up with something in his beak.                 "It is only a bread pill, you had much better take it; drink a little milk, my dear Duchess!"                 "I am feeling very much better, my dear Ribby," said Duchess. "Do you not think that I had better go home before it gets dark?" 

                "Perhaps it might be wise, my dear Duchess."                 Ribby and Duchess said good-bye affectionately, and Duchess started home. Half-way up the lane she stopped and looked back; Ribby had gone in and shut her door. Duchess slipped through the fence, and ran round to the back of Ribby's house, and peeped into the yard. Upon the roof of the pig-stye sat Dr. Maggotty and three jackdaws. The jackdaws were eating piecrust, and the magpie was drinking gravy out of a patty-pan. Duchess ran home feeling uncommonly silly! When Ribby came out for a pailful of water to wash up the tea-things, she found a pink and white pie-dish lying smashed in the middle of the yard. Ribby stared with amazement—                "Did you ever see the like! so there really WAS a patty-pan? . . . But MY patty-pans are all in the kitchen cupboard. Well I never did! . . . Next time I want to give a party—I will invite Cousin Tabitha Twitchit!" 

  

  

       THE TALE OF MR. JEREMY FISHER     

                [For Stephanie from Cousin B.] 

 Prev. P 36/95 next