THÉ TÂLÈ OF^UV

JEMÎMÁ PUDDLÈ-DUCK

THÉ TÂLÈ OF^UV

JEMÎMÁ PUDDLÈ-DUCK

BŶ

BEATRIX POTTER

Author of^uv "Thé Tâlè of^uv Peter Rabbit"

 

Frederick Warne & Co., Inc., New York

1908

 

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A FARMYARD TÂLÈ
FOR
RALPH AND BETSÝ

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Whåt a funný sight it iś tó^tö see a brööd of^uv ducklingś with a hen!

—Listén tó^tö thé storý of^uv Jemîmá Puddlè-duck, whö wáś^woś ánnoyèd bėcauśè thé farmer's wîfè wōūld not let her hatch her ôwn eggś.

Her sister-in-law, Mrs. Rebeccah Puddlè-duck, wáś^woś perféctlý willing tó^tö leavè thé hatching tó^tö sőmè one^wőnè elsè—"Î havè not thé pâţìénçè tó^tö sit on a nest for twentý-eĩght dayś; and nô morè havè yöü, Jemîmá. Yöü wōūld let them gô côld; yöü knôw yöü wōūld!"

"Î wish tó^tö hatch mŷ ôwn eggś; Î will hatch them åll bŷ mŷself," qυackèd Jemîmá Puddlè-duck.

Shê trîèd tó^tö hîdè her eggś; but they werè ålwayś found and carrìêd off.

Jemîmá Puddlè-duck bėcâmè qυîtè despèrátè. Shê dėtermínèd tó^tö mâkè a nest right áway fróm thé farm.

Shê set off on a fînè spring afternöön álong thé cart-road that leadś ôver thé hill.

Shê wáś^woś weáring a shawl and a pôkè bonnét.

When shê reachèd thé top of^uv thé hill, shê saw a wōōd in thé distánçè.

Shê thøùght that it lōōkèd a sâfè qυîét spot.

Jemîmá Puddlè-duck wáś^woś not much in thé habít of^uv flŷing. Shê ran downhill a few yardś flapping her shawl, and then shê jumpèd off intö thé ãir.

Shê flew bèàûtífúllý when shê had got a gōōd start.

Shê skimmèd álong ôver thé tree-tops until shê saw an ôpén plâçè in thé middlè of^uv thé wōōd, wheŕè thé treeś and brushwōōd had bėèn-been clėàŕèd.

Jemîmá álightėd rather heàvílý, and bėgan tó^tö wāddlè^wod ábout in sèàŕch of^uv a cónvênĩént drŷ nesting-plâçè. Shê rather fançìêd a tree-stump ámőngst sőmè tåll fox-glővèś.

But—seatėd upon thé stump, shê wáś^woś startlèd tó^tö fînd an elėgántlý dressèd ĝentlèmán reading a newśpâper.

Hê had black prick ėàŕś and sandý cőlòurèd whiskerś.

"Qυack?" sãìd Jemîmá Puddlè-duck, with her heàd and her bonnét on one^wőnè sîdè—"Qυack?"

Thé ĝentlèmán raiśèd hiś èŷèś ábővè hiś newśpâper and lōōkèd cûrïòúslý at Jemîmá—

"Madám, havè yöü lost yøùr way?" sãìd hê. Hê had a long būshý tail which hê wáś^woś sitting upon, aś thé stump wáś^woś sőmèwhåt damp.

Jemîmá thøùght him mightý çivíl and handsőmè. Shê ėxplainèd that shê had not lost her way, but that shê wáś^woś trŷing tó^tö fînd a cónvênĩént drŷ nesting-plâçè.

"Āh! iś that sô? indeed!" sãìd thé ĝentlèmán with sandý whiskerś, lōōking cûrïòúslý at Jemîmá. Hê fôldėd up thé newśpâper, and pūt it in hiś coat-tail pockét.

Jemîmá cómplainèd of^uv thé süperflυòús hen.

"Indeed! how intèrésting! Î wish Î cōūld meet with that fowl. Î wōūld teach it tó^tö mînd its ôwn bμsiness!"

"But aś tó^tö a nest—theŕè iś nô diffícultý: Î havè a sackful of^uv feàtherś in mŷ wōōd-shed. Nô, mŷ dėàŕ madám, yöü will bê in nôbodý's way. Yöü may sit theŕè aś long aś yöü lîkè," sãìd thé būshý long-tailèd ĝentlèmán.

Hê led thé way tó^tö a verý rėtîŕèd, diśmál-lōōking housè ámőngst thé fox-glővèś.

It wáś^woś bùilt of^uv faggóts and turf, and theŕè werè twö brôkén pailś, one^wőnè on top of^uv ánőther, bŷ way of^uv a chimnêy.

"This iś mŷ summer reśidénçè; yöü wōūld not fînd mŷ èàŕth—mŷ winter housè—sô cónvênĩént," sãìd thé hospitáblè ĝentlèmán.

Theŕè wáś^woś a tumblè-down shed at thé back of^uv thé housè, mâdè of^uv ôld soap-boxėś. Thé ĝentlèmán ôpénèd thé dòor, and shôwèd Jemîmá in.

Thé shed wáś^woś ålmôst qυîtè fūll of^uv feàtherś—it wáś^woś ålmôst suffócâting; but it wáś^woś cómfòŕtáblè and verý soft.

Jemîmá Puddlè-duck wáś^woś rather surprîśèd tó^tö fînd such a vast qυantitý of^uv feàtherś. But it wáś^woś verý cómfòŕtáblè; and shê mâdè a nest without ãný tròublè at åll.

When shê câmè out, thé sandý whiskerèd ĝentlèmán wáś^woś sitting on a log reading thé newśpâper—at least hê had it spreàd out, but hê wáś^woś lōōking ôver thé top of^uv it.

Hê wáś^woś sô pólîtè, that hê seemèd ålmôst sorrý tó^tö let Jemîmá gô hômè for thé night. Hê promísèd tó^tö tâkè grèât cãŕè of^uv her nest until shê câmè back ágãìn next day.

Hê sãìd hê lővèd eggś and ducklingś; hê shōūld bê proud tó^tö see a fînè nestful in hiś wōōd-shed.

Jemîmá Puddlè-duck câmè evèrý afternöön; shê laid nînè eggś in thé nest. They werè greený whîtè and verý larĝè. Thé foxý ĝentlèmán ádmîrèd them immensèlý. Hê ûśèd tó^tö turn them ôver and count them when Jemîmá wáś^woś not theŕè.

At last Jemîmá tôld him that shê intendėd tó^tö bėgin tó^tö sit next day—"and Î will bring a bag of^uv corn with mê, sô that Î need never leavè mŷ nest until thé eggś arè hatchèd. They might catch côld," sãìd thé conŝcïenţìòús Jemîmá.

"Madám, Î beg yöü not tó^tö tròublè yøùrself with a bag; Î will próvîdè oats. But bėforè yöü cómmençè yøùr têdïòús sitting, Î intend tó^tö givè yöü a treat. Let us havè a dinner-partý åll tó^tö õυŕselvèś!

"May Î ask yöü tó^tö bring up sőmè herbś fróm thé farm-gardén tó^tö mâkè a sâvòurý omèlettè? Sâĝè and thŷmè, and mint and twö őnĩónś, and sőmè parslêy. Î will próvîdè lard for thé stuff—lard for thé omèlettè," sãìd thé hospitáblè ĝentlèmán with sandý whiskerś.

Jemîmá Puddlè-duck wáś^woś a simplèton: not êvén thé mention of^uv sâĝè and őnĩónś mâdè her suspićìòús.

Shê went round thé farm-gardén, nibbling off snippéts of^uv åll thé diffèrént sorts of^uv herbś that arè ûśèd for stuffing roast duck.

And shê wāddlèd intö thé kitchén, and got twö őnĩónś out of^uv a baskét.

Thé collìê-dog Kep met her cőming out, "Whåt arè yöü döing with thôśè őnĩónś? Wheŕè dö yöü gô evèrý afternöön bŷ yøùrself, Jemîmá Puddlè-duck?"

Jemîmá wáś^woś rather in awè of^uv thé collìê; shê tôld him thé whôlè storý.

Thé collìê listénèd, with hiś wîśè heàd on one^wőnè sîdè; hê grinnèd when shê dėscrîbèd thé pólîtè ĝentlèmán with sandý whiskerś.

Hê askèd sevèrál qυestionś ábout thé wōōd, and ábout thé ėxact póśition of^uv thé housè and shed.

Then hê went out, and trottėd down thé villáĝè. Hê went tó^tö lōōk for twö fox-hound puppìêś whö werè out at wålk with thé būtcher.

Jemîmá Puddlè-duck went up thé cart-road for thé last tîmè, on a sunný afternöön. Shê wáś^woś rather burdénèd with bunchėś of^uv herbś and twö őnĩónś in a bag.

Shê flew ôver thé wōōd, and álightėd oppóśítè thé housè of^uv thé būshý long-tailèd ĝentlèmán.

Hê wáś^woś sitting on a log; hê sniffèd thé ãir, and kept glançing uneaśílý round thé wōōd. When Jemîmá álightėd hê qυîtè jumpèd.

"Cőmè intö thé housè aś söön aś yöü havè lōōkèd at yøùr eggś. Givè mê thé herbś for thé omèlettè. Bê sharp!"

Hê wáś^woś rather ábrupt. Jemîmá Puddlè-duck had never hèàŕd him speak lîkè that.

Shê felt surprîśèd, and uncómfòŕtáblè.

Whîlè shê wáś^woś insîdè shê hèàŕd pattéring feet round thé back of^uv thé shed. Sőmè one^wőnè with a black nôśè sniffèd at thé bottóm of^uv thé dòor, and then lockèd it.

Jemîmá bėcâmè much álarmèd.

A mômént afterwàŕdś theŕè werè môst awful noiśėś—barking, bâying, growlś and howlś, sqυealing and groanś.

And nőthing morè wáś^woś ever seen of^uv that foxý-whiskerèd ĝentlèmán.

Preśéntlý Kep ôpénèd thé dòor of^uv thé shed, and let out Jemîmá Puddlè-duck.

Unforťünátèlý thé puppìêś rushèd in and gobblèd up åll thé eggś bėforè hê cōūld stop them.

Hê had a bîtè on hiś ėàŕ and bôth thé puppìêś werè limping.

Jemîmá Puddlè-duck wáś^woś escortėd hômè in tėàŕś on áccount of^uv thôśè eggś.

Shê laid sőmè morè in Jünè, and shê wáś^woś permittėd tó^tö keep them herself: but ônlý føùr of^uv them hatchèd.

Jemîmá Puddlè-duck sãìd that it wáś^woś bėcauśè of^uv her nervèś; but shê had ålwayś bėèn-been a bad sitter.

Thé End