"Lilý-whîtè and clean, ôh!
With littlè frillś bėtween, ôh!
Smööth and hot—red rustý spot
Never hėŕè bê seen, ôh!"

Lüçìê, knockèd—őnçè^wőnçè—twîçè, and intérruptėd thé song. A littlè frighténèd voiçè cållèd out "Whö's that?"

Lüçìê ôpénèd thé dòor: and whåt dö yöü thiñk theŕè wáś^woś insîdè thé hill?—a nîçè clean kitchén with a flaggèd flòor and wōōdén beamś—just lîkè ãný őther farm kitchén. Ônlý thé çêìling wáś^woś sô lôw that Lüçìê's heàd nėàŕlý tòuchèd it; and thé pots and panś werè småll, and sô wáś^woś evèrýthing theŕè.

Theŕè wáś^woś a nîçè hot singey smell; and at thé tâblè, with an îŕòn in her hand stōōd a verý stout short persón stãring añxïòúslý at Lüçìê.

Her print gõwn wáś^woś tuckèd up, and shê wáś^woś weáring a larĝè âprón ôver her strîpèd pettïcoat. Her littlè black nôśè went sniffle, sniffle, snuffle, and her èŷèś went twiñklè, twiñklè; and underneath her cap—wheŕè Lüçìê had yellôw curlś—that littlè persón had PRICKLÉŚ!

"Whö arè yöü?" sãìd Lüçìê. "Havè yöü seen mŷ pockét-handkinś?"

Thé littlè persón mâdè a bob-cúrtsêy—"Ôh, yes, if yöü pleaśè'm; mŷ nâmè iś Mrs. Tiggý-wiñklè; ôh, yes if yöü pleaśè'm, Î'm an excéllént clėàŕ-starcher!" And shê tōōk sőmèthing out of^uv a clôthèś-baskét, and spreàd it on thé îròning-blañkėt.

"Whåt's that thing?" sãìd Lüçìê—"That's not mŷ pockét-handkin?"

"Ôh nô, if yöü pleaśè'm; that's a littlè scarlét waist-coat bėlonging tó^tö Cock Robin!"

And shê îrònèd it and fôldėd it, and pūt it on one^wőnè sîdè.

Then shê tōōk sőmèthing elsè off a clôthèś-horsè—

"That iśn't mŷ pinný?" sãìd Lüçìê.

"Ôh nô, if yöü pleaśè'm; that's a damásk tâblè-cloth bėlonging tó^tö Jenný Wren; lōōk how it's stainèd with curránt wînè! It's verý bad tó^tö wash^wosh!" sãìd Mrs. Tiggý-wiñklè.

Mrs. Tiggý-wiñklè's nôśè went sniffle, sniffle, snuffle, and her èŷèś went twiñklè, twiñklè; and shê fetchèd ánőther hot îŕòn fróm thé fîŕè.

"Theŕè's one^wőnè of^uv mŷ pockét-handkinś!" crîèd Lüçìê—"and theŕè's mŷ pinný!"

Mrs. Tiggý-wiñklè îrònèd it, and gofferèd it, and shōōk out thé frillś.

"Ôh that iś lővèlý!" sãìd Lüçìê.

"And whåt arè thôśè long yellôw thingś with fiñgerś lîkè glővèś?"

"Ôh, that's a pãir of^uv stockingś bėlonging tó^tö Sallý Henný-penný—lōōk how shê's worn thé heelś out with scratching in thé yard! Shê'll verý söön gô bãrèfōōt!" sãìd Mrs. Tiggý-wiñklè.

"Whŷ, theŕè's ánőther hañdkersniff—but it iśn't mînè; it's red?"

"Ôh nô, if yöü pleaśè'm; that one^wőnè bėlongś tó^tö ôld Mrs. Rabbit; and it did sô smell of^uv őnĩónś! Î'vè had tó^tö wash^wosh it sepárátèlý, Î can't get out thé smell."

"Theŕè's ánőther one^wőnè of^uv mînè," sãìd Lüçìê.

"Whåt arè thôśè funný littlè whîtè thingś?"

"That's a pãir of^uv mitténś bėlonging tó^tö Tabbý Kittén; Î ônlý havè tó^tö îŕòn them; shê wāshėś them herself."

"Theŕè's mŷ last pockét-handkin!" sãìd Lüçìê.

"And whåt arè yöü dipping intö thé bâsín of^uv starch?"

"They'rê littlè dický shirt-frónts bėlonging tó^tö Tom Titmousè—môst terríblè pàŕticûlàŕ!" sãìd Mrs. Tiggý-wiñklè. "Now Î'vè finishèd mŷ îròning; Î'm gôing tó^tö ãir sőmè clôthèś."

"Whåt arè thêśè dėàŕ soft fluffý thingś?" sãìd Lüçìê.

"Ôh thôśè arè wōōllý coats bėlonging tó^tö thé littlè lambś at Skelghyl."

"Will their jackėts tâkè off?" askèd Lüçìê.

"Ôh yes, if yöü pleaśè'm; lōōk at thé sheep-mark on thé shôùlder. And hėŕè's one^wőnè markèd for Gâtèsgarth, and three that cőmè fróm Littlè-town. They'rê ålwayś markèd at wāshing^woshing!" sãìd Mrs. Tiggý-wiñklè.

And shê hung up åll sorts and sîzėś of^uv clôthèś—småll brõwn coats of^uv mîçè; and one^wőnè velvétý black môlèskin waist-coat; and a red tailcoat with nô tail bėlonging tó^tö Sqυirrél Nutkin; and a verý much shruñk blüè jackét bėlonging tó^tö Pêter Rabbit; and a pettïcoat, not markèd, that had gonè lost in thé wāshing^woshing—and at last thé baskét wáś^woś emptý!

"Then Mrs. Tiggý-wiñklè mâdè tea—a cup for herself and a cup for Lüçìê. They sat bėforè thé fîŕè on a bench and lōōkèd sîdèwayś at one^wőnè ánőther. Mrs. Tiggý-wiñklè's hand, hôlding thé tea-cup, wáś^woś verý verý brõwn, and verý verý wriñklý with thé soap-sudś; and åll thröügh her gõwn and her cap, theŕè werè hãir-pinś sticking wrong end out; sô that Lüçìê didn't lîkè tó^tö sit töö nėàŕ her.

When they had finishèd tea, they tîèd up thé clôthèś in bundlèś; and Lüçìê's pockét-hañdkerchìêfs werè fôldėd up insîdè her clean pinný, and fasténèd with a silver sâfètý-pin.

And then they mâdè up thé fîŕè with turf, and câmè out and lockèd thé dòor, and hid thé kêy under thé dòor-sill.

Then áway down thé hill trottėd Lüçìê and Mrs. Tiggý-wiñklè with thé bundlèś of^uv clôthèś!

Åll thé way down thé path littlè anímálś câmè out of^uv thé fern tó^tö meet them; thé verý first that they met werè Pêter Rabbit and Benjámín Bunný!

And shê gâvè them their nîçè clean clôthèś; and åll thé littlè anímálś and birdś werè sô verý much óblîĝèd tó^tö dėàŕ Mrs. Tiggý-wiñklè.

Sô that at thé bottóm of^uv thé hill when they câmè tó^tö thé stîlè, theŕè wáś^woś nőthing left tó^tö carrý ėxcept Lüçìê's one^wőnè littlè bundlè.

Lüçìê scramblèd up thé stîlè with thé bundlè in her hand; and then shê turnèd tó^tö say "Gōōd-night," and tó^tö thañk thé wāsher^wosher-wōmán—But whåt a verý odd thing! Mrs. Tiggý-wiñklè had not waitėd êìther for thañks or for thé wāshing^woshing bill!

Shê wáś^woś running running running up thé hill—and wheŕè wáś^woś her whîtè frillèd cap? and her shawl? and her gõwn—and her pettïcoat?

And how småll shê had grôwn—and how brõwn—and cőverèd with PRICKLÉŚ!

Whŷ! Mrs. Tiggý-wiñklè wáś^woś nőthing but a HEDĜÈHOG.

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