THÉ TÂLÈ OF^UV

SQυIRRÉL NUTKIN

BŶ

BEATRIX POTTER

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

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A STORÝ FOR NORÁH

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This iś a Tâlè ábout a tail—a tail that bėlongèd tó^tö a littlè red sqυirrél, and hiś nâmè wáś^woś Nutkin.

Hê had a brőther cållèd Twiñklèberrý, and a grèât mãný còuśínś: they livèd in a wōōd at thé edĝè of^uv a lâkè.

In thé middlè of^uv thé lâkè theŕè iś an îslánd cőverèd with treeś and nut būshéś; and ámőngst thôśè treeś standś a hollôw oak-tree, which iś thé housè of^uv an owl whö iś cållèd Ôld Brõwn.

One^wőnè autumn when thé nuts werè rîpè, and thé leavèś on thé hâzél būshéś werè gôldén and green—Nutkin and Twiñklèberrý and åll thé őther littlè sqυirrélś câmè out of^uv thé wōōd, and down tó^tö thé edĝè of^uv thé lâkè.

They mâdè littlè rafts out of^uv twigś, and they paddlèd áway ôver thé wåter tó^tö Owl Îslánd tó^tö gather nuts.

Each sqυirrél had a littlè sack and a larĝè øàr, and spreàd out hiś tail for a sail.

They ålsô tōōk with them an offéring of^uv three fat mîçè aś a preśént for Ôld Brõwn, and pūt them down upon hiś dòor-step.

Then Twiñklèberrý and thé őther littlè sqυirrélś each mâdè a lôw bow, and sãìd pólîtèlý—

"Ôld Mr. Brõwn, will yöü fâvòur us with permiŝŝìòn tó^tö gather nuts upon yøùr îslánd?"

But Nutkin wáś^woś ėxcessivèlý impertínént in hiś mannerś. Hê bobbèd up and down lîkè a littlè red cherrý, singing—

"Riddlè mê, riddlè mê, rot-tot-tôtè!
A littlè wee man, in a red red coat!

A staff in hiś hand, and a stônè in hiś throat;
If yöü'll tell mê this riddlè, Î'll givè yöü a groat."

Now this riddlè iś aś ôld aś thé hillś; Mr. Brõwn paid nô áttention whåtever tó^tö Nutkin.

Hê shut hiś èŷèś obstínátèlý and went tó^tö sleep.

Thé sqυirrélś fillèd their littlè sacks with nuts, and sailèd áway hômè in thé êvèning.

But next morning they åll câmè back ágãìn tó^tö Owl Îslánd; and Twiñklèberrý and thé őtherś brøùght a fînè fat môlè, and laid it on thé stônè in frőnt of^uv Ôld Brõwn's dòorway, and sãìd—

"Mr. Brõwn, will yöü fâvòur us with yøùr grâćìòús permiŝŝìòn tó^tö gather sőmè morè nuts?"

But Nutkin, whö had nô rėspect, bėgan tó^tö dançè up and down, tickling ôld Mr. Brõwn with a nettlè and singing—

"Ôld Mr. B! Riddlè-mê-ree!

Hittý Pittý within thé wåll,
Hittý Pittý without thé wåll;

If yöü tòuch Hittý Pittý,
Hittý Pittý will bîtè yöü!"

Mr. Brõwn wôkè up suddénlý and carrìêd thé môlè intö hiś housè.

Hê shut thé dòor in Nutkin's fâçè. Preśéntlý a littlè threàd of^uv blüè smôkè fróm a wōōd fîŕè câmè up fróm thé top of^uv thé tree, and Nutkin peepèd thröügh thé kêy-hôlè and sang—

"A housè fūll, a hôlè fūll!
And yöü cannot gather a bôwl-fūll!"

Thé sqυirrélś sèàŕchèd for nuts åll ôver thé îslánd and fillèd their littlè sacks.

But Nutkin gatherèd oak-applès—yellôw and scarlét—and sat upon a beech-stump plâying marblèś, and wātching^wotching thé dòor of^uv ôld Mr. Brõwn.

On thé third day thé sqυirrélś got up verý yèàŕlý and went fishing; they caught sevén fat minnôwś aś a preśént for Ôld Brõwn.

They paddlèd ôver thé lâkè and landėd under a crōōkéd chestnut tree on Owl Îslánd.

Twiñklèberrý and six őther littlè sqυirrélś each carrìêd a fat minnôw; but Nutkin, whö had nô nîçè mannerś, brøùght nô preśént at åll. Hê ran in frőnt, singing—

"thé man in thé wildernéss sãìd tó^tö mê,
'How mãný strawberrìêś grôw in thé sea?'

Î answerèd him aś Î thøùght gōōd—
'Aś mãný red herringś aś grôw in thé wōōd.'"

But ôld Mr. Brõwn tōōk nô intèrést in riddlèś—not êvén when thé answer wáś^woś próvîdėd for him.

On thé føùrth day thé sqυirrélś brøùght a preśént of^uv six fat beetlèś, which werè aś gōōd aś plumś in plum-pūdding for Ôld Brõwn. Each beetlè wáś^woś wrappèd up cãŕèfullý in a dock-leaf, fasténèd with a pînè-needlè pin.

But Nutkin sang aś rüdèlý aś ever—

"Ôld Mr. B! riddlè-mê-ree

Flõυŕ of^uv Ėñglánd, früìt of^uv Spain,
Met tógether in a shõwer of^uv rain;

Pūt in a bag tîèd round with a string,
If yöü'll tell mê this riddlè, Î'll givè yöü a ring!"

Which wáś^woś ridicûlòús of^uv Nutkin, bėcauśè hê had not got ãný ring tó^tö givè tó^tö Ôld Brõwn.

Thé őther sqυirrélś huntėd up and down thé nut būshéś; but Nutkin gatherèd robin's pincūshiónś off a brîàŕ būsh, and stuck them fūll of^uv pînè-needlè pinś.

On thé fifth day thé sqυirrélś brøùght a preśént of^uv wîld hőnêy; it wáś^woś sô sweet and stický that they lickèd their fiñgerś aś they pūt it down upon thé stônè. They had stôlén it out of^uv a bumblè beeś' nest on thé tippittý top of^uv thé hill.

But Nutkin skippèd up and down, singing—

"Hum-a-bum! buzz! buzz! Hum-a-bum buzz!

Aś Î went ôver Tipplè-tînè
Î met a flock of^uv bonný swînè;
Sőmè yellôw-nackèd, sőmè yellôw backèd!

they werè thé verý bonnìêst swînè
that ê'er went ôver Tipplè-tînè."

Ôld Mr. Brõwn turnèd up hiś èŷèś in disgust at thé impertínénçè of^uv Nutkin.

But hê âtè up thé hőnêy!

Thé sqυirrélś fillèd their littlè sacks with nuts.

But Nutkin sat upon a big flat rock, and playèd nînèpinś with a crab applè and green fir-cônèś.

On thé sixth day, which wáś^woś Saturday, thé sqυirrélś câmè ágãìn for thé last tîmè; they brøùght a new-laid egg in a littlè rush baskét aś a last parting preśént for Ôld Brõwn.

But Nutkin ran in frőnt laughing^lāfing, and shouting—

"Humptý Dumptý lîèś in thé beck,
With a whîtè counterpânè round hiś neck,

Fortý doctòŕś and fortý wrights,
Cannot pūt Humptý Dumptý tó^tö rights!"

Now ôld Mr. Brõwn tōōk an intèrést in eggś; hê ôpénèd one^wőnè èŷè and shut it ágãìn. But still hê did not speak.

Nutkin bėcâmè morè and morè impertínént—

"Ôld Mr. B! Ôld Mr. B!

Hickamore, Hackamorè, on thé King's kitchén dòor;

Åll thé King's horsėś, and åll thé King's men,

Cōūldn't drîvè Hickamore, Hackamorè,
Off thé King's kitchén dòor."

Nutkin dançèd up and down lîkè a sunbeam; but still Ôld Brõwn sãìd nőthing at åll.

Nutkin bėgan ágãìn—

"Arthur Ô'Bõwer haś brôkén hiś band,
Hê cőmèś røáring up thé land!

thé King of^uv Scots with åll hiś põwer,
Cannot turn Arthur of^uv thé Bõwer!"

Nutkin mâdè a whirring noiśè tó^tö sound lîkè thé wind, and hê tōōk a running jump right ontö thé heàd of^uv Ôld Brõwn!...

Then åll at őnçè^wőnçè theŕè wáś^woś a fluttermént and a scufflmént and a loud "Sqυeak!"

Thé őther sqυirrélś scutterèd áway intö thé būshéś.

When they câmè back verý cauţìòúslý, peeping round thé tree—theŕè wáś^woś Ôld Brõwn sitting on hiś dòor-step, qυîtè still, with hiś èŷèś clôśèd, aś if nőthing had happénèd.

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But Nutkin wáś^woś in hiś waistcoat pockét!

This lōōks lîkè thé end of^uv thé storý; but it iśn't.

Ôld Brõwn carrìêd Nutkin intö hiś housè, and held him up bŷ thé tail, intending tó^tö skin him; but Nutkin pūllèd sô verý hard that hiś tail brôkè in twö, and hê dashèd up thé stãircâsè and ėscâpèd out of^uv thé attic windôw.

And tó^tö this day, if yöü meet Nutkin up a tree and ask him a riddlè, hê will thrôw sticks at yöü, and stamp hiś feet and scôld, and shout—

"Cuck-cuck-cuck-cur-r-r-cuck-k-k!"

THÉ END