THE TALE OF JEMIMA PUDDLE-DUCK A FARMYARD TALE FOR RALPH AND BETSY
WHAT a funny sight it is to see a brood of ducklings with a hen!--Listen to the story of Jemima Puddle-duck, who was annoyed because thefarmer's wife would not let her hatch her own eggs.
HER sister-in-law, Mrs. Rebeccah Puddle-duck, was perfectly willing toleave the hatching to some one else--"I have not the patience to sit ona nest for twenty-eight days; and no more have you, Jemima. You wouldlet them go cold; you know you would!"
"I wish to hatch my own eggs; I will hatch them all by myself," quackedJemima Puddle-duck.
SHE tried to hide her eggs; but they were always found and carried off.
Jemima Puddle-duck became quite desperate. She determined to make a nestright away from the farm.
SHE set off on a fine spring afternoon along the cart-road that leadsover the hill.
She was wearing a shawl and a poke bonnet.
WHEN she reached the top of the hill, she saw a wood in the distance.
She thought that it looked a safe quiet spot.
JEMIMA PUDDLE-DUCK was not much in the habit of flying. She ran downhilla few yards flapping her shawl, and then she jumped off into the air.
SHE flew beautifully when she had got a good start.
She skimmed along over the tree-tops until she saw an open place in themiddle of the wood, where the trees and brushwood had been cleared.
JEMIMA alighted rather heavily, and began to waddle about in search of aconvenient dry nesting-place. She rather fancied a tree-stump amongstsome tall fox-gloves.
But--seated upon the stump, she was startled to find an elegantlydressed gentleman reading a newspaper.
He had black prick ears and sandy coloured whiskers.
"Quack?" said Jemima Puddle-duck, with her head and her bonnet on oneside--"Quack?"
THE gentleman raised his eyes above his newspaper and looked curiouslyat Jemima--
"Madam, have you lost your way?" said he. He had a long bushy tail whichhe was sitting upon, as the stump was somewhat damp.
Jemima thought him mighty civil and handsome. She explained that she hadnot lost her way, but that she was trying to find a convenient drynesting-place.
"AH! is that so? indeed!" said the gentleman with sandy whiskers,looking curiously at Jemima. He folded up the newspaper, and put it inhis coat-tail pocket.
Jemima complained of the superfluous hen.
"Indeed! how interesting! I wish I could meet with that fowl. I wouldteach it to mind its own business!"
"BUT as to a nest--there is no difficulty: I have a sackful of feathersin my wood-shed. No, my dear madam, you will be in nobody's way. You maysit there as long as you like," said the bushy long-tailed gentleman.
He led the way to a very retired, dismal-looking house amongst thefox-gloves.
It was built of faggots and turf, and there were two broken pails, oneon top of another, by way of a chimney.
"THIS is my summer residence; you would not find my earth--my winterhouse--so convenient," said the hospitable gentleman.
There was a tumble-down shed at the back of the house, made of oldsoap-boxes. The gentleman opened the door, and showed Jemima in.
THE shed was almost quite full of feathers--it was almost suffocating;but it was comfortable and very soft.
Jemima Puddle-duck was rather surprised to find such a vast quantity offeathers. But it was very comfortable; and she made a nest without anytrouble at all.
WHEN she came out, the sandy whiskered gentleman was sitting on a logreading the newspaper--at least he had it spread out, but he was lookingover the top of it.
He was so polite, that he seemed almost sorry to let Jemima go home forthe night. He promised to take great care of her nest until she cameback again next day.
He said he loved eggs and ducklings; he should be proud to see a finenestful in his wood-shed.
JEMIMA PUDDLE-DUCK came every afternoon; she laid nine eggs in the nest.They were greeny white and very large. The foxy gentleman admired themimmensely. He used to turn them over and count them when Jemima was notthere.
At last Jemima told him that she intended to begin to sit next day--"andI will bring a bag of corn with me, so that I need never leave my nestuntil the eggs are hatched. They might catch cold," said theconscientious Jemima.
"MADAM, I beg you not to trouble yourself with a bag; I will provideoats. But before you commence your tedious sitting, I intend to give youa treat. Let us have a dinner-party all to ourselves!
"May I ask you to bring up some herbs from the farm-garden to make asavoury omelette? Sage and thyme, and mint and two onions, and someparsley. I will provide lard for the stuff-lard for the omelette," saidthe hospitable gentleman with sandy whiskers.
JEMIMA PUDDLE-DUCK was a simpleton: not even the mention of sage andonions made her suspicious.
She went round the farm-garden, nibbling off snippets of all thedifferent sorts of herbs that are used for stuffing roast duck.
AND she waddled into the kitchen, and got two onions out of a basket.
The collie-dog Kep met her coming out, "What are you doing with thoseonions? Where do you go every afternoon by yourself, JemimaPuddle-duck?"
Jemima was rather in awe of the collie; she told him the whole story.
The collie listened, with his wise head on one side; he grinned when shedescribed the polite gentleman with sandy whiskers.
HE asked several questions about the wood, and about the exact positionof the house and shed.
Then he went out, and trotted down the village. He went to look for twofox-hound puppies who were out at walk with the butcher.
JEMIMA PUDDLE-DUCK went up the cart-road for the last time, on a sunnyafternoon. She was rather burdened with bunches of herbs and two onionsin a bag.
She flew over the wood, and alighted opposite the house of the bushylong-tailed gentleman.
HE was sitting on a log; he sniffed the air, and kept glancing uneasilyround the wood. When Jemima alighted he quite jumped.
"Come into the house as soon as you have looked at your eggs. Give methe herbs for the omelette. Be sharp!"
He was rather abrupt. Jemima Puddle-duck had never heard him speak likethat.
She felt surprised, and uncomfortable.
WHILE she was inside she heard pattering feet round the back of theshed. Some one with a black nose sniffed at the bottom of the door, andthen locked it.
Jemima became much alarmed.
A MOMENT afterwards there were most awful noises--barking, baying,growls and howls, squealing and groans.
And nothing more was ever seen of that foxy-whiskered gentleman.
PRESENTLY Kep opened the door of the shed, and let out JemimaPuddle-duck.
Unfortunately the puppies rushed in and gobbled up all the eggs beforehe could stop them.
He had a bite on his ear and both the puppies were limping.
JEMIMA PUDDLE-DUCK was escorted home in tears on account of those eggs.
SHE laid some more in June, and she was permitted to keep them herself:but only four of them hatched.
Jemima Puddle-duck said that it was because of her nerves; but she hadalways been a bad sitter.
THE END
A Collection of Beatrix Potter Stories Page 11