The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle | Page 2

of stockings belonging to Sally Henny-penny --look
how she's worn the heels out with scratching in the yard! She'll very
soon go barefoot!" said Mrs. Tiggy-winkle.
"WHY, there's another handkersniff--but it isn't mine; it's red?" "Oh no,
if you please'm; that one belongs to old Mrs. Rabbit; and it did so smell
of onions! I've had to wash it separately, I can't get out the smell."

"There's another one of mine," said Lucie.
"WHAT are those funny little white things?" "That's a pair of mittens
belonging to Tabby Kitten; I only have to iron them; she washes then
herself." "There's my last pocket- handkin!" said Lucie.
"AND what are you dipping into the basin of starch?" "They're little
dicky shirt-fronts belonging to Tom Tits-mouse --most terrible
particular!" said Mrs. Tiddy-winkle. "Now I've finished my ironing; I'm
going to air some clothes."
"WHAT are these dear soft fluffy things?" said Lucie. "Oh those are
woolly coats belonging to the little lambs at Skelghyl."
"Will their jackets take-off?" asked Lucie.
"Oh yes, if you please'm; look at the sheep-mark on the shoulder. And
here's one marked for Gatesgarth, and three that come from Little-town.
They're always marked at washing!" said Mrs. Tiggy-winkle.
AND she hung up all sorts and sizes of clothes-- small brown coats of
mice; and one velvety black mole-skin waist coat; and a red tail-coat
with no tail belonging to Squirrel Nutkin; and a very much shrunk
jacket belonging to Peter Rabbit; and a petticoat, not marked, that had
gone lost in the washing --and at last the basket was empty!
THEN Mrs. Tiggy-winkle made tea--a cup for herself and a cup for
Lucie. They sat before a fire on a bench and looked sideways at one
another.
Mrs. Tiggy-winkle's hand, holding the tea-cup, was very very brown,
and very very wrinkly with the soap suds; and all through her gown and
her cap, there were hair-pins sticking wrong end out; so that Lucie
didn't like to sit to near her.
WHEN they had finished tea, they tied up the clothes in bundles; and
Lucie's pocket-handkerchiefs were folded up inside her clean pinny,
and fastened with a silver safety-pin.
And then they made up the fire with turf, and came out and locked the
door, and hid the key under the door-sill.
THEN away down the hill trotted Lucie and Mrs. Tiggy-winkle and the
bundles of clothes!
All the way down the path little animals came out of the fern to meet
them; the very first that they met was Peter Rabbit and Benjamin
Bunny!
AND she gave them their Nice clean clothes; and all the little animals

and birds were so very much obliged to dear Mrs. Tiggy-winkle.
SO that at the bottom of the hill when they came to the stile, there was
nothing left to carry except Lucie's one little bundle.
Lucie scrambled up the stile with the bundle in her hand; and then she
turned to say, "Good-Night," and to thank the washer-woman-- But
what a very odd thing! Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle had not waited either for
thanks or for the washing bill! She was running running running up the
hill--and Where was her white frilled cap? and her shawl? and her
gown--and her petticoat?
AND how small she had grown--and how brown --and covered with
prickles! Why! Mrs. Tiggy-winkle was nothing but a hedgehog.
* * * * *
(Now some people say that little Lucie had been asleep upon the stile--
but then how could she have found three clean pocket-handkins and a
pinny, pinned with a silver safety pin? And besides--I have seen that
door into the back of the hill called Cat Bells--and besides I am very
well acquainted with dear Mrs. Tiggy-winkle!)

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Potter
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