The Tale of the Pie and the Patty Pan | Page 2

MADE OF MOUSE]
Ribby put on some coal and swept up the hearth. Then she went out
with a can to the well, for water to fill up the kettle.
Then she began to set the room in order, for it was the sitting-room as

well as the kitchen. She shook the mats out at the front-door and put
them straight; the hearthrug was a rabbit-skin. She dusted the clock and
the ornaments on the mantelpiece, and she polished and rubbed the
tables and chairs.
Then she spread a very clean white table-cloth, and set out her best
china tea-set, which she took out of a wall-cupboard near the fireplace.
The tea-cups were white with a pattern of pink roses; and the
dinner-plates were white and blue.
[Illustration]
When Ribby had laid the table she took a jug and a blue and white dish,
and went out down the field to the farm, to fetch milk and butter.
When she came back, she peeped into the bottom oven; the pie looked
very comfortable.
Ribby put on her shawl and bonnet and went out again with a basket, to
the village shop to buy a packet of tea, a pound of lump sugar, and a
pot of marmalade.
And just at the same time, Duchess came out of her house, at the other
end of the village.
[Illustration: THE VEAL AND HAM PIE]
Ribby met Duchess half-way down the street, also carrying a basket,
covered with a cloth. They only bowed to one another; they did not
speak, because they were going to have a party.
As soon as Duchess had got round the corner out of sight--she simply
ran! Straight away to Ribby's house!
[Illustration]
Ribby went into the shop and bought what she required, and came out,
after a pleasant gossip with Cousin Tabitha Twitchit.
[Illustration]
Cousin Tabitha was disdainful afterwards in conversation--
"A little dog indeed! Just as if there were no CATS in Sawrey! And a
pie for afternoon tea! The very idea!" said Cousin Tabitha Twitchit.
Ribby went on to Timothy Baker's and bought the muffins. Then she
went home.
There seemed to be a sort of scuffling noise in the back passage, as she
was coming in at the front door.
"I trust that is not that Pie: the spoons are locked up, however," said
Ribby.

But there was nobody there. Ribby opened the bottom oven door with
some difficulty, and turned the pie. There began to be a pleasing smell
of baked mouse!
[Illustration: WHERE IS THE PIE MADE OF MOUSE?]
Duchess in the meantime, had slipped out at the back door.
"It is a very odd thing that Ribby's pie was not in the oven when I put
mine in! And I can't find it anywhere; I have looked all over the house.
I put my pie into a nice hot oven at the top. I could not turn any of the
other handles; I think that they are all shams," said Duchess, "but I wish
I could have removed the pie made of mouse! I cannot think what she
has done with it? I heard Ribby coming and I had to run out by the back
door!"
[Illustration]
Duchess went home and brushed her beautiful black coat; and then she
picked a bunch of flowers in her garden as a present for Ribby; and
passed the time until the clock struck four.
Ribby--having assured herself by careful search that there was really no
one hiding in the cupboard or in the larder--went upstairs to change her
dress.
She put on a lilac silk gown, for the party, and an embroidered muslin
apron and tippet.
"It is very strange," said Ribby, "I did not think I left that drawer pulled
out; has somebody been trying on my mittens?"
She came downstairs again, and made the tea, and put the teapot on the
hob. She peeped again into the bottom oven, the pie had become a
lovely brown, and it was steaming hot.
[Illustration: READY FOR THE PARTY]
She sat down before the fire to wait for the little dog. "I am glad I used
the bottom oven," said Ribby, "the top one would certainly have been
very much too hot. I wonder why that cupboard door was open? Can
there really have been someone in the house?"
Very punctually at four o'clock, Duchess started to go to the party. She
ran so fast through the village that she was too early, and she had to
wait a little while in the lane that leads down to Ribby's house.
"I wonder if Ribby has taken my pie out of the oven yet?" said Duchess,
"and whatever can have become of the other pie made of mouse?"
[Illustration]

At a quarter past four to the minute, there came