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017 - The Tale of the Pie and the Patty Pan · The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Others

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Story seventeen of Peter Rabbit and Other Tales by Beatrix Potter.
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  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Minagahari. Peter Rabbit and
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: Other Tales by Beatrix Potter. The tail of the pie
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: in the patty pan. Pussycat sits by the fire. How
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: should she be fair? In walks? The little dog says, Pussy,
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: are you there? How do you do, Mistress Pussy, Mistress Pussy,
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  Speaker 1: how do you do? I thank you kindly, little dog.
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  Speaker 1: I fare as well as you. Once upon a time
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  Speaker 1: there was a pussy cat called Ribby, who invited a
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: little dog called Duchess to tea Come in good time,
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  Speaker 1: my dear Duchess, said Ribby's letter, and we will have
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  Speaker 1: something so very nice. I am baking it in a
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  Speaker 1: pie dish, a pie dish with a pink rim. You
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  Speaker 1: never taste said anything so good, and you shall eat
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: it all. I will eat muffins, my dear Duchess, wrote Ribby.
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: Duchess read the letter and wrote an answer. I will
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: come with much pleasure at quarter past four, But it
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  Speaker 1: is very strange. I was just going to invite you
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  Speaker 1: to come here to supper, my dear Ribby, to eat
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  Speaker 1: something most delicious. I will come very punctually, my dear Ribby,
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: wrote Duchess, and then at the end she added, I
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: hope it isn't mouse, And then she thought that did
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: not look quite polite, so she scratched out isn't mouse
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: and changed it to I hope it will be fine.
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: And she gave her letter to the postman. But she
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: fought a great deal about Ribby's pie, and she read
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: Ribby's letter over and over again. I'm dreadfully afraid it
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  Speaker 1: will be mouse, said Duchess to herself. I really couldn't
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  Speaker 1: couldn't eat eat mouse pie, and I shall have to
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: eat it because it's a party. And my pie was
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: going to be veal and ham a pink and white
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  Speaker 1: pie dish, and so is mine, just like Ribby's dishes.
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  Speaker 1: They were both water tabitha twitchets. Duchess went into her
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  Speaker 1: lader and took the pie off a shelf and looked
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  Speaker 1: at it. It is all ready to put into the oven,
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  Speaker 1: such a lovely pie crust. And I put in a
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  Speaker 1: little tin patty pan to hold up the crust, and
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  Speaker 1: I made a horn in the middle with a fork
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  Speaker 1: to let out the steam. Oh, I do wish I
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: could eat my own pie instead of a pie made
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  Speaker 1: of mouse. Duchess considered and considered, and read Ribby's letter again.
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: A pink and white pie dish, and you shall eat
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  Speaker 1: it all you means me. Then Ribby is not going
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  Speaker 1: to even taste the pie herself. A pink and white
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  Speaker 1: pie dish. Ribby is sure to go out to buy
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  Speaker 1: the muffins. Oh, what a good idea. Why shouldn't I
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  Speaker 1: rush along and put my pie into Ribby's oven when
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: Ribby isn't there. Duchess was quite delighted with her own cleverness. Ribby,
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: in the meantime, had received Duchess's answer, and as soon
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: as she was sure that the little dog could come,
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: she popped her pie into the oven. There were two ovens,
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: one above the other. Some other knobs and handles were
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: only ornamental and not intended to open. Ribby put the
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: pie into the lower oven. The door was very stiff.
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: The top oven bakes too quickly, said Ribby to herself.
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  Speaker 1: It is a pie of the most delicate and tender
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  Speaker 1: mouse minced up with bacon, and I have taken out
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  Speaker 1: all the bones, because Duchess did nearly choke herself with
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  Speaker 1: a fishbone last time I gave a party. She eats
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  Speaker 1: a little fast, rather big mouthfuls, but a most genteel
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  Speaker 1: and elegant little dog. Infinitely soon perior company to cousin
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: tabitha twitch it. Ribby put on some coal and swept
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: up the hearth. Then she went out with a can
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  Speaker 1: to the well for water to fill up the kettle.
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  Speaker 1: Then she began to set the room in order, for
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  Speaker 1: it was the sitting room as well as the kitchen.
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  Speaker 1: She shook the mats out at the front door and
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  Speaker 1: put them straight. The half rug was a rabbit skin.
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  Speaker 1: She dusted the clock and the ornaments on the mantelpiece,
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  Speaker 1: and she polished and rubbed the tables and chairs. Then
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  Speaker 1: she spread a very clean white tablecloth and set out
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  Speaker 1: her best china tea set, which she took out of
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  Speaker 1: a wall cupboard near the fireplace. The teacups were white
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  Speaker 1: with a pattern of pink roses, and the dinner plates
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: were white and blue. When Ribby had laid the table,
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  Speaker 1: she took a jug and a blue and white dish,
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  Speaker 1: and went out down the field to the farm to
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  Speaker 1: fetch milk and butter. When she came back, she peeped
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  Speaker 1: into the bottom oven. The pie looked very comfortable. Ribby
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  Speaker 1: put on her shawl and bonnet and went out again
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  Speaker 1: with a basket to the village shop to buy a
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  Speaker 1: packet of tea, a pound of lump sugar, and a
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  Speaker 1: pot of marmalade. And just at the same time Duchess
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: came out of her house at the other end of
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  Speaker 1: the village. Ribby met Duchess half way down the street,
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  Speaker 1: also carrying a basket covered with a cloth. They only
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  Speaker 1: bow to one another. They did not speak, because they
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: were going to have a party. As soon as Duchess
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: had gone round the corner out of sight, she simply
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  Speaker 1: ran straightway to Ribby's house. Ribby went into the shop
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  Speaker 1: and bought what she required and came out after a
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  Speaker 1: pleasant gossip with cousin Tabitha twitch it. Cousin Tabitha was
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  Speaker 1: disdainful afterwards in conversation. A little dog indeed, just as
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  Speaker 1: if there were no cats in sawry, and a pie
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  Speaker 1: for afternoon tea. The very idea said cousin Tabitha twitch it.
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  Speaker 1: Ribby went on to Timothy Baker's and bought the muffins.
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  Speaker 1: Then she went home. There seemed to be a sort
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: of scuffling noise in the back passage as she was
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  Speaker 1: coming in at the front door. I trust that is
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  Speaker 1: not that pie. The spoons are locked up, however, said Ribby.
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  Speaker 1: But there was nobody there. Ribby opened the bottom oven
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  Speaker 1: door with some difficulty and turned the pie. There began
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  Speaker 1: to be a pleasing smell of baked mouse. Duchess, in
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  Speaker 1: the meantime, had slipped out at the back door. It
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: is a very odd thing that Ribby's pie was not
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  Speaker 1: in the oven when I put mine in, and I
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  Speaker 1: can't find it anywhere. I have looked all over the house.
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  Speaker 1: I put my pie into a nice hot oven at
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  Speaker 1: the top. I could not turn any of the other handles.
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  Speaker 1: I think that they are all shams, said Duchess. But
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: I wish I could have removed the pie made of mouse.
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  Speaker 1: I couldnot think what she has done with it. I
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: heard Ribby coming and I had to run up by
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  Speaker 1: the back door. Duchess went home and brushed her beautiful
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  Speaker 1: black coat, and then she picked a bunch of flowers
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  Speaker 1: in her garden as a present for Ribby, and passed
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: the time until the clock struck four. Ribby, having assured
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  Speaker 1: herself by careful search that there was really no one
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  Speaker 1: hiding in the cupboard or in the larder, went upstairs
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  Speaker 1: to change her dress. She put on a lilac silk
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  Speaker 1: gown for the party, and an embroidered muslin apron and tippet.
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  Speaker 1: It is very strange, said Ribby. I do not think
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  Speaker 1: I left that drawer pulled out. Has somebody been trying
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  Speaker 1: on my mittens? She came downstairs again and made the
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  Speaker 1: tea and put the teapot on the hob. She peeped
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  Speaker 1: again to the bottom oven. The pie had become a
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  Speaker 1: lovely brown, and it was steaming hot. She sat down
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  Speaker 1: before the fire to wait for the little dog. I
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  Speaker 1: am glad I used the bottom oven, said Ribby. The
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  Speaker 1: top one would certainly have been very much too hot.
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  Speaker 1: I wonder why that cupboard door was open? Can there
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  Speaker 1: really have been some one in the house. Very punctually
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  Speaker 1: at four o'clock, Dutchess style to go to the party.
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  Speaker 1: She ran so fast through the village that she was
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  Speaker 1: too early, and she had to wait a little while
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  Speaker 1: in the lane that leads down to Ribby's house. I
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  Speaker 1: wonder if Ribby has taken my pie out of the
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  Speaker 1: oven yet, said Duchess, And whatever can have become of
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  Speaker 1: the other pie made of mouse? At a quarter past
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  Speaker 1: four to the minute, there came a most genteel little
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  Speaker 1: tap tappity, is missus Ribston at home? Inquired Duchess in
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  Speaker 1: the porch? Come in and how do you do, my
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  Speaker 1: dear duchess, cried Ribby. I hope I see you well
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  Speaker 1: quite well. I thank you? And how do you do,
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  Speaker 1: my dear Ribby, said duchess. I brought you some flowers.
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  Speaker 1: What a delicious smell of pie? Oh, what lovely flowers?
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  Speaker 1: Yes it is mouse and bacon. Do not talk about food,
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  Speaker 1: my dear Ribby, said duchess. What a lovely white teacloth?
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  Speaker 1: Is it done to a turn? Is it still in
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  Speaker 1: the oven? I think it wants in ever five minutes,
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  Speaker 1: said Ribby. Just a shade longer. I will pour out
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  Speaker 1: the tea while we wait. Do you take any sugar,
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  Speaker 1: my dear duchess? Oh? Yes, please, my dear Ribby. And
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  Speaker 1: may I have a lamp upon my nose with pleasure,
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  Speaker 1: my dear duchess, How beautifully you beg Oh, how sweetly pretty?
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  Speaker 1: Duchess sat up with a sugar on her nose and sniffled.
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  Speaker 1: How good that pie smells, I dear love veal and ham.
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  Speaker 1: I mean to say, mouse and bacon. She dropped the
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  Speaker 1: sugar in confusion and had to go hunting under the
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  Speaker 1: tea table, so did not see which Elvin Ribby opened
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  Speaker 1: in order to get out the pie. Ribby set the
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  Speaker 1: pie upon the table. There was a very savory smell.
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  Speaker 1: Duchess came out from under the tablecloth, munching sugar, and
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  Speaker 1: sat upon a chair. I will first cut the pie
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  Speaker 1: for you. I'm going to have muffin and maum lad,
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  Speaker 1: said Ribby. Do you really prefer muffin? Mind the petty pan?
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  Speaker 1: I beg your pardon, said Ribby. May I pass you
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  Speaker 1: the marmalade, said duchess hurriedly. The pie proved extremely toothsome,
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  Speaker 1: and the muffins a light and hot. They disappeared rapidly,
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  Speaker 1: especially the pie, I think, thought the duchess to herself.
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  Speaker 1: I think it'd be wiser if I helped myself to pie,
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  Speaker 1: though Ribby did not seem to notice anything when she
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  Speaker 1: was cutting it. What very small fine pieces it has
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  Speaker 1: cooked into. I do not remember that I had minced
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  Speaker 1: it up so fine. I suppose this is a quicker
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  Speaker 1: oven than my own. How fast Duchess is eating, thought
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  Speaker 1: Ribby to herself, as she buttered her fifth muffin. The
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: pie dish was emptying rapidly. Duchess had had four helps
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  Speaker 1: already and was fumbling with the spoon a little more bacon,
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  Speaker 1: my dear Duchess, said Ribby. Thank you, my dear Ribby.
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  Speaker 1: I was only feeling for the petty pan, for patty pan,
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  Speaker 1: my dear Duchess, the petty pan that held up the
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  Speaker 1: pie crust, said Duchess, blushing under her black coat. Oh
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  Speaker 1: I didn't put one in, my dear Duchess, said Ribby.
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: I don't think that is necessary in pies made of mouse.
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: Duchess fumbled with the spoon. I can't find it, she said, anxiously.
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  Speaker 1: There isn't a patty pan, said Ribby, looking perplexed. Yes, indeed,
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  Speaker 1: my dear Ribby, where can it have gone to? Said Duchess.
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: There most certainly is not one, my dear Duchess. I
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: disapprove of ten articles and puddings and pies. It is
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  Speaker 1: most undesirable, especially when people swallow in lumps, she added
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: in a lower voice. Duchess looked very much alarmed and
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: continued to scoop the inside of the pie dish. My
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: great aunt Squintina, grandmother of cousin tabithat witchit died of
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  Speaker 1: a fimble in a Ristmas plumpudding. I never put any
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: article of metal in my puddings or pies. Duchess looked
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  Speaker 1: aghast and tilted up the pie dish. I only have
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  Speaker 1: four patty pans, and they are all in the cupboard.
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: Duchess set up a howl. I shall die, I shall die.
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  Speaker 1: I have swallowed a petty pan. Oh, my dear Ruby,
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  Speaker 1: I do feel so ill. It is impossible, My dear Duchess,
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: there was not a patty pan. Duchess moaned and whined
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  Speaker 1: and rocked herself about. Oh, I feel so dreadful. I
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: have swallowed a petty pod. There was nothing in the pie,
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: said Ribby severely. Yes there was, my dear Ruby. I
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  Speaker 1: am sure I have swallowed it. Let me prop you
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  Speaker 1: up with a pillow, My dear Duchess, where do you
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  Speaker 1: think you feel it? Oh? I do feel so ill
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  Speaker 1: all over me, My dear Ruby, I have swallowed a
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  Speaker 1: large tin patty pan with a sh sharp scalloped edge.
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: Shall I run for the doctor. I will just look
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: up the spoons. Oh yes, yes, search doctor Maggotty, my
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: dear Ribby. He is a pie himself, he will certainly understand.
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: Ribby settled Duchess in an arm chair before the fire
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  Speaker 1: and went out and hurried to the village to look
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: for the doctor. She found him at the smithy, who
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: was occupied in putting rusty nails into a bottle of
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: ink which he had obtained at the post office. Gammon
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: ha ha said he with his head on one side.
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  Speaker 1: Ribby explained that her guest had swallowed a patty pan
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: spinach ha huh, said he, and accompanied her with alacrity.
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  Speaker 1: He hopped so fast that Ribby had to run. It
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: was most conspicuous. All the village could see that Ribby
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: was fetching the doctor. I knew they would over it themselves,
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: said cousin Tabitha twitch it. But while Ribby had been
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: hunting for the doctor, a curious thing had happen, And
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: to Duchess, who had been left by herself sitting before
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: the fire, sighing and groaning and feeling very unhappy. How
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: could I have swallowed it such a large thing as
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: a patty pan. She got up and went to the
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: table and felt inside the pie dish again with a spoon. No,
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: there isn't her patty pan, and I put one in,
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: and nobody has eaten pie except me, so I must
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: have swallowed it. She sat down again and stared mournfully
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: at the grate. The fire crackled and danced, and something sizzled.
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: Duchess started. She opened the door of the top oven.
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: Out came a rich, steamy flavor of veel and ham,
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: and there stood a fine brown pie. And threw a
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: hole in the top of the pie crust. There was
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: a glimpse of a little tin patty pan. Duchess drew
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: a long breath. Then I must have been eating mouse.
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: No wonder I feel ill, But perhaps I should feel
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: worse if I had really swallowed a patty pan. Duchess reflected,
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: what a very awkward thing to have to explain to Ribby.
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: I think I will put my pie in the back
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: yard and say nothing about it. When I go home,
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: I will run around and take it away. She put
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: it outside the back door, and sat down again by
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: the fire and shut her eyes. When Ruby arrived with
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: the doctor, she seemed fast asleep. Gammon. Huh huh, said
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: the doctor. I am feeling very much better, said Duchess,
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: waking up with a jump. I am truly glad to
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: hear it. He has brought you a pill, my dear Duchess.
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: I think I should feel quite well if he only
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: felt my pulse, said Duchess, backing away from the magpie,
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: who sidled up with something in his beak. It is
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: only a bread pill. You had much better take it.
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: Drink a little milk, my dear duchess. Gammon, gammon, said
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: the doctor, while Duchess coughed and choked. Do say that again,
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: said Ribby, losing her temper. Here take this bread and
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: jam and get out into the yard. Gaml and spinach
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: ha ha ha, shouted Doctor Maggotty triumphantly outside the back door.
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: I am feeling very much better, my dear Ribby, said Duchess.
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: Do you not think that I had better go home
• 16:19
  Speaker 1: before it gets dark? Perhaps it might be wise, my
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: dear Duchess. I will lend you a nice warm shawl,
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: and you shall take my arm. I would not trouble
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: you for worlds. I feel wonderfully better one pell of
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: Doctor Maggotty. Indeed it is most admirable if it has
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: cured you of a patty pan. I will call her
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: rictly after breakfast to ask how you have slept. Ribby
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: and Duchess said good bye affectionately, and Duchess started home.
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: Half way up the lane, she stopped and looked back.
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: Ribby had gone in and shut the door. Duchess slipped
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: through the fence and ran round to the back of
• 16:53
  Speaker 1: Ribby's house and peeped into the yard. Upon the roof
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: of the pig stye. It sat Doctor Maggotty and three
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: jacked doors. The jackdaws were eating pie crust, and the
• 17:02
  Speaker 1: magpie was drinking gravy out of a patty pan. Gammon,
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: ha ha, he shouted when he saw Duchess's little black
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: nose peeping round the corner. Duchess ran home, feeling uncommonly silly.
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: When Ribby came out for a pailful of water to
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: wash up the tea things, she found a pink and
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: white pie dish lying smashed in the middle of the yard.
• 17:24
  Speaker 1: The patty pan was under the pump, where doctor Maggotty
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: had considerably left it. Ribby stared with amazement. Did you
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: ever see the like? So there really was a patty pan,
• 17:37
  Speaker 1: But my patty pans are all in the kitchen cupboard.
• 17:40
  Speaker 1: Well I never did. Next time I want to give
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: a party, I will invite cousin Tabbath to twitchet end
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: of the tail of the pie and the patty pan.