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And then Lucie asked Cock Robin sitting on a twig。 Cock Robin looked sideways at Lucie with his bright black eye； and he flew over a stile and away。
Lucie climbed upon the stile and looked up at the hill behind Little… towna hill that goes upupinto the clouds as though it had no top！
And a great way up the hillside she thought she saw some white things spread upon the grass。
Lucie scrambled up the hill as fast as her short legs would carry her； she ran along a steep path…wayup and upuntil Little…town was right away down belowshe could have dropped a pebble down the chimney！
Presently she came to a spring； bubbling out from the hillside。
Some one had stood a tin can upon a stone to catch the waterbut the water was already running over； for the can was no bigger than an egg… cup！ And where the sand upon the path was wetthere were footmarks of a VERY small person。
Lucie ran on； and on。
The path ended under a big rock。 The grass was short and green； and there were clothes…props cut from bracken stems； with lines of plaited rushes； and a heap of tiny clothes pinsbut no pocket…handkerchiefs！
But there was something elsea door！ straight into the hill； and inside it some one was singing
〃Lily…white and clean； oh！ With little frills between； oh！ Smooth and hot…red rusty spot Never here be seen； oh！〃
Lucie knocked…once…twice； and interrupted the song。 A little frightened voice called out 〃Who's that？〃
Lucie opened the door： and what do you think there was inside the hill？a nice clean kitchen with a flagged floor and wooden beams just like any other farm kitchen。 Only the ceiling was so low that Lucie's head nearly touched it； and the pots and pans were small； and so was everything there。
There was a nice hot singey smell； and at the table； with an iron in her hand； stood a very stout short person staring anxiously at Lucie。
Her print gown was tucked up； and she was wearing a large apron over her striped petticoat。 Her little black nose went sniffle； sniffle； snuffle； and her eyes went twinkle； twinkle； and underneath her cap…where Lucie had yellow curls…that little person had PRICKLES！
〃Who are you？〃 said Lucie。 〃Have you seen my pocket…handkins？〃
The little person made a bob… curtsey〃Oh yes； if you please'm； my name is Mrs。 Tiggy…winkle； oh yes if you please'm； I'm an excellent clear… starcher！〃 And she took something out of the clothesbasket； and spread it on the ironing…blanket。
〃What's that thing？〃 said Lucie… 〃that's not my pocket…handkin？〃
〃Oh no； if you please'm； that's a little scarlet waist…coat belonging to Cock Robin！〃
And she ironed it and folded it； and put it on one side。
Then she took something else off a clothes…horse〃That isn't my pinny？〃 said Lucie。
〃Oh no； if you please'm； that's a damask table…cloth belonging to Jenny Wren； look how it's stained with currant wine！ It's very bad to wash！〃 said Mrs。 Tiggy…winkle。
Mrs。 Tiggy…winkle's nose went sniffle sniffle snuffle； and her eyes went twinkle twinkle； and she fetched another hot iron from the fire。
〃There's one of my pocket… handkins！〃 cried Lucie〃and there's my pinny！〃
Mrs。 Tiggy…winkle ironed it； and goffered it； and shook out the frills。
〃Oh that IS lovely！〃 said Lucie。
〃And what are those long yellow things with fingers like gloves？〃
〃Oh that's a pair of stockings belonging to Sally Henny…pennylook 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 hankersniff 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 that 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 them 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 Titmousemost terrible particular！〃 said Mrs。 Tiggy… 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 clothessmall brown coats of mice； and one velvety black moleskin waist…coat； and a red tail…coat with no tail belonging to Squirrel Nutkin； and a very much shrunk blue jacket belonging to Peter Rabbit； and a petticoat； not marked； that had gone lost in the washingand at last the basket was empty！
Then Mrs。 Tiggy…winkle made teaa cup for herself and a cup for Lucie。 They sat before the 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 HAIRPINS sticking wrong end out； so that Lucie didn't like to sit too 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 with 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 were 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 hilland where was her white frilled cap？ and her shawl？ and her gown…and her petticoat？
And HOW small she had grown and HOW brownand covered with PRICKLES！
Why！ Mrs。 Tiggy…winkle was nothing but a HEDGEHOG！ * * * * * *
（Now some people say that little Lucie had been asleep upon the stilebut then how could she have found three clean pocket…handkins and a pinny； pinned with a silver safety…pin？
And besidesI have seen that door into the back of the hill called Cat Bellsand besides _I_ am very well acquainted with dear Mrs。 Tiggy…winkle！）
THE PIE AND THE PATTY…PAN
Pussy…cat sits by the firehow should she be fair？ In walks the little dogsays 〃Pussy are you there？ How do you do Mistress Pussy？ Mistress Pussy； how do you do？〃 〃I thank you kindly； little dog； I fare as well as you！〃 _Old Rhyme＇
Once upon a time there was a Pussy…cat called Ribby； who invited a little dog called Duchess to tea。
〃Come in good time； my dear Duchess；〃 said Ribby's letter； 〃and we will have something so very nice。 I am baking it in a pie…disha pie…dish with a pink rim。 You never tasted anything so good！ And YOU shall eat it all！ _I_ will eat muffins； my dear Duchess！〃 wrote Ribby。
〃I will come very punctually； my dear Ribby；〃 wrote Duchess； and then at the end she added〃I hope it isn't mouse？〃
And then she thought that did not look quite polite； so she scratched out 〃isn't mouse〃 and changed it to 〃I hope it will be fine；〃 and she gave her letter to the postman。
But she thought a great deal about Ribby's pie； and she read Ribby's letter over and over again。
〃I am dreadfully afraid it WILL be mouse！〃 said Duchess to herself〃I really couldn't； COULDN'T eat mouse pie。 And I shall have to eat it； because it is a party。 And MY pie was going to be veal and ham。 A pink and white pie…dish！ and so is mine； just like Ribby's dishes； they were both bought at Tabitha Twitchit's。〃
Duchess went into her larder and took the pie off a shelf and looked at it。
〃Oh what a good idea！ Why shouldn't I rush along and put my pie into Ribby's oven when Ribby isn't there？〃
Ribby in the meantime had received Duchess's answer； and as soon as she was sure that the little dog would comeshe popped HER pie into the oven。 There were two ovens； one above the other； some other knobs and handles were only ornamental and not intended to open。 Ribby put the pie into the lower oven； the door was very stiff。
〃The top oven bakes too quickly；〃 said Ribby to herself。
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。
When Ribby had laid the table she went out down the field to the far