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Mr。 Jeremy took a reed pole； and pushed the boat out into open water。 〃I know a good place for minnows；〃 said Mr。 Jeremy Fisher。
Mr。 Jeremy stuck his pole into the mud and fastened the boat to it。
Then he settled himself cross… legged and arranged his fishing tackle。 He had the dearest little red float。 His rod was a tough stalk of grass； his line was a fine long white horse…hair； and he tied a little wriggling worm at the end。
The rain trickled down his back； and for nearly an hour he stared at the float。
〃This is getting tiresome； I think I should like some lunch；〃 said Mr。 Jeremy Fisher。
He punted back again amongst the water…plants； and took some lunch out of his basket。
〃I will eat a butterfly sandwich； and wait till the shower is over；〃 said Mr。 Jeremy Fisher。
A great big water…beetle came up underneath the lily leaf and tweaked the toe of one of his galoshes。
Mr。 Jeremy crossed his legs up shorter； out of reach； and went on eating his sandwich。
Once or twice something moved about with a rustle and a splash amongst the rushes at the side of the pond。
〃I trust that is not a rat；〃 said Mr。 Jeremy Fisher； 〃I think I had better get away from here。〃
Mr。 Jeremy shoved the boat out again a little way； and dropped in the bait。 There was a bite almost directly； the float gave a tremendous bobbit！
〃A minnow！ a minnow！ I have him by the nose！〃 cried Mr。 Jeremy Fisher； jerking up his rod。
But what a horrible surprise！ Instead of a smooth fat minnow； Mr。 Jeremy landed little Jack Sharp； the stickleback； covered with spines！
The stickleback floundered about the boat； pricking and snapping until he was quite out of breath。 Then he jumped back into the water。
And a shoal of other little fishes put their heads out； and laughed at Mr。 Jeremy Fisher。
And while Mr。 Jeremy sat disconsolately on the edge of his boatsucking his sore fingers and peering down into the watera MUCH worse thing happened； a really FRIGHTFUL thing it would have been； if Mr。 Jeremy had not been wearing a mackintosh！
A great big enormous trout came upker…pflop…p…p…p！ with a splash and it seized Mr。 Jeremy with a snap； 〃Ow！ Ow！ Ow！〃and then it turned and dived down to the bottom of the pond！
But the trout was so displeased with the taste of the mackintosh； that in less than half a minute it spat him out again； and the only thing it swallowed was Mr。 Jeremy's galoshes。
Mr。 Jeremy bounced up to the surface of the water； like a cork and the bubbles out of a soda water bottle； and he swam with all his might to the edge of the pond。
He scrambled out on the first bank he came to； and he hopped home across the meadow with his mackintosh all in tatters。
〃What a mercy that was not a pike！〃 said Mr。 Jeremy Fisher。 〃I have lost my rod and basket； but it does not much matter； for I am sure I should never have dared to go fishing again！〃
He put some sticking plaster on his fingers； and his friends both came to dinner。 He could not offer them fish； but he had something else in his larder。
Sir Isaac Newton wore his black
and gold waistcoat。
And Mr。 Alderman Ptolemy Tortoise brought a salad with him in a string bag。
And instead of a nice dish of minnows； they had a roasted grasshopper with lady…bird sauce； which frogs consider a beautiful treat； but _I_ think it must have been nasty！
THE STORY OF A FIERCE BAD RABBIT
This is a fierce bad Rabbit； look at his savage whiskers and his claws and his turned…up tail。
This is a nice gentle Rabbit。 His mother has given him a carrot。
The bad Rabbit would like some carrot。
He doesn't say 〃Please。〃 He takes it！
And he scratches the good Rabbit very badly。
The good Rabbit creeps away and hides in a hole。 It feels sad。
This is a man with a gun。
He sees something sitting on a bench。 He thinks it is a very funny bird！
He comes creeping up behind the trees。
And then he shootsBANG！
This is what happens
But this is all he finds on the bench when he rushes up with his gun。
The good Rabbit peeps out of its hole 。 。 。
。 。 。 and it sees the bad Rabbit tearing pastwithout any tail or whiskers！
THE STORY OF MISS MOPPET
This is a Pussy called Miss Moppet； she thinks she has heard a mouse！
This is the Mouse peeping out behind the cupboard and making fun of Miss Moppet。 He is not afraid of a kitten。
This is Miss Moppet jumping just too late； she misses the Mouse and hits her own head。
She thinks it is a very hard cupboard！
The Mouse watches Miss Moppet from the top of the cupboard。
Miss Moppet ties up her head in a duster and sits before the fire。
The Mouse thinks she is looking very ill。 He comes sliding down the bellpull。
Miss Moppet looks worse and worse。 The Mouse comes a little nearer。
Miss Moppet holds her poor head in her paws and looks at him through a hole in the duster。 The Mouse comes VERY close。
And then all of a suddenMiss Moppet jumps upon the Mouse！
And because the Mouse has teased Miss MoppetMiss Moppet thinks she will tease the Mouse； which is not at all nice of Miss Moppet。
She ties him up in the duster and tosses it about like a ball。
But she forgot about that hole in the duster； and when she untied it there was no Mouse！
He has wriggled out and run away； and he is dancing a jig on top of the cupboard！
THE TALE OF TOM KITTEN
＇Dedicated to All Pickles； Especially to Those That Get upon My Garden Wall＇
Once upon a time there were three little kittens； and their names were Mittens； Tom Kitten； and Moppet。
They had dear little fur coats of their own； and they tumbled about the doorstep and played in the dust。
But one day their motherMrs。 Tabitha Twitchitexpected friends to tea； so she fetched the kittens indoors； to wash and dress them； before the fine company arrived。
First she scrubbed their faces （this one is Moppet）。
Then she brushed their fur （this one is Mittens）。
Then she combed their tails and whiskers （this is Tom Kitten）。
Tom was very naughty； and he scratched。
Mrs。 Tabitha dressed Moppet and Mittens in clean pinafores and tuckers； and then she took all sorts of elegant uncomfortable clothes out of a chest of drawers； in order to dress up her son Thomas。
Tom Kitten was very fat； and he had grown； several buttons burst off。 His mother sewed them on again。
When the three kittens were ready； Mrs。 Tabitha unwisely turned them out into the garden； to be out of the way while she made hot buttered toast。
〃Now keep your frocks clean； children！ You must walk on your hind legs。 Keep away from the dirty ash… pit； and from Sally Henny Penny； and from the pigsty and the Puddle… ducks。〃
Moppet and Mittens walked down the garden path unsteadily。 Presently they trod upon their pinafores and fell on their noses。
When they stood up there were several green smears！
〃Let us climb up the rockery and sit on the garden wall；〃 said Moppet。
They turned their pinafores back to front and went up with a skip and a jump； Moppet's white tucker fell down into the road。
Tom Kitten was quite unable to jump when walking upon his hind legs in trousers。 He came up the rockery by degrees； breaking the ferns and shedding buttons right and left。
He was all in pieces when he reached the top of the wall。
Moppet and Mittens tried to pull him together； his hat fell off； and the rest of his buttons burst。
While they were in difficulties； there was a pit pat； paddle pat！ and the three Puddle…ducks came along the hard high road； marching one behind the other and doing the goose step pit pat； paddle pat！ pit pat； waddle pat！
They stopped and stood in a row and stared up at the kittens。 They had very small eyes and looked surprised。 Then the two duck…birds； Rebeccah and Jemima Puddle…duck； picked up the hat and tucker and put them on。
Mittens laughed so that she fell off the wall。 Moppet and Tom descended after her； the pinafores and all the rest of Tom's clothes came off on the way down。
〃Come！ Mr。 Drake Puddle…duck；〃 said Moppet。 〃Come and help us to dress him！ Come and button up Tom！〃
Mr。 Drake Puddle…duck advanced in a slow sideways manner and picked up the various articles。
But he put them on HIMSELF！ They fitted him even worse than Tom Kitten。
〃It's a very fine morning！〃 said Mr。 Drake Puddle…duck。
And he and Jemima and Rebeccah Puddle…duck set off up the road； keeping steppit pat； paddle pat！ pit pat； waddle pat！
Then Tabitha Twitchit came down the garden and found her kittens on the wall with no clothes on。
She pulled them off the wall； smacked them； and took them back to the house。
〃My friends will arrive in a minute； and you are not fit to be seen； I am affronted；〃 said Mrs。 Tabitha Twitchit。
She sent them upstairs； and I am sorry to say she told her friends that they were in bed with the measles which was not true。
Quite the contrary； they were not in bed： NOT in the least。
Somehow there were very extra ordinary noises overhead； which disturbed the dignity and repose of the tea party。
And I think that some day I shall have to make another； larger book； to tell you more about Tom Kitten！
As for the Puddle…ducksthey went into a pond。
The clo