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muff and a pair of warm mittens。
THE TALE OF MRS。 TITTLEMOUSE
＇Nellie's Little Book＇
Once upon a time there was a woodmouse； and her name was Mrs。 Tittlemouse。
She lived in a bank under a hedge。
Such a funny house！ There were yards and yards of sandy passages； leading to store… rooms and nut cellars and seed cellars； all amongst the roots of the hedge。
There was a kitchen； a parlor； a pantry； and a larder。
Also； there was Mrs。 Tittle… mouse's bedroom； where she slept in a little box bed！
Mrs。 Tittlemouse was a most terribly tidy particular little mouse； always sweeping and dusting the soft sandy floors。
Sometimes a beetle lost its way in the passages。
〃Shuh！ shuh！ little dirty feet！〃 said Mrs。 Tittlemouse； clattering her dustpan。
And one day a little old woman ran up and down in a red spotty cloak。
〃Your house is on fire； Mother Ladybird！ Fly away home to your children！〃
Another day； a big fat spider came in to shelter from the rain。
〃Beg pardon； is this not Miss Muffet's？〃
〃Go away； you bold bad spider！ Leaving ends of cobweb all over my nice clean house！〃
She bundled the spider out at a window。
He let himself down the hedge with a long thin bit of string。
Mrs。 Tittlemouse went on her way to a distant storeroom； to fetch cherrystones and thistle… down seed for dinner。
All along the passage she sniffed； and looked at the floor。
〃I smell a smell of honey； is it the cowslips outside； in the hedge？ I am sure I can see the marks of little dirty feet。〃
Suddenly round a corner； she met Babbitty Bumble〃Zizz； Bizz； Bizzz！〃 said the bumble bee。
Mrs。 Tittlemouse looked at her severely。 She wished that she had a broom。
〃Good…day； Babbitty Bumble； I should be glad to buy some bees… wax。 But what are you doing down here？ Why do you always come in at a window； and say； Zizz； Bizz； Bizzz？〃 Mrs。 Tittle… mouse began to get cross。
〃Zizz； Wizz； Wizzz！〃 replied Babbitty Bumble in a peevish squeak。 She sidled down a passage； and disappeared into a storeroom which had been used for acorns。
Mrs。 Tittlemouse had eaten the acorns before Christmas； the storeroom ought to have been empty。
But it was full of untidy dry moss。
Mrs。 Tittlemouse began to pull out the moss。 Three or four other bees put their heads out； and buzzed fiercely。
〃I am not in the habit of letting lodgings； this is an intrusion！〃 said Mrs。 Tittlemouse。 〃I will have them turned out 〃 〃Buzz！ Buzz！ Buzzz！〃〃I wonder who would help me？〃 〃Bizz； Wizz； Wizzz！〃
〃I will not have Mr。 Jackson； he never wipes his feet。〃
Mrs。 Tittlemouse decided to leave the bees till after dinner。
When she got back to the parlor； she heard some one coughing in a fat voice； and there sat Mr。 Jackson himself。
He was sitting all over a small rocking chair； twiddling his thumbs and smiling； with his feet on the fender。
He lived in a drain below the hedge； in a very dirty wet ditch。
〃How do you do； Mr。 Jackson？ Deary me； you have got very wet！〃
〃Thank you； thank you； thank you； Mrs。 Tittlemouse！ I'll sit awhile and dry myself；〃 said Mr。 Jackson。
He sat and smiled； and the water dripped off his coat tails。 Mrs。 Tittlemouse went round with a mop。
He sat such a while that he had to be asked if he would take some dinner？
First she offered him cherry… stones。 〃Thank you； thank you； Mrs。 Tittlemouse！ No teeth； no teeth； no teeth！〃 said Mr。 Jackson。
He opened his mouth most unnecessarily wide； he certainly had not a tooth in his head。
Then she offered him thistle… down seed〃Tiddly； widdly； widdly！ Pouff； pouff； puff。〃 said Mr。 Jackson。 He blew the thistle… down all over the room。
〃Thank you； thank you； thank you； Mrs。 Tittlemouse！ Now what I reallyREALLY should like would be a little dish of honey！〃
〃I am afraid I have not got any； Mr。 Jackson！〃 said Mrs。 Tittlemouse。
〃Tiddly； widdly； widdly； Mrs。 Tittlemouse！〃 said the smiling Mr。 Jackson； 〃I can SMELL it； that is why I came to call。〃
Mr。 Jackson rose ponderously from the table； and began to look into the cupboards。
Mrs。 Tittlemouse followed him with a dishcloth； to wipe his large wet footmarks off the parlor floor。
When he had convinced himself that there was no honey in the cupboards； he began to walk down the passage。
〃Indeed； indeed； you will stick fast； Mr。Jackson！〃
〃Tiddly； widdly； widdly； Mrs。 Tittlemouse！〃
First he squeezed into the pantry。
〃Tiddly； widdly； widdly？ No honey？ No honey； Mrs。 Tittlemouse？〃
There were three creepy…crawly people hiding in the plate rack。 Two of them got away； but the littlest one he caught。
Then he squeezed into the larder。 Miss Butterfly was tasting the sugar； but she flew away out of the window。
〃Tiddly； widdly； widdly； Mrs。 Tittlemouse； you seem to have plenty of visitors！〃
〃And without any invitation！〃 said Mrs。 Thomasina Tittlemouse。
They went along the sandy passage〃Tiddly； widdly〃 〃Buzz！ Wizz！ Wizz！〃
He met Babbitty round a corner； and snapped her up； and put her down again。
〃I do not like bumble bees。 They are all over bristles；〃 said Mr。 Jackson； wiping his mouth with his coat sleeve。
〃Get out； you nasty old toad！〃 shrieked Babbitty Bumble。
〃I shall go distracted！〃 scolded Mrs。 Tittlemouse。
She shut herself up in the nut cellar while Mr。 Jackson pulled out the bees…nest。 He seemed to have no objection to stings。
When Mrs。 Tittlemouse ventured to come outeverybody had gone away。
But the untidiness was something dreadful〃Never did I see such a messsmears of honey； and moss； and thistledownand marks of big and little dirty feet all over my nice clean house！〃
She gathered up the moss and the remains of the bees… wax。
Then she went out and fetched some twigs； to partly close up the front door。
〃I will make it too small for Mr。 Jackson！〃
She fetched soft soap； and flannel； and a new scrubbing brush from the storeroom。 But she was too tired to do any more。 First she fell asleep in her chair； and then she went to bed。
〃Will it ever be tidy again？〃 said poor Mrs。 Tittlemouse。
Next morning she got up very early and began a spring cleaning which lasted a fort… night。
She swept； and scrubbed； and dusted； and she rubbed up the furniture with bees… wax； and polished her little tin spoons。
When it was all beautifully neat and clean； she gave a party to five other little mice； without Mr。 Jackson。
He smelt the party and came up the bank； but he could not squeeze in at the door。
So they handed him out acorn cupfuls of honeydew through the window； and he was not at all offended。
He sat outside in the sun； and said〃Tiddly； widdly； widdly！ Your very good health； Mrs。 Tittlemouse！〃
THE TALE OF TIMMY TIPTOES
＇For Many Unknown Little Friends； Including Monica＇
Once upon a time there was a little fat comfortable grey squirrel； called Timmy Tiptoes。 He had a nest thatched with leaves in the top of a tall tree； and he had a little squirrel wife called Goody。
Timmy Tiptoes sat out； enjoying the breeze； he whisked his tail and chuckled〃Little wife Goody； the nuts are ripe； we must lay up a store for winter and spring。〃 Goody Tiptoes was busy pushing moss under the thatch〃The nest is so snug； we shall be sound asleep all winter。〃 〃Then we shall wake up all the thinner； when there is nothing to eat in spring… time；〃 replied prudent Timothy。
When Timmy and Goody Tiptoes came to the nut thicket； they found other squirrels were there already。
Timmy took off his jacket and hung it on a twig； they worked away quietly by themselves。
Every day they made several journeys and picked quantities of nuts。 They carried them away in bags； and stored them in several hollow stumps near the tree where they had built their nest。
When these stumps were full； they began to empty the bags into a hole high up a tree； that had belonged to a woodpecker； the nuts rattled downdowndown inside。
〃How shall you ever get them out again？ It is like a money box！〃 said Goody。
〃I shall be much thinner before springtime； my love；〃 said Timmy Tiptoes； peeping into the hole。
They did collect quantities because they did not lose them！ Squirrels who bury their nuts in the ground lose more than half； because they cannot remember the place。
The most forgetful squirrel in the wood was called Silvertail。 He began to dig； and he could not remember。 And then he dug again and found some nuts that did not belong to him； and there was a fight。 And other squirrels began to dig；the whole wood was in commotion！
Unfortunately； just at this time a flock of little birds flew by； from bush to bush； searching for green caterpillars and spiders。 There were several sorts of little birds； twittering different songs。
The first one sang〃Who's bin digging…up MY nuts？ Who's…been… digging…up MY nuts？〃
And another sang〃Little bita bread and…NO…cheese！ Little bit…a… bread an'…NO…cheese！〃
The squirrels followed and listened。 The first little bird flew into the bush where Timmy and Goody Tiptoes were quietly tying up their bags； and it sang〃Who's…bin digging…up MY nuts？ Who's been digging…up MY…nuts？〃
Timmy Tiptoes went on with his work without replying； indeed； the little bird did not expect an answer。 It was only singin