The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin Part 1

The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin.

by Beatrix Potter.

A STORY FOR NORAH

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This is a Tale about a tail--a tail that belonged to a little red squirrel, and his name was Nutkin.

He had a brother called Twinkleberry, and a great many cousins: they lived in a wood at the edge of a lake.

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In the middle of the lake there is an island covered with trees and nut bushes; and amongst those trees stands a hollow oak-tree, which is the house of an owl who is called Old Brown.

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One autumn when the nuts were ripe, and the leaves on the hazel bushes were golden and green--Nutkin and Twinkleberry and all the other little squirrels came out of the wood, and down to the edge of the lake.

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They made little rafts out of twigs, and they paddled away over the water to Owl Island to gather nuts.

Each squirrel had a little sack and a large oar, and spread out his tail for a sail.

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They also took with them an offering of three fat mice as a present for Old Brown, and put them down upon his door-step.

Then Twinkleberry and the other little squirrels each made a low bow, and said politely--

"Old Mr. Brown, will you favour us with permission to gather nuts upon your island?"

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But Nutkin was excessively impertinent in his manners. He bobbed up and down like a little red _cherry_, singing--

"Riddle me, riddle me, rot-tot-tote!

A little wee man, in a red red coat!

A staff in his hand, and a stone in his throat; If you'll tell me this riddle, I'll give you a groat."

Now this riddle is as old as the hills; Mr. Brown paid no attention whatever to Nutkin.

He shut his eyes obstinately and went to sleep.

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The squirrels filled their little sacks with nuts, and sailed away home in the evening.

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But next morning they all came back again to Owl Island; and Twinkleberry and the others brought a fine fat mole, and laid it on the stone in front of Old Brown's doorway, and said--

"Mr. Brown, will you favour us with your gracious permission to gather some more nuts?"

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But Nutkin, who had no respect, began to dance up and down, tickling old Mr. Brown with a _nettle_ and singing--

"Old Mr. B! Riddle-me-ree!

Hitty Pitty within the wall, Hitty Pitty without the wall; If you touch Hitty Pitty, Hitty Pitty will bite you!"

Mr. Brown woke up suddenly and carried the mole into his house.

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He shut the door in Nutkin's face. Presently a little thread of blue _smoke_ from a wood fire came up from the top of the tree, and Nutkin peeped through the key-hole and sang--

"A house full, a hole full!

And you cannot gather a bowl-full!"

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The squirrels searched for nuts all over the island and filled their little sacks.

But Nutkin gathered oak-apples--yellow and scarlet--and sat upon a beech-stump playing marbles, and watching the door of old Mr. Brown.

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On the third day the squirrels got up very early and went fis.h.i.+ng; they caught seven fat minnows as a present for Old Brown.

They paddled over the lake and landed under a crooked chestnut tree on Owl Island.

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Twinkleberry and six other little squirrels each carried a fat minnow; but Nutkin, who had no nice manners, brought no present at all. He ran in front, singing--

"The man in the wilderness said to me, 'How many strawberries grow in the sea?'

I answered him as I thought good-- 'As many red herrings as grow in the wood.'"

But old Mr. Brown took no interest in riddles--not even when the answer was provided for him.

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On the fourth day the squirrels brought a present of six fat beetles, which were as good as plums in _plum-pudding_ for Old Brown. Each beetle was wrapped up carefully in a dock-leaf, fastened with a pine-needle pin.

But Nutkin sang as rudely as ever--