THE TALE OF

THE PIE AND
THE PATTY-PAN

BY

BEATRIX POTTER

Author of
"The Tale of Peter Rabbit," &c.

Pussy-cat sits by the fire—how should she be fair?
In walks the little dog—says "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.

FREDERICK WARNE

FREDERICK WARNE

Penguin Books Ltd, Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England
Viking Penguin Inc., 40 West 23rd Street, New York, New York 10010, U.S.A.
Penguin Books Australia Ltd, Ringwood, Victoria, Australia
Penguin Books Canada Ltd, 2801 John Street, Markham, Ontario, Canada L3R 1B4
Penguin Books (N.Z.) Ltd, 182-190 Wairau Road, Auckland 10, New Zealand

First published 1905
This impression 1985

Printed and bound in Great Britain by
William Clowes Limited, Beccles and London

Once upon a time there was a Pussy-cat called Ribby, who invited alittle dog called Duchess, to tea.

"Come in good time, my dear Duchess," said Ribby's letter, "and wewill have something so very nice. I am baking it in a pie-dish—apie-dish with a pink rim. You never tasted anything so good! And youshall eat it all! I will eat muffins, my dear Duchess!" wroteRibby.

Duchess read the letter and wrote an answer:—"I will come with muchpleasure at a quarter past four. But it is very strange. I was justgoing to invite you to come here, to supper, my dear Ribby, to eatsomething most delicious.

"I will come very punctually, my dear Ribby," wrote Duchess; and thenat the end she added—"I hope it isn't mouse?"

And then she thought that did not look quite polite; so she scratchedout "isn't mouse" and changed it to "I hope it will be fine," andshe gave her letter to the postman.

But she thought a great deal about Ribby's pie, and she read Ribby'sletter over and over again.

"I am dreadfully afraid it will be mouse!" said Duchess toherself—"I really couldn't, couldn't eat mouse pie. And I shall haveto eat it, because it is a party. And my pie was going to be vealand ham. A pink and white pie-dish! and so is mine; just like Ribby'sdishes; they were both bought at Tabitha Twitchit's."

Duchess went into her larder and took the pie off a shelf and lookedat it.

...