Project Gutenberg's The Tale of the Pie and the Patty Pan, by Beatrix Potter

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Title: The Tale of the Pie and the Patty Pan

Author: Beatrix Potter

Release Date: March 2, 2005 [EBook #15234]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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[Illustration: BUTTER AND MILK FROM THE FARM]

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

[Illustration]

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

[Illustration]

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-dish--a
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.

Duchess read the letter and wrote an answer:--"I will come with much
pleasure at a quarter past four. But it is very strange. _I_ was just
going to invite you to come here, to supper, my dear Ribby, to eat
something _most delicious_.

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

[Illustration: THE INVITATION