Title:  The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin

Author:  Beatrix Potter

Release Date:  February 2, 2005 [EBook #14872]

Language:  English

Character set encoding:  ASCII

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THE TALE OF SQUIRREL NUTKIN

By
Beatrix Potter

Author of “The Tale of Peter Rabbit”

[Illustration]

FREDERICK WARNE

[Illustration]

FREDERICK WARNE

1903 by Frederick Warne & Co.

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

A STORY FOR NORAH

[Illustration]

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.

[Illustration]

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.

[Illustration]

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.

[Illustration]

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.

[Illustration]

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?”

[Illustration]

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.