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In: Children's Picture Books·Children & Young Adult Reading·British Literature
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #14814.
The Tale of Jemima Puddle‑Duck is a short children’s story that weaves together the everyday world of a farmyard with a touch of suspense. It opens with a kindly, sand‑whiskered gentleman requesting herbs for an omelette, and immediately introduces Jemima, a naïve duck who dutifully gathers sage, thyme, mint, onions and parsley. Her simple trust leads her into a kitchen, where a collie named Kep questions her motives, and the narrative quickly expands to include fox‑hounds, a butcher’s puppies and a mysterious, foxy‑whiskered stranger. The plot thickens as Jemima’s journey to the stranger’s house ends in sudden danger, locked doors, and a chaotic scramble of barking and growling, culminating in a rescue that leaves the duck trembling and her eggs largely lost.
Beatrix Potter’s gentle, observational voice shines through the brisk, illustrated prose, reflecting the turn‑of‑the‑century English countryside. The story’s modest length, vivid animal characters and subtle moral undertones make it appealing to younger readers who enjoy gentle adventures with talking animals, as well to adults who appreciate Potter’s characteristic blend of charm and caution.
The opening · free to read
"May I ask you to bring up some herbs from the farm-garden to make a savoury omelette? Sage and thyme, and mint and two onions, and some parsley. I will provide lard for the stuff--lard for the omelette," said the hospitable gentleman with sandy whiskers.
Jemima Puddle-duck was a simpleton: not even the mention of sage and onions made her suspicious.
She went round the farm-garden, nibbling off snippets of all the different sorts of herbs that are used for stuffing roast duck.
And she waddled into the kitchen, and got two onions out of a basket.
The collie-dog Kep met her coming out, "What are you doing with those onions? Where do you go every afternoon by yourself, Jemima Puddle-duck?"
Jemima was rather in awe of the collie; she told him the whole story.
The collie listened, with his wise head on one side; he grinned when she described the polite gentleman with sandy whiskers.
He asked several questions about the wood, and about the exact position of the house and shed.
Then he went out, and trotted down the village. He went to look for two fox-hound puppies who were out at walk with the butcher.
Jemima Puddle-duck went up the cart-road for the last time, on a sunny afternoon. She was rather burdened with bunches of herbs and two onions in a bag.
She flew over the wood, and alighted opposite the house of the bushy long-tailed gentleman.
He was sitting on a log; he sniffed the air, and kept glancing uneasily round the wood. When Jemima alighted he quite jumped.
"Come into the house as soon as you have looked at your eggs. Give me the herbs for the omelette. Be sharp!"
He was rather abrupt. Jemima Puddle-duck had never heard him speak like that.
She felt surprised, and uncomfortable.
While she was inside she heard pattering feet round the back of the shed. Some one with a black nose sniffed at the bottom of the door, and then locked it.
Jemima became much alarmed.
A moment afterwards there were most awful noises--barking, baying, growls and howls, squealing and groans.
And nothing more was ever seen of that foxy-whiskered gentleman.
Presently Kep opened the door of the shed, and let out Jemima Puddle-duck.
Unfortunately the puppies rushed in and gobbled up all the eggs before he could stop them.
He had a bite on his ear and both the puppies were limping.
Jemima Puddle-duck was escorted home in tears on account of those eggs.
She laid some more in June, and she was permitted to keep them herself: but only four of them hatched.
Jemima Puddle-duck said that it was because of her nerves; but she had always been a bad sitter.
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