The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin (8)

(8)

  On the fourth day the squirrels brought a present of six fat beetles, which was as good as plums in plum-pudding for Old Brown.

  Each beetle was wrapped up carefully in a dock-leafs fastened with a pine-needle pin.

  But Nutkin sang as rudely as ever -

  " Old Mr. B !  riddle-me-ree, 

    Flour of England, fruit of Spain,

    Met together in a shower of rain ;

    Put in a bag tied round with a strings,

    If you'll tell me this riddled I'll give you a ring ! "

   Which was ridiculous Nutkin, because he had not got any ring to give to Old Brown.

  The other squirrels hunted up and down the nut bushes ; but Nutkin gathered robin's pincushions off a briar bush, and stuck them full of pine-needle pins.

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