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The Tale ofTim my Tiptoes
».,
BYBEATRIX POTTERTHE ONLY AUTHORIZED SOFT-COVER EDITION
F.WARNE&C9
THE TALEOF
TIMMY TIPTOES
THE TALEOF
TIMMY TIPTOES
L*
THE TALE OF
TIMMY TIPTOES
By
BEATRIX POTTERAuthor of
"The Tale of Peter Rabbit" etc.
FREDERICK WARNE & CO., INC.
NEW YORK
Copyright, 1911
BY
Frederick Warne & Co.
Copyright renewed 1939
{All rights reserved)
PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.
ISBN O 7232 0603 I (cloth)
isbn 0-7232-6236-5 (paper)
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (P)
FOR
MANY UNKNOWN LITTLE FRIENDS,
INCLUDING MONICA
x>%,
/^VNCE upon a time there was^^ a little fat comfortable
grey squirrel, called TimmyTiptoes. He had a nest
thatched with leaves in the
top of a tall tree ; and he
had a little squirrel wife called
Goody.
HPIMMY TIPTOES sat out,
enjoying the breeze ; he
whisked his tail and chuckled—" Little wife Goody, the nuts
are ripe ; we must lay up a
store for winter and spring."
Goody Tiptoes was busy
pushing moss under the
thatch—
" The nest is so
snug, we shall be sound asleep
all winter." " Then we shall
wake up all the thinner, whenthere is nothing to eat in
spring-time," replied prudent
Timothy.
<£?
f\ I%
^4T i "^^i v
12
T li 7HEN Timmy and GoodyTiptoes came to the
nut thicket, they found other
squirrels were there already.
Timmy took off his jacket
and hung it on a twig ; they
worked away quietly by them-
selves.
13
T^VERY day they made-^ several journeys and
picked quantities of nuts.
They carried them away in
bags, and stored them in
several hollow stumps near
the tree where they had built
their nest.
*5
>
&,
i6
T^7HEN these stumps were
full, they began to
empty the bags into a hole
high up a tree, that had be-
longed to a wood-pecker ; the
nuts rattled down— down—down inside.
" How shall you ever get
them out again ? It is like a
money-box !" said Goody.
" I shall be much thinner
before spring-time, my love,"
said Timmy Tiptoes, peeping
into the hole.
17
HPHEY did collect quantities
—because they did not
lose them ! Squirrels who bury
their nuts in the ground lose
more than half, because they
cannot remember the place.
The most forgetful squirrel
in the wood was called Silver-
tail. He began to dig, and
he could not remember. Andthen he dug again and found
some nuts that did not belong
to him ; and there was a fight.
And other squirrels began to
dig,—the whole wood was in
commotion !
l 9
< ..:
20
T TNFORTUNATELY, just
^ at this time a flock of
little birds flew by, from
bush to bush, searching for
green caterpillars and spiders.
There were several sorts of
little birds, twittering different
songs.
The first one sang
—
" Who's bin digging-up mynuts ? Who's-been-digging-
up my nuts ?"
And another sang—
" Little
bita bread and - no - cheese !
Little bit - a - bread an' - no -
cheese !
"
21
HPHE squirrels followed and
listened. The first little
bird flew into the bush where
Timmy and Goody Tiptoes
were quietly tying up their
bags, and it sang—
" Who's-
bin digging - up my nuts ?
Who's been digging-up my-
nuts ?"
Timmy Tiptoes went on
with his work without re-
plying ; indeed, the little bird
did not expect an answer. It
was only singing its natural
song, and it meant nothing at
all.
22
*w ~ ~ •
23
24
"OUT when the other squirrels^ heard that song, they
rushed upon Timmy Tiptoes
and cuffed and scratched him,
and upset his bag of nuts.
The innocent little bird which
had caused all the mischief,
flew away in a fright !
Timmy rolled over and over,
and then turned tail and fled
towards his nest, followed by
a crowd of squirrels shouting—" Who's - been digging - up
my-nuts ?"
25
HPHEY caught him and
dragged him up the very
same tree, where there was
the little round hole, and they
pushed him in. The hole
was much too small for
Timmy Tiptoes' figure. Theysqueezed him dreadfully, it
was a wonder they did not
break his ribs. " We will
leave him here till he con-
fesses," said Silvertail Squirrel,
and he shouted into the hole
—
" Who's - been - digging - up
my-nuts ?"
26
->..,
**-
27
28
rpiMMY TIPTOES made
no reply ; he had tumbled
down inside the tree, upon
half a peck of nuts belonging
to himself. He lay quite
stunned and still.
29
/^OODY TIPTOES picked^^ up the nut bags and went
home. She made a cup of
tea for Timmy ; but he didn't
come and didn't come.
Goody Tiptoes passed a
lonely and unhappy night.
Next morning she ventured
back to the nut-bushes to look
for him ; but the other unkind
squirrels drove her away.
She wandered all over the
wood, calling
—
" Timmy Tiptoes ! TimmyTiptoes ! Oh, where is TimmyTiptoes ?
"
30
1 v^-
I
F
i ^ ipS
s
> ~
mL^&:***>.*i
3 1
*
32
TN the meantime TimmyTiptoes came to his senses.
He found himself tucked up
in a little moss bed, very muchin the dark, feeling sore ; it
seemed to be under ground.
Timmy coughed and groaned,
because his ribs hurted him.
There was a chirpy noise, and
a small striped Chipmunkappeared with a night light,
and hoped he felt better ?
It was most kind to TimmyTiptoes ; it lent him its night-
cap ; and the house was full
of provisions.
33
HPHE Chipmunk explained
that it had rained nuts
through the top of the tree
—" Besides, I found a few
buried !" It laughed and
chuckled when it heard
Timmy 's story. While Timmywas confined to bed, it 'ticed
him to eat quantities—
" But
how shall I ever get out
through that hole unless I
thin myself ? My wife will be
anxious !" " Just another nut
—or two nuts ; let me crack
them for you," said the Chip-
munk. Timmy Tiptoes grew
fatter and fatter !
34
35
in
1VT0W Goody Tiptoes had
set to work again by
herself. She did not put any
more nuts into the wood-
pecker's hole, because she had
always doubted how they
could be got out again. She
hid them under a tree root;
they rattled down, down,
down. Once when Goodyemptied an extra big bagful,
there was a decided squeak;
and next time Goody brought
another bagful, a little striped
Chipmunk scrambled out in a
hurry.
37
u TT is getting perfectly full-
up down - stairs ; the
sitting-room is full, and they are
rolling along the passage ; and
my husband, Chippy Hackee,
has run away and left me.
What is the explanation of
these showers of nuts ?"
" I am sure I beg your
pardon ; I did not not know that
anybody lived here," said Mrs.
Goody Tiptoes ;" but where is
Chippy Hackee ? My husband,
Timmy Tiptoes, has run away
too." " I know where Chippy
is ; a little bird told me," said
Mrs. Chippy Hackee.
38
39
4o
O HE led the way to the wood-
pecker's tree, and they
listened at the hole.
Down below there was a
noise of nut crackers, and a
fat squirrel voice and a thin
squirrel voice were singing
together
—
" My little old man and I fell out,
How shall we bring this matter about ?
Bring it about as well as you can,
And get you gone, you little old
man !
"
41
" X^OU could squeeze in,
* through that little
round hole," said Goody
Tiptoes. " Yes, I could," said
the Chipmunk, " but myhusband, Chippy Hackee,
bites !
"
Down below there was a
noise of cracking nuts and
nibbling ; and then the fat
squirrel voice and the thin
squirrel voice sang
—
" For the diddlum day
Day diddle dum di !
Day diddle diddle dum day !
"
42
43
w
e.
rT1HEN Goody peeped in at
Athe hole, and called
down—"Timmy Tiptoes ! Ohfie, Timmy Tiptoes !
" AndTimmy replied, " Is that you,
Goody Tiptoes ? Why, cer-
tainly !
"
He came up and kissed
Goody through the hole ; but
he was so fat that he could
not get out.
Chippy Hackee was not too
fat, but he did not want to
come ; he stayed down below
and chuckled.
45
A ND so it went on for a
fortnight ; till a big wind
blew off the top of the tree,
and opened up the hole and let
in the rain.
Then Timmy Tiptoes came
out, and went home with an
umbrella.
46
yj.
47
b.
CM
13UT Chippy Hackee con-
tinued to camp out for
another week, although it was
uncomfortable.
49
A T last a large bear came
walking through the
wood. Perhaps he also was
looking for nuts ; he seemed
to be sniffing around.
50
:5^
^
ud>^$l
AJikiA
5 1
il<:\ f
.
r*HIPPY HACKEE went^^ home in a hurry !
53
A ND when Chippy Hackee
got home, he found he
had caught a cold in his head;
and he was more uncomfortable
still.
54
55
A nd now Timmy and
Goody Tiptoes keep their
nut-store fastened up with a
little padlock.
56
,...:-..
I
S
w
57
'
/* -<L_>
58
A ND whenever that little
bird sees the Chipmunks,
he sings — " Who's - been -
digging-up my-nuts ? Who's
been digging-up my-nuts ?"
But nobody ever answers !
THE END
THE ORIGINAL PETER RABBITBOOKS®by Beatrix Potter
The following titles in the Peter Rabbit Series'
are available in this style binding
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin
The Tailor of Gloucester
The Tale of Benjamin Bunny
The Tale of Two Bad Mice
The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle
The Tale of Jeremy Fisher
The Tale of Tom Kitten
The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck
The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies
The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse
The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes
% The OriginalPeter Rabbit
Books*By BEATRIX POTTER
Helen Beatrix Potter, born on July 28, 1866, led a sheltered
life and spent many years writing and painting for per-
sonal pleasure. In 1893, when the young son of a former
governess became ill, Beatrix Potter sent him a picture
letter all about Peter P^bbit and his adventures in
Mr. McGregor's garden. The letter was a great success
and during the years that followed, many more picture let-
ters were sent, filled with delightful sketches telling the
stories that would later develop into Peter Rabbit, Squirrel
Nutkin, The Tailor of Gloucester, and all the other favor-
ites in the classic collection of The Original Peter Rabbit
Books®.
Beatrix Potter wrote, "It is much more satisfactory to
address a real live child ; I often think that that was the
secret of the success of Peter Rabbit, it was written to a
child—not made to order."
Published by FREDERICK WARNE & CO., INC.
$2.25 Q-?a32-ba3b-S