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If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: Miss Peck's Adventures - The Second Part of The Conceited Pig - -Author: Anonymous - -Release Date: October 12, 2019 [EBook #60477] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MISS PECK'S ADVENTURES *** - - - - -Produced by MFR, Barry Abrahamsen, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -[Illustration: - - M. D. SEARS - SEE PAGE 8 -] - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - MISS PECK’S ADVENTURES. - - - THE SECOND PART - - OF - - The Conceited Pig. - - - - - ---------------------------- - - - - - LONDON: - - JOSEPH MASTERS, ALDERSGATE STREET, - - AND NEW BOND STREET. - - MDCCCLIV. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LONDON: - PRINTED BY JOSEPH MASTERS AND CO., - ALDERSGATE STREET. - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - MISS PECK’S ADVENTURES. - - --------------------- - - -Any people who may happen to have read the story of “Wilful, the -Conceited Pig,” will recollect how he had called up his friend, Miss -Peck, one night, from the henhouse, where there had been a great -disagreement between her and Cock-a-doodle, and how they had set off -together to the Queen’s house, to tell Her Majesty some very curious -news; also how they had very soon parted company, not being able to -agree as to which was the right road, and how Wilful’s journey had come -to a very sad end, long before he was anywhere near the palace of Her -Majesty the Queen. Now they may also like to know something of Miss -Peck’s adventures; and I am therefore going to relate them, thinking -that, perhaps, we may find almost as much to take warning by, in her -history, as in Wilful’s conceit, and the terrible punishment it met -with. - -Miss Peck felt rather lonely at first, when she found herself out in the -dusky lane alone, at that time of night; but still she could not help -chuckling to think how Wilful had persisted in taking the wrong road, -and was travelling all for nothing, whilst she was sure to reach the -Queen’s house in time, if her poor legs would but carry her far enough. - -“There is no need to go so fast, at any rate,” she thought to herself. -“If we got to the palace so early in the morning very likely Her Majesty -the Queen would not be up, as I would have told Wilful, only he never -will stop to listen to a word one has to say. Why our old David at home -never gets up to give us our breakfast till Cock-a-doodle has walked -round the yard several times, talked to all his family, told them his -dreams—which, I must, say, I am very tired of hearing—and crowed over -and over again. I am sure if it were not for the early walk into the -rick-pen, which I make a point of taking every morning, and the little -bit of support that I get there, I should be dead with hunger long -before breakfast time; but nobody ever seems to remember how delicate my -health is, and old David would not get up a bit the sooner, I verily -believe, if I were dying. However, it is better than if Betsy Chopper -had the feeding of us entirely, for I know that the smoke never begins -to come out of the kitchen chimney till a little while before she gives -us our dinner, and what the family do for something to eat I never can -think. The poor ladies, I know, never look out of window or get a breath -of air till the middle of the day in summer, and I believe they have no -rick-pen to go to, and are obliged to wait till Betsy Chopper chooses to -get up and feed them. The Queen may very likely not be as late as Betsy -Chopper; but it is ten to one if she is as early as old David, so there -can be no occasion to hurry oneself.” - -So Miss Peck walked on in a leisurely manner, picking her way along the -dirty lane, as well as the darkness would allow, and every now and then -stopping a minute or two to rest her poor legs by turns. - -Now not very far from Miss Peck’s own residence there stood a poor -tumble-down cottage, in which lived an old woman, who kept a thin -tortoiseshell cat and a little poultry. And on each side of the small -wicket-gate leading to the cottage—which was close to the lane—stood a -very thick yew-tree, cut into the form of a sugar-loaf at the top. Miss -Peck was not brave, and when she reached this part of the lane, and saw, -as she thought, two black giants, with plumes on their heads, standing -not far before her, she was so horribly frightened that she screamed -with all her might, and was very near running back the way she came, -faster than she had ever run before. However, she had just resolution -enough to stop and think what was best to be done, when, strange to say, -one of the giants seemed to cry out Cock-a-doodle-doo, in a voice of -thunder, and, all at once, came flapping down upon poor Miss Peck, -rolling her over in the mud, and nearly driving all the breath out of -her body with the shock and the terror. Getting on her legs again -somehow or other, she ran behind a little heap of stones, where she -stood panting and trembling, and with ruffled feathers, when again the -same hateful cry rang in her ears, repeated three times, even louder -than before—“Cock-a-doodle-doo, Cock-a-doodle-doo, Cock-a-doodle-doo!” -Scarcely daring to look round, and expecting every instant to be -swallowed up alive, or torn to pieces by one of the giants, Miss Peck -wished herself safe at home again, with all her might, in spite of -Cock-a-doodle’s tyranny, when, luckily, there came a faint gleam of -light, and she saw, as she thought, Cock-a-doodle himself sitting on the -top of the little wicket-gate between the two yew-trees. Could it have -been he who had given her such a fright on purpose, or had he come out -all this way to find her, and bring her home, and tell her how sorry he -was not to have shown her more attention? She crept a little nearer, -and, hoping to move his pity, gave a faint cry, as if she were in great -pain and distress. “Who is that?” said a voice, which was not -Cock-a-doodle’s; and Miss Peck replied directly “that she was an -unfortunate young person who was travelling across the country on -business of importance, and she hoped that the gentleman to whom she was -speaking, whoever he might be, would take pity upon her, and protect her -from the dangers which surrounded her, for, indeed, she never was so -frightened in all her life, and she did not know how she should ever -find courage to continue her journey.” - -“But, madam, might I ask,” said the gentleman on the gate, “what the -important business is, which obliges you to be on the road at this time -of night?” - -“I will tell you, sir, with the greatest pleasure,” said Miss Peck, -“although my poor nerves are so shaken that I can scarcely speak, but if -you could come a little nearer I should not be obliged to talk so loud.” - -“Oh, you will not disturb the old woman,” said her new acquaintance, -“and as to the old cat, I saw her go by some time ago, and I believe she -is spending the evening with the young jackdaws, who live in the -church-roof. She has taken a great fancy to that family lately, and says -that she finds them very agreeable, though shy; but I should doubt -whether they were very fond of _her_, for you must know, madam, that the -old cat is, in my opinion, one of the most conceited and selfish persons -that ever lived, and if the old woman knew all her bad ways I do not -think that she could allow her to continue in the house.” - -“Ah, indeed!” said Miss Peck, “well do I know, sir, what it is to have -to do with that sort of people. From your account I should fear that the -old cat was very little better than Cock-a-doodle himself.” - -Miss Peck then proceeded to give a long history of Cock-a-doodle’s -unkindness to her, her own dreadful sufferings from spasms, which -deprived her of her natural rest,—Miss Spangle’s spitefulness, in -continuing fast asleep without once offering to help her,—and then the -whole account of Wilful’s visit to the henhouse, and their setting off -together to tell the Queen that the stars were falling out of the sky. - -“And now, sir,” added Miss Peck, “perhaps you will do me the great -kindness to tell me your name, for I have no doubt now, that it was -entirely owing to your interference, that I was not swallowed alive by -one of those horrible giants, which gave me such an alarm just now.” - -“My name, madam,” answered the stranger, “is Cockielockie, at your -service, but I think, owing to your youth and inexperience, you have -probably mistaken these two respectable old yew trees, in one of which -the seven ladies of my family are sleeping at this moment, for giants, -or perhaps their shadows across the road deceived you, or it might be -the old cat returning from her visit to the Jackdaws. At any rate, -madam, here are no giants, I assure you, for the truth is that the old -woman leads such a dull life that no giant ever comes near the place, -and I have not seen so much as the face of Tim Scamp, the little pedlar, -for the last six months. It is very sad to live so out of the world, and -I must confess that I should like a little more society. The old woman -is so particular and old-fashioned; and the cat is so ill-mannered and -vulgar, that it is very trying to one’s patience, and I do not find much -comfort in my own family, for I am sorry to say that they are always -quarrelling. I cannot speak to one without the other’s being jealous, -and to tell the truth, (though I am sure you will not repeat it,) I was -awoke just now by the screams of my two daughters, Partridge and -Speckle, who had had their ears boxed by Mrs. Cockielockie, for saying -that they knew I wished she was dead! If I do wish it, they need not -have told her so, and now I shall never hear the last of it. If I could -but get away for a time, it might blow over, or Mrs. Cockielockie might -be gone.” - -“Well, my dear sir,” said Miss Peck, interrupting him, “why cannot you -come with me to the Queen? It would be an opportunity of introducing -yourself to the very highest society, and I should be delighted with the -honour of your company. Indeed, I really feel very lonely, travelling -all by myself, and am very much in want of protection, which is just -what I am sure, sir, you are always ready to afford to a poor weak young -creature, like myself, though whenever one complains of helplessness, it -seems to make some people, that I could mention, more spiteful and -tyrannical than ever!” - -“Believe me, dear madam,” said Cockielockie,—who was very much pleased -at the idea of paying a visit to the Queen,—“believe me, that never -could be my case, I will accompany you instantly with the greatest -pleasure, and I trust that, if we should meet with any enemies on the -road you will find my spurs quite able to defend you from them. Under -these circumstances, madam, I shall set off without giving my usual -crow, which, hitherto, I have never failed to perform at this hour. It -was my dear mother’s first and last lesson to me. She took the greatest -pains to teach it me when young, and I remember how vexed she used to be -when I forgot my crows, or cut them so short that no one could -understand what I said, or did not repeat them exactly at the right -time. She told me that if I went on so I should be good for nothing, and -might as well be boiled at once; and the last thing she said to me, -before she disappeared, and I fear was boiled herself, was, ‘Cockie, -mind your crows.’ To tell the truth, however, now, my dear Miss Peck, I -am afraid of waking the ladies in the yew-tree. Mrs. Cockielockie would -make such a fuss, and then the old woman might be disturbed, for though -she is very deaf, I have heard the cat say that she always hears when -you most wish she should not; for there was a small piece of the tail of -a red herring which she promised one evening at supper to give to -her,—at least so Mrs. Puss told me,—and then she put it away in the -cupboard, and went to bed, and forgot it! So the cat being hungry, could -not go to sleep, and was just getting into the cupboard, to eat her own -bit of fish, when down came the old woman to know what all that -scratching and scrambling was about, and the cat was forced to pretend -to be catching a mouse, and never got the herring after all, for the old -woman locked it up, and took the key away with her. I think, therefore, -madam, although it seems to be neglecting one’s duties, that we had -better set off as quietly as possible.” - -So saying, Cockielockie shook himself gently, brushed his feathers, -scraped his claws, and then came down from the little wicket-gate, on -which he had all this time been sitting, and asked Miss Peck if she was -now ready to go on. - -Miss Peck, having quite recovered from her fright, had been impatient to -proceed on her journey all the time that Cockielockie was talking, so on -they went, talking pleasantly all the way of their different sufferings, -and the hard trials they each of them met with from undeserved -persecutions at home. - -And they went, and they went, and they went down the lane, round the -turning, and up the hill to the left, till they saw something white -moving slowly on before them which, when they came nearer, seemed to be -a duck, but its head hung down so wretchedly, its wings were so -drooping, and its whole air so forlorn, that Miss Peck herself doubted, -at first, what it could be. But when they came quite close, they saw -that they were not mistaken, so Cockielockie, who had always a word for -everybody, said in a cheerful manner: - -“How do you do, Duckiedaddles? You are up early this dark morning. Where -may you be going to, if I may venture to ask the question?” - -The duck shook her head sadly, heaved a sigh, and said: - -“Oh, Cockielockie, I am a poor wretched creature, who can find no -pleasure in life, and have had great misfortunes, and so I am going to -consult an old friend, who lives a little way off, about making my will, -and then return home, and hang myself in the well rope, behind the -carthouse.” - -“Oh, pray, my dear madam,” exclaimed Miss Peck, “pray do not say such -shocking things, or you will quite overcome me, for my feelings are very -soon upset, owing to my unfortunate spasms. I am sure that my friend, -Cockielockie, will be able to do everything in the world for you, if you -will only explain the case to him.” - -“Thank you, Hennypenny,” answered the duck, while her tears fell fast: -“I will tell you all about it, though I fear that Cockielockie will -never be able to do me any good. My sorrow is owing to my having had my -family taken away from me, and my own little ones brought up by a -stranger, and one of the last persons whom I should ever have chosen to -put them under. One evening I was returning home, having been out for a -little walk round the shrubbery with my friend Mrs. Gobble, when I found -that my nest was taken away, and so the tiresome life that I had been -leading, sitting there, day after day, for hours together, was all -trouble for nothing. It was the third time that the very same thing had -happened to me, and whether it was one of Master Samuel’s mischievous -tricks, or, whether Jem, the old carter, who was always meddling with -what did not concern him, was at the bottom of it, I could not guess, -for I was then far from suspecting the right person; and so was Mrs. -Gobble, for I went to her directly, and though she was sorry to see me -vexed, she said it was a good thing that I should not have to stay at -home so much, for she was sure I must have been nearly moped to death, -and she would not have led such a dull life, for all the little yellow -ducklings that ever were seen. So I got over my disappointment as well -as I could, and I remember that a party of us went out walking that -evening, and the weather was beautiful, pouring rain every minute, and -puddles running here and there, and everything so nice and wet, and I -caught eleven large slugs, and felt much more contented. Indeed I had -quite forgotten all about it, when, a long time afterwards, as I was -coming in from a swimming match with some friends, one morning, what -should I see but six or seven handsome little yellow ducklings, running -in and out of a new house, which stood not far from the water. I looked -very hard at them, for I suspected how it was, and as I passed close to -the house, which was open in front, I looked in, and saw Mrs. Topknot -sitting there as grand as could be, and spreading herself out as if she -did not know how to be proud enough. She was always giving herself airs, -I must tell you, and never was so civil to me as she ought to have been, -but being of a meek disposition myself, I just stopped for a minute, and -said, ‘Good morning, Mrs. Topknot. Whose is this lovely young family -that you seem to have about you?’ ‘Whose?’ she answered, as shortly as -possible. ‘Why your own to be sure, Mrs. Daddles, and I am going to -bring them up, for everybody knows that you are such a gossiping, -gadabout creature, that you are not fit to have the management of a -family. You may think yourself very lucky that your young ones should be -placed under the charge of such a wise and well-informed person as I am, -instead of being left to shift for themselves, as they would be if they -depended upon your care.’ - -“I was so full of grief and anger at hearing this speech, that I could -hardly speak, and, as if to enrage me still more, Mrs. Topknot called -out to the ducklings to come to her directly, and I saw that the little -dears did not dare to disobey her; so in they ran, and she shuffled them -all under her wings, and would not even let me look at them, but one got -his head half-out, and peeped at me, as much as to say, that if he could -do as he liked, he would not be squeezed up in that way long. - -“‘And do you really mean to refuse to let me take away my own little -ducklings, Mrs. Topknot?’ said I, ‘because, in that case I shall go -immediately to Jem, the carter, and get him to wring your neck!’ - -“Mrs. Topknot only gave a scornful laugh and answered, ‘As if anybody -would mind what you said, indeed! You should have stayed at home, and -attended to your own affairs instead of always sauntering about with -that lazy Mrs. Gobble. Be thankful that your family are sure of a good -education. I shall not allow them to get into any of the dirty, dabbling -ways, that you, and all your relations, are so fond of, I can tell you!’ - -“‘Very well, Mrs. Topknot,’ I answered: ‘I see you think yourself wiser -than everybody else, as usual; but depend upon it, though you may bring -up very good chickens, you will never make good ducklings as long as you -live. It is quite a different thing, and so I shall tell Jem, the -carter, since he has not the sense to know it already. Pray can you -swim, Mrs. Topknot? Can you earn an independent living in a gutter? Can -you eat slugs? You know that you, and all your family, are poor, -helpless, delicate creatures, afraid of getting your feet wet, and -obliged to live on the charity of Jem, the carter. How should you be -able to bring up young ducklings to do their duty in their own station? -You are quite mistaken if you expect ever to make chickens of them. I -know by the look of their feet, that they will take to the water in -spite of you, and then pray what will you do? Just let them come with -me, and I will soon show you what little ducklings are made for. You -have no right to keep my children squeezed up in that corner, where they -can scarcely breathe. I know you will kill them before you have done.’ - -“So I went on, begging and praying Mrs. Topknot to restore to me my own -family, and even shedding tears to move her pity, but all in vain. She -would not mind a word I said, and, in the greatest affliction, I went -off to Mrs. Gobble, to ask her opinion about what was to be done. But -Mrs. Gobble was just going out walking with a friend, and would hardly -find time to listen to my story. She only said, that if I thought Jem, -the carter, would understand anything about it, I should only be -disappointed, for he was always doing the most foolish things, and -making mischief in the yard in almost every family. I felt, therefore, -that it was not of the least use to complain to him, for he would have -been quite as likely to wring my neck, as Mrs. Topknot’s, and being -weary of such an unkind world, and Mrs. Gobble not asking me to go with -her and her friend I determined to hang myself in the well-rope, as I -said; only as I have a small piece of cabbage-leaf behind the pig-sty, -and two young snails in a corner of the garden-wall, I think it best to -make my will; for, my dear Mr. Cockielockie, and Mrs. Hennypenny, you -must now see that my distress is too great to admit of any relief.” - -“My name,” said Miss Peck, rather angrily, as soon as Duckiedaddles -ceased speaking, “is not Hennypenny, Mrs. Daddles; and I must say, -though extremely sorry for your misfortunes, that I think grief must -have confused your mind a little, or you would not have made such a -mistake about a young person like myself. My name is Miss Peck, and I -and my friend Mr. Cockielockie are on our way to Her Most Gracious -Majesty the Queen, to tell her that the stars are all falling out of the -sky.” - -“And I think, Mrs. Daddles,” interrupted Cockielockie, “that you cannot -do better than come along with us, and then you will have an opportunity -of laying your melancholy case before Her Majesty, who very likely will -order Mrs. Topknot and Jem the carter’s heads to be sent to her -immediately; for I know she is particular about her own family, and -would be very angry if any one were to take them away from her, and -instead of letting them grow into good little kings and queens, with -crowns on their heads, as they ought to do, were to try to make them -wear topknots and live upon barley meal.” - -Mrs. Daddles was very willing to agree to Cockielockie’s proposal, for, -as she said, she could see about making her will when she came back. So -they went, and they went, and they went, until, turning a corner of the -lane, what should they see walking towards them, in a grave and solemn -manner, but a goose. - -“Good morning, Duckiedaddles, Cockielockie, Hennypenny,” said she, -bowing very politely at the same time. - -“My name, madam,” said the unlucky Peck, taking care to answer before -the others, “my name is Miss Peck; but you are quite correct as to my -two companions, Mr. Cockielockie and Mrs. Duckiedaddles, who have had -the kindness to accompany me on a journey of great importance, which it -has been my duty to undertake. And I am sure, unused as I am to -travelling alone, I do not know what I should do without the support of -their society. Will you allow me to ask, Mrs. Goosiepoosie, where you -are going to so early in the morning?” - -“I am going,” answered Mrs. Goosiepoosie, putting on an air of great -importance, “to make an early visit to Her Majesty the Queen, on very -pressing business.” - -“To the Queen!” they all exclaimed at once. “Pray, madam, do us the -favour to tell us your errand?” - -“Why, to tell the truth,” replied Goosiepoosie, “it is a secret known -only at present to my own family, but I have no objection to mentioning -it so to such respectable people as yourselves, as I am sure you are -quite to be trusted. You are aware that I and all my family have been -accustomed from generation to generation, to dress in white, and have -hitherto allowed our young ones to wear coats of the same colour as soon -as they are old enough to take care of them. But at last we have quite -grown tired of this style of dress. It was very well for our -grandfathers and grandmothers, but now it looks old-fashioned and dowdy, -and, besides requires a great deal of washing, which makes it expensive; -and so I am going to beg the Queen to give an order for our having in -future black coats, which will be much more becoming, and will entitle -us to as high a place in society as the Turkey family, who now give -themselves such airs and graces over us—as if an old-fashioned British -goose, whose family has belonged to the country and supported the state -in all times, and has led an honest and quiet life from father to son, -were not much more respectable than such upstarts as themselves, who -half ruin all their friends, and cannot speak English so as to be -understood.” - -“Very true, madam,” exclaimed Cockielockie, “your observations have a -great deal of weight, only I almost wonder that you should wish to adopt -any imitation of the dress of these foreigners, instead of retaining -that which your grandfathers and grandmothers seem to have found the -most comfortable and convenient, and, I am sure, would never have -changed for the sake of making themselves more like the Turkeys. If you -are tired of white, why do you not ask leave to wear brown and red coats -like ours, which have always been very much admired, and are so much -handsomer than black ones?” - -“Why, sir,” rejoined Mrs. Goosiepoosie, “I do not see that your coats -are any better than our own; and it is not very likely that Father -Gander and all the heads of the family would have sent me off on such a -long journey to Her Majesty just to ask her leave to change our dress, -for no reason at all.” - -“I thought you said, madam, just now,” replied Cockielockie, rather -slyly, “that you found your old white coats dowdy and expensive. I much -fear, however, that you will be obliged to wear them some little time -longer yet, for as you are going exactly the wrong way, it is not -probable that you will ever reach the palace of Her Majesty the Queen.” - -“I beg your pardon,” replied Goosiepoosie, “but as I consulted old -Father Gander before I started, and have carefully attended to his -directions, which were to keep straight on, without turning to the right -leg or to the left, I cannot possibly have gone wrong.” - -“Well,” exclaimed Miss Peck, rather sharply, “I can only tell you, -madam, that _we_ are now on our way to the residence of Her Majesty, on -very important business indeed, and as we have already travelled some -distance, we expect very shortly to arrive there. It is not likely that -persons of our rank in life should not know where our gracious Sovereign -lives, having, of course, often heard the bells ring on her birthday, -and also assisted Betsy Chopper in clearing away the crumbs, after a -feast that was given us in honour of it, on a large table, under the -chestnut trees, not very long ago. There were a great many cakes and -curious things to eat, but the naughty children came swarming round the -table, and stole them, before we knew of it, though they were all -intended for us; so even Cock-a-doodle got nothing better than -crumbs—and good enough for him, too. He gave Miss Spangle one of the -largest he found, and never offered me a bit, although I was leaning -against one leg of the table, close to him, at the time, and suffering -agonies of pain from a sudden attack of cramp in my poor leg. But such -is the way I have always been treated. However, madam, I can assure you -that you had much better attend to what we say, and not go on in this -direction, or you will never get to your journey’s end.” - -“I am much obliged to you, madam, for your good advice,” replied -Goosiepoosie, with a formal bow, “but Father Gander is certain to be -right, and I shall continue to follow the road which he pointed out.” - -“Then you are an obstinate goose for your pains,” cried Cockielockie, -much provoked, “and may wear your vulgar white coat all your life, for -any chance there is of the Queen’s giving you leave to change it.” - -Goosiepoosie made a very angry reply, and the quarrel might have -continued to this time, but just then old Simon Joggle, the carrier, was -coming along the road, and so loud and vehement had been the dispute -that they did not hear the wheels of his cart till it was quite close to -them. He was driving pretty fast, and they were standing near the middle -of the road, so that there was scarcely time to get out of the way. The -unfortunate Miss Peck screamed violently, and in her agitation, not -thinking where she was going, she ran under one of the cart wheels, and -it was no longer any joke about her poor left leg, for the wheel went -over it and broke the bone. - -Her cries were so terrible, and there was such noise and confusion, and -flapping of wings, at the same instant, that old Simon, who could not -see in the glimmering light what was the matter, stopped his horse and -got out of the cart. Poor Miss Peck, whose screams soon showed him where -she was, tried to get away when he came near her, but she only fell down -in great pain whenever she attempted to move. If the cramp in her leg, -from which she used to suffer so much, especially when she was cross, -had disabled her half as much as this sad accident, Cock-a-doodle could -never have been so barbarous as to refuse to help her up the henhouse -stairs, if fifty Miss Spangles had been near him at the same time. It -was in vain that she struggled, and screamed, and scrambled along the -ground. She was soon in old Simon’s clutches, who was quickly sitting in -his cart again, with the reins in his hand, as if nothing had happened. - -But I fear that something very sad _had_ happened; and I am quite sure, -whatever might be her fate, that poor Miss Peck was never more seen or -heard of, although Cock-a-doodle thought it right to make every inquiry -after her, and was very much shocked at the report which was whispered -about the yard the next morning, that she had escaped from the henhouse, -and gone off on a journey with young Master Wilful the conceited pig. - -But what became of Cockielockie, Goosiepoosie, and Duckiedaddles? They -had suffered a terrible fright, and almost lost their senses, when old -Simon’s cart came so suddenly upon them; Duckiedaddles, being the last -to see the danger, in her haste, somehow knocked herself against one of -the horse’s legs, and was so stunned by the blow that she lay for some -minutes quite insensible. When she recovered she could see nothing of -her companions; old Simon’s cart was just moving away, and there was a -shrieking sound from the inside, which Duckie thought—but it might have -been fancy—must be like the voice of Miss Peck in a very bad spasm. When -the cart was quite out of sight, Duckie hobbled along till she came to a -little brook that crossed the road, and plunging gladly into it, she -swam through an arch under the hedge, and along some meadows, till she -came to a pond, where, to her great delight, she found several of her -own relations enjoying an early swim. She told them her story, with many -tears and complaints, as she had done to Cockielockie and poor Miss -Peck, and begged to know whether she might remain with them, and so -escape for ever from the tyranny and insolence of Mrs. Topknot and Jem -the carter. - -They told her that she was welcome to stay if she pleased, but it was -right to mention that they were particularly subject to very severe -misfortunes, in the frequent losses sustained by their families, as -there was a house very near them, in which a large table was kept, and -at any moment one of them might be seized, and taken in to stand upon -this table, but not one had ever been brought back again. Duckiedaddles, -however, thought that they only said this to frighten her, and felt -quite sure that she should be much happier here than at home, so she -stayed, and led an easy life with her new friends—except a dispute every -now and then—for some time, when, one morning, as they were going down -to the pond, she and Curlytail were not to be seen amongst them, so they -knew directly that they were taken in to stand upon the great table, and -would never come out and swim in the pleasant water any more. - -Goosiepoosie’s story is soon told. She first flew over the hedge, and -nearly frightened a red cow, who was lying in the grass on the other -side, into fits; and then, recovering her own senses, set off home as -fast as she could go. When she arrived there, she called all her -companions around her, and told them that, after travelling a long way, -and inquiring everywhere, she found that the Queen’s house was not in -any part of this country, and she was afraid that they should never be -able to reach it; but, that if they waited quietly, perhaps there might -be some opportunity of offering up a petition to her on the subject of -their complaint. So the geese consented to wait, and as no opportunity -of presenting their petition ever occurred, they have continued to wear -their white coats ever since. - -Poor Cockielockie had a dismal time of it before he came to the end of -_his_ troubles. He, too, had flown over the hedge on the other side, and -in his great terror, continued, sometimes flying, and sometimes running, -till he came to a copse, where he thought he should be safe; so he lay -down in the thick grass, under a tree, scared and tired, and very much -out of breath. Hearing nothing of his companions, and not seeing -anything to alarm him, he remained there till the morning, dozing a -little, and dreaming of the old cat, and Mrs. Cockielockie, and every -now and then, starting up in the belief that all Farmer Cloverfield’s -waggons and horses were coming down the lane at full gallop, and that he -had not time to get out of the way. All that day he wandered unhappily -about the copse, picking up a few insects, but meeting with no -acquaintance, and not able to find any way out, he felt very lonely and -wretched, and when the daylight was nearly gone, he climbed up into a -hazel tree, and tried to go to sleep. But there was such a rustling and -twittering amongst a family of robins, who lodged just below him, and -who were talking over their plans for the winter, and the changes which -they meant to make in the spring, that it was long before he could close -his eyes. He had barely done so, when a sudden rush from below, and -frightful sounds of pain and terror roused him from his short slumber. -He flew instantly to the ground, and there, in the twilight, he -distinctly saw his former companion, the old cat, standing with two -murdered robins at her feet, while she greedily devoured a third. - -“Why, Mrs. Puss,” said he, for her mouth was too full to allow her to -speak first, “may I ask how you came here, and what you are doing?” - -“How came I here!” said she, swallowing down the last wing of the robin -as fast as she could. “I should think I had as much business here as you -have, Mr. Cockielockie, particularly if the old woman sends me, to get -her a few nice little birds for her dinner to-morrow. Of course I must -taste them first myself, to see whether they are tough, and I am sure -the one I have just swallowed was tough enough to choke me. I wonder how -I could get it down at all. I hope, for the old woman’s sake, that the -others will be more tender. And, perhaps, you will be good enough to -tell me, Mr. Cockielockie, where you have been all this time, for there -has been such a to-do at home about you, as never was known since Dame -Featherleg drowned herself in the well: Mrs. Cockielockie in hysterics, -all your family sobbing and sighing, and the old woman giving you up for -lost, and hobbling off to Farmer Cloverfield’s to inquire whether Mr. -Brush had been seen in the neighbourhood lately. For goodness’ sake go -home as fast as you can, and make their minds easy, or Mrs. Cockielockie -will be setting off in search of you, with all the family. If there -should be anything that you do not wish mentioned, you may depend, Mr. -Cockielockie, on my keeping it to myself, for I always say, the best of -us would sometimes get into trouble, if our friends made a point of -repeating every little thing that they might happen to know about us, -that seemed to them contrary to one’s duty, and all that! So, if you -will just take that turning to the right, Mr. Cockielockie, and then the -next to the left, you will be on the way to the cottage, and I will come -after you as soon as I have convinced myself that these nasty birds are -too tough to be worth carrying home, which I strongly suspect to be the -case. We shall have plenty of time to talk over our adventures as we -walk along, for it is a good step from hence for you, though nothing for -me, who am an excellent walker.” - -Cockielockie thanked Mrs. Puss for her directions, and immediately set -off on the way she pointed out, feeling very thankful for the prospect -of returning to his family, and sleeping once more in his comfortable -old place in the yew-tree. When Mrs. Puss, who very soon came up with -him, as she promised, heard his story, she said, that if he took her -advice, he would never set off on such an errand again, for if anything -so important as the stars falling out of the sky, had really happened, -she and the old woman should have been sure to hear of it, and could let -the Queen know, without troubling a meddlesome person like Miss Peck, to -whom Her Majesty would never have thought of listening for a moment. - -So Cockielockie lived very quietly with the old woman ever after; the -Queen has never been told from that day to this that the stars were -falling out of the sky, and things have gone on much the same -notwithstanding. Indeed, I know some people who think it a great pity -that Miss Peck and her companions did not stay at home, and mind their -own concerns. If they had but thought less of themselves, they would not -have been so discontented with their condition, but there is an old -proverb that, “to a crazy ship all winds are contrary,” and as, -according to another homely saying, “Every path has a puddle,” those who -spend their time in complaining, and turning this way and that, to -escape from things that they do not like, and to better themselves in -the world, are neither likely to be very useful to others, or to lead -happy and prosperous lives themselves. - - - - - -------------------------------------------------- - - MASTERS AND CO., PRINTERS, ALDERSGATE STREET, LONDON. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - ● Transcriber’s Notes: - ○ Missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected. - ○ Typographical errors were silently corrected. - ○ Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only - when a predominant form was found in this book. - ○ Text that was in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_). - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Miss Peck's Adventures, by Anonymous - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MISS PECK'S ADVENTURES *** - -***** This file should be named 60477-0.txt or 60477-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/4/7/60477/ - -Produced by MFR, Barry Abrahamsen, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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