"I am dreadfully afraid it WILL be
mouse!" said Duchess to herself--
"I really couldn't, COULDN'T eat
mouse pie. And I shall have to
eat it, because it is a party. And
MY pie was going to be veal and
ham. A pink and white pie-dish!
and so is mine; just like Ribby's
dishes; they were both bought at
Tabitha Twitchit's."

Duchess went into her larder
and took the pie off a shelf and
looked at it.

"It is all ready to put into the
oven. Such lovely pie-crust; and
I put in a little tin patty-pan to
hold up the crust; and I made a
hole in the middle with a fork to
let out the steam--Oh I do wish I
could eat my own pie, instead of a
pie made of mouse!"


Duchess considered and considered
and read Ribby' s letter again--

"A pink and white pie-dish-and