had swallowed a patty-pan.

"Spinach? ha! HA!" said he,
and accompanied her with alacrity.

He hopped so fast that Ribby--
had to run. It was most conspicuous.
All the village could see that
Ribby was fetching the doctor.


"I KNEW they would over-eat
themselves!" said Cousin Tabitha
Twitchit.

But while Ribby had been hunting
for the doctor--a curious thing
had happened to Duchess, who had
been left by herself, sitting before
the fire, sighing and groaning and
feeling very unhappy.

"How COULD I have swallowed it!
such a large thing as a patty-pan!"

She got up and went to the table,
and felt inside the pie-dish again
with a spoon.