"No; there is no patty-pan, and
I put one in; and nobody has eaten
pie except me, so I must have
swallowed it!"

She sat down again, and stared
mournfully at the grate. The fire
crackled and danced, and something
sizz-z-zled!


Duchess started! She opened the
door of the TOP oven;--out came a
rich steamy flavour of veal and
ham, and there stood a fine brown
pie,--and through a hole in the top
of the pie-crust there was a glimpse
of a little tin patty-pan!

Duchess drew a long breath--

"Then I must have been eating
MOUSE! . . . NO wonder I feel ill.
. . . But perhaps I should feel worse
if I had really swallowed a patty-
pan!" Duchess reflected--"What
a very awkward thing to have
to explain to Ribby! I think
I will put my pie in the back-yard
and say nothing about it. When