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THE TALE OF 1
TIMMY TIPTOES
By
BEATRIX POTTER
Author of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," etc.
1911
BY
TIMMY TIPTOES 2
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes, by Beatrix Potter.
BINDING BY
A. HOROWITZ & SON
FOR
INCLUDING MONICA
Once upon a time there was a little fat comfortable grey squirrel, called Timmy Tiptoes. He had a nest
thatched with leaves in the top of a tall tree; and he had a little squirrel wife called Goody.
BEATRIX POTTER 3
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes, by Beatrix Potter.
Timmy 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,
when there is nothing to eat in spring-time," replied prudent Timothy.
BEATRIX POTTER 4
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes, by Beatrix Potter.
When Timmy and Goody Tiptoes 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 themselves.
Every 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.
BEATRIX POTTER 5
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes, by Beatrix Potter.
When these stumps were full, they began to empty the bags into a hole high up a tree, that had belonged 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.
BEATRIX POTTER 6
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes, by Beatrix Potter.
They 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 Silvertail. He began to dig, and he could not remember.
And then 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!
BEATRIX POTTER 7
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes, by Beatrix Potter.
Unfortunately, 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.
BEATRIX POTTER 8
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes, by Beatrix Potter.
The 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 replying; indeed, the little bird did not expect an answer. It was
only singing its natural song, and it meant nothing at all.
BEATRIX POTTER 9
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes, by Beatrix Potter.
But 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?"
BEATRIX POTTER 10
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes, by Beatrix Potter.
They 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. They squeezed him dreadfully, it was
a wonder they did not break his ribs. "We will leave him here till he confesses," said Silvertail Squirrel, and
he shouted into the hole—
"Who's-been-digging-up my-nuts?"
Timmy 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.
BEATRIX POTTER 11
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes, by Beatrix Potter.
Goody 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.
BEATRIX POTTER 12
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes, by Beatrix Potter.
In the meantime Timmy Tiptoes came to his senses. He found himself tucked up in a little moss bed, very
much in 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 Chipmunk appeared with a night light, and hoped he
felt better?
It was most kind to Timmy Tiptoes; it lent him its night-cap; and the house was full of provisions.
BEATRIX POTTER 13
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes, by Beatrix Potter.
The 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 Timmy was 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 Chipmunk. Timmy Tiptoes grew fatter
and fatter!
BEATRIX POTTER 14
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes, by Beatrix Potter.
Now Goody Tiptoes had set to work again by herself. She did not put any more nuts into the woodpecker'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 Goody emptied 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.
"It 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 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.
BEATRIX POTTER 15
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes, by Beatrix Potter.
She led the way to the woodpecker'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—
BEATRIX POTTER 16
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes, by Beatrix Potter.
"You could squeeze in, through that little round hole," said Goody Tiptoes. "Yes, I could," said the Chipmunk,
"but my husband, 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—
BEATRIX POTTER 17
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes, by Beatrix Potter.
Then Goody peeped in at the hole, and called down—"Timmy Tiptoes! Oh fie, Timmy Tiptoes!" And Timmy
replied, "Is that you, Goody Tiptoes? Why, certainly!"
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.
BEATRIX POTTER 18
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes, by Beatrix Potter.
And 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.
BEATRIX POTTER 19
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes, by Beatrix Potter.
But Chippy Hackee continued to camp out for another week, although it was uncomfortable.
At last a large bear came walking through the wood. Perhaps he also was looking for nuts; he seemed to be
sniffing around.
BEATRIX POTTER 20
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes, by Beatrix Potter.
And when Chippy Hackee got home, he found he had caught a cold in his head; and he was more
uncomfortable still.
BEATRIX POTTER 21
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes, by Beatrix Potter.
And now Timmy and Goody Tiptoes keep their nut-store fastened up with a little padlock.
And 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
*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TALE OF TIMMY TIPTOES ***
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