The Tale of the Pie and the Patty Pan

Pages: 64

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About this book

An invitation to tea at a quarter past four sets Ribby the cat and Duchess the little dog at cross purposes. Ribby promises a pie served in a pink-and-white dish, but Duchess worries that the filling will be mouse. She decides to bring her own veal and ham pie and swap it while her hostess is out buying muffins, tea, sugar and marmalade. The plan depends on finding the right oven, a task that proves less simple than she expects.

First published in 1905, Beatrix Potter's story follows these two animals through a comedy of polite manners and private anxieties. Flowers and carefully observed courtesies accompany the visit, while a tin patty-pan beneath Duchess's pastry crust becomes the source of a fresh misunderstanding. Their friendly conversation turns uneasy when Duchess cannot account for the missing piece of kitchenware, giving the tea party a comic tension rooted in small domestic details.

About the author

Beatrix Potter

Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) was an English author, illustrator, and naturalist whose beloved little books, beginning with The Tale of Peter Rabbit, are cornerstones of children's literature.