| Mrs. tittlemouse began to pull out the moss. Three or four other bees put their heads out, and buzzed fiercely. "I am not in the habit of letting lodgings; this is an intrusion!" said Mrs. Tittlemouse. "I will have them turned out—" "Buzz! Buzz! Buzzz!"—"I wonder who would help me?" "Bizz, Wizz, Wizzz!" —"I will not have Mr. Jackson; he never wipes his feet." |
| Mrs. tittlemouse decided to leave the bees till after dinner. When she got back to the parlour, she heard some one coughing in a fat voice; and there sat Mr. Jackson himself! He was sitting all over a small rocking-chair, twiddling his thumbs and smiling, with his feet on the fender. He lived in a drain below the hedge, in a very dirty wet ditch. |
| "How do you do, Mr. Jackson? Deary me, you have got very wet!" "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mrs. Tittlemouse! I'll sit awhile and dry myself," said Mr. Jackson. He sat and smiled, and the water dripped off his coat tails. Mrs. Tittlemouse went round with a mop. |