"Arthur O'Bower has broken his band,
He comes roaring up the land!
The King of Scots with all his power,
Cannot turn Arthur of the Bower!"
Nutkin made a whirring noise to sound like the _wind_, and he took a
running jump right onto the head of Old Brown!...
Then all at once there was a flutterment and a scufflement and a loud
"Squeak!"
The other squirrels scuttered away into the bushes.
[Illustration]
When they came back very cautiously, peeping round the tree--there was Old
Brown sitting on his door-step, quite still, with his eyes closed, as if
nothing had happened.
* * * * *
_But Nutkin was in his waistcoat pocket!_
[Illustration]
This looks like the end of the story; but it isn't.
[Illustration]
Old Brown carried Nutkin into his house, and held him up by the tail,
intending to skin him; but Nutkin pulled so very hard that his tail broke
in two, and he dashed up the staircase and escaped out of the attic
window.
[Illustration]
And to this day, if you meet Nutkin up a tree and ask him a riddle, he
will throw sticks at you, and stamp his feet and scold, and shout--
"Cuck-cuck-cuck-cur-r-r-cuck-k-k!"