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Moppet and Mittens walked down the garden path unsteadily. Presently they
trod upon their pinafores and fell on their noses.

When they stood up there were several green smears!

"Let us climb up the rockery, and sit on the garden wall," said Moppet.

They turned their pinafores back to front, and went up with a skip and a
jump; Moppet's white tucker fell down into the road.

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[Illustration]

Tom Kitten was quite unable to jump when walking upon his hind legs in
trousers. He came up the rockery by degrees, breaking the ferns, and
shedding buttons right and left.

He was all in pieces when he reached the top of the wall.

Moppet and Mittens tried to pull him together; his hat fell off, and the
rest of his buttons burst.

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[Illustration]

While they were in difficulties, there was a pit pat paddle pat! and the
three Puddle-Ducks came along the hard high road, marching one behind the
other and doing the goose step--pit pat paddle pat! pit pat waddle pat!

They stopped and stood in a row, and stared up at the kittens. They had
very small eyes and looked surprised.

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[Illustration]

Then the two duck-birds, Rebeccah and Jemima Puddle-Duck, picked up the
hat and tucker and put them on.

Mittens laughed so that she fell off the wall. Moppet and Tom descended
after her; the pinafores and all the rest of Tom's clothes came off on the
way down.

"Come! Mr. Drake Puddle-Duck," said Moppet--"Come and help us to dress
him! Come and button up Tom!"

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[Illustration]

Mr. Drake Puddle-Duck advanced in a slow sideways manner, and picked up
the various articles.

But he put them on _himself!_ They fitted him even worse than Tom Kitten.

"It's a very fine morning!" said Mr. Drake Puddle-Duck.

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[Illustration]

And he and Jemima and Rebeccah Puddle-Duck set off up the road, keeping
step--pit pat, paddle pat! pit pat, waddle pat!

Then Tabitha Twitchit came down the garden and found her kittens on the
wall with no clothes on.

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[Illustration]

She pulled them off the wall, smacked them, and took them back to the
house.

"My friends will arrive in a minute, and you are not fit to be seen; I am
affronted," said Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit.

She sent them upstairs; and I am sorry to say she told her friends that
they were in bed with the measles; which was not true.

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