Once upon a time the three pixies made a fine blackberry pie, Patter made the pastry top, and Pipkin put it in the oven to cook. It really was a lovely pie.

Now, when it was cooked and set on the windowsill to cool, the three pixies all had the same idea. But they didn't say a word to each other. 

"That pie would be delicious  with cream!" thought Peri.

"That pie would taste fine with cream!" thought Patter.

"That pie just wants good rich cream!" thought  Pipkin.

But they didn't say this - because they all thought they would like to slip off to the dairy and get the cream as a surprise for the others!

Peri put on his hat and went to the milkman round the corner. He was a new milkman and he was pleased to see a customer coming to buy something.

"Good morning!" said Peri. "I've come to buy some cream.

I've got a fine blackberry pie at home. My,

you should see it! I thought a jug of cream would go with it very nicely indeed."

"Just the thing!" said the milkman, and he took the jug Peri had brought with him. He dipped it into his big bowl of cream and filled it.

"Thank you," said Peri. "My word! Won't it be fine eating blackberry pie and cream! Please put it down on my bill, Mr Milkman." "Where do you live?" asked the new milkman.

"I live in the little yellow cottage round the corner, the one with honeysuckle all over it," said Peri. "Goodbye, and thank you."

The milkman took out his book and wrote down Peri's  address. "Pixie, yellow honeysuckle cottage - one jug of cream."

Peri went home, crept in at the side gate, and hid the cream on the top shelf of the larder. It was to be a surprise for the others. How pleased he was! Now, in about half and hour,

when the others were having a sleep in the garden, Patter thought he would go and get some cream for the pie. He didn't know about Peri's jug up on the top shelf of the larder. He slipped out of the front door and took his jug to the diary. The milkman was reading a paper behind the counter. He was quite surprised to see a pixie again. He thought it was the same one he had seen a little while before. "Good morning!" said Patter, grinning  all over his jolly face.

"I've got a fine blackberry pie at home, and I thought it would be nice to get some cream for it." "You told me that before," said the milkman. "Indeed I didn't!" said Patter, surprised. "Indeed you did!" said the milkman. "I tell you I didn't ," said Patter, annoyed. 

"I tell you you did," said the milkman also annoyed. "But you can have some more cream if you want to."

"I will have some cream," said Patter, "but  it's the first I've had today."

The milkman snorted rather rudely, took Patter's jug and dipped it into the bowl of cream.

"Thank you," said Patter. "Please on the bill. I live at yellow cottage round the corner, the one with honeysuckle all over it."

"I know that already," said the milkman, taking down his book. "I don't forget things, even if you do!"

"I don't know what you mean," said Patter. He was beginning to think that the milkman was quite mad. "Good morning!"

He went home and put the cream in the china cupboard so that the others won't see it. Then, grinning to think of the fine surprise he had for them, he slipped out into the garden, sat down in his chair and fell asleep. 

Well, it wasn't long before Pipkin woke up and saw the others asleep. And into his head came the thought that it would really be a good time to slip of now, whilst the others slept, and get some cream for the blackberry pie.

He didn't know, of course, that there was already a jug of cream in the larder and one in the china cupboard!

So he crept quietly out of the garden and ran round the corner to the dairy. 

"Good morning!" he said, going in. 

The milkman looked up. 

"Oh, hello! So you're back again!"

he said 

"I haven't been before," said Pipkin, surprised. 

"Oh no, oh no, oh dear me, no!" said the milkman. "I suppose you haven't got a blackberry pie at home, have you?"

"Well, yes, I have," said Pipkin, more surprised than ever.

"And I suppose you think you'll have a jug of cream to eat with your fine pie," said the milkman.

"Yes, I did think that," said Pipkin, holding out his jug.

"Well, all I can say is that you'll make yourself sick with all this cream," said the milkman, dipping his jug into the bowl of cream.

"You are a rude man," said Pipkin,feeling most annoyed. 

"And you are a greedy pixie," said the milkman, handing Pipkin the jug.

Pipkin glared at the milkman. "Please put it on the bill," he said.

"Yes, I know that bit too," said the milkman, taking down his book. " And I suppose you still live at the yellow cottage round the corner?"

"Yes - but how did you know that?" asked Pipkin, astonished. "And it's still got honeysuckle growing all over it?" said the milkman, writing in his book.

"Yes, it has," said Pipkin, thinking that the milkman must be a very peculiar man to know so much about a new custormer.