This story, first published in 1918, is a story about two mice Timmy Willie and Johnny Town-Mouse. It may remind you of “The Country Mouse and The City Mouse” if you have heard that tale. In this story, a plump short tailed mouse named Timmy Willie mistakenly is displaced from his garden home to the nearby town by falling asleep in a hamper full of vegetables. After a bumpy ride Timmy arrives at a house and must immediately flee the house cat and house cook. Timmy escapes into a hole in the wall where he crashes into a round table of nine town mice with long tails and dressed in white neck ties .
All the mice are very surprised by this intruder but maintain their gentlemanly manners. The leader of the group, Johnny Town-Mouse, introduces himself to Timmy and makes sure that Timmy has the best accommodations possible. Timmy is given the finest everything by town mouse standards. He eats eight course meals made of bacon and jelly, and sleeps on sofa pillows. However, Timmy does not find these things agreeable. The diet does not suit Timmy and he soon begins to lose weight. The sofa pillow smells like cats and Timmy could not sleep because of all the noise at night.
Timmy longs for his home, and after a few weeks returns safely to his garden where he can eat all the vegetables and run outside. Timmy’s life soon returns to normal, until one day he has an unexpected guest, Johnny Town-Mouse. Johnny had promised to visit Timmy, and because the house maid was told specifically to rid the house of mice, Johnny decided to visit his dear friend.
Timmy is convinced that Johnny will love the country and not want to return to town. But can you guess what happened? The very things Timmy loved about the country Johnny hated. Johnny hated the vegetable diet, the mattress made of grass, and the complete quiet of night. The familiar sounds of cows and lawn mowers terrify Johnny Town-Mouse. And so, while Timmy and Johnny were very good friends, they both agreed that they only had one home, and that they were too accustomed to their habits of living. Johnny Town-Mouse returned to the town that very same week.
So now I want to ask you, are you a town mouse or a country mouse? I personally much prefer the country.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes
This is another story about a squirrel. Do you remember Squirrel Nutkin? Well this story is about Timmy Tiptoes and his wife Goody, and it was first published in 1911. Because winter was quickly approaching, Goody and Timmy Tiptoes go out to quietly collect nuts. They spend many days collecting nuts and hide them in their nest in the hollow of a tree. When their hollow is full Timmy decides to put them in a hole high up in a tree. As the nuts travel down the inside Goody asks Timmy how he intends to get the nuts come spring. Timmy assures his wife that he will be much thinner in the spring and so crawling into the hole to get the nuts will not be a problem.
Then one day Silvertail, the most forgetful squirrel of all, could not find the nuts that he had hidden in the ground. He riles up the other squirrels and chase our friend Timmy Tiptoes into the very hole where he had hidden his nuts. The squirrels all thought that Timmy and Goody had taken all their nuts, which we know they had not. The hole was much too small for Timmy but they squeeze him through anyway.
Goody of course was extremely worried about her husband. She waited for him and after he didn’t come home she decided to look for him the next day. Meanwhile, a chipmunk finds Timmy and takes care of him, feeding him nuts. But Timmy got fatter, and he needed to get thinner so that he could escape through the hole!
Although Goody was distressed about her missing husband, she goes out to gather nuts without him. While hiding nuts she happens upon a female chipmunk who tells her that her husband is gone, though she knows where he is. Goody follows her to the tree hole where Goody and the female chipmunk hear two squirellish voices. Goody recognizes the voice of her husband and although Timmy wants to come out he cannot because he is too fat. But luckily one day a gust of wind came and blew off the top of the tree so that Timmy Tiptoes was able to escape.
And to this day, our squirrel couple keeps their nuts in a special closet in their home, so as to avoid any more conflict. And what happened to the chipmunk couple. Well the male chipmunk only returned when he was threatened by a bear and a terrible cold befell him.
Then one day Silvertail, the most forgetful squirrel of all, could not find the nuts that he had hidden in the ground. He riles up the other squirrels and chase our friend Timmy Tiptoes into the very hole where he had hidden his nuts. The squirrels all thought that Timmy and Goody had taken all their nuts, which we know they had not. The hole was much too small for Timmy but they squeeze him through anyway.
Goody of course was extremely worried about her husband. She waited for him and after he didn’t come home she decided to look for him the next day. Meanwhile, a chipmunk finds Timmy and takes care of him, feeding him nuts. But Timmy got fatter, and he needed to get thinner so that he could escape through the hole!
Although Goody was distressed about her missing husband, she goes out to gather nuts without him. While hiding nuts she happens upon a female chipmunk who tells her that her husband is gone, though she knows where he is. Goody follows her to the tree hole where Goody and the female chipmunk hear two squirellish voices. Goody recognizes the voice of her husband and although Timmy wants to come out he cannot because he is too fat. But luckily one day a gust of wind came and blew off the top of the tree so that Timmy Tiptoes was able to escape.
And to this day, our squirrel couple keeps their nuts in a special closet in their home, so as to avoid any more conflict. And what happened to the chipmunk couple. Well the male chipmunk only returned when he was threatened by a bear and a terrible cold befell him.
The Tale of the Pie and The Patty Pan
This story is fairly longer than many of the others I have wriiten. Like The Tailor of Gloucester, it is longer with less of my charming illustrations and more of a focus on the story itself. In this story, a cat Ribby invites her dear friend Duchess the dog over for a pie. Duchess happily obliges but becomes worried that the pie will be made of mouse, something he finds quite despicable. So Duchess comes up with the idea to make his own pie and switch the pies while they are cooking and Ribby is not looking.
So Ribby spends most of the afternoon cleaning and tidying her house but she then has to step out to buy muffins and a few last minute provisions. While Ribby is out Duchess sneaks into the house and put her veal pie in the oven. However, Ribby had two ovens, and so rather than switching out the pies, Duchess unknowingly put the pie in the other oven, so both of them were cooking. Do you see the potential conflict? Can you make a prediction as to what might happen?
When Ribby returns she was suspicious that someone had been in the house because she thought she heard something and a drawer in the kitchen was left open. Ribby and Duchess take the time to get ready for the party and Duchess arrives promptly at a quarter after four in the afternoon and Duchess and Ribby have a gay time drinking tea. While adding sugar, Duchess drops her sugar cube on the floor and fetches it under the table. At this very instant Ribby takes her mouse pie, which is now a golden brown, out of the oven and Duchess does not see which oven the pie came out of.
They sit down to dinner and Duchess gobbles up the pie. Although she noticed that the meat was minced finer than the veal pie she had prepared it was not until the pie tin was clean that she realized what she had eaten. For Duchess had prepared her dish with a patty pan (a tin dish that goes in the plate), and Ribby had not. Duchess could not understand why the patty pan was missing although Ribby kept telling Duchess she had not used one. Duchess convinces herself that she must have eaten it without noticing, and is convinces that she will soon die from consuming so much metal.
Confused, Ribby runs to fetch the town doctor to see Duchess. While left alone Duchess finally discovers her veal pie in the other oven and realizes that she had eaten a pie entirely of mouse and not the patty pan after all. Not wanting to explain this to Ribby, Duchess stowes her pie in the back yard and gets it when she leaves, but the birds had gotten to it first and Duchess left the patty pan for Ribby.
So Ribby spends most of the afternoon cleaning and tidying her house but she then has to step out to buy muffins and a few last minute provisions. While Ribby is out Duchess sneaks into the house and put her veal pie in the oven. However, Ribby had two ovens, and so rather than switching out the pies, Duchess unknowingly put the pie in the other oven, so both of them were cooking. Do you see the potential conflict? Can you make a prediction as to what might happen?
When Ribby returns she was suspicious that someone had been in the house because she thought she heard something and a drawer in the kitchen was left open. Ribby and Duchess take the time to get ready for the party and Duchess arrives promptly at a quarter after four in the afternoon and Duchess and Ribby have a gay time drinking tea. While adding sugar, Duchess drops her sugar cube on the floor and fetches it under the table. At this very instant Ribby takes her mouse pie, which is now a golden brown, out of the oven and Duchess does not see which oven the pie came out of.
They sit down to dinner and Duchess gobbles up the pie. Although she noticed that the meat was minced finer than the veal pie she had prepared it was not until the pie tin was clean that she realized what she had eaten. For Duchess had prepared her dish with a patty pan (a tin dish that goes in the plate), and Ribby had not. Duchess could not understand why the patty pan was missing although Ribby kept telling Duchess she had not used one. Duchess convinces herself that she must have eaten it without noticing, and is convinces that she will soon die from consuming so much metal.
Confused, Ribby runs to fetch the town doctor to see Duchess. While left alone Duchess finally discovers her veal pie in the other oven and realizes that she had eaten a pie entirely of mouse and not the patty pan after all. Not wanting to explain this to Ribby, Duchess stowes her pie in the back yard and gets it when she leaves, but the birds had gotten to it first and Duchess left the patty pan for Ribby.
The Story of Miss Moppet
The Story of Miss Moppet is one of my shorter stories and was first published in 1906. While children of any age can read my stories, this one was written for my youngest friends. This story is very closely tied with the illustrations, and most of the pages are explaining the picture, and not the other way around as is often the case. Many of the pages start with “This is…” to show the action. But nonetheless there is a story to be told.
Miss Moppet hears a mouse, and decides to get him. The mouse, who lives behind the cupboard is not scared of Miss Moppet though and taunts her. She chases him behind a cupboard and hits her head. Miss Moppet then wraps her head in a duster and attempts to ail to aching head. The mouse comes down to see Miss Moppet and he gets closer and closer until…Miss Moppet seizes the mouse!
In hopes of getting revenge for the mouse teasing Miss Moppet, which is not very nice, she wraps him in the duster and tosses him around. She throws him in the air many times but when she unties the duster she remembers the small hole that was there, and the mouse had escaped through the hole and was now celebrating on top of the cupboard.
So children, revenge is not a good thing, and will rarely get you what you truly want. It was not right of the mouse to tease Miss Moppet, but this story focuses on Miss Moppet’s wrongdoings and not those of the mouse. And I think Miss Moppet learned her lesson not to seek revenge.
Miss Moppet hears a mouse, and decides to get him. The mouse, who lives behind the cupboard is not scared of Miss Moppet though and taunts her. She chases him behind a cupboard and hits her head. Miss Moppet then wraps her head in a duster and attempts to ail to aching head. The mouse comes down to see Miss Moppet and he gets closer and closer until…Miss Moppet seizes the mouse!
In hopes of getting revenge for the mouse teasing Miss Moppet, which is not very nice, she wraps him in the duster and tosses him around. She throws him in the air many times but when she unties the duster she remembers the small hole that was there, and the mouse had escaped through the hole and was now celebrating on top of the cupboard.
So children, revenge is not a good thing, and will rarely get you what you truly want. It was not right of the mouse to tease Miss Moppet, but this story focuses on Miss Moppet’s wrongdoings and not those of the mouse. And I think Miss Moppet learned her lesson not to seek revenge.
The Tale of Jemima Puddle Duck
This is a curious tale of a duck who is just a little to trusting. First published in 1906, Jemima Puddle Duck is a fairly stubborn and protective duck who lived on a farm. Jemima did not like the farmer’s wife because she would not let Jemima hatch her own eggs. Determined to sit on her eggs for 28 days so that she can hatch them herself, Jemima thinks of ways to accomplish this task. She tries hiding the eggs, but they are always found. Refusing to give up, Jemima thinks the only way to have the eggs hatch herself is to take them away from the farm.
Jemima flies to the woods, something she hadn’t practiced in a very long time, and finds a nice spot. What’s more is that she meets a nice gentleman with prick ears and “sandy coloured whiskers.” Now children do you have any idea what kind of animal this elegantly dressed gentleman was? He was a fox, but Jemima thought he was very friendly and civil. Jemima explained to him her plight and the gentleman offered his house as the perfect resting place for her eggs. Jemima obliged and thought nothing of the room filled with feathers. Jemima sits on her eggs but has to go home at the end of the night, but this eloquent gentleman promises to look over the eggs with great care.
After six days, Jemima announces that she plans to sit on the eggs permanently until they hatch. This prompts the gentleman to make the odd request of ingredients for an omelette from Jemima. Now isn’t that curious to you? Why would he want an omelette so suddenly? Jemima thought nothing of it and returned back to the farm to gather what the fox, I mean gentleman, had requested. While fetching the onions, she runs into the farm dog Kep and she tells him the whole story. Kep found the story very interesting and asked many questions about the location of the house.
When Jemima makes it back to her wooded hideaway, and the typically friendly gentleman is very curt. He was bossy and abrupt, and because he had never regarded Jemima in this manner, she felt uncomfortable. But again, luck is on the side of our protagonist. Kep and his three friends come to save Jemima from being eaten by the sly fox and through a series of barks, growls, squeals, and groans the fox was never heard from again.
Jemima Puddle-Duck was saved! But unfortunately her eggs were not, and Kep’s friends gobbled them up before Kep had the opportunity to tell them not too. Jemima returns home crying over her lost eggs, but she was able to lay four eggs in June.
Jemima Puddle-Duck was too trusting of the fox. There were plenty of signs to tell her that she was in danger, the room full of feathers, the irrational request of ingrediants to make an omelette, the fox’s fascination with the eggs, but Jemima did not notice. Now I am not saying you cannot trust anyone, but you always have to be smart about it, make sure you are not putting yourself in a situation where you might get cooked.
Jemima flies to the woods, something she hadn’t practiced in a very long time, and finds a nice spot. What’s more is that she meets a nice gentleman with prick ears and “sandy coloured whiskers.” Now children do you have any idea what kind of animal this elegantly dressed gentleman was? He was a fox, but Jemima thought he was very friendly and civil. Jemima explained to him her plight and the gentleman offered his house as the perfect resting place for her eggs. Jemima obliged and thought nothing of the room filled with feathers. Jemima sits on her eggs but has to go home at the end of the night, but this eloquent gentleman promises to look over the eggs with great care.
After six days, Jemima announces that she plans to sit on the eggs permanently until they hatch. This prompts the gentleman to make the odd request of ingredients for an omelette from Jemima. Now isn’t that curious to you? Why would he want an omelette so suddenly? Jemima thought nothing of it and returned back to the farm to gather what the fox, I mean gentleman, had requested. While fetching the onions, she runs into the farm dog Kep and she tells him the whole story. Kep found the story very interesting and asked many questions about the location of the house.
When Jemima makes it back to her wooded hideaway, and the typically friendly gentleman is very curt. He was bossy and abrupt, and because he had never regarded Jemima in this manner, she felt uncomfortable. But again, luck is on the side of our protagonist. Kep and his three friends come to save Jemima from being eaten by the sly fox and through a series of barks, growls, squeals, and groans the fox was never heard from again.
Jemima Puddle-Duck was saved! But unfortunately her eggs were not, and Kep’s friends gobbled them up before Kep had the opportunity to tell them not too. Jemima returns home crying over her lost eggs, but she was able to lay four eggs in June.
Jemima Puddle-Duck was too trusting of the fox. There were plenty of signs to tell her that she was in danger, the room full of feathers, the irrational request of ingrediants to make an omelette, the fox’s fascination with the eggs, but Jemima did not notice. Now I am not saying you cannot trust anyone, but you always have to be smart about it, make sure you are not putting yourself in a situation where you might get cooked.
List of My Books
I though I would dedicate this post to a bibliography of what I wrote (can you guess what “bibliography” means? You try to guess and I’ll define it after the post.). I will list them chronologically (I’ll define that word at the end, as well, dear reader ☺ ).
The Tale of Peter Rabbit, 1902
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, 1903
The Tailor of Gloucester, 1903
The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, 1904
The Tale of Two Bad Mice, 1904
The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, 1905
The Tale of Jeremy Fisher, 1906
The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit, 1906
Teh Story of Miss Moppet, 1906
The Tale of Tom Kitten, 1907
The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck
The Roly-Poly Pudding, later changed to The Tale of Samuel Whiskers, 1908
The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies, 1909
Ginger and Pickles, 1909
The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse, 1910
The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes, 1911
The Tale of Mr. Tod, 1912
The Tale of Pigling Bland, 1913
The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse, 1918
The Fairy Caravan, 1952
The Tale of Little Pig Robinson, 1930
(A “bibliography” is a list of books and “chronologically” is to be in order by date)
Source
Lane, Margaret. The Magic Years of Beatrix Potter. Frederick Warne Publishers: London, 1978, pp. 211-212.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit, 1902
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, 1903
The Tailor of Gloucester, 1903
The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, 1904
The Tale of Two Bad Mice, 1904
The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, 1905
The Tale of Jeremy Fisher, 1906
The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit, 1906
Teh Story of Miss Moppet, 1906
The Tale of Tom Kitten, 1907
The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck
The Roly-Poly Pudding, later changed to The Tale of Samuel Whiskers, 1908
The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies, 1909
Ginger and Pickles, 1909
The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse, 1910
The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes, 1911
The Tale of Mr. Tod, 1912
The Tale of Pigling Bland, 1913
The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse, 1918
The Fairy Caravan, 1952
The Tale of Little Pig Robinson, 1930
(A “bibliography” is a list of books and “chronologically” is to be in order by date)
Source
Lane, Margaret. The Magic Years of Beatrix Potter. Frederick Warne Publishers: London, 1978, pp. 211-212.
My Love for Drawing and Painting
Drawing and painting is one of my greatest passions in life. Since I was a young child I have been drawing animals and birds. I began by copying from the illustrations in natural history books and later drew from observing real specimans (I have already posted about my natural history pusuits).
In fact one of my family’s oldest friends and artist Mr. John Everett Millais once remarked that, “plenty of people can draw, but you… have observation.” Young readers, have you ever known an adult who frightens you a bit? Mr. Millais was one such adult for me, which mean that when he gave me the complement about my skill of observation, it meant a great deal to me.
From this time I would draw realistic images, but from time to time I would include an animal walking upright or wearing a scarf!
When I was fifteen I received an Art’s Student Certificate, and was deemed that I could knowledgably create models, draw freehanded, and understood practical geometry and linear perspective.
On Saturday, October 4, 1884 (I would have been 18) I wrote in my journal:
“It is all the same, drawing, painting, modeling, the irresistible desire to copy any beautiful object which strikes the eye, why cannot one be content to look at it? I cannot rest, I must draw, however poor the result, and when I have a bad time come over me it is a stronger desire than ever, and settles on the queerest things. Worse than queer sometimes. Last time in the middle of September, I caught myself in the back yard making a careful and admiring copy of the swill bucket, and the laugh it gave me brought me round.”
What do you do when you are feeling down? What is it that you feel most passionate about, dear reader?
Source
Lane, Margaret. The Magic Years of Beatrix Potter. Frederick Warne Publishers: London, 1978, pp. 24,32-33.
Potter, Beatrix. The Art of Beatrix Potter. Frederick Warne Publishers: London, 1955.
Potter, Beatrix. The Journal of Beatrix Potter, from 1881-1897. Translated by Leslie Linder. Frederick Warne Publishers: London, 1966.
In fact one of my family’s oldest friends and artist Mr. John Everett Millais once remarked that, “plenty of people can draw, but you… have observation.” Young readers, have you ever known an adult who frightens you a bit? Mr. Millais was one such adult for me, which mean that when he gave me the complement about my skill of observation, it meant a great deal to me.
From this time I would draw realistic images, but from time to time I would include an animal walking upright or wearing a scarf!
When I was fifteen I received an Art’s Student Certificate, and was deemed that I could knowledgably create models, draw freehanded, and understood practical geometry and linear perspective.
On Saturday, October 4, 1884 (I would have been 18) I wrote in my journal:
“It is all the same, drawing, painting, modeling, the irresistible desire to copy any beautiful object which strikes the eye, why cannot one be content to look at it? I cannot rest, I must draw, however poor the result, and when I have a bad time come over me it is a stronger desire than ever, and settles on the queerest things. Worse than queer sometimes. Last time in the middle of September, I caught myself in the back yard making a careful and admiring copy of the swill bucket, and the laugh it gave me brought me round.”
What do you do when you are feeling down? What is it that you feel most passionate about, dear reader?
Source
Lane, Margaret. The Magic Years of Beatrix Potter. Frederick Warne Publishers: London, 1978, pp. 24,32-33.
Potter, Beatrix. The Art of Beatrix Potter. Frederick Warne Publishers: London, 1955.
Potter, Beatrix. The Journal of Beatrix Potter, from 1881-1897. Translated by Leslie Linder. Frederick Warne Publishers: London, 1966.
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