The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin

The World of Beatrix Potter #2

by Beatrix Potter

Beatrix Potter's famous tale of a naughty squirrel who loses his tail is as popular today as it was when it was first published over 100 years ago.

Join Nutkin, his brother Twinkleberry & all his cousins as they traverse to Owl Island to gather nuts. See what happens when Old Brown, the terrifying owl guardian of the island decides he has had it with silly Nutkin's cheekiness! Ouch!!

Beatrix Potter is still regarded as one of the world's best-loved children's authors of all time. From her first book, 'The Tale of Peter Rabbit', published by Frederick Warne in 1902, she went on to create a series of stories based around animal characters including Mrs. Tiggy-winkle, Benjamin Bunny, Jemima Puddle-duck, Mr. Jeremy Fisher and Tom Kitten.

Her humorous, lively tales and beautiful illustrations have become a natural part of childhood. With revenue from the sales of her books, Beatrix Potter bought a farm—Hill Top—in the English Lake District, where she later became a farmer and prize-winning sheep breeder.

Today, Beatrix Potter's original 23 tales are still published by Frederick Warne. 'The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin' is number two in Beatrix Potter's series of 23 little books.

Age Rating: 3–12+ / Preschool - 2+ / Lexile Measure 1040L

Genres: Childrens, Classics, Picture Books, Fiction, Animals, Fantasy, Short Stories

58 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1903

About the author

Helen Beatrix Potter was an English author, illustrator, mycologist, and conservationist who is best known for her children's books, which featured animal characters such as Peter Rabbit.

Born into a wealthy household, Potter was educated by governesses and grew up isolated from other children. She had numerous pets, and through holidays in Scotland and the Lake District, developed a love of landscape, flora, and fauna, all of which she closely observed and painted. Because she was a woman, her parents discouraged intellectual development, but her study and paintings of fungi led her to be widely respected in the field of mycology.

In her thirties, Potter published the highly successful children's book The Tale of Peter Rabbit and became secretly engaged to her publisher, Norman Warne, causing a breach with her parents, who disapproved of his social status. Warne died before the wedding.

Potter eventually published 24 children's books, the most recent being The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots (2016), and having become financially independent of her parents, was able to buy a farm in the Lake District, which she extended with other purchases over time.

In her forties, she married a local solicitor, William Heelis. She became a sheep breeder and farmer while continuing to write and illustrate children's books. Potter died in 1943 and left almost all of her property to The National Trust in order to preserve the beauty of the Lake District as she had known it, protecting it from developers.

Potter's books continue to sell well throughout the world, in multiple languages. Her stories have been retold in various formats, including a ballet, films, and in animation.

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

My curiosity was sparked by another review bemoaning this tale’s cruelty and its disparaging message to children. I can see where that reviewer is coming from. After all, in the end poor Squirrel Nutkin’s tail is broken in two, not to mention his spirit. Yet one can’t help but wonder about the continuing popularity of a book first published in 1903. There must be some redeeming value to this short tale.

I think your enjoyment of the story depends on how you view Squirrel Nutkin. Is he a frisky little guy or deliberately taunting the owl? Is he attention-seeking and self-absorbed or just impertinent and immature? I see Squirrel Nutkin as a frisky fellow who really doesn’t know any better. He’s sort of the class clown of the group, and fun and play are his personality, and really all he’s ever known as it is ingrained in him. I felt bad that none of his cousins tried to warn him of the error of his ways. He had to learn his lesson the hard way, but I guess that mirrors real life. You don’t always get a warning.

Thus, there we have the redeeming value. Respect, diligence, and hard work are good qualities to exhibit while fun and play should be reserved for the appropriate time and place. I see children enjoying this tale of a naughty squirrel. The illustrations are charming and the moral message will certainly be received. It’s only as adults that we see this tale as more tormenting than cautionary.

[Spencer Orey · Rating 3 out of 5]

My kid's grandma bought us a 12 book set of the original Beatrix Potter books. I'll be reviewing them at random and out of order.

This one has a real meanness to it. A lot of the Beatrix Potter books have some cruelty but maybe this is the worst in the set we have.

There are lovely illustrations of the squirrels crossing the water on little rafts. But the general premise just feels so old school to me. Squirrel nutkin wants to play and tell riddles during whatever harvest pilgrimage the squirrels are on. But there's a grumpy and poorly named owl who eventually hurts nutkin when he goes a little too far. the message is that kids are supposed to learn to be respectful, stifle themselves, and pay tribute to people who can hurt them or something like that. Blegh. Totally the kind of "children should be seen and not heard" heavy handed crap that generation feels about children.

In the final scene, after nutkin's tail has been broken in half, he doesn't even like riddles anymore. Like he's been traumatized for life for being too silly. What a downer.

Don't read it to your kids.

[Annet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's my traditional year start with a Beatrix Potter booklet.
Some Potter books are just very cute and this is one of them! It is the tale of naughty squirrel Nutkin. Every year, he and a group of squirrels go to an island in the middle of the lake, asking the owl 'Old Mr. Brown' who lives on the island, for permission to gather nuts on the island. Every time they bring him an offering, varying from 'three fat mice' to wild honey and a 'new-laid egg'. . But Nutkin 'is expressively impertinent in his manners'!, singing riddles to the owl and keen to do mischief..... Cute little story, the most gorgeous drawings, famous of Beatrix Potter.

The man in the wilderness said to me,
How many strawberries grow in the sea...
I answered him as I thought good -
As many herrings as grow in the wood!

[babyhippoface · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, I just read this 100-year-old story for the first time today. And:

1. Twinkleberry is a good name for a squirrel. So is Nutkin, but I was unprepared for Twinkleberry.

2. Old Brown is a patient owl. Seriously, with an upstart like Nutkin being all impertinent on his doorstep. It's a wonder he didn't eat him after the second time.

2. I want to know the answers to Nutkin's riddles. I just knew Beatrix Potter would tell me before the book ended, but No. Now I'm wondering what animal is the "little wee man, in a red red coat! A staff in his hand, and a stone in his throat". I'm figuring it's a bird, but how will I ever know? And who is Hitty Pitty?

4. Lesson learned, Nutkin? I would think so, skittering Half-Tail.

Peter Rabbit was a childhood favorite, but I never read the others in Potter's set. It seems it's time.

**************UPDATE**************

While searching for the answer to the aforementioned riddle online (I said I wanted to know) I found not only the answer to that one, but to all of them, and amazingly enough, they were all in the book itself! Apparently Beatrix Potter planned for people like me, and the answer to every riddle can be found on the same page as the riddle, written in italics.

I read that and thought, "No way." Yes way. I totally missed all the italicized words. And here I thought I was more observant about things like that in books. Wrong. But Hurray for Beatrix Potter, for sneaking that one in there for people like me.

[[ J o ] · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a place in my heart that is reserved only for Red Squirrels. My boyfriend cannot get in there and neither can chocolate. It pains me that I had to go all the way from the North of England to Lyon, France, just to see a Red Squirrel.

I like to think of Beatrix Potter as an illustrator first, and then a story-teller. Her stories have a touch of twee, but I think each and every one has a side to it that speaks of the darkness of the nature she so adored. Death is just a natural occurrence and there are small elements of that through these The World of Peter Rabbit stories.

But the illustrations are utterly divine. The one with the squirrels on little rafts, punting themselves over to Old Brown's island? Possibly the cutest, most nature-evocative illustration I've ever seen. The colours are Turneresque and it calms me beyond belief.

The story?

Squirrel Nutkin is impertinent, but I also think he's just being Squirrel Nutkin. Possibly with a touch of ADHD about him, as well. He's full of life but hasn't quite grasped the notion of politeness. Whilst the animals are all obviously personified beyond their natural scope, the darkness of nature is still firmly embedded; which is why Old Brown bites off Nutkin's tail instead of just telling him to mind his manners. There's really only so much an old owl can take.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remembering loving this book as a child, so I thought I'd give it a reread. I've always had a thing for squirrels, and I love watching them busy, gathering resources and in their own habitat. How anyone can dislike them completely baffles me!
This book isn't as good as the first book, but I enjoyed it, all the same. Squirrel Nutkin is a cheeky little squirrel who becomes over confident, and very nearly pays for it dearly, but actually, he still escapes with a price. There are a lot of riddles in this story, and despite them being a tad confusing, I think they were a good addition to this story! As with the first book in this gorgeous collection, the illustrations are exquisite, and completely faultless. I can't wait to continue on to the next book!

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Next up in the Beatrix Potter set is a tale of a pesky squirrel who pushes his luck a little too much...

I was quite surprised how similar in traits both Squirrel Nutkin and Peter Rabbit were.
Both pushing the boundaries and almost coming the worst of for it.
Peter was told to avoid Mr McGregor's farm, whilst Nutkin naughty behaviour was so much worst as he continued to antagonize Old Brown day after day.

Old Brown the owl on the island who allowed Nutkin, Twinkleberry and their many cousins showed such restraint as the group brought gifts in exchange for allowing to collect nuts over the course of the week, but Nutkin continually tried getting a reaction with his antics.
I'm with the owl on this one even though the message of respect your elders was a little heavy handed.
Not ideal for really young children.

[☾❀Apple✩ Blossom⋆｡˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

they just wanted SOME NUTS 😠

[Rob · Rating 2 out of 5]

"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."

[Katja Labonté · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. Beatrix Potter is the queen of children’s stories. The illustrations in here are magnificent, of course, and excellently portray the characters of the different animals, besides the lovely setting. And the story itself is so fun. Impertinent Nutkin with his riddles (I CANNOT BELIEVE I DIDN’T FIGURE THEM OUT BEFORE*) and hardworking little dutiful Twinkleberry are quite the pair, while haughty Old Brown makes for an interesting antagonist. The end is an unexpected twist, and the moral, although unsaid, is very good; while the writing style is simply superb!

*If you haven’t, look here: https://www.goodreads.com/questions/2...

[Manny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Staring at a bar of Swiss chocolate that I was kindly given earlier today, I had a moment of revelation: I knew, with unutterable certainty, what Squirrel Nutkin is called in French. And you see, I was right!



(Not will not only vouch for the truth of this story, she very graciously refrained from eating all the chocolate while I was surfing the web. Truly, she is a pearl beyond price).

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about being polite verses being rude. Nutkin almost gets it in the end due to his rude behavior and he escapes at a price. I don't know why I didn't enjoy this as much as the first. My niblings didn't seems to be that into it either. Interesting. Still, that artwork is pretty. It reminds me of Dumbledore and how he always treated even his enemies politely. Maybe it deserves another star for how it's inviting me to ponder this. OK, 4 stars.

[Ankit Saxena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boring End.

Interesting tale with fun and adventure but still it ended so badly. It would have been better. Nutkin is a funny squirrel and I enjoyed the Peter Rabbit and liked it as well but this ended so bad.

[~Madison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nutkin deserves a kick up the arse

as always, this old children's book is traumatising like most old children books are.
An owl tried to skin a squirrel and ripped his tail in half.. I mean the squirrel deserved it but still

the most relatable out of all the children books ive ever read because Nutkin and I both annoy people on purpose and spend our free time playing marbles. I wish I was joking but playing marbles is my latest obsession.

[Carolyn Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A continuation of my unplanned Beatrix Potter re-read!
Another childhood favorite!!! 💕

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 3 out of 5]

In its day, this was a cautionary tale about the need for rambunctious kids to have good manners. Nutkin's behaviour was comic because in those days it would have been unthinkable for most middle-class kids to act like that in the presence of an older adult (Brown Owl is obviously an elderly Victorian gent such as grandfather or wealthy uncle). When the owl gets sick of the squirrelly brat's antics, he "puts him in his waistcoat pocket". I've often wanted to do that with certain spoiled toddlers of my acquaintance--stuff them in a bag somewhere!

Someone pointed out to me the other day the dark thread that often runs through Potter's stories; Mr Macgregor causing Peter's father to have an "accident", bagging up the Flopsy bunnies, etc. I got the feeling she had meant Nutkin to be devoured by the angry Owl, and then inserted the sentence "this looks like the end of the story, but it isn't" when the child she test-ran it with perhaps burst into tears or became vocally upset. I can also see where Allison Utley and some other children's authors got the idea of the feared and respected Owl, pillar and punisher of the animal community. Even A. A. Milne's owl owes a debt to Potter's books, I think, as The Hundred Acre Wood made its first appearance nearly twenty years later.

This is a much better read-aloud than Potter's other "squirrel story" which I heartily disliked, though Nutkin's brother's name, "Twinkleberry", always sets my teeth on edge. Too twee for Potter's usual work.

[jacky · Rating 1 out of 5]

Even though the pictures of all the little red squirrels were very adorable, I pretty much hated this one. It was all little riddles and rhymes and very little plot. Squirrel Nutkin learned this lesson in the end, but I felt like the journey to get to that lesson was odd, too long, and boring. Also, I found it a tiny bit unsettling that squirrels were bring mice as a sacrifice to an owl in a children's book.

[Kimmylongtime · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every night me and my son read atleast two books. One is always a classic and the other is usually something sassy and silly. This was strange and funny and my have the times changed. I don’t think any books with animal cruelty have been out for quite some time. So this was a rude awakening but still very well written.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tale of Lumpen Comrade Chichikov, by Comrade Nikolai B. Potter Gogol

All the Bednyaks from the village came to Kulak Brown's farm bearing a gift. They bore a large pot of okroshka for the Kulak, supplicated themselves and begged that he allow them to collect seeds from his fields for the next year's crops.

Before Kulak Brown could answer, Lumpen Comrade Chichikov piped up, mocking the kulak with his nasty riddles and insults.

But the Kulak simply ignored him, nodded to the Bednyaks, and went into his farmhouse with the pot of okroshka. While Chichikov, Chichikov went down to the creek and slept while his Comrades collected their seeds.

Days later the Bednyaks returned. They'd tried to make Comrade Chichikov stay away, but he wouldn't hear of it, and as they knocked on the door of Kulak Brown's farm house, he sat on the fence post crowing his delighted mockeries. Kulak Brown ignored him assiduously and accepted their offered hachapuris without a word, waving them to the fields in search of their seeds.

The bednyaks worked, while Lumpen Comrade Chichikov mocked them from his fence post.

They returned a few days later with a beautiful buzhenina, knowing it was one of Kulak Brown's favourites. Again he came on his porch only to be accosted by Comrade Chichikov's mocking riddles. The Kulak stared at Lumpen Chichikov, shook his head in ever so slight disapproval, then turned back into his farmhouse bearing the ham.

The bednyaks worked while Chichikov played, trudging home tired and sore while their Lumpen Comrade skipped along gaily. There stores of seeds were almost filled, but they knew they needed to return one more time. For that, they’d saved a jug of their best vodka.

Returning a few days later, their offer of vodka was in the hands of Lumpen Comrade Chichikov, who would have it no other way. He stood on the edge of the porch when Kulak Brown came out, and in the same mocking tones that were always his way, Chichikov offered the final gift. Kulak Brown’s face contorted for a second, then he stepped aside and waived Chichikov into his home. The bednyaks knew their gift had been accepted and went off to complete their work, relieved that Chichikov had not ruined their offering.

Inside, Chichikov found himself in trouble. There would be no sharing of vodka. There would be know friendly teasing and answering of his riddles. He was quickly subdued and found his leg chained to a post, and Kulak Brown stood in the corner, under lantern light, sharpening tools of torture.

Lumpen Comrad Chichikov saw only one chance. He was close to an old, rusted, abandoned saw -- a metal saw, well warn and long unused. He waited for Kulak Brown to leave the chamber, perhaps for some of that fine vodka, and he did the only thing he could – he cut off his leg and crawled from Kulak Brown’s farm with a tourniquet above his knee, and the bottom half of his leg still in the Kulak’s chains.

And to this day, if a Comrade Bedynak passes poor stumpy Lumpen Comrade Chichikov, limping along the dirty road with his crutch, and asks the Lumpen Comrade a riddle, he will answer in a lusty voice full of song: “I Know no Other Such Land Where a Man Can Breathe so Free!”

[Mattea Gernentz]

A small child looked at me in rapt wonder as I read Beatrix Potter aloud, and my heart grew three sizes this day. There is still sweetness in the world, friends.

[Gerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a tale about a tail! It is a tail that belonged to a little red squirrel called Nutkin.

Nutkin has a brother called Twinkleberry and he also has a great many cousins and they all live in a wood at the edge of a lake, in the middle of which is an island covered with trees and nut bushes. And among the trees there is a hollow oak tree in which an owl named Old Brown lives.

One autumn when the nuts are ripe Nutkin and all the other squirrels make little rafts out of twigs and paddle over to Owl Island (sounds like Enid Blyton's 'Famous Five' series!). They each carry with them a little sack and they use their tails as sails.

They take presents for Old Brown and Nutkin sings him a riddle, during which he falls asleep! The squirrels fill their sacks with nuts and then return the next day. Once more Old Brown receives presents, once more Nutkin sings him a riddle and once more Old brown ignores him!

This exact procedure goes on for a whole week at the end of which, Old Brown, patience at a low ebb, grabs Nutkin and puts him in his waistcoat pocket before taking him into his house. The other squirrels quickly scatter.

Old Brown intends to do Nutkin some harm but Nutkin is too quick and escapes. But in the process his tail breaks in two so to this very day if you spot Nutkin up a tree and ask him a riddle, he will always stamp his feet and express his anger at you!

A rather sad story for Nutkin but enhanced with Beatrix Potter's usual charming illustrations.

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing beats Squirrel Nutkin's autumnal setting. On top of the nostalgia I have from reading Potter's books as a child, this is the book I chose to purchase at Hill Top Farm (alas for the full set! but I didn't want to bring that home in my suitcase). It has some lovely Lake District landscapes, so it brings back sweet memories of my trip there, too. Particularly, I recall standing on the stern of our tour boat, imagining a flotilla of red squirrels sailing to a certain island in Derwentwater. Might make this a regular autumn re-read.

In Letters to Children from Beatrix Potter, you can find letters Potter wrote as Squirrel Nutkin, esq. and crew, asking Old Brown for the return of the tail.

[Maria Carmo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Beatrix Potter because I saw the movie about her and was delighted by her sensible delicacy and mixture of imagination and pragmatism.

Maria Carmo,

Lisbon 2 February 2015.

[Evelyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I understand this is supposed to be about respecting your elders, but I feel like this squirrel has a mental disorder.

[Celia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second in the series written by Beatrix Potter.

It IS a tale about a tail!!

Squirrel Nutkin is one of 6 squirrels who beseech Mr. Brown, the owl, to allow them to find and store nuts. Five of the squirrels are polite and provide gifts to the owl for his permission to gather. Not so Squirrel Nutkin who daily plys the owl with riddles. The owl finally becomes annoyed and...

Cute story. Next in the series: The Tailor of Gloucester.

4 stars

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved naughty Nutkin as a kid. As an adult, I loved the picture but some things bothered me. How exactly were the squirrels acquiring dead moles & mice? Were they hunting? And the idea Old Brown skinning Nutkin- not sure how a child of 5 would respond- would they be upset?
Probably a far better story when you are not bound my adult logic!

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm doing a re-read of a lot of my favorites from childhood this year and will be reading all the books by Beatrix Potter.
A lot of her tales are moral stories showing what happens when one is naughty or silly. This one is a tale of a tail and a naughty squirrel.

[Jennifer B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Squirrel Nutkin is absolutely NUTS! I mean both the story and the character. Rodents making pagan offerings of other rodents, and a main character whom is intent on goading the owl, even to his own destruction.

[Tamarindo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down my favourite Beatrix Potter. I love the contrast between the obedient, conventional squirrels and the rambunctious, pesky but hilarious Nutkin. The illustrations of Nutkin peering round corners and brazenly teasing the menacing Old Brown are wonderful.

[Kimberley doruyter · Rating 5 out of 5]

a tale about a tail.
confusing, a little.
entertaining absolutly.