The Tale Of Squirrel Nutkin (2002) - Plot & Excerpts
The Tale of Lumpen Comrade Chichikov, by Comrade Nikolai B. Potter GogolAll 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!”
3.5 This is a Tale about a tail[...]The second book I've read by Beatrix Potter. Also possibly seen some animation of it on TV years ago. This one is about our squirrel protagonist, Nutkin and his cousins and brother (Twinkleberry, such an awesome name for a squirrel right?) going to collect nuts from an island in the middle of the lake where Old Brown (the Owl) lives. Each time they visit they take an offering for Old Brown as a present to let them collect the nuts. And each time they ask for permission, naughty little Nutkin goads and teases Old Brown who ignores Nutkin and minds his own business. Then one day Old Brown's patience runs out and he takes Nutkin into his house, ready to skin him. Nutkin pulls so hard from Old Brown's grip that his tail breaks in two and he runs away never to tease Old Brown again.I guess this was a moral story- teaching us the consequences of testing the patience of somebody who is doing us a favour. I also noticed that the offerings the squirrels bought Old Brown got bigger and fancier perhaps because they had more energy to hunt rather appetising meals. Overall, the riddles weren't crazy difficult but nor were they particularly amusing for me. It was a good read- just maybe lacking in depth for me as an older reader. Perhaps I missed something.
What do You think about The Tale Of Squirrel Nutkin (2002)?
As my local squirrel, Hoffa (he's a union representative for wildlife), wakes me each morning in his never ending acorn escapades, I always think of this book and the little sacks the squirrels carry to gather their harvest. This edition has wonderful drawings by Allen Atkinson who conveys a sense of autumn with many browns and soft lighting. Oh, and Mr. Brown the Owl...he lives in a hollow oak tree with stained glass windows! I want that!The man in the wilderness said to me,How many strawberries grow in the sea?I answered him as I thought good-As many red herrings as grow in the wood.Book Season = Autumn (chestnuts, walnuts, almonds)
—GoldGato
Want to know the answers to the riddles?My kids (14, 11, 9) & I are reading through the Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter. On to book 2.This was an odd one. Most stories have things that happen in threes, so, when the days kept going and going in this story, we were getting a bit tired and wondering what the point was. Also, those riddles are obtuse. All became clear in the end as Nutkin gets his comeuppance.There was a bit of humour, though not as much as Peter Rabbit.My kids gave it 3, 3, and 4 out of 5.I'm giving it a 3 - I'm not sure I'd ever want to read it again.And the answers to the riddles are in italics! Fancy that. Very clever Miss Potter!http://www.lyndiechiou.com/wordpress/...
—Neville Ridley-smith
Another wonderful tale by Beatrix Potter. She immediately grabs the reader with her first sentence: 'This is a story about a tail'. I liked that introduction of her Squirrel Nutkin and also: by writing it that way, she gives the reader already a hint that there will happen something with Nutkin's tail. At first, I thought the tail would save him from some kind of evil. I was wrong, which is a good thing, because it doesn't always need to be that predictable. After reading this story and the one about Peter Rabbit, I start wondering if Beatrix Potter has it for naughty animals. Maybe she was a naughty child herself; or she wanted to be naughty, but wasn't allowed. In any case, I saw the similarity between the two stories and I wonder how many times this similarity will come back in other stories. And because I'm used to doing this (although there aren't many characters to choose from): Want to read more reviews, check my blog: http://inklingstime.blogspot.be/
—Jeremy (Inklingstime)
