Jemima Puddleduck original story

[user1471517900]

We had a box set gifted to us so thought we would read Jemima last night by request. Dear god that book has a needlessly horrific ending (was hurriedly changed in our reading). Dogs save her from the fox.... Then eat her eggs and then it states she's a rubbish mum for no real reason. What is wrong with Beatrix Potter?! Last three pages attached - apologies if a couple are sideways.

Did everyone else know about these original stories?

Don't read any older versions of fairy tales- the little mermaid forever feels like walking on knives, the red shoes girl dances herself to death and cinderellas sisters cut their toes off!

Sleeping beauty was raped by the Prince and only woke up during the birth of her twins.
I so regret reading up on original fairy tales.

And I agree about Beatrix Potter. Urgh

In the original fairytales it was usually mothers rather than step-mothers trying to kill their daughters. From what I recall Sleeping Beauty’s mum tries to boil her alive before she turns 16.

It would be interesting to know what Potter’s own personal situation was. Does seem quite dark.

I have a set of about 12? books at my mum’s house. She used to read them to us at bedtime and I remember reading them to myself for years after and always remembered them fondly. I picked a couple up last time I was over for a visit and they’re hard work to read to a child, having to stop and explain it constantly and none of them were the rosy stories I remember.

I’m sure they were written as a warning to naughty children. All of them had something happen to them, Squirrel Nutkin lost his tail for being a pain in the arse, Tom Kitten nearly got steamed in a pudding.

They are all fairly harsh and show how hard life is for animals. BP was surrounded by animals and observed their lives. Most ducks eggs are stolen and eaten and anyone who keeps hens knows some are better sitters (and mothers) than others. They aren't Disney stories, but they didn't upset me or my kids because real life is much tougher for wild and domesticated animals.

Some of the originals fairy tales make Angela Carter look sweet and innocent thou! I avoided them!

Beatrix Potter didn't do our children any harm. Fairy tales/nursery rhymes and good children's literature are a way of helping children understand and cope with the realities of life and all it's horrors. Read Bettelheims ' The uses of enchantment' and understand that changing the ending isn't good. It shields children and prevents them learning to deal with reality.
Ring o roses is the children dying of infections (oft said to be the plague but mot likely small pox). Humpty Dumpty helps children understand the finality of death.

Is there a new version of Jemima Puddle Duck though? I remember seeing that version on the LOVELY BBC adaptations that were on in the 90s. I think the message is more 'never trust a foxy gentleman' than that everything will work out okay in the end.

The fox bit is fine. Bit of danger but then the dogs come and rescue her which is nice for a children story. The dogs don't then need to eat her eggs. What does that teach kids? If you accept help then you must accept your children being horribly murdered..... It is a children's book!

There's a Beatrix potter story about a kitten who gets kidnapped by rats who roll him up in pastry to make a pie.

I don't remember the name of the book but it was bloody disturbing.

The thing is that Beatrix Potter is NOT moralistic or preachy, nor is she anodyne and cutesy. I think this is part of the reason she has been so well loved for so many years, by parents and children alike.

Of course, she also uses the English language with such wit and elegance, and paints amazing pictures.

Meh that's Potter for you. Read Donaldson if it bothers your sensitivities.

But it was written for children, so at the time that was thought of as an appropriate ending for a children's story.

I'm not saying you are wrong for changing it or preferring a happier ending.

But it's an interesting contrast. If you watch Peter Rabbit on CBeebies, one of the interesting (and slightly annoying!) things about it is that it is so not Beatrix potter. Basically the characters have some misadventure, get a bit too jealous or bold or angry and then learn a lesson by narrowly escaping danger then all make friends again and end happily. It's a very 21st century narrative. At some point we decided children couldn't handle finality and things being unfixable (and perhaps these stories make poor series/movie franchises too).

I read my kids happy ending stories too but I think it is interesting culturally.

Fruit that is the Tale of Samuel Whiskers.

There is a line in the book, spoken by the big rat, Samuel Whiskers. It goes something like: "I am afraid this pudding will prove indigestible, whatever you may urge to the contrary". All of my children were able to see the humour of this from a young age, especially as Tom Kitten is rescued soon after. In fact, they used to shout this line with great glee and amusement.

Wasn't the first story about a mother pig who sends off the piglets to market (i.e to be slaughtered)?

Oh, I remember that! It's utterly horrible.

The books have a very dry observational wit which is not obvious unless you bring it out with your voice. They are based on what she saw around her, so I'd guess something similar was happening in the farmyard! The story recognises that while the gravest danger may be averted, there can still be consequences. And anyway, people eat the eggs so why not dogs!

They"ve dumbed down sanitised the ending?!?

Ye gods is nothing sacred these days.

Presume OPand DC are vegan.

The dogs eat the eggs as a reward, and the duck has more eggs. The production of eggs always deprived the mother bird, who goes on to have more eggs.

This is the version I have always known!

Is there a happy ending version!?

Well, Benjamin Bunny and Peter Rabbit are whipped with a little switch (I can't remember which story).

Snow White's wicked stepmother is made to dance in red hot shoes until she falls down dead - well I suppose she deserved it.

Changing endings (or "bowdlerisation") really annoys me. One notable example is Roald Dahl's The Witches. The book ends with the young boy transformed very permanently, and he happily stays so for the rest of his life, and in a very poignant scene he and his grandmother discuss their death. But this didn't happen in the film - oh dear me no; a good witch transforms him back. Roald Dahl himself was furious about it; he allegedly stood outside cinemas with a megaphone telling people not to see it (not long before his death).

We've got the box set. Given as a gift. They're mostly horrible. Have to edit heavily while reading. When DD is old enough to read herself I'll explain the stories have less happy endings. But I wasn't reading the true Jemima Puddleduck ending to my duck loving 3 yo.

I love BP. Such meaty stories and a wonderful way with words. So much for children to get their teeth into. Give me BP over pretty much any other children's stories.

The dogs don't then need to eat her eggs. What does that teach kids?

That dogs like eggs. That if they ever have a dog they should keep it on a lead if walking in areas with ground-nesting birds (moorland and some shorelines) or farmland with free range hens or ducks. Potter was a Lake District farmer, remember.
We have enough threads on MN about people being idiots with dogs on farmland for me to think that a little reality is a good thing.

The worst example of violent kids story I can think of is noahs ark - almost total genocide and drowning of innocent animals, and the perpetrator is portrayed as the good guy.

I think they are awful books. The art is twee and the stories ghoulish - such an odd combination. I've never really understood their modern popularity. I do think that BP the woman was amazing though! I enjoyed Hilltops very much.