Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes
Beatrix Potter (London 1866 - Near Sawrey, Cumbria 1943)
Category
Manuscripts and documents
Date
1904 - 1905
Materials
Paper, Pencil
Measurements
200 x 157 mm; 1 sheet (Extent)
Order this imageCollection
Beatrix Potter Gallery, Cumbria
NT 242235.4
Summary
Loose sheet from the manuscript dummy HIL.R.34 containing a pencil-written rhyme, and a rough pencil illustration of a cat lying in a four-poster bed. This sheet was slipped in between pages 12 and 13 of the dummy book. This rhyme was, according to Peter Opie, 'inspired by Elsie Marley who grew so fine', see the Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes no. 152. The illustration was later redrawn and used as the frontispiece of The Fairy Caravan and titled 'Louisa Pussy-cat sleeps late', see HIL.RP.423. The Warne archive holds variants of this illustration, both coloured and black and white drawings. Tabitha Twitchit is grown so fine/ She lies in bed until half past nine!/ She breakfasts on muffins and eggs and ham,/ And dines on red herrings and raspberry jam! See also HIL.R.34, the dummy book; HIL.R.34.1 - HIL.R.34.3 and HIL.R.34.5 - HIL.R.34.49, further rhymes and illustrations.
Makers and roles
Beatrix Potter (London 1866 - Near Sawrey, Cumbria 1943), writer