Storytime: The Tale Of Johnny Townmouse

Hello.

Thank you for joining me.

I'm going to read.

The Tale of Johnny Townmouse by Beatrix Potter.

And it's really about how one place is good for one person and another place is better for another person.

And hopefully everyone will find the place they love the most.

So get nice and cosy,

Nice and comfortable.

Are you ready?

Then I'll begin.

Johnny Townmouse was born in a cupboard.

Timmy Willie was born in a garden.

Timmy Willie was a little country mouse who went to town by mistake in a hamper.

The gardener sent vegetables to town once a week by carrier.

Packed them in a big hamper.

The gardener left the hamper by the garden gate so that the carrier could pick it up when he passed.

Timmy Willie crept in through a hole in the wicker work.

And after eating some peas.

Timmy Willie fell fast asleep.

He awoke in a fright while the hamper was being lifted into the carrier's cart.

Then there was a jolting and a clattering of horses' feet.

Other packages were thrown in.

For miles and miles,

Jolt,

Jolt,

Jolt.

And Timmy Willie trembled amongst the jumbled up vegetables.

At last,

The cart stopped at a house.

Where the hamper was taken out.

Carradine and set down.

The cook gave the carrier sixpence.

The back door banged.

And the cart rumbled away.

But there was no quiet.

There seemed to be hundreds of carts passing.

Dog sparked.

Boys whistled in the street.

The cook laughed.

The parlour maid ran up and down stairs.

And a canary sang like a steam engine.

Timmy Willie,

Who had lived all of his life in a garden.

Was almost frightened to death.

Presently the cook opened the hamper and began to unpack the vegetables.

Out sprang the terrified Timmy Willie.

Up jumped the cook on a chair,

Exclaiming,

A mouse!

A mouse!

Call the cat!

Fetch me the poker,

Sarah!

Timmy Willie did not wait for Sarah with the poker.

He rushed along the skirting board till he came to a little hole and in it he popped.

He dropped half a foot and crashed into the middle of a mouse dinner party.

Breaking three glasses.

Who in the world is this?

Inquired Johnny Townmouse.

But after the first exclamation of surprise,

He instantly recovered his manners.

With the utmost politeness,

He introduced Timmy Willie to nine other mice.

All with long tails and white neckties.

Timmy Willie's own tale was insignificant.

Johnny Townmouse and his friends noticed it,

But they were too well-bred to make personal remarks.

Only one of them asked Timmy Willie if he'd ever been in a trap.

The dinner was of eight courses.

Not much of anything,

But truly elegant.

All the dishes were unknown to Timmy Willie.

He would have been a little afraid of tasting them,

Only he was very hungry and very anxious to behave with company manners.

The continual noise upstairs made him so nervous that he dropped a plate.

Never mind,

They don't belong to us.

Said Johnny.

Why don't those youngsters come back with a dessert?

It should be explained that two young mice,

Who were waiting on the others,

Went skirmishing upstairs to the kitchen between courses.

Several times they'd come tumbling in,

Squeaking and laughing.

Timmy Willie learnt with horror that they were being chased by the cat.

His appetite failed.

Felt faint.

Try some jelly.

Ask Johnny Townmouse.

Would you rather go to bed?

I will show you a most comfortable soft pillow.

The pillow had a hole in it.

Johnny Townmouse quite honestly recommended it as the best bed,

Kept exclusively for visitors.

But the sofa smelt of cat.

Timmy Willie preferred to spend a miserable night under the fender.

It was just the same the next day.

An excellent breakfast was provided.

For mice accustomed to eat bacon.

But Timmy Willie had been reared en route.

And salad.

Johnny Townmouse and his friends racketed about under the floors and came boldly out all over the house in the evening.

One particularly loud crash had been caused by Sarah tumbling downstairs with a tea tray.

There were crumbs and sugar and smears of jam to be collected,

In spite of the cat.

Timmy Willie longed to be at home in his peaceful nest in a sunny bank.

The food disagreed with him.

The noise prevented him from sleeping.

In a few days he grew so thin that Johnny Townmouse noticed it and questioned him.

Who listened to Timmy Willie's story.

And inquired about the garden.

It sounds rather a dull place.

What do you do when it rains?

When it rains I sit in my little sandy burrow and shell corn and seeds from my autumn store.

I peep out at the throstles and blackbirds on the lawn.

And my friend Cop Robin.

And when the sun comes out again,

You should see my garden and the flowers.

Roses and pink.

And pansies.

No noise except the birds and the bees and the lambs in the meadows.

"'There goes that cat again!

' exclaimed Johnny Townmouse.

" When they had taken refuge in the coal cellar,

He resumed the conversation.

I confess I am a little disappointed.

We have endeavoured to entertain you,

Timothy William.

Oh yes,

Yes,

You have been most kind,

But I do feel so ill,

Said Timmy Willie.

Hmm.

It may be that your teeth and digestion are unaccustomed to our food.

Perhaps it might be wiser for you to return in the hamper.

Oh,

Oh,

Cried Timmy Willie.

Why,

Of course,

For the matter of that,

We could have sent you back last week,

" said Johnny,

Rather huffily.

Did you not know that the hamper goes back empty on Saturdays?

So Timmy Willie said goodbye to his new friends.

And hidden the hamper with a crumb of cake.

And a withered cabbage leaf.

And after much jolting.

You were set down safely.

In his own garden.

Sometimes.

On Saturdays.

He went to look at the hamper lying by the gate.

But he knew better than to get in again.

And nobody got out.

Though Johnny Townhouse had half promised a visit.

The Winter Pass The sun came out again.

Timmy Willie sat by his burrow.

Warming his little fur coat.

And sniffing the smell of violet.

And spring grass.

He had nearly forgotten his visit to town.

Went up the sandy path.

All spic and span with a brown leather bag came Johnny Townmouse.

Timmy Willie received him with open arms.

You have come at the best of all the year.

We will have herb pudding.

It's sitting in the sun.

Hmm,

It is a little damp.

Said Johnny Townmouth.

Who was carrying his tail under his arm.

Out of the mud.

What is that fearful noise?

He started violently.

Said Timmy Willie.

That is only a cow.

I will beg a little milk.

They are quite harmless.

Unless they happen to lie down upon you.

How are all our friends?

Johnny's account was rather middling.

He explained why he was paying a visit so early in the season.

The family had gone to the seaside for Easter.

The cook was doing spring cleaning.

On board wages.

With particular instructions to clear out the mice.

There were four kittens.

And the cat had killed the canary.

They said we did it.

But I know better,

" said Johnny Townmouse.

Whatever is that fearful racket?

That is only the lawnmower.

I will fetch some of the grass clippings presently to make your bed.

I'm sure you'd better settle in the country,

Johnny.

Hmm.

We shall see you by Tuesday week.

The hamper is stopped while they are at the seaside.

I am sure you will never want to live in town again,

" said Timmy Willie.

But he did.

He went back in the very next tamper of vegetables.

He said it was too quiet.

One place suits one person.

Another place suits another person.

For my part.

I prefer to live in the country.

Like Timmy Willie.

The end.

Wonder where you prefer to live,

Town or country?

Or a little bit of time spent in each.

Wherever you are.

I hope you're feeling safe.

And comfortable.

And I hope you enjoyed that story.

The Tale of Johnny Townmouth.

And that I'll see you again.

For another Storytime.

And until then.

.

.

Goodbye for now.