The Tale of Mr. Tod (Paperback)

Description

The tale is about a badger called Tommy Brock and his neighbour Mr. Tod, a fox. Brock kidnaps the children of Benjamin Bunny and his wife Flopsy, and hides them in an oven in the home of Mr. Tod. When the fox discovers the badger asleep in his bed, the two come to fisticuffs, and Benjamin and Peter Rabbit take advantage of the moment to rescue the bunnies. The tale was influenced by the Uncle Remus stories, and was set in the fields of Potter’s Castle Farm. The tale is critically considered one of Potter’s “most complex and successful in plot and tone.”I have made many books about well-behaved people. Now, for a change, I am going to make a story about two disagreeable people, called Tommy Brock and Mr. Tod.Nobody could call Mr. Tod “nice.” The rabbits could not bear him; they could smell him half a mile off. He was of a wandering habit and he had foxey whiskers; they never knew where he would be next.One day he was living in a stick-house in the coppice, causing terror to the family of old Mr. Benjamin Bouncer. Next day he moved into a pollard willow near the lake, frightening the wild ducks and the water rats.In winter and early spring he might generally be found in an earth amongst the rocks at the top of Bull Banks, under Oatmeal Crag.He had half a dozen houses, but he was seldom at home.The houses were not always empty when Mr. Tod moved out; because sometimes Tommy Brock moved in; (without asking leave).Tommy Brock was a short bristly fat waddling person with a grin; he grinned all over his face. He was not nice in his habits. He ate wasp nests and frogs and worms; and he waddled about by moonlight, digging things up.His clothes were very dirty; and as he slept in the day-time, he always went to bed in his boots. And the bed which he went to bed in, was generally Mr. Tod’s.