Unpublished Beatrix Potter story discovered
The story of “a well-behaved prime black Kitty cat, who leads rather a double life" will finally be brought to life, after a 100-year-old unknown Beatrix Potter story was discovered.
As a child, nothing sparked by imagination like Beatrix Potter's stories; woodland animals like Benjamin Rabbit, Tom Kitten and Jemima Puddleduck were my good friends. My mother was proud to present me with a neat little hardback collection of the Tale of Peter Rabbit series. So, I'm pretty excited that a new story will be added to Potter's canon, especially because this new story features an older Peter Rabbit!
Following the discovery of the story by publisher Jo Hanks in a letter that Potter had sent her publisher in 1914, three unfinished manuscripts of The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots were found in London's Victoria & Albert museum archive. These manuscripts will be illusrated by Quentin Blake (Roald Dahl’s book's illustrator) and are set to be published in September by Frederick Warne & Co, Beatrix Potter’s original publisher.
Read more about it at guardian.com.
Did remember enjoy reading The Tale of Peter Rabbit when you were young? Are you excited by this new Beatrix Potter story?
I have always loved Beatrix Potter...and proud to say I have copies of everything she ever wrote...even have the four piece children's dinner set...overused by my own children and grandchildren! I'm so excited by this that when I found out you can pre-order a copy of Kitty in Boots..I promptly did so! Another of the illustrations from the book and an extract:
Once upon a time there was a serious, well-behaved young black cat.
It belonged to a kind old lady who assured me that no other cat could compare with Kitty.
She lived in constant fear that Kitty might be stolen — “I hear there is a shocking fashion for black cat-skin muffs; wherever is Kitty gone to? Kitty! Kitty!”
She called it “Kitty”, but Kitty called herself “Miss Catherine St. Quintin”.
Cheesebox called her “Q”, and Winkiepeeps called her “Squintums”. They were very common cats. The old lady would have been shocked had she known of the acquaintance. And she would have been painfully surprised had she ever seen Miss Kitty in a gentleman’s Norfolk jacket, and little fur-lined boots.
Now most cats love the moonlight and staying out at nights; it was curious how willingly Miss Kitty went to bed. And although the wash-house where she slept — locked in — was always very clean, upon some mornings Kitty was let out with a black chin. And on other mornings her tail seemed thicker, and she scratched. It puzzled me.
It was a long time before I guessed there were in fact two black cats!
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The Tale of Kitty in Boots was written just before the outbreak of the First World War but never published in Potter’s lifetime. This September, over 100 years later, Penguin Random House will finally release what they describe as Potter’s “24th Tale” – a book they say that may turn everything we think we know about her on its head! Apparently the story features.. doppelgängers and transvestites.. secret lives.. guns.. gangsters and an aged Peter Rabbit's near-assassination..
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/what-to-read/the-tale-of-kitty-in-boots-extract-from-new-beatrix-potter-story/
I wish...wish..you get to visit Hill Top Farm Cranky. Once you get inside...you may never want to leave! My first husband (deceased) and I spent our honeymoon in the town of Grasmere in the Lake District which is just a few minutes drive from Near Sawrey and Beatrix Potters's house. Happy to say my new husband indulged me and we visited not once... but three times!
How lucky is your grandson having such a talented grandma who paints such delightful pictures for him. I cannot paint characters...but dabble in abstracts and some years ago...someone actually bought one..the shock nearly made me faint! Mari does illustrations for me...she is so darned talented and can cook too!
One of my favourite Beatrix Potters's quotes...
I think this is wonderful news - Beatrix Potter was a favourite for me, and is a firm favourite now with my grand and great-grand kids. I really look forward to these stories coming out and being added to the Beatrix Potter library for kids and me!! WIll be purchasing when it comes out.