The Tailor Of Gloucester – Beatrix Potter

The Tailor Of Gloucester is a beautiful children’s bedtime story that was written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter in 1903, just two months after The Tale Of Squirrel Nutkin was published. Of all the books Beatrix Potter wrote she said that this one is one of her personal favorites!

The story follows a group of very cute mice who help a tailor finish his work on a waistcoat as a way of showing him how grateful they are because he saved them from a cat.

This Beatrix Potter bedtime story is just as cute, and just as beautifully illustrated as The Tale Of Peter Rabbit and The Tale Of Squirrel Nutkin. You can download The Tailor Of Gloucester PDF for free here to share with your kids. We hope you enjoy it!

The Tailor Of Gloucester PDF

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The Tailor Of Gloucester Q&A

Why Did Beatrix Potter Write The Tailor Of Gloucester?

Beatrix Potter wrote The Tailor Of Gloucester for her former governesses daughter, Freda Moore. It was a Christmas present and it was given to her in 1901.

Is The Tailor Of Gloucester A True Story?

The story of The Tailor Of Gloucester is based on a true story that Beatrix Potter’s cousin told her.

The inspiration for this story came in May 1894 when Beatrix Potter was staying with her cousin, Caroline Hutton. Whilst at the Hutton’s home, Harescombe Grange, which lies five miles south of Gloucester, Caroline told Beatrix the curious tale of a local Tailor, John Pritchard.

Closing his shop one Friday evening, with a waistcoat cut out but not sewn together, he was surprised to discover when, on the Monday morning he opened the shop again, to discover that apart from one button hole, the waistcoat had been sewn together. A tiny note was pinned to the button hole which read, “no more twist”.

The Tailor was amazed and bewildered that the work had been finished short of completion. From this date, John Pritchard advertised his work had been ‘made at night by fairies’. 

On hearing this, Beatrix requested that they visit Gloucester the next day to visit the Tailor’s shop, number 43 Westgate Street. Whilst visiting, Beatrix sketched some of the beautiful buildings in the cathedral city of Gloucester, including 9 College Court.

The House Of The Tailor Of Gloucester

Is The Tailor Of Gloucester A Christmas Story?

Yes, the story takes place over Christmas. The tailor in the story is commissioned to make a waistcoat for the mayor who is getting married on Christmas morning. The tailor discovers that the mice had finished the beautiful waistcoat on Christmas morning so it truly was a wonderful Christmas present for him, one that ultimately really changed his life!

The World Of Peter Rabbit & Friends – The Tailor Of Gloucester

The World Of Peter Rabbit and Friends is an animated series that was based on Beatrix Potter’s books. There were 9 episodes altogether. This is the episode that features The Tailor of Gloucester story.

The Tailor Of Gloucester – Story Summary (Spoiler Alert!)

A tailor in the town of Gloucester has been commissioned to sew a waistcoat for the mayor for his wedding. He is old and poor and struggles to make ends meet. One evening he asks his cat Simpkin to go out and buy some food for them along with a piece of cherry-colored silk which he needs to complete the waistcoat.

While Simpkin is gone, the tailor hears noises coming from some crockery behind him. He picks up an upside-down cup and there he finds a little mouse. On investigating further, he finds many little mice that were trapped under the crockery. He frees them all and goes to sit by the fireplace.

When Simpkin returns he sees that the tailor has released all the mice that he had caught and trapped. Out of spite, he hides the cherry-colored silk that the tailor needed to complete the waistcoat. When the tailor finds out that there is no silk he falls ill and is unable to finish the waistcoat. However, the little mice get to work on finishing the waistcoat for him.

On the morning of the wedding, the tailor is feeling a lot better and he rushes to his shop to try to get the waistcoat finished in time for the mayor’s wedding. When he arrives he finds the waistcoat finished except for one single buttonhole.

When Simpkin discovers what the mice had done to help the tailor, he is ashamed of his behavior and fetches the piece of silk that was needed to finish the waistcoat. The waistcoat is finished in time for the mayor’s wedding and the mayor is overjoyed at how beautiful the waistcoat is. Soon the tailor becomes very successful and rich because all the wealthy merchants and noblemen come to him for their clothing.

Conclusion

Along with The Tale Of Squirrel Nutkin and The Tale Of Peter Rabbit, The Tale Of Gloucester is a wonderful bedtime story for children. You can download a copy of The Tailor Of Gloucester PDF here to share with your kids.

Next: The Tale of Benjamin Bunny

Looking For More Children’s Bedtime Stories?
Beatrix Potter Book Collection
Children’s Fairy Tale Collection
Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales
Classic English Children’s Books