The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes – Beatrix Potter

The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes is another gorgeous Beatrix Potter book that was published in 1911 and follows The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse.

The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes follows the story of a squirrel called Timmy Tiptoes. Timmy Tiptoes’ friends believe that he is a thief who steals nuts so they imprison him in a tree. Download The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes to see what happens by clicking the button down below. Or read it online!

The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes PDF

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The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes Narration

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The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes Summary

The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes begins by introducing us to Timmy, a fat grey squirrel who lives at the top of a tall tree. He is married to a little squirrel called Goody. With winter approaching Timmy decides that they should start storing food for the winter and spring.

Every day Timmy and Goody go out to collect nuts and they store them in hollow stumps close to the tree where they live. When those stumps become full they start storing their nuts in a hole high up in a tree that belongs to a woodpecker. The hole is very deep and Goody wonders how they will be able to get the nuts out again.

There is a squirrel in the wood by the name of Silvertail who is the most forgetful squirrel of them all. He hides his nuts by burying them in the ground. He however forgets where he buried them and ends up losing them! He then digs up some of the other squirrels’ nuts thinking they are his and before long the squirrels begin fighting among themselves.

While the squirrels are fighting, a little group of birds fly by and it sounds like they are singing about the stolen nuts. The squirrels follow them and the birds fly into a bush where Timmy is collecting his nuts. The squirrels think that the nuts are theirs so they attack poor Timmy Tiptoes! They catch him and drag him to the woodpecker’s tree and they force him through the hole, imprisoning him in the tree. They decide to leave him there until he confesses to stealing the nuts.

When Timmy doesn’t come home that night, Goodie becomes very worried and begins searching for him the next day.

In the meantime, Timmy wakes up to find himself tucked in a bed made of moss. He really doesn’t feel good, and his ribs are sore. Suddenly, a chipmunk appears. He is very kind to Timmy and takes care of him. The Chipmunk starts feeding Timmy nuts, and Timmy knows that if he gets any fatter, he will not be able to get out of the hole at the top of the tree. He also knows that Goody will be worried about him.

Although she is worried about Timmy, Goody Tiptoes gets back to work collecting nuts but instead of throwing them into the hole in the woodpecker’s tree, she hides them under a tree root. And when she does, they roll down into the ground. One day she empties a big bag of nuts into the spot under the tree root, and she hears a squeak. The next time she comes to empty the bag, a little striped Chipmunk hurries out of the hole.

She tells Goody that all the nuts are filling up her sitting room, and that they are rolling along her passage. She explains how her husband, Chippy Hackee, has run away and left her, and she wants to know why Goody is throwing nuts into her home.

Goody apologizes and explains how her husband has also disappeared. Mrs. Chippy Hackee says that a bird told her where Chippy is, so she leads the way to the woodpecker’s tree, and they listen at the hole.

They hear singing coming from the bottom of the hole! They hear the sound of cracking nuts and lots of nibbling. Goody peeps into the hole and calls for Timmy Tiptoes. When Timmy hears her calling him, he is very happy and kisses her through the hole. But he is so fat that he can’t get out!

Chippy Hackee isn’t fat at all, but he doesn’t want to come out, so he stays at the bottom of the hole chuckling.

One day, there is a big wind storm, and the wind blows the top of the tree right off. Timmy manages to escape and makes his way home, but Chippy Hackee stays behind. Although the hole is not comfortable because the rain gets in, he still doesn’t want to go home.

One day, a rather big bear comes strolling through the woods. Chippy Hackee gets a fright and runs home quickly. When he gets home, he realizes that he has also managed to get a cold, so he isn’t feeling very well at all.

In the meantime, Timmy and Goody Tiptoes have decided to keep their nut stored safely with a padlock.

Conclusion

The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes is the first of Beatrix Potter’s books to introduce a Chipmunk to her stories. It also contrasts the loving relationship between Timmy Tiptoes and his wife Goody, with the rather unloving chipmunk Chippy Hackee who has abandoned his family! If you enjoyed this story, then don’t forget to check out Beatrix Potter’s next book The Tale of Mr. Tod.

Next: The Tale of Mr. Tod

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