Jugami Storybooks

Storybooks · Grades K–2

Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes

A little brown mouse, a prickly hedgehog, a digging mole and more! Short rhymes by Beatrix Potter, from her 1917 book.

On the grass, Appley Dapply the brown mouse stands by a pie, with Cottontail the rabbit, old Mr. Pricklepin the hedgehog and Diggory Delvet the mole beside his mound.

🏠 The book in brief

This is a little book of short nursery rhymes. Each rhyme is about a small animal. Appley Dapply, a little brown mouse, goes to the cupboard in somebody's house, where there are cake, cheese, jam and biscuits. Someone knocks at Cottontail the rabbit's door and leaves her carrots.

We also meet old Mr. Pricklepin the hedgehog in his ash stump, a mouse who lives in a shoe-house, Diggory Delvet the mole digging his mounds, a hot pot of gravy and potatoes, and a guinea-pig in a blue tie.

📖 The rhymes, one by one

Tap “Read it to me” to listen, or read each part with a grown-up. The green boxes show Beatrix Potter's own rhymes, word for word.

  1. Part 1

    Appley Dapply

    The book begins with Appley Dapply, a little brown mouse. She creeps into a cupboard in somebody else's house, to see what she can find.

    Beatrix Potter wrote: “Appley Dapply, a little brown mouse, Goes to the cupboard in somebody's house.”

    Inside the cupboard there are lots of good things to eat.

    Beatrix Potter wrote: “In somebody's cupboard There's everything nice, Cake, cheese, jam, biscuits, —All charming for mice!”

    Appley Dapply has sharp eyes, and there is one food she loves best of all.

    Beatrix Potter wrote: “Appley Dapply has little sharp eyes, And Appley Dapply is so fond of pies!”

  2. Part 2

    Knock at Cottontail's door

    Next we meet Cottontail the rabbit. Someone is knocking at her door.

    Beatrix Potter wrote: “Now who is this knocking at Cottontail's door? Tap tappit! Tap tappit! She's heard it before?”

    When she looks out, nobody is there. But somebody has left her a present.

    Beatrix Potter wrote: “And when she peeps out there is nobody there, But a present of carrots put down on the stair.”

  3. Part 3

    Who brought the carrots?

    Then the knocking comes again! Now Cottontail thinks she knows who it is.

    Beatrix Potter wrote: “Hark! I hear it again! Tap, tap, tappit! Tap tappit! Why—I really believe it's a little black rabbit!”

    The rhyme does not tell us any more. Who do you think brought the carrots?

  4. Part 4

    Old Mr. Pricklepin

    Old Mr. Pricklepin is a hedgehog, covered in prickles like pins. He does not need a pin-cushion!

    Beatrix Potter wrote: “Old Mr. Pricklepin has never a cushion to stick his pins in, His nose is black and his beard is gray, And he lives in an ash stump over the way.”

  5. Part 5

    The house in a shoe

    Do you know the old rhyme about the old woman who lived in a shoe? This book asks about her.

    Beatrix Potter wrote: “You know the old woman who lived in a shoe? And had so many children She didn't know what to do?”

    Then it has a funny idea about who she really was.

    Beatrix Potter wrote: “I think if she lived in a little shoe-house— That little old woman was surely a mouse!”

  6. Part 6

    Diggory Delvet

    Diggory Delvet is a mole. His soft black fur is like a velvet coat. He digs under the ground, and leaves little heaps of earth on top.

    Beatrix Potter wrote: “Diggory Diggory Delvet! A little old man in black velvet; He digs and he delves— You can see for yourselves The mounds dug by Diggory Delvet.”

  7. Part 7

    Gravy and potatoes

    This short rhyme is like a little recipe for dinner.

    Beatrix Potter wrote: “Gravy and potatoes In a good brown pot— Put them in the oven, and serve them very hot!”

  8. Part 8

    The amiable guinea-pig

    The last rhyme is about a guinea-pig who likes to look smart. “Amiable” means friendly and kind.

    Beatrix Potter wrote: “There once was an amiable guinea-pig, Who brushed back his hair like a periwig— He wore a sweet tie, As blue as the sky— And his whiskers and buttons Were very big.”

💛 Big idea

Small animals have their own homes and their own ways. In these rhymes, Appley Dapply finds a cupboard full of good things, Mr. Pricklepin lives in an ash stump, and Diggory Delvet leaves mounds of earth where he digs. Next time you are outside, look and listen for little creatures and the signs they leave, and try saying the rhymes out loud to hear the words that sound alike, like “mouse” and “house.”

🐱 Meet the characters

🧶 What happened?

So many little animals! Look at each picture, read the clue, and tap the right answer.

For grown-ups: every clue comes from Beatrix Potter's rhymes. Tap 🔈 to hear each one.

1. Where does Appley Dapply go?

2. What is Appley Dapply so fond of?

3. What present does Cottontail find on the stair?

4. Where does Mr. Pricklepin live?

5. Who does the rhyme think lived in the shoe?

6. What goes in the good brown pot?

Score: 0 of 6

🔤 New words

🐭 Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes quiz

How much do you remember? Tap the right answer for each question.

For grown-ups: each question has a 🔈 button so pre-readers can hear it. Works with a keyboard too (Tab to move, Enter to choose).

1. What kind of animal is Appley Dapply?

2. What does Mr. Pricklepin not have?

3. Who does Cottontail think is knocking at her door?

4. What does Diggory Delvet dig?

5. What color is the guinea-pig's tie?

6. What sound does the knocking make?

Score: 0 of 6

💬 Let's talk about it

There are no wrong answers. Talk with a grown-up or a friend.

✏️ About Beatrix Potter and her book