A duck in a bonnet, a very polite gentleman, and a clever collie dog! A story by Beatrix Potter, from her 1908 picture book.
🥚 The story in brief
Jemima Puddle-duck wants to hatch her own eggs, so she flies off to find a secret place for a nest.
In the woods she meets a gentleman with sandy whiskers who is very, very polite. But is he really as kind as he seems? Look for the clues!
📖 The story, part by part
Tap “Read it to me” to listen, or read each part with a grown-up. The green boxes show Beatrix Potter's own words.
Part 1
Jemima wants to hatch her eggs
Jemima Puddle-duck lived on a farm. She wanted to sit on her eggs and hatch them herself. But the farmer's wife always gave the duck eggs to a hen to hatch.
Her sister-in-law, Rebeccah Puddle-duck, said, “I have not the patience to sit on a nest for twenty-eight days.” But Jemima wanted to do it all by herself.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “I wish to hatch my own eggs; I will hatch them all by myself”.
Part 2
Off she flies
Jemima decided to find a nest far away from the farm. One spring afternoon, she set off up the cart-road, over the hill.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “She was wearing a shawl and a poke bonnet.”
A poke bonnet is a hat with a big brim at the front. Jemima ran downhill, flapping her shawl, and jumped into the air. She flew over the tree-tops to a quiet wood.
Part 3
A gentleman on a stump
Jemima landed by a tree-stump among tall pink foxgloves. On the stump sat a smartly dressed gentleman, reading a newspaper.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “He had black prick ears and sandy coloured whiskers.”
He also had a long, bushy tail! He was very, very polite.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Madam, have you lost your way?”
Jemima thought he was kind and handsome. She told him she was looking for a dry place for a nest.
Part 4
A shed full of feathers
The gentleman was very helpful.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “I have a sackful of feathers in my wood-shed”.
He led her to his house, made of sticks and turf, with two old pails for a chimney. Behind it was a shed so full of feathers that it was soft and comfy. Jemima made a nest there.
Part 5
Nine eggs
Every afternoon, Jemima came back to the wood to lay an egg.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “she laid nine eggs in the nest.”
The gentleman liked to turn them over and count them when Jemima was not looking. Hmm! Why was he so interested in her eggs?
Part 6
A dinner-party?
Jemima said she would start sitting on her eggs the next day. Then the gentleman had an idea.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Let us have a dinner-party all to ourselves!”
He asked her to bring herbs from the farm garden: sage, thyme, mint and parsley, and two onions. Those are the things people cook with duck! But Jemima did not guess.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “not even the mention of sage and onions made her suspicious.”
Suspicious means thinking something might be wrong.
Part 7
Kep asks questions
Jemima nibbled some herbs in the farm garden. Then she waddled into the farm kitchen and got two onions out of a basket. Kep, the wise collie dog, met her coming out.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “What are you doing with those onions? Where do you go every afternoon by yourself, Jemima Puddle-duck?”
Jemima told Kep the whole story. Kep listened, with his wise head on one side. He knew that a gentleman with sandy whiskers and a bushy tail was really a fox! Kep went to get help from two fox-hound puppies.
Part 8
Be sharp!
Jemima flew back to the wood with her herbs. The gentleman sniffed the air and looked around. He did not sound polite any more.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Give me the herbs for the omelette. Be sharp!”
“Be sharp” means “hurry up!” An omelette is made of eggs. Jemima felt surprised and uncomfortable. She went into the shed to see her eggs.
Part 9
Kep to the rescue
Then there was a lot of noise outside: barking and growling and howling! Kep and the puppies had come. The fox ran off into the woods, fast.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “And nothing more was ever seen of that foxy-whiskered gentleman.”
Kep opened the shed door and let Jemima out, safe and sound. But oh dear, the puppies rushed in and gobbled up her eggs before Kep could stop them! Jemima cried all the way home.
Part 10
Ducklings at last
In June, Jemima laid some more eggs. This time, the farmer's wife let her keep them and hatch them herself.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “but only four of them hatched.”
Jemima said it was because of her nerves. But four fluffy ducklings is a happy ending!
The End.
💛 Staying safe
Nice words are not enough. The gentleman was very polite, but he was not a real friend. If someone you don't know asks you to come with them or keep a secret, say no and tell a grown-up you trust, just like Jemima told Kep. Who are the grown-ups you can tell?
🦆 Meet the characters
Jemima Puddle-duck
A white farm duck in a blue poke bonnet and a shawl. She wants to hatch her own eggs.
The gentleman with sandy whiskers
He has black ears, sandy whiskers and a long bushy tail. He is very polite at first, but he is really a fox!
Kep
The wise collie dog on the farm. He asks good questions and comes to help Jemima.
Rebeccah Puddle-duck
Jemima's sister-in-law. She is happy to let someone else hatch her eggs.
🔎 Spot the clues: who is it?
Kep was good at spotting clues. Can you? Tap who each clue is about.
For grown-ups: every clue comes from Beatrix Potter's story. Tap 🔈 to hear each one.
1. Black pointy ears and sandy whiskers
2. A blue poke bonnet and a shawl
3. Said, “I have not the patience to sit on a nest for twenty-eight days”
4. A long bushy tail, sat on because the stump was damp
5. Listened with his wise head on one side
6. Gobbled up all the eggs
Score: 0 of 6
🔤 New words
Tap 🔈 to hear a word and what it means.
hatch
When a baby bird breaks out of its egg. A mother bird sits on her eggs to keep them warm until they hatch.
bonnet
A hat that ties under the chin. A poke bonnet has a big brim at the front.
collie
A kind of farm dog that is clever and helps look after sheep.
suspicious
Thinking that something might be wrong or not true.
herbs
Plants with tasty leaves used in cooking, like sage, mint and parsley.
gentleman
A polite, well-dressed man. In this story, it is a fox dressed up as one!
🥚 The puddle-duck 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. Why did Jemima fly away from the farm?
2. What was the gentleman reading on the stump?
3. Where did Jemima make her nest?
4. Who found out what was going on?
5. What did the gentleman ask Jemima to bring?
6. How many of Jemima's June eggs hatched?
Score: 0 of 6
💬 Let's talk about it
There are no wrong answers. Talk with a grown-up or a friend.
What clues told Kep that the gentleman was really a fox?
Why do you think Jemima trusted the gentleman?
Jemima told Kep where she went every day. Why was that a good idea?
Who are the grown-ups you can always tell if something feels wrong?
Have you ever wanted to do something all by yourself? What was it?