A country mouse, a town mouse, and a bumpy ride in a vegetable hamper! A story by Beatrix Potter, from her 1918 picture book.
🐭 The story in brief
Timmy Willie is a little country mouse. One day he falls asleep in a hamper of vegetables, and it is carried all the way to town!
There he meets Johnny Town-mouse, who is very polite and has grand dinner parties. But town is too noisy for Timmy Willie, so he goes home. Later Johnny visits the country, and he finds it too quiet! Each mouse likes his own home best.
📖 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
Born in a garden
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Johnny Town-mouse was born in a cupboard. Timmy Willie was born in a garden.”
Once a week, the gardener packed vegetables in a big hamper, a basket with a lid. A man called the carrier took it to town in his cart.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “The gardener left the hamper by the garden gate, so that the carrier could pick it up when he passed.”
Part 2
Fast asleep
Timmy Willie wanted to see what was inside the hamper.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Timmy Willie crept in through a hole in the wicker-work, and after eating some peas—Timmy Willie fell fast asleep.”
Part 3
Jolt, jolt, jolt!
Timmy Willie woke up with a fright. The hamper was being lifted into the carrier's cart! Off went the horse and cart, all the way to town.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “for miles and miles—jolt—jolt—jolt!”
Part 4
A noisy town
At last the cart stopped at a big house in town. The hamper was carried into the kitchen. Everything was so noisy!
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Dogs barked; boys whistled in the street; the cook laughed, the parlour maid ran up and down-stairs; and a canary sang like a steam engine.”
The cook opened the hamper, and out jumped Timmy Willie! The cook was so surprised that she jumped up on a chair. Timmy Willie ran along the skirting board until he found a little hole, and in he popped.
Part 5
Crash!
Beatrix Potter wrote: “He dropped half a foot, and crashed into the middle of a mouse dinner party, breaking three glasses.”
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Who in the world is this?” inquired Johnny Town-mouse.
Johnny was surprised. But he soon remembered his good manners.
Part 6
Nine new friends
Beatrix Potter wrote: “With the utmost politeness he introduced Timmy Willie to nine other mice, all with long tails and white neckties.”
Timmy Willie's tail was very short. The town mice noticed, but they were too polite to say so.
Part 7
A grand dinner
Beatrix Potter wrote: “The dinner was of eight courses; not much of anything, but truly elegant.”
Timmy Willie did not know any of the foods. And the noise upstairs made him so nervous that he dropped a plate!
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Never mind, they don't belong to us,” said Johnny.
Part 8
A long night
There was a cat in the house, and Timmy Willie did not like that one bit. He felt faint.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Try some jelly?” said Johnny Town-mouse.
Johnny offered him the best bed: a sofa pillow with a hole in it. But the sofa smelt of cat!
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Timmy Willie preferred to spend a miserable night under the fender.”
Part 9
Home in the hamper
The town mice ate bacon for breakfast, but Timmy Willie was used to roots and salad. The noise kept him awake, and he missed his peaceful garden. He grew so thin that Johnny noticed. Johnny said he was a little disappointed, because they had tried hard to make him welcome.
Johnny said the hamper went back every Saturday, so Timmy Willie could go home.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Oh yes, yes, you have been most kind; but I do feel so ill,” said Timmy Willie.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “So Timmy Willie said good-bye to his new friends, and hid in the hamper with a crumb of cake and a withered cabbage leaf; and after much jolting, he was set down safely in his own garden.”
Part 10
Johnny comes to visit
Winter passed, and spring came. Timmy Willie sat by his burrow in the sun. Then, who should come along?
Beatrix Potter wrote: “When up the sandy path all spick and span with a brown leather bag came Johnny Town-mouse!”
Beatrix Potter wrote: “You have come at the best of all the year, we will have herb pudding and sit in the sun.”
Beatrix Potter wrote: “H’m’m! it is a little damp,” said Johnny Town-mouse, who was carrying his tail under his arm, out of the mud.
Part 11
Too quiet!
A big noise made Johnny jump! “What is that fearful noise?” he asked.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “That?” said Timmy Willie, “that is only a cow; I will beg a little milk, they are quite harmless, unless they happen to lie down upon you. How are all our friends?”
Then there was another noise. It was only the lawn-mower! Timmy Willie was sure Johnny would love the country. But Johnny did not.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “He went back in the very next hamper of vegetables; he said it was too quiet!!”
Beatrix Potter wrote: “One place suits one person, another place suits another person. For my part I prefer to live in the country, like Timmy Willie.”
💛 Big idea
Different people like different things, and that is okay. Timmy Willie loved his quiet garden. Johnny Town-mouse loved his busy town. They were polite and kind to each other, even though they liked different things. What do you like best about the place where you live?
🐭 Meet the characters
Timmy Willie
A little country mouse who was born in a garden. He loves the quiet, his sandy burrow, and roots and salad. His tail is very short.
Johnny Town-mouse
A town mouse who was born in a cupboard. He is very polite, wears a white necktie, and loves busy, noisy town life.
Johnny's friends
Nine town mice with long tails and white neckties. They have grand dinner parties under the floor.
The canary
A little yellow bird in a cage in the town kitchen. It sang like a steam engine!
The cow
A cow in the country. Her moo made Johnny Town-mouse jump, but Timmy Willie says cows are friendly.
🧺 What happened?
Timmy Willie had a big adventure in town! Look at each picture, read the clue, and tap the right answer.
For grown-ups: every clue comes from Beatrix Potter's story. Tap 🔈 to hear each one.
1. What did Timmy Willie eat in the hamper before he fell asleep?
2. Timmy Willie crashed into the mouse dinner party. How many glasses broke?
3. Timmy Willie dropped a plate. What did Johnny say?
4. Where did Timmy Willie spend the night in town?
5. What did Johnny Town-mouse carry up the sandy path?
6. In the country, Johnny heard a noise. What was it?
Score: 0 of 6
🔤 New words
Tap 🔈 to hear a word and what it means.
hamper
A big basket with a lid. The gardener packed vegetables in it to send to town.
carrier
A man with a horse and cart who carried parcels and hampers from place to place.
skirting board
A long, low strip of wood at the bottom of a wall, just above the floor.
courses
The different parts of a big dinner, served one after another, like soup, then fish, then pudding.
fender
A low metal frame in front of a fireplace. It stops hot coals from rolling out.
burrow
A hole or tunnel in the ground where a small animal lives. Timmy Willie's burrow was sandy.
🌻 The Johnny Town-Mouse 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. Where was Timmy Willie born?
2. How did Timmy Willie get to town?
3. How many other mice did Johnny Town-mouse introduce to Timmy Willie?
4. What did Timmy Willie like to eat at home?
5. What made Johnny jump with a big noise in the country?
6. Where did Johnny Town-mouse decide to live?
Score: 0 of 6
💬 Let's talk about it
There are no wrong answers. Talk with a grown-up or a friend.
How do you think Timmy Willie felt when he woke up in the jolting hamper?
Johnny said, “Never mind” when Timmy dropped a plate. Was that kind?
Would you rather live in a busy town or in the quiet country? Why?
What sounds can you hear where you live?
Timmy Willie and Johnny like different things. Can friends like different things and still be friends?