A grey squirrel, a striped chipmunk, and far too many nuts! A story by Beatrix Potter, from her 1911 picture book.
🐿️ The story in brief
Timmy Tiptoes is a little fat grey squirrel. He and his wife Goody gather lots of nuts for the winter.
But the other squirrels think Timmy took their nuts, and he ends up down a hole inside a tree! There a kind chipmunk called Chippy Hackee gives him so many nuts that Timmy gets too fat to climb out. At last a big wind opens up the tree, and Timmy goes home to Goody.
📖 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
A snug nest
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Once upon a time there was a little fat comfortable grey squirrel, called Timmy Tiptoes.”
Beatrix Potter wrote: “He had a nest thatched with leaves in the top of a tall tree; and he had a little squirrel wife called Goody.”
One breezy day, Timmy whisked his tail and said to Goody:
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Little wife Goody, the nuts are ripe; we must lay up a store for winter and spring.”
Part 2
Off to the nut bushes
Timmy and Goody went to the nut bushes. Other squirrels were there already, picking nuts too.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Timmy took off his jacket and hung it on a twig; they worked away quietly by themselves.”
Part 3
Like a money-box
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Every day they made several journeys and picked quantities of nuts.”
They carried the nuts in bags and filled up some hollow stumps. When the stumps were full, they tipped the nuts into a hole high up a tree. A woodpecker used to live there.
Goody said:
Beatrix Potter wrote: “How shall you ever get them out again? It is like a money-box!”
Part 4
Forgetful Silvertail
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Squirrels who bury their nuts in the ground lose more than half, because they cannot remember the place.”
Beatrix Potter wrote: “The most forgetful squirrel in the wood was called Silvertail.”
Silvertail dug up nuts that were not his. Then the other squirrels began to dig too, and the whole wood was in a muddle!
Part 5
A little bird sings
A little bird flew into the bush where Timmy and Goody were tying up their bags. It sang:
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Who's bin digging-up my nuts?”
Timmy did not answer.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “It was only singing its natural song, and it meant nothing at all.”
Part 6
Down the hole
But the other squirrels heard the song. They thought Timmy had been taking their nuts! They were very cross. They chased Timmy and pushed him into the little round hole in the woodpecker's tree.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Timmy Tiptoes made no reply; he had tumbled down inside the tree, upon half a peck of nuts belonging to himself.”
Part 7
Where is Timmy?
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Goody Tiptoes picked up the nut bags and went home. She made a cup of tea for Timmy; but he didn't come and didn't come.”
Next morning, Goody looked all over the wood, calling:
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Timmy Tiptoes! Timmy Tiptoes! Oh, where is Timmy Tiptoes?”
Part 8
A kind chipmunk
Timmy woke up in a little moss bed, deep inside the tree. It was dark.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “There was a chirpy noise, and a small striped Chipmunk appeared with a night light, and hoped he felt better?”
Beatrix Potter wrote: “It was most kind to Timmy Tiptoes; it lent him its night-cap; and the house was full of provisions.”
The chipmunk was called Chippy Hackee. He kept giving Timmy nuts to eat.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Timmy Tiptoes grew fatter and fatter!”
Part 9
Showers of nuts
Goody was still gathering nuts by herself. Now she hid them under a tree root. But the nuts fell down into a hole, and out scrambled a little striped chipmunk. It was Mrs. Chippy Hackee!
Beatrix Potter wrote: “It is getting perfectly full-up down-stairs; the sitting-room is full, and they are rolling along the passage; and my husband, Chippy Hackee, has run away and left me.”
Goody said her husband Timmy had gone away too.
Mrs. Chippy Hackee said:
Beatrix Potter wrote: “I know where Chippy is; a little bird told me”
Part 10
Too fat!
Mrs. Chippy Hackee led Goody to the woodpecker's tree. They listened at the hole. Down below, Timmy and Chippy were cracking nuts and singing! Goody called down to Timmy.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “He came up and kissed Goody through the hole; but he was so fat that he could not get out.”
Part 11
Home with an umbrella
Beatrix Potter wrote: “And so it went on for a fortnight; till a big wind blew off the top of the tree, and opened up the hole and let in the rain.”
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Then Timmy Tiptoes came out, and went home with an umbrella.”
Part 12
A little padlock
Chippy Hackee stayed in the tree for one more week. Then a big bear came walking by, sniffing around for nuts.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Chippy Hackee went home in a hurry!”
Beatrix Potter wrote: “And now Timmy and Goody Tiptoes keep their nut-store fastened up with a little padlock.”
And the little bird still sings its song. But nobody ever answers!
💛 Big idea
Check before you blame someone. The other squirrels heard a little bird sing a song, and they decided Timmy had taken their nuts. But Timmy had not done anything wrong! It is kinder to ask and find out first. Can you think of a time when you found out the whole story before deciding?
🐿️ Meet the characters
Timmy Tiptoes
A little fat grey squirrel in a red jacket. He works hard to store nuts for winter, but he loves eating them too!
Goody Tiptoes
Timmy's wife. She is busy and loving, and she never stops looking for Timmy when he goes missing.
Chippy Hackee
A small striped chipmunk who lives under the woodpecker's tree. He is kind to Timmy and cracks nuts for him.
Mrs. Chippy Hackee
Chippy's wife. She knows where Chippy is, because a little bird told her!
Silvertail
The most forgetful squirrel in the wood. He can never remember where he buried his nuts.
The little bird
A little brown bird who sings a song about nuts. It does not mean anything by it. It is just its song!
🌰 What happened?
Timmy Tiptoes had a nutty adventure! 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. At the nut bushes, where did Timmy hang his jacket?
2. Goody said the woodpecker's hole full of nuts was like a…
3. What did the little bird sing?
4. What did the chipmunk carry when Timmy woke up?
5. How did Timmy go home at last?
6. What keeps Timmy and Goody's nut-store safe now?
Score: 0 of 6
🔤 New words
Tap 🔈 to hear a word and what it means.
thatched
Covered with a roof of leaves, straw or reeds. Timmy's nest was thatched with leaves.
thicket
A place where lots of bushes grow close together. Timmy and Goody picked nuts in the nut thicket.
quantities
Lots and lots of something. Timmy and Goody picked quantities of nuts.
provisions
A store of food kept for later. The chipmunk's house was full of provisions.
fortnight
Two weeks. Timmy was stuck in the tree for a fortnight.
padlock
A little lock with a loop that you can open with a key. Timmy and Goody lock their nut-store with one.
🍂 The Timmy Tiptoes 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 Timmy Tiptoes?
2. What is the name of Timmy's wife?
3. Why could Timmy not get out of the tree?
4. Who was kind to Timmy inside the tree?
5. What let Timmy out at last?
6. Where do Timmy and Goody keep their nuts now?
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 felt when the other squirrels said he took their nuts?
Goody looked all over the wood for Timmy. How do you think she felt when she found him?
Chippy Hackee kept giving Timmy nuts. Was that kind? What else could he have done?
Squirrels hide nuts for the winter. What other animals get ready for winter?
If you heard someone was in trouble, how could you find out what really happened?