The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle
Beatrix Potter (1866–1943)
story · 1905 · 8 min read
How we estimate the level
We compare average sentence length and book vocabulary with the course words through this level. This is an estimate, not a test of your level.
Synopsis
A little girl called Lucie keeps losing her handkerchiefs. While she looks for them, she climbs a hill and finds a door that leads into a kitchen inside the hill. There, a small, round washerwoman called Mrs. Tiggy-winkle is washing and ironing the clothes of many animals, and Lucie's handkerchiefs are among them. At the end of the day, Lucie discovers who Mrs. Tiggy-winkle really is.
About this book
The story is built on a simple pattern that repeats: Lucie points at something and asks what it is, and Mrs. Tiggy-winkle tells her whose clothes they are. This makes it a good A2 text for questions with what and for saying who owns something (a little scarlet waistcoat belonging to Cock Robin). Clothes belonging to other characters from Beatrix Potter's books, such as Peter Rabbit and Squirrel Nutkin, appear in the washing. The story is set in the real Newlands valley in the Lake District, and the book is dedicated to a real girl called Lucie who lived there. Mrs. Tiggy-winkle speaks in a country way: please'm means please, madam.
Opening excerpt
Once upon a time there was a little girl called Lucie, who lived at a farm called Little-town. She was a good little girl—only she was always losing her pocket-handkerchiefs!Key vocabulary
a small square of cloth for cleaning your nose
high land, smaller than a mountain
the room where you cook
to make clothes smooth with a hot tool
a piece of cloth you wear over your clothes to keep them clean
a woman whose job is washing other people's clothes
a small animal covered with sharp spines
small sharp points on a plant or an animal
Lines from the book
“Oh, yes, if you please'm; my name is Mrs. Tiggy-winkle”“Her little black nose went sniffle, sniffle, snuffle, and her eyes went twinkle, twinkle”“Why! Mrs. Tiggy-winkle was nothing but a hedgehog.”About the author
Beatrix Potter (1866–1943) was an English writer, illustrator and naturalist. She spent long summer holidays in the Lake District, in the north-west of England, and set several of her stories in real places there, with real hills, farms and paths.
Frequently asked questions
What level of English do I need for Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle?
We estimate A2. The sentences are short and the conversation repeats the same simple questions. Some names of old clothes are unusual, but you can understand the story without them.
Who is Mrs. Tiggy-winkle?
She is a washerwoman who cleans and irons the animals' clothes. The last page of the book shows what kind of animal she is.
How long does it take to read?
The story has about 1,400 words. Most learners read it in about eight minutes.
Is this the original text?
Yes. It is Beatrix Potter's original text from 1905. The digitized source keeps a few small printing mistakes, and the edition contains the text without the pictures.
Next step
More books
The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse
Beatrix Potter
8 min read · EPUB & PDF
The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher
Beatrix Potter
5 min read · EPUB & PDF
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Beatrix Potter
6 min read · EPUB & PDF
The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies
Beatrix Potter
6 min read · EPUB & PDF