Our Story Book: Jingles, Stories and Rhymes for Little Folks

In Short

This volume brings together brief prose stories and short rhymes centered on young children, lively farm animals, and animated toys. Characters wander into slight troubles—getting caught out by the tide, slipping into muddy duck ponds, running off to hunt farm yard pests, or quarreling over small treasures—before safely returning home to comfortable firesides. Its enduring charm rests on its warm, nostalgic picture of quiet, simple play, easy morality, and domestic security.

The Story

The collection opens with the energetic Wideawake Willy, a boy known for his endless appetite for fun. Whether he is attempting to score runs at cricket, sliding past snowmen on winter ice, or coaxing girls by their curls during party games, his days move from one simple pastime to another until a sudden glimpse of a grand flying machine sends him rushing home.

This domestic world frequently gives way to small journeys and bright outdoor discoveries. A young girl named Molly sets out for town, delegating the protection of her home to her loyal dog Frisk. Though she loses her purse along the way, she recovers it with the help of a friendly baker and purchases striped stockings at a local shop, while Frisk amuses himself at home by playing with his master’s hat. Elsewhere, young Jack spends his summer at a seaside fishing village in France, learning the basics of rowing, building massive sandcastles, and experiencing the sudden thrill of being cut off by the rising tide before his father carries him safely to the beach.

Animals and household toys carry their own lively narratives throughout the pages. A farm puppy named Sammy earns a reputation for sulkiness by scowling at playmates and chasing a chick into distant fields, but a stern lesson from the yard animals and a chance encounter with a gentle stranger prompt him to drop his bad temper. In another household, Miss Snowball Kitkin recounts the life of her feline family. From surviving face-washing lessons in the stable loft to avoiding fights with a fox terrier, her grandest moment arrives when she and her sister travel to a London cat show in a dark hamper and secure the first-prize ribbon. Meanwhile, inside the playrooms, wooden horses, zebras, and Jack-in-the-boxes ponder changing fashions as soft Teddy bears arrive, while a sleeping boy named Charlie dreams that his tin soldiers, wooden policemen, and Noah's ark animals have organized their own bustling city.

Throughout every story and verse, minor misdeeds are quickly righted by sensible authority figures or natural consequences. Quarreling children choose to share their toys once tea time arrives, runaway kittens learn to avoid dangerous garden ponds, and mischievous house pets return to warm hearths and bowls of sweet milk after receiving gentle chastisement.

How It Unfolds

A day of games and seaside turns Wideawake Willy plays cricket and slides on winter ice, while young Jack travels to a seaside town in France to build sandcastles and learn to row. Jack gets stranded by the incoming tide on top of his sand fortress until his father wades out to carry him back to shore.

Domestic errands and small losses Molly travels to town to shop for striped stockings, leaving her dog Frisk to guard the house with a walking stick. She panics upon dropping her money, but a kind baker helps her find her purse so she can finish her errands.

Farmyard troubles and pet misdeeds Sammy the puppy sulks and chases a chick out of the yard, earning the anger of the turkey and other animals until he resolves to mend his bad manners. Nearby, a mischievous cat named Mrs. Puss-Cat muddying a clean house gets whipped by Mrs. Gamp, only to be welcomed back to the fire with hot milk.

Adventures in the wide world The white kitten Snowball and her sister Kitty travel up to London packed inside a hamper to attend a cat show. They show themselves off to the crowd and win the white first-prize card.

Dreams in the playroom A sleeping boy named Charlie imagines his wooden nine-pins, toy omnibus, and tin soldiers coming to life in a bustling city. He gets into an argument with a proud wax doll before waking up safe on the nursery floor.

The People

• Wideawake Willy: An energetic, fun-loving boy who earned his nickname by always searching for mischief. He loves playing cricket, riding down ice slides, and hosting birthday games.
• Molly: A practical young girl who visits town to buy striped stockings. She faces a brief scare when her purse goes missing, but she stays sensible and finishes her shopping.
• Frisk: Molly's faithful dog who sits in a chair with a walking stick to guard the house, though he quickly grows distracted by playing with his master's hat.
• Sulky Sammy: A farmyard puppy known for his sour temper and bad manners. After being chased out of the yard for teasing a chick, he works to become pleasant and friendly.
• Snowball Kitkin: A fluffy white kitten who hates washing her face but loves sweet milk. She takes pride in sitting still for photographs and winning first prize at a London cat show.
• Mrs. Puss-Cat: A wild, mischievous pet who tears up bedsheets and knocks over washbasins when left alone, but eventually repents and settles down by the hearth.
• Charlie: A young boy who falls asleep on the nursery rug and dreams that his collection of wooden toys, nine-pins, and tin soldiers have turned into living citizens.

In Its Own Voice

"When he fell half way down, Willy thought it great fun, and called to his snowman as he glided past, 'Look at me old fellow! Don't you wish you could slide?'"

Wideawake Willy enjoys winter games on the ice slide his father made for the neighborhood children.

"The journey was not a bit nice, but we kept very close to each other, and shut our eyes up tight, and tried to pretend we were not shut up in a hamper, but under Cook's chair, waiting for the mice to come out."

Snowball describes the nerve-wracking trip to the London cat show with her sister Kitty.

"I passed a whole new family on my way here," sighed the Zebra. "There was an elephant that walked without wheels, a boat with sails, a doll with a voice, crackers with toys inside them, a Father Christmas with a real beard..."

A toy zebra worries to Jack-in-the-box that old-fashioned playthings are being replaced by newer novelties.

What It's Really About

The collection reflects early twentieth-century views on childhood discipline, social harmony, and domestic security. It emphasizes that small acts of selfishness, sulkiness, or disobedience bring swift disappointment or discomfort, while good cheer and obedience restore family order. Beneath its simple rhymes and tales lies a world where home remains a safe sanctuary. No matter how alarming a fall into a pond, a lost purse, or a scary dream of tin soldiers may feel, kind parents, understanding guardians, and warm hearths stand ready to protect the young and gentle.

Why Read It Today

Readers drawn to classic children's literature will find a charming artifact of early twentieth-century nursery culture. The collection provides a gentle, unhurried reading experience, filled with simple rhythms and clear moral lessons that recall an era of wooden playthings, simple seaside holidays, and farmyard chores.

The prose and poetry are accessible, though modern readers will notice dated period details—such as children being threatened with wooden rods for wandering near farm ponds or pets receiving physical discipline for domestic messes. Nevertheless, the volume retains a sweet, nostalgic warmth, capturing the timeless ways children invent games out of simple surroundings.