The Bunnikins-Bunnies in camp

In Short

Edith B. Davidson’s The Bunnikins-Bunnies in Camp is an illustrated 1909 children's book following a rabbit family and their squirrel friends on a summer camping trip. Driven by Mr. Bunnikins-Bunny's anxieties, the party lugs absurd safety supplies into the woods. What begins as an exercise in domestic micromanagement becomes a lively animal adventure involving mosquito troubles, a water rescue, and a friendly bear family. The story has endured as a charming example of early twentieth-century anthropomorphic juvenile fiction, blending gentle humor with traditional woodland storytelling.

The Story

Mr. Bobtail Fitz-Herbert Bunnikins-Bunny is a dandy living in Rabbitsville who cares deeply about his elaborate wardrobe. After marrying Miss Primrose Featherball and starting a family with two little rabbits, Bobtail and Rosamund, he decides to take a mountain camping trip for his health. His son Bobtail is a troublemaker, but he promises to behave if allowed to come along.

The Bunnikins family invites their friends, Mr. and Mrs. Gray-Squirrel and their children Ruddy and Chippy, to join them. They load a cart pulled by Neddy the donkey with excessive belongings, including a feather bed and a footbath. Before they even clear the neighborhood, Mr. Bunnikins halts the expedition to retrieve a heavy life-preserver, which he forces the reluctant donkey to wear around his neck in case young Bobtail falls into a pond.

During their first night in the woods, Mr. Bunnikins attempts to sleep in a silk hammock and is tormented by swarming mosquitoes. He threatens to return home immediately, but his patient wife sews him a full-body pink mosquito-netting nightgown that protects him completely. Settling into a permanent camp near a brook, the families make a stable for Neddy, build a nest in a hollow tree, and establish their summer routine.

Disaster strikes when Mr. Bunnikins hears squealing at the nearby pond. Arriving on Neddy's back with the life-preserver, he spots a small, drowning creature. Mr. Bunnikins throws the preserver to the animal, but the force of the throw causes him to slip off the donkey into the cold water. Neddy rescues him by his long ears, and the saved creature turns out to be a lost bear cub.

A large, intimidating bear soon crashes through the brush looking for his baby. Though the woodland creatures freeze in terror, the bear is overcome with gratitude upon learning how Mr. Bunnikins saved his cub. The bear family visits the camp the next morning, bringing honey, nuts, and wild celery as peace offerings. Young Bobtail later gets into trouble by falling directly into the honey jar, requiring a lengthy soak in the brook that leaves him coughing for a week.

As autumn approaches, the animals break camp, gift the life-preserver to the bears, and make the slow journey home behind a lazily resting donkey, promising to return the following summer.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins The Bunnikins and Gray-Squirrel families load Neddy the donkey with far too many belongings for their mountain trek. Mr. Bunnikins insists on turning back to retrieve a heavy life-preserver, which he hangs around the donkey's neck.

A night with the mosquitoes Settling in a grove for their first night, Mr. Bunnikins tries to sleep in a silk hammock but gets badly bitten by insects. Mrs. Bunnikins saves the trip by sewing him a complete, head-to-toe pink mosquito-netting nightgown.

The making of the camp The travelers select a permanent glade with a nearby brook, setting up a tree-hollow nest and a stable for Neddy. The young animals spend their days playing along the stream, strictly forbidden from visiting the larger pond alone.

The heroism of Mr. Bunnikins-Bunny Hearing cries from the pond, Mr. Bunnikins rides Neddy into the water to hurl the life-preserver to a drowning animal. He successfully rescues a furry creature, but loses his footing and has to be dragged out by his ears.

The Brownie Cub baby’s papa A giant brown bear emerges from the forest searching for his lost cub and realizes Mr. Bunnikins saved his child. The grateful bear licks the terrified rabbit dry, knocking out bits of his fur in the process.

Bobtail’s mishap The bear family brings honey to the camp as a thank-you present, but young Bobtail falls headfirst into the jar while trying to sneak a taste. His father must wash the sticky sweet out of his fur in the cold brook.

Good-bye summer When autumn arrives, the campers pack up their gear, give the life-preserver to the bears as a keepsake, and return home to settle into their warm winter nests.

The People

• Mr. Bobtail Fitz-Herbert Bunnikins-Bunny: A fashion-conscious rabbit and fussy hypocondriac who wears striped coats, carries parasols, and worries constantly about illness. Despite his timid nature and fear of water, he acts heroically when a child is in danger.
• Mrs. Primrose Bunnikins-Bunny: The practical, patient matriarch of the rabbit household. She manages her husband's dramatic tendencies, limits his excessive packing, and solves problems through clever handiwork, such as sewing a full-body netting nightgown.
• Bobtail: The eldest bunny child, known as a "bunch of mischief." He constantly gets into trouble, falling into bear honey and suffering cold mishaps despite promising to be on his best behavior.
• Rosamund: The gentle, well-behaved younger bunny child who behaves like a small lady throughout the journey.
• Mr. and Mrs. Gray-Squirrel: Close family friends who join the expedition along with their children, Ruddy and Chippy. Mr. Gray-Squirrel performs most of the manual labor while Mr. Bunnikins gives unsolicited advice.
• Mr. Brown Bruin: A massive, intimidating forest bear who turns out to be a tender, emotional father. He repays the rabbits with gifts of honey and wild celery after they save his lost cub.
• Neddy: A quiet, stubborn donkey who hauls the heavy cart, tolerates wearing a life-preserver, and swims into the pond during the rescue mission.

In Its Own Voice

"Having had a cold in one of his long ears, he had tied his gray felt hat, with its green feathers, tightly down under his chin."

Mr. Bunnikins-Bunny dresses for the mountain expedition with his usual excessive concern for his personal health.

"All day Mrs. Bunnikins-Bunny cut and sewed, and before bedtime she had made her husband a lovely pink mosquito-netting nightgown."

The practical rabbit matriarch fabricates a unique solution to keep her husband from abandoning their wilderness trip.

"From the tip of his ears to the end of his short tail he was a mass of sweet sticky honey, and when Mr. Bunnikins took hold of him to shake him, his paw stuck fast to poor Benjamin’s long ear."

Young Bobtail suffers the consequences of sneaking into the bear's gift without permission.

What It's Really About

Beneath its gentle animal adventure, the book explores the tension between artificial social vanity and natural wilderness life. Mr. Bunnikins represents suburban middle-class anxieties—worrying about his fancy clothes, imaginary illnesses, and unnecessary domestic comforts. His journey into the woods forces him to confront real, unscripted dangers like insect swarms, deep water, and predatory beasts.

The story suggests that true heroism and character emerge when one sets aside petty self-absorption for the sake of others. Despite his vanity and fear of wet paws, Mr. Bunnikins does not hesitate to risk his safety to save a drowning stranger. Additionally, the narrative undermines prejudice through the bear family, showing that frightening outsiders can become generous friends when met with goodwill.

Why Read It Today

The Bunnikins-Bunnies in Camp offers readers a nostalgic glimpse into early 20th-century American children's literature. It appeals to readers who appreciate classic anthropomorphic animal tales like Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit or Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. The prose is straightforward, whimsical, and entirely accessible to young readers and modern parents reading aloud.

The text reflects historical domestic dynamics, such as rigid gender roles where mothers sew and cook while fathers handle logistics and advice. Modern readers will easily look past these period markers to enjoy the lighthearted physical comedy—from a donkey wearing a life-preserver to a rabbit wrapped in a pink netting sack. What remains memorable is the story's gentle warmth, subtle satire of adult fussiness, and the cozy, comforting resolution of forest fellowship.