Watercolour

Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) is one of the world's best-loved children's authors and illustrators. She wrote the majority of the twenty-three Original Peter Rabbit Books between 1901 and 1913. The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Frederick Warne, 1902) is her most famous and best-loved tale.

The Tale of Johnny Town-mouse (1918) was published just after the First World War had come to a close. It is based on Aesop's fable of 'The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse'. Potter had previously produced illustrations to accompany this fable in about 1900, before becoming a published author. The publication of this tale came after a period of great hardship. The First World War took its toll on the Home Front as well as mainland Europe. Potter was busy running her farm in the Lake District as well as managing her portfolio of other properties. She complained to her publisher of 'failing eyesight' but also struggled to find the time to produce new original stories and illustrations. Frederick Warne & Co. was however hit by scandal in 1917 after the fraudulent activities of one of the brothers was discovered. Potter agreed to step up her production and help out the firm as one of their most popular authors and a personal friend of the family.

The tale centres around the idea that people (or mice) will find their natural affinity to either a town or country life. Having experienced both in her life, the final words of the tale reveal Potter's affiliation: 'For my part I prefer to live in the country, like Timmy Willie'.