The Tale of Samuel Whiskers, or The Roly-Poly Pudding

The World of Beatrix Potter #13

by Beatrix Potter

The first farm that Beatrix Potter owned, Hill Top, was an old house with thick walls and many hiding places for rats and mice. In The Tale of Samuel Whiskers this farmhouse is Tom Kitten's home and the story tells what happens when Tom accidently comes upon the rat Samuel Whiskers living in a secret hideout behind the attic walls.

The Tale of Samuel Whiskers is number 16 in Beatrix Potter's series of 23 little books, the titles of which are as follows:

1 The Tale of Peter Rabbit
2 The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin
3 The Tailor of Gloucester
4 The Tale of Benjamin Bunny
5 The Tale of Two Bad Mice
6 The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle
7 The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher
8 The Tale of Tom Kitten
9 The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck
10 The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies
11 The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse
12 The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes
13 The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse
14 The Tale of Mr. Tod
15 The Tale of Pigling Bland
16 The Tale of Samuel Whiskers
17 The Tale of The Pie and the Patty-Pan
18 The Tale of Ginger and Pickles
19 The Tale of Little Pig Robinson
20 The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit
21 The Story of Miss Moppet
22 Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes
23 Cecily Parsley's Nursery Rhymes

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Classics, Fiction, Animals, Fantasy, Short Stories

80 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1908

About the author

Helen Beatrix Potter was an English author, illustrator, mycologist, and conservationist who is best known for her children's books, which featured animal characters such as Peter Rabbit.

Born into a wealthy household, Potter was educated by governesses and grew up isolated from other children. She had numerous pets, and through holidays in Scotland and the Lake District, developed a love of landscape, flora, and fauna, all of which she closely observed and painted. Because she was a woman, her parents discouraged intellectual development, but her study and paintings of fungi led her to be widely respected in the field of mycology.

In her thirties, Potter published the highly successful children's book The Tale of Peter Rabbit and became secretly engaged to her publisher, Norman Warne, causing a breach with her parents, who disapproved of his social status. Warne died before the wedding.

Potter eventually published 24 children's books, the most recent being The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots (2016), and having become financially independent of her parents, was able to buy a farm in the Lake District, which she extended with other purchases over time.

In her forties, she married a local solicitor, William Heelis. She became a sheep breeder and farmer while continuing to write and illustrate children's books. Potter died in 1943 and left almost all of her property to The National Trust in order to preserve the beauty of the Lake District as she had known it, protecting it from developers.

Potter's books continue to sell well throughout the world, in multiple languages. Her stories have been retold in various formats, including a ballet, films, and in animation.

Reviews

[Cecily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have happy memories of my mother reading Beatrix Potter stories to me at bedtime.

But not this one.

She had to stop reading a few pages in. I was terrified by the prospect of poor Tom Kitten being baked in a roly-poly pudding, even though I didn’t have a cat.



And I was even more strangely haunted by this picture of the rat, Anna Maria:


For years, I was so upset at the possibility of glimpsing the cover that my mother hid the book in another room.

Whatever the mental trauma, the irony is that this was the only Beatrix Potter that did not physically injure me. I had all the books in a little bookcase designed specifically for them, like this:



For some reason, this was hung above the top end of my bed. One night, I was woken by a cascade of sharp-cornered little hardback books falling on my face!

Fortunately, and perhaps surprisingly, it did not put me off books in general, or even Potter specifically.


You can read the whole book, with Potter's original illustrations, on Gutenberg here - if you dare!

[Annet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful little book, my first Beatrix Potter. Discovered two little Potter books on my bookshelves recently while cleaning up ;-)
Hey... what's this... haven't read those yet... must have picked them up in a second hand bookstore... I absolutely loved the story and especially also the illustrations and black/white and colour drawings of the cats, the kittens and the rats. Could imagine this is a bit of a scary story for the little ones...
Will continue to read Beatrix Potter definitely.

[Manny · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's crying out to be filmed by David Cronenberg. Here's how I imagine his treatment of the pivotal scene:

[Interior. The home of SAMUEL WHISKERS and ANNA MARIA. The two mice, who have tied up TOM KITTEN and covered him in pastry, are about to bake him alive]

SAMUEL WHISKERS: His tail is sticking out! You did not fetch enough dough, Anna Maria.

[He takes out a mirror and cuts a line of coke, which he noisily snorts. ANNA MARIA examines TOM KITTEN, leaning forward so that her ample mouse cleavage is exposed]

ANNA MARIA: I fetched as much as I could carry.

SAMUEL WHISKERS: I do not think it will be a good pudding. It smells sooty.

[Using an axe, he chops off TOM KITTEN's tail. Blood spurts everywhere]

SAMUEL WHISKERS: That's better.

[[ J o ] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beatrix's longer tales are so much better than her short forays in to the little worlds of animals. They have a darker side that the first book never seemed to have, though since it was her first we can allow her that.

At first, I wasn't keen on the black-and-white illsutrations that have accompanied the last few of Beatrix's books, but actually, in a longer story like this one, they fit in so well because you don't have pages and pages of texts without the magic that her watercolours usual bring. They also add another interesting dimension to Beatrix as an artist, as it's not only watercolours she was proficient in, but could convey the personfications of animals really well through any medium.

The story itself appealed to my cat-dislike side, but it was not her best. It seemed to be a little bit about nothing, and the ending faded away a little too dully. Not her best, but not her worst.

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 January, 2008
Well, if you're making your list of top villains ever, you can't put Samuel Whiskers on the list without Anna Maria. Just because she doesn't appear in the title, is no reason to slight her contribution.

***

17 August, 2025

In July we had catastrophic flooding from a system that poured vast quantities of water down upon us, here in Central NC. In 14 days at the start of July, we received 15 emergency texts: mostly for flash flooding, but there was also a tornado in there. The topsoil was washed away in many places in our plot, in our neighbor's yard, water coming through the culvert washed away everything from the side of his house to the trees and bamboo at the back of his acre. One 40 foot tree, in the lowest point in our yard was uprooted from the sodden soil. The Eno, behind us all, reached a height of 24 feet, higher than in hurricane Fran. The high tide mark on the trees at the footbridge was incomprehensible. I am poor at judging distances, but I'm guessing high tide was more than 80 feet from the normal bank there, just upstream of the wastewater treatment plant that was to be moved to higher ground per a grant awarded under President Biden, and which was canceled under President Trump.

***

19 August 2025

I am indulging in comfort reads. I have tremendous respect for Potter: for changing her name, for pursuing the art that pleased her, for envisioning what her books would be, for living life the way she wanted and for doing a public service with her farm. Mostly because she is so very bloodthirsty. There is little lasting damage, but quite a bit of terror (albeit on an appropriately small scale). There are villains (well, "predators"). A certain amount of foolishness and foolhardiness. Overall, high marks for plausible, relatable behaviors in a way that Pooh or Peter Pan never come close to. The Victorian men writing for children go all in on the idealization of innocent childhood. Girls are maternal love interests, and there aren't many. The women writing at the time are pragmatic: kids can be difficult and also charming, and the mothers are frazzled, often parenting without partners, meals have to be prepared, clothes mended, vegetables grown, houses cleaned, incomes earned.

There are no doubt very many writers of the era who don't fit this neat dichotomy, I know that, even if I don't immediately call them to mind. It's a foolish position to take, probably, but I am feeling foolish today so why not?

Library copies, because my local keeps them in a basket on top of the four-foot bookcases, whereas my own are here somewhere and probably inaccessible.

[Katja Labonté · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.70 stars (5/10 hearts). This has always been a favourite Beatrix Potter story. It’s just so fun! There’s SO much sly, dry humour… and I love how BP included herself not only in the text but the images!

Speaking of the images, one of my all-time favourite BP images is found in this book—the view of the chimney. Simply gorgeous! ❤️ I just love Tabitha Twitchet’s house.

The story is quite the rollercoaster, and the characters are so much fun. Tom and his sisters are no more well behaved than before, but Anna Maria & Samuel Whiskers are a hoot. “Let us collect our property—and other people’s,—and depart at once.” One of my favourite BP lines. 😉 Oh, and I LOVE the bit about the spider!! 😝

I’ve never understood how the cat family could bear to eat the pudding, currents or no currents, though… But I’d like to see more of John Joiner!

This is just such a fun read—especially when read aloud!

[Alessandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I was a child this book gave me screaming nightmares about being smothered in pie dough and dragged between the walls of my house where no one could find or hear me being eaten by rats. I didn't even know there were spaces between walls in houses until I read this book. The rats rolled up the kitten into a pie -- drawn very realistically -- and were going to bake him alive. Thank you very much, Beatrix Potter.

It took me a while to find this book to review, since my copy was called "The Roly Poly Pudding."

I would never give this book to a child.

[Yenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lowkey very brutal

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my god, I remember reading this when I was a little kid. My mom bought the VHS for me that had all the stories animated. I can honestly say this one traumatized me. I know it's a book, but it gave me nightmares when I was younger. I seriously thought Tom Kitten was going to meet his death and be baked into a pie by the two rats. FREAKY FREAKY! So disturbing...back in the day this must have done a good job teaching kids not to disobey their parents. The moral is if you don't listen to your parents you will be wrapped in dough and eaten by evil rats that live in your walls.

[ren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been my favorite of the series so far! It was super, super entertaining.

[Prashant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweetest Beatrix Potter that I have read to date.

A house of cats with mischievous kittens who all are afraid and pestered by the huge number of rats in the house. Samuel Whiskers is the father rat who lives along with his wife in the same house.

Tom Kitten gets into trouble while trying to hide away from his mother and gets into the hands of Samuel Whiskers.

Potter tells us the story of how the rats started to spoil the farmers produce and how the cats started hunting for the rats. These arch enemies have always been cute. Ever since my first view of Tom and Jerry!

[Jason Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ultimate noir, from the original Mistress of Menace (cf The Tale of Mr Tod), and with illustrations.

[Kirsty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m probably too old nowadays to reread beatrix Potter, but I treasured her work as a child. The illustrations here are so charming, and the storyline amusing. It is absolutely lovely. I have no regrets about picking this up again as an adult.

[Maha Eshraa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A kitten in a pudding
A rat cooking
A cat afraid of a rat
Funny story and enjoyable

[Molly-May · Rating 1 out of 5]

Can’t be dealing with cute kittens being cooked into puddings, Beatrix. Ease up.

[Webcowgirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short book, and very pretty. Content warning: contains naughty kittens.

[Nicole Clear · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is somewhat of a children’s thriller. Tom kitten runs away from his mother so he doesn’t have to be locked away while she is baking. He comes across his worst fear; two merciless rats who wrap him up in dough and prepare for him to be baked. Unsure of what will become of Tom kitten, children will be sitting on the edge of their seats wondering if his mum will rescue him in time or the evil rats will have their wicked way.

I remember reading this book as a child and watching the animated adaptations in trepidation. Although some children might find this book too distressing, others will enjoy the anticipation of what happens to Tom kitten.

This book would be perfect to read to a young class, perhaps reception or year 1, as a reference point for following instructions for a reason. His mother wanted Tom kitten to do as she asked for his own safety and would be perfect for displaying that for every action there is a consequence, albeit a very drastic one in this case. It is fast paced and very wordy so will be a good book for advanced readers in year 1 and onwards to try and read for themselves.

[Kimberley doruyter · Rating 5 out of 5]

never trust a rat

[Victoria Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know what this says about my mental state, but this was my absolute favourite book as a child. I demanded it every single night before bed, and it was one of the first books I read myself

[Laura]

a very impactful story

especially through artwork

once it inspired fear but this forced me to grow and now i laugh in the face of samuel whiskers and anna marie

laughing with love

[Octavia Cade · Rating 5 out of 5]

My sister and I both had our Beatrix Potter favourites when we were kids. She loved Squirrel Nutkin, but all my devotion was reserved for The Tale of Samuel Whiskers. No surprise that I grew up to write horror stories of my own, then - for this is a horror story and no mistake. The image of that monstrous rat and little Tom Kitten rolled in dough for dinner, squalling through his own culinary preparation, caught my attention no end. (A few years later, when George Orwell came into my reading bailiwick, my horror of rats was cemented. But I'm sure it began here, with cats and pudding.)

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once upon a time there was an old cat, called Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit, who was an anxious parent. She used to lose her kittens continually, and whenever they were lost they were always in mischief! … “What a thing it is to have an unruly family!” said Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit.

[Nikky3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is nightmares. Adorible nightmares.

[Tracey Pearce · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't recall reading this as a child but I can't believe how twisted Beatrix potter is

[Luisa Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

A funny tale about a kitten that goes missing and the rats that want to make a dumpling out of him.

Ages: 3 - 8

Cleanliness: mentions snuff.

[Mia Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saw a meme with one of the illustrations and had to read. Listened to on a walk through burgess park. Banger altho was kind of rooting for Tom to have a more horrible end can’t lie

[Anika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mildly terrifying, but all ends well.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only Beatrix Potter could write a story about a kitten on the verge of being roasted alive inside a pastry by a pair of derelict rats and have it come out sweet and endearing.

[lizzy register!!!! · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never had the pleasure of reading Beatrix Potter books growing up so naturally when I found some in a thrift store I had to get them. Lovely little tales I enjoyed reading in one sitting. Feels so wistfully nostalgic even though they weren’t part of my childhood.

[Uttam Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful classic from the beloved ‘Peter Rabbit’ series by Beatrix Potter. The Tale of Samuel Whiskers, or The Roly-Poly Pudding, is a cautionary tale featuring anthropomorphic, Edwardian; cats, rats and even a ‘handyman’ dog. The tale, as with all others in the series, is beautifully complimented to great effect by Mrs Potter’s classic illustrations, at one point being mentioned in the story itself to mark out the particular spot in the house a character was.

The plot centres around the disappearance and search for old mother cat Mrs Tabitha’s young son Tom Kitten, who runs away from his mother to escape her efforts to keep him and his two brothers, Moppet and Mittens, out of mischief on baking day.

Mrs Tabitha displays the angst and panic of any mother upon losing a child, getting the help of her cousin Ribby to look for him around the family’s grand old house, “full of cupboards and passages” and possibly a “little secret staircase”.
Amidst the search, dough, butter and a rolling-pin disappear from the kitchen, while a strange ‘roly-poly’ sound is heard from the attic. All of these things take place seemingly without explanation, that is until the whereabouts and predicament of Tom Kitten are finally described to us.
It is at this point it is revealed that these two ingredients have purposefully been taken by Tom’s rodent captors- the titular Samuel Whiskers and his old rat wife Anna Maria, with bad intentions for poor young Tom, the soon to be ‘Roly-poly pudding’! Luckily for Tom, he is rescued just in time by trusted canine handyman John Joiner, who runs the rats out of the house for good – only to infest Farmer Potato’s barn for many generations.

Poor Tom even as an adult never fully recovers his ordeal, forever fearing “anything that is bigger than a rat”, making him unable to share in his brothers' success as popular professional rat-catchers. The moral being never to disobey mother!

One of my favourite books as a child, the Tale of Samuel Whiskers remains a timeless classic that I will always enjoy. The animals in the story are comically humanised into very prim and proper genteel folk , the long lasting enmity between rats and felines is given a unique twist, and the ever so important moral of obeying elders and parents is memorably enforced by the dramatic portrayal of the consequences of not doing so.

This book would probably be best to have on a bookshelf for independent reading, alongside the rest of the series. The common style and loose continuity between the books may serve as a way to keep pupils enthused to keep reading continuously if they enjoy the story or format of the previous book. Though not a picture book, the illustrations can help less confident readers while enhancing the experience for those more able, therefore making this suitable for pupils towards the end of KS1/ early KS2 onwards. The simple vocabulary also allows for the book to be read as an entertaining carpet time story for all younger ages.