The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter Books
The author of Peter Rabbit and other creature tales, Beatrix Potter is still, after a century, beloved by children and adults the world over. In this first Cottage Tale, Albert introduces Beatrix, an animal lover who has just bought a farm in England's beautiful Lake District. As Beatrix tries to win over the hearts of her fellow villagers, her animal friends set out to solve a mystery all their own.
Everyone in Sawrey likes Ben Hornby. So when Beatrix finds the shepherd dead in the meadow and suspects foul play, she wonders who would have done such a thing. A trio of village cats has an idea: When Ben breathed his last, his sheep must have seen his killer before scattering. So they set out to find the far-flung flock. Although she’s distracted by duties at the farm and the sad plight of a young girl, Beatrix must get to the bottom of this. As the stories intertwine, Beatrix and the creatures realize that, to solve this case, all of Sawrey, both the two- and four-legged inhabitants, must work together...
Miss Potter's new hometown of Holly How is having its share of troubles, and three children, favorites of Beatrix, are counting on the help of the fairies of Cuckoo Brow Wood. Now, with her signature tact, Beatrix must work with her friends-human and animal-to set things right.
The joyous Summer Fete brings people from far and wide to the village of Sawrey for a day of music, arts, and food. But Miss Beatrix Potter receives an unexpected - and possibly long-term - visitor in the form of Baby Flora, left in a basket on her doorstep with a note, a sprig of hawthorn, and a scarab ring. All Beatrix knows about Flora's previous guardian is that she was a gray-haired woman, capable of scaling a brick wall in seconds ... With Hill Top Farm to run, Beatrix leaves the baby in the care of Captain Miles Woodcock, the Justice of the Peace, and his sister Dimity, who happily takes Flora into her heart. No one in Sawrey has recently become a parent, so the Captain deduces that the child must belong to the band of gypsies camped just outside of town. But the gypsies deny knowing anything J about the child - or the mysterious ring inscribed To R. K. Forever. Further investigation reveals that the ring was pawned and reclaimed in Sawrey by a resident of Hawthorn House. The legendary manor is supposed to be vacant - and rumored to be haunted. Now Beatrix and her animal friends are left pondering the possibility of fairy folk involvement in these utterly puzzling happenings.
Snow has draped a woolly shawl over Near Sawrey, where Miss Beatrix Potter has retreated to her country house. But the quiet, snow-covered setting belies the buzz below the surface, where Mr. Wickstead has met his death under a tree limb. The villagers are certain that his death had to do with a treasure he had dug up last spring. But why was he in the woods on a frigid night? And what of the claw marks on the limb? And what was that treasure? As often happens, the town's animals know more than the Big Folk. Actually, Wickstead was not alone; Pickles, his fox terrier, stood by his side. Only Pickles knows what happened, although Bailey Badger, the animals at the Brockery, and the local dragon know important bits, too. Meanwhile, Miss Potter is unsure what to do about her nagging parents. She also wonders: Can she acknowledge her fondness for Mr. Heelis and remain loyal to the memory of her fiance? She has no time to muse about her personal affairs, what with helping the denizens of Sawrey, human and animal - and the little matter of this murder. Although she's enlisted the help of her furry friends, Miss Potter still wonders if she'll ever make heads or tails of it all...
The latest delightful tale in Albert's Beatrix Potter series. Out of spite for having his haystacks burnt, Mr. Harmsworth barricades a common path through his orchard-and Tabitha Twitchet and her Cat Council want answers. Reliable witnesses, including some Big Folk, say the arson was the handiwork of a lantern-wielding specter. The mournful ghost has a message-and Miss Potter, for one, hopes to figure it out. Meanwhile in Sawrey, romance buds between the schoolmarm and a confirmed bachelor; Hyacinth Badger hopes to be the first female to earn the Badger Badge of Honor; and a rumor has Beatrix and the solicitor practically betrothed. But the matter of the barricade involves everyone-and Miss Potter and her friends might have to take matters into their own hands-and paws.
The latest in the Cottage Tales series-starring Miss Potter herself! It's the heart of summer in 1913, and Beatrix is eager to marry her fiancé, solicitor William Heelis. But there are a few obstacles blocking the happy couple's path to the altar, like the troubled remodeling of Castle Cottage-Will and Beatrix's future home...