Short Fiction · Chapter
The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse explained
Mrs.
What happens
Mrs. Tittlemouse, a fastidiously tidy wood mouse, finds her meticulously clean home invaded by a series of uninvited guests, including a bumble bee named Babbitty Bumble and the slovenly Mr. Jackson. After Mr. Jackson ransacks her house in search of honey, Mrs. Tittlemouse cleans for a fortnight and hosts a party for five mice, excluding Mr. Jackson, who is placated with honeydew through the window.
Themes in this chapter
Domesticity and Order
Mrs. Tittlemouse's relentless cleaning and her distress at the mess left by intruders highlight the theme of maintaining a tidy, orderly home.
Hospitality and Deception
Mrs. Tittlemouse is forced to host unwelcome guests like Mr. Jackson, who deceives her by claiming to visit for honey, and she ultimately offers hospitality on her own terms by excluding him from the party.
Characters to notice
- Thomasina Tittlemouse
The protagonist, a tidy wood mouse who defends her home from intruders.
- Babbitty
A bumble bee who intrudes into Mrs. Tittlemouse's storeroom and is later snapped up by Mr. Jackson.
- Mr. Jackson
A slovenly toad who invades Mrs. Tittlemouse's home, tracking mud and searching for honey.
Key passages
“Such a funny house! There were yards and yards of sandy passages, leading to storerooms and nut-cellars and seed-cellars, all amongst the roots of the hedge.”
The house was an unusual network of sandy tunnels connecting various storage rooms hidden among the hedge roots.
Describes the unique layout of Mrs. Tittlemouse's home.
“Mrs. Tittlemouse was a most terribly tidy particular little mouse, always sweeping and dusting the soft sandy floors.”
Mrs. Tittlemouse was extremely neat and meticulous, constantly cleaning the sandy floors.
Establishes the protagonist's obsessive cleanliness.
“I am not in the habit of letting lodgings; this is an intrusion!”
I do not rent out rooms; this is an unwelcome invasion!
Mrs. Tittlemouse expresses her outrage at the bees' unauthorized occupation.
“Never did I see such a mess—smears of honey; and moss, and thistledown—and marks of big and little dirty feet—all over my nice clean house!”
She had never witnessed such chaos: honey smears, moss, thistledown, and footprints of all sizes covering her formerly pristine home.
Mrs. Tittlemouse's lament after Mr. Jackson's rampage.