|
Author
|
| Alison Uttley |
|
Illustrator
|
| Margaret Tempest |
|
Publisher
|
| Collins |
|
First Published
|
| 1943 |
|
ISBN
|
| N/A |
|
|
It is a beautiful day. The Water-Rat sculls his boat, the beautiful "Saucy Nancy", down the river near to Grey Rabbit's house. He chirpily invites Grey Rabbit and Squirrel out for a day's rowing on the river, followed by a scrumptious picnic. Grey Rabbit is making jam, and decides to take some along with her. She invites Water Rat in as "the strawberries are just bubbling". Squirrel is enraptured at the idea- all is going well as she enthuses over their method of transport: "a boat, a real, live boat!" However, just in time to upset things, as ever, in comes Hare who has overheard that there will be, in his words, "a picnic, a real, live picnic!"
However, this is one character that Water Rat has not really included in the day's planning at all. Hare is too big for the boat, for one thing. Hare rather gruffly gets down to the point and questions the very point of daring to go on a picnic without him. He demands that he be told the entire contents of the Water Rat's picnic basket. The Water Rat obliges, nonchalantly running through the long list of delightful food. He is cut off in full flow by Hare, who is suffering from the trauma of not being included. "This is too much for me! This will be the death of me! I shall never get over the shock-never!" He flops down in a faint. However it is a stage-managed faint as the crafty Hare is peeping out from a paw at the effect his theatrical hystericals have on the previously impassive Water Rat! Squirrel is the one who twists things round in Hare's favour, when she announces that none of them can go if it means leaving Hare behind. Rather grumpily, the Water Rat announces "I have a plan". The ruse he has come up with involves Hare running off on his long legs and meeting them at the place that the Water Rat has singled out as the picnic location. This is a plan that leaves all feeling very happy. The day can go ahead after all, and Hare is, as he freely confesses, more interested in the picnic than in the Saucy Nancy.
Before he leaves them, Hare calls out a strict command: "See you soon! Take care of the food, and don't fall in the river!" Ever one for priorities, the food comes first with Hare! The food is safe though, inside a picnic basket that has a waterproof lining. Grey Rabbit wears her blue apron and Squirrel has a parasol which she twirls lazily as they move off down the river with Water Rat manning the oars.
The day hits its biggest problem when the boating trio meet a group of wild ducks who are also out on the river. These are initially friendly enough; they swim up and demand "Quack! Quack! Where are you landlubbers going so fast?" Water Rat tells them they are headed off for a picnic and then, perhaps rather foolishly, tells the ducks not to come too close as they will upset the boat if they do. Having more or les been told what to do to create the maximum amount of chaos, the ducks move in. They do indeed upset the boat, and begin to wreck havoc. They steal Grey Rabbit's apron, and the strawberry jam, as well as Squirrel's sunshade. Then they swim off, cackling loudly. It takes Water Rat a while to realise the biggest shock of all, though; one of the ducks has got the picnic basket! But the duck cannot dislodge the peg keeping it shut tight, and she leaves it to fall to the bottom of the river.
The heroic Water Rat jumps into the river to save the picnic basket and emerges from its waters with the prize in his arms. The party breathe a sigh of relief, but Grey Rabbit and Squirrel long for the safe return of their stolen possessions which were snatched by the piratical ducks.
When they reach the picnic place, nobody is there. When they call "Coo-Ee", eventually they are greeted by a rather bedraggled looking Hare, who claims he has been bitten by gnats, chased by a dog and tossed in the air by a bull. All while, as Hare presumes, "You've been rowing peacefully on the river." Grey Rabbit and Squirrel tell him about their misadventures, and Hare is horrified to learn that the picnic basket was, for a few seconds, in such mortal danger. If it had been lost, Hare says, it would have been a calamity, as it was the thought of the picnic basket which kept him going through his trials! However these trials seem less believable when, as he re-tells the labours he has endured en route to the picnic, Hare keeps getting the animals and their methods of attack mixed up.
After the picnic, it seems that the four animals have overcome all the odds to enjoy a successful day out. Unfortunately for the others, Hare is always ready to something daft. In this case he manages to hop onboard the Saucy Nancy and show the others that, contrary to popular belief, he can row. "You didn't know I could row" says Hare, whilst standing up in the boat! He splashes around to the shock of his friends. Water Rat is appalled and tells Hare to sit down. He is not heeded! The others beg Hare to take care. In the process of demonstrating that, truthfully speaking, he can't row, Hare delivers a damning report on the seaworthiness of Water Rat's boat. "She rocks like a cradle!" Before long, the Saucy Nancy capsizes and throws Hare into the river before Water Rat can save the situation. Poor Hare cannot swim and begins to sink, but calls out to be saved, as he is drowning. His unlikely saviours appear-the kleptomaniac ducks from previously. They grab Hare by his ears and drag him to safety. Then they swim off again, cackling with laughter and deliver as a parting shot: "Thanks for the strawberry jam!" Poor Hare is now waterlogged. Grey Rabbit tells him he will have to face facts and realise that he has to run to get home. The others make their way back in the Saucy Nancy.
When Squirrel and Grey Rabbit return to their house, it is shaken from top to bottom by thunderous sneezing from Hare, who has got back and put himself straight to bed to try and recover. Going downstairs to get Hare something medicinal, Grey Rabbit is a little unnerved by the sound of webbed feet pitter-pattering up their path accompanied by the sound of muted quacking. She opens the door to find that the ducks have returned her apron. it is muddy, wet and in need of a little repair, but with attention, it will be as good as new. However Squirrel's parasol does not return...
The above synopsis was kindly submitted by Stuart Douch |
| Collectors
/ Dealers Reference Guide |
The points of issue for
are:
|
|
|
|
|
