2. Beatrix Potter, author/illustrator.
The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse.
London/New York: Frederick Warne & Co., 1910.
(Peter Rabbit Books)
One morning Mrs. Tittlemouse discovers that a number of insects have made themselves at home in spots of the burrow she hasn't inspected regularly. As she cannot get rid of the larger ones herself, she has to ask the toad Mr. Jackson to exterminate them (he catches only the smallest of the three creepy-crawly people hiding in the plate rack above). Once the intruders are gone, Mrs. Tittlemouse cleans the house from top to bottom because she believes that insects are dirty. In fact, most species groom themselves meticulously.
This picture displays Beatrix Potter's considerable talent for natural
history illustration. There are some more examples of her studies of
insects at The
World of Peter Rabbit site. And you can read the tale at Project
Gutenberg. (Image
Credits)
