The more I read this book to Nora, the more I'm convinced that it is a highly disturbing portrait of madness. Here's an overview of the story:
-In order to collect nuts on an island inhabited by a venerable and large owl, squirrels in the neighbourhood over a week of picking bring the owl an offering every day.
During that week, every day, Squirrel Nutkin instead of showing respect, dances around like a lunatic in front of the formidable and dangerous owl, sqeaking stupid riddles, and completely ignores the task of harvesting food for the winter in favour of playing ninepins with crab apples and other stupid nonsense.
We never hear any opinions from the other squirrels, but if I were his brother, twinkleberry, for example, I'd have carefully taken Nutkin aside and told him "What da fock do you think you're doin? Do you even unnerstan who Old Brown IS? Are you nuts?"
Instead, they shamefully let the poor deluded bastard carry on sqeaking, building up mental courage all week, getting to the point of jumping on top of the owl and nearly losing his life.
I feel like writing to Whatsisname Chase, the creator of The Sopranos, and saying hey, you should base a story on Squirrel Nutkin. It's a vicious tale of a gang leaving one of its members, so disturbed he needs proper help, to be hung out to dry by the gang boss. Luckily he escapes, but at the cost of being disfigured for life.
...yes, a classic children's story by Beatrix Potter, rewritten as gang fiction!
Posted by cait at February 12, 2006 09:16 PM