The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin

Quick Answer

Why This Story Works for Bedtime

It offers suspense without chaos, and it’s a good “boundary” story: kids learn that playful behavior can go too far. The natural setting and steady pacing make it a grounding bedtime read.

Story Synopsis

Nutkin is the boldest squirrel of his group. When the squirrels visit Owl Island to gather nuts, they politely bring gifts to Old Brown the owl. Nutkin, however, can’t resist showing off. He sings riddles, makes jokes, and pushes for attention. At first, Old Brown stays quiet and stern, watching. Nutkin interprets the silence as permission to continue. He keeps teasing—again and again—until the day Old Brown decides he has had enough. Suddenly, the game turns serious. Nutkin barely escapes, shaken and changed. He returns with a new awareness: some boundaries are real, and respect matters. The story is a gentle warning wrapped in woodland imagery—perfect for conversations about manners, safety, and listening.

Story Excerpt

This is a tale about a tail—a tail that belonged to a little red squirrel, and his name was Nutkin. Nutkin had a brother called Twinkleberry, and a great many cousins besides. They lived in a wood at the edge of a lake. In the middle of that lake there was an island covered with trees and nut bushes. And among those trees stood a hollow oak, and inside it lived an owl called Old Brown. One autumn, when the nuts were ripe and the hazel leaves were turning green and gold, Nutkin and Twinkleberry and all the other little squirrels came out of the wood and down to the water’s edge. They made tiny rafts out of twigs. Each squirrel carried a little sack for nuts and a big oar to paddle with, and each one spread out his tail like a sail. Off they went, skimming across the lake to Owl Island to gather nuts. When they landed, they did not rush about noisily. They knew Old Brown lived there, and they wanted to be polite. They had brought an offering of three plump mice as a present, and they set them neatly on Old Brown’s doorstep. Then Twinkleberry and the other squirrels made low bows and said, very respectfully, “Old Mr. Brown, will you favour us with permission to gather nuts upon your island?” But Nutkin—oh, Nutkin was far too proud of his own cleverness. He bobbed up and down like a little red cherry and sang out, “Riddle me, riddle me, rot-tot-tote!

In One Glance