The Tale of Miss Kitty Cat

Slumber-Town Tales

by Arthur Scott Bailey

Arthur Scott Bailey (1877-1949) was author of more than forty children's books. Bailey attended St. Albans Academy and graduated in 1896, in a class of only eleven other students. He then went on to the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont, where he became involved in a fraternal organization, Sigma Phi. However, he left UVM in 1901 and transferred to Harvard, where he earned his bachelor's degree. In 1904 he travelled to New York City and became an editor for various publishers. Which publishers these were is unknown, with the exception of the Macaulay Company, where he was working in early 1915. Among his most famous works Sleepy-Time The Tale of Frisky Squirrel (1915), Sleepy-Time The Tale of Peter Mink (1916), Tuck-me-in The Tale of Jasper Jay (1917), Tuck-me-in The Tale of Buster Bumblebee (1918), Slumber-Town The Tale of Henrietta Hen (1921) and Slumber-Town The Tale of Turkey Proudfoot (1921).

72 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1921

About the author

Arthur Scott Bailey (1877 – 1949) was an American writer. He was the author of more than forty children's books. He was born on November 15, 1877, in St. Albans, Vermont, United States, the second child of Winfield Scott Bailey and Harriet Sarah Goodhue (a girl, Ellen was born in 1876). Winfield Bailey owned a dry goods shop that was stated to be "one of the most reputable of St. Albans mercantile concerns" and specialized in furs; namely ladies' fur coats, muffs and scarves. Bailey attended St. Albans Academy and graduated in 1896, in a class of only eleven other students. He then went on to the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont, where he became involved in a fraternal organization, Sigma Phi (with which he was very active through at least 1915; he joined the organization's Catalogue Committee in 1914 as a vice chairman, after the resignation of Dr. Alexander Duane).

However, he left UVM in 1901 and transferred to Harvard, where he earned his bachelor's degree. After graduating Harvard in 1902, Bailey traveled to Chicago and put his knowledge of growing up in his father's store to good use, becoming a wholesale grocery merchant. This lasted until 1904, when Bailey travelled to New York City and became an editor for various publishers. Which publishers these were is unknown, with the exception of the Macaulay Company, where he was working in early 1915. He was married around this time (on September 14, 1913) to Estella W. Goodspeed, a St. Albans woman; the wedding was held in his hometown. Estella Goodspeed, whose maiden name had been Crampton, had been married once before to an unknown Mr. Nelson Allen Goodspeed, and had a son, Allen Wright Goodspeed and daughter, Estella Joanne Goodspeed. Allen Goodspeed was born on August 5, 1906, and would have been nine when the first Sleepy-Time Tales were written (Estella was born in 1908.) As Bailey did not write prior to his marriage to Estella, it can be surmised that he first started crafting his stories for Allen and Estella, whom he treated as his own children. Estella Joanne later married a Mr. Lennox Stuart and moved to Shaker Heights, Ohio.

Bailey's writing has been thus described by the Newark Evening News: "Mr. Bailey centered all his plots in the animal, bird and insect worlds, weaving natural history into the stories in a way that won educator's approval without arousing the suspicions of his young readers. He made it a habit to never 'write down' to children and frequently used words beyond the average juvenile vocabulary, believing that youngsters respond to the stimulus of the unfamiliar."

His work also includes the comic strip Animal Whys, which was syndicated in 1937.

Bailey was also known for being an intellectual, and was a member of the Salamagundi Club of New York. When it came to religion, Bailey was a Unitarian (who have long had a presence in St. Albans) and politically, he was a Republican of the old school.

Bailey died on October 17, 1949, at 71 years of age.

Reviews

[Fabish Caruri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Truyện thiếu nhi, đọc vui vẻ nhẹ nhàng, nhưng đã quá tuổi thiếu nhi để cho điểm cao hơn.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: The rats and the mice thought that Miss Kitty Cat was a terrible person. She was altogether too fond of hunting them. They agreed, however, that in one way it was pleasant to have her about the farmhouse. When she washed her face, while sitting on the doorsteps, they knew—so they said!—that it was going to rain. And then Mrs. Rat never would let her husband leave home without taking his umbrella.

Premise/plot: The Tale of Miss Kitty Cat is a vintage early chapter book. The setting is Farmer Green's farm and it primarily focuses on Miss Kitty Cat's adventures and misadventures. While Mrs. Green and her son, Johnny, often give her pets and enjoy her company, the family dog, Spot, is less desirable a companion. Spot likes to chase Miss Kitty Cat, and she has little tolerance for his nonsense.

There are twenty-four chapters in all, but the chapters are super short.

My thoughts: I found this vintage chapter book charming! I thought Miss Kitty Cat was a great narrator. I could easily believe it was written from a cat's point of view!

[aysenur · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found these series of children's books on Librivox app and I can't wait to finish them all. very enjoyable.

[Jennifer Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nice little story

I found the book to gentle, fun and good. It was quick read and easy to understand for light reading 📚.