Pickles | Beswick England | Beatrix Potter Collection | Dog | 1971 | F. Warne & Co. Ltd. | In shops Original Box

Lovely Beswick England, Beatrix Potter Collection, Pig-Wig figurine. The marking on the bottom reads: Beatrix Potter's "Pickles" F. Warne & Co. Ltd. Copyright 1971 BESWICK ENGLAND. He is in excellent condition with no damage. In original box.

4.5" tall

From Wikipedia:

The Tale of Ginger and Pickles (originally, Ginger and Pickles) is a children's book written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter shops, and first published by Frederick Warne & Co. in 1909. The book tells of two shopkeepers who extend unlimited credit to their customers and, as a result, are forced to go out of business. It was originally published in a large format which permitted Potter the opportunity to lavish great detail on the illustrations and also allowed her to include black-and-white vignettes. Potter filled the tale with characters from her previous books. The book was eventually republished in the standard small format of the Peter Rabbit series and was adapted to drama in 1931.

Ginger and Pickles was inspired by a shop in Smithy Lane, Sawrey, where villagers came to make purchases, visit, and exchange gossip. The book was dedicated to bedridden shop owner and blacksmith John Taylor whose wife and daughter ran his shop. Taylor had long wanted to appear in a Potter book but was unable to leave his bed to pose for the artist. He told her he thought he could pass for a dormouse; Potter made him John Dormouse in the tale. He did not live long enough to see the book or its dedication.[7][8] Ginger was modeled on Tommy Bunkle, a cat belonging to Sawrey schoolmistress Mrs. Bunkle. Potter thought the cat's colour unusual and was reluctant to put him in clothes but bowed to her public's preference in storybook animals. She refused however to put him in trousers.

Ginger, a yellow tomcat, and Pickles, a terrier, are partners in operating a village shop that offers a variety of goods including red spotty handkerchiefs, "sugar, snuff, and goloshes". Ginger inspires fear in their mouse customers and Pickles their rabbit customers. Ginger's mouth waters as the mice leave the shop with their parcels. However, the pair have a poor grasp of business, extending unlimited credit to absolutely anyone. Consequently no one ever pays for their purchases and the till remains empty. The shopkeepers are eventually forced to eat their own goods.

Pickles cannot afford a dog licence and is frightened of the policeman (a German doll with a stitched-on hat). He is certain he will receive a summons. The two go over their records and think their customers will never pay them. When the policeman delivers the rates and taxes at the New Year, Ginger and Pickles decide to close shop thus creating great inconvenience for the villagers. Ginger grows stout living comfortably in a warren and is shown in one illustration setting traps. Pickles becomes a gamekeeper who is shown pursuing rabbits.

In the tale's lengthy coda, Tabitha Twitchit, the proprietor of the only other village shop, exploits the situation and raises the prices of everything in her shop. She refuses to give credit. Mr. John Dormouse and his daughter Miss Dormouse sell peppermints and candles, but the candles "behave very strangely in warm weather" and Miss Dormouse refuses to accept the return of candle ends from disgruntled customers.

Finally, Sally Henny-penny sends out a printed poster announcing her intention to re-open the shop. The villagers are delighted and overwhelm the shop on its first day. Sally gets flustered counting out change and insists on being paid cash but offers an assortment of bargains to the delight of everybody.

Potter put a crowd of familiar characters from the Peter Rabbit universe into the tale such as Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, Samuel Whiskers and Peter himself. It would prove a clever marketing device. From the literary angle, the many familiar characters create tension and suspense for the reader as most are the natural prey of the eponymous merchants. The reader wonders if the two shopkeepers will control their predatory instincts long enough to make a sale.