F is for Fairykins - 4 of 6

Well, I think it was Einstein who said time can be relative, so tomorrow can be later today; in some universes anyway, this might as well be one of them! The second row is lacking kittens but still has some of the better sculpts;

While I think I may have the missing kittens somewhere, I'm pretty sure they are a bit chewed up, so I'm still looking for two good ones I think? I have Pussycat, but possibly not with the other 'kins; his paint job (airbrush/spray) is so different I may have sorted him 'out' rather than in!

Ah, yes; A ten-inch talking spider and a slightly tomboyish Miss Muffet despite the voluminous skirt'age!

Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey.
Along came a spider
And sat down beside her,
And frightened Miss Muffet away.

Not the best version of it, a more 'normal one has 'there came', 'big spider' and 'who sat';

Little Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey;
There came a big spider,
Who sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away.

While Curds & Whey is cottage cheese, and our Hobby's own James Opie's parents carried out some of the research in to the origins of the rhyme.

This is quite a stunning sculpt for its diminutive size, apart from her tiny spoon, the spider is actually doffing a top-hat and has eight legs, two of which are holding him upright, one is resting on his 'hip', the other active limb is holding the hat, while the four inactive legs are crossed across his abdomen!

Ah yes; draconian punishment for the loss of gloves . . . an important childhood lesson - we never learnt! I'm not going to transcribe the Marx version which is readable above, as it's had sections cut out to get from loss of mittens to eating of pie in a small text-box, so here's the Gladstone original from 1827

The three little kittens they lost their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, mother dear, we sadly fear
Our mittens we have lost
What? Lost your mittens, you naughty kittens!
Then you shall have no pie.
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.
We shall have no pie.
Our mittens we have lost.

The three little kittens they found their mittens,
And they began to smile,
Oh, mother dear, see here, see here,
Our mittens we have found
What? Found your mittens, you good little kittens,
And you shall have some pie.
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.
We shall have some pie.
Let us have some pie.

The three little kittens put on their mittens,
And soon ate up the pie;
Oh, mother dear, we greatly fear
Our mittens we have soiled
What? Soiled your mittens, you naughty kittens!
Then they began to sigh,
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.
Our mittens we have soiled.
Then they began to sigh.

The three little kittens they washed their mittens,
And hung them out to dry;
Oh! Mother dear, look here, look here,
Our mittens we have washed
What? Washed your mittens, you good little kittens,
But I smell a rat close by.
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.
We smell a rat close by.
Let's all have some pie.

The fact that in the smaller window-box set, one of the accessories is a flat of the mittens drying onn a line, suggests knowledge of the longer version. Although Mother is holding a blue mitten, while those on the line were white! Blue and Yellow look quite upset by their shenanigans, but Red is looking a little too pleased with [his?] performance!

Ah, yes; a clear breach of Palace security, allowing a mangy stray to enter the throne-room!

Pussycat, pussycat, where have you been?
I've been to London to look at the Queen.
Pussy cat, pussy cat, what did you there?
I frightened a little mouse under the chair

Not quite the version I learnt;

Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been?
I've been to London to visit the Queen.
Pussy cat, pussy cat, what did you there?
I frightened a little mouse under her chair

The differences being 'visit' and 'her' makes it more personal, the Marx cat could have just looked through the railings at Buck' House? Another nice sculpt too.

I shot them all again as I couldn't remember if I'd shot a line-up and it was quicker to do one than check the shots in the camera! Clearly I need to find good examples of Red and Blue kitty, as Yellow looks quite bereft with its little tear!

More tomorrow!