The Tale of Samuel Whiskers was first published under the name The Roly-Poly Pudding by Frederick Warne & Co in October 1908. The story features some of Potter’s previous characters, Tom Kitten and Tabitha Twitchit, from The Tale of Tom Kitten, and Ribby the cat from The Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan. It also includes two new characters; the eponymous Samuel Whiskers, and his wife Anna Maria who are dastardly rats. Tabitha Twitchit is frustrated by her naughty children so she intends to lock them up in the cupboard, but Tom escapes up the chimney and into the attic floorboards. It is here that he encounters Samuel and his wife who catch him and attempt to roll him into a pie for them to consume. Once again, Potter creates a successful story that manages to negotiate the difficult task of producing a work which children will find suspenseful without being frightened or terrified. Samuel Whiskers is a strong, intimidating character creation and he leaves a lasting impact on the imagination of the reader.
The Tale of Samuel Whiskers is actually the story Potter promised at the conclusion of Tom Kitten and is another of Potter’s books deriving its background illustrations from her farmhouse in the Lake District. After Potter purchased Hill Top and became increasing successful, she had less time to sketch from real life examples. She began to use photographs to help inform her illustrations instead, particularly with regards to any human characters in her texts. The book was originally published in a larger format before it was reduced to the small series size when it was republished and renamed in 1926. Potter dedicated the tale to her old pet ‘Sammy’, or to give his full name, Samuel Whiskers.