Humpty Dumpty

Where Did That Rat Come From? Now We Know Why Humpty Fell Off That Wall!

Tasha Tudor, known for her gentle pictures of small girls, introduces a somewhat sinister character into this illustration. The contrast between the soft, fine-lined pencil sketch and the rat which obviously is menacing to Humpty Dumpty add to the tension in this image. Look closely at that rat, however, and decide if you think Humpty’s response is out of proportion to the rat’s demeanor. Clearly it is that response, rather than the rat, that causes the fall.