A Frog He Would A-Wooing Go

Demure Mouse – Elegant Frog

Here we see Froggie, Mr. Rat, and Miss Mousey in her sparsely decorated but elegant home. Although there are only three straight chairs and a table furnishing the room in which Miss Mousey is entertaining her guests, the fireplace seems to belong in a much more opulent home. The carved mantle holding various decorative objects with what might be a columned mirror adorned with a peacock feather above appears to be in contrast to the simplicity of the rest of the setting. In Caldecott’s version of the rhyme, the nattily attired gentlemen have asked for some beer, and both seem to be enjoying the spirits. Froggie leans forward to kiss his lady’s tail while she looks down demurely and folds her hands in her lap. The soft colors and the details in their clothing provide warmth and interest. Notice the cat figurine on the mantle. Why would a mouse have that in her home?