Aunt Friendly's Picture Book.: Containing Thirty-six Pages of Pictures Printed in Colours by Kronheim

In Short

This volume brings together classic British nursery rhymes, an instructional alphabet, and enduring fairy tales like The Three Little Pigs, Puss in Boots, and Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling. Designed for early childhood reading, the collection moves from short rhythmic verses to dramatic narrative prose. The stories feature resourceful animals, treacherous villains, and sudden transformations. It has lasted because it gathers essential childhood lore into a accessible, rhythmic format, pairing simple morality tales with an engaging narrative voice that speaks directly to a young audience's imagination and sense of justice.

The Story

The book opens with an illustrated alphabet that pairs each letter from A to Z with simple rhyming couplets detailing everyday Victorian objects and creatures. Following this educational start, the prose shifts to iconic British rhymes. A absurd royal tragedy unfolds in Sing-a-Song of Sixpence, where twenty-four blackbirds are baked into a king's pie, only to start singing when served. The scene moves to the royal court before taking a darker turn as a domestic maid hanging laundry outside has her nose snapped off by a mischievous jackdaw, though a king's doctor promptly sews it back on.

The tone turns cautionary in The Frog Who Would a Wooing Go. A confident frog marches off to romance a mouse alongside his friend the rat. Their cozy evening of drinking beer and making merry in the Mouse's Hall ends abruptly when a cat and her kittens burst in, slaughtering both the rat and the mouse. The terrified frog escapes into the night, only to be gobbled up by a lily-white duck while crossing a brook.

Narrative depth expands with three longer fairy tales. The Story of the Three Little Pigs details three animal brothers sent off to seek their fortunes. A relentless wolf easily blows down the straw and furze homes of the first two pigs, eating them both. However, the third pig builds with sturdy bricks. When blowing down the house fails, the wolf tries to trick the third pig at a turnip field, an apple orchard, and a town fair. The clever pig outmarts the wolf at every step, ultimately luring his adversary down the chimney into a pot of boiling water before eating him for supper.

Next, Puss in Boots follows an impoverished youngest son of a miller who inherits nothing but a cat. The clever feline demands boots and a bag, using them to capture game and present it to the King as gifts from the fictional "Marquis de Carrabas." Puss outwits a shapeshifting ogre by tricking him into turning into a mouse and devouring him, claiming his grand castle. By convincing the locals to lie to the king about land ownership, Puss secures a royal marriage for his master, living out his days as a honored servant.

Finally, The Ugly Duckling closes the book. Born oversized and grey, an awkward bird suffers relentless cruelty from farmyard animals, wild ducks, and domestic pets. He escapes into the freezing winter, nearly perishing in frozen ice. With the arrival of spring, he attempts to offer himself to a flock of magnificent white swans, only to discover his reflection: he is not an ugly duckling at all, but a beautiful swan who has finally found his place.

How It Unfolds

The morning lesson An alphabet verse moves through the letters with simple rhymes, introducing children to everyday sights like engines, icicles, and regiments guarding the gate.

A royal baking dish A king's royal pie reveals live blackbirds, while a maid in the garden suffers a nose injury from a jackdaw that requires swift medical intervention.

A fateful courting trip A frog and a rat visit a mouse for cheer, but their party ends in massacre when cats invade, leaving the fleeing frog to be swallowed by a duck.

Houses of straw and brick A hungry wolf devours two pigs after destroying their fragile shelters, but fails to blow down a third pig's brick home or outwit him in daily trials.

Boots, bags, and trickery A cunning cat uses gifts, trickery, and a foolish ogre's fatal shapeshifting mistake to elevate his poor master from poverty to royalty.

The long winter wandering A rejected duckling flees a cruel farmyard, surviving cold ice, hostile pets, and harsh weather while pining for graceful white birds.

A springtime revelation The bird bows before a flock of noble swans expecting death, only to see his reflection in the water and realize his true identity.

The People

The Third Little Pig A pragmatic, industrious builder who values durability over quick fixes. When confronted by a predatory wolf, he uses foresighted planning and quick thinking to repeatedly outwit his adversary, ultimately eliminating the threat permanently.

The Wolf A persistent and manipulative predator who relies on intimidation and trickery. After easily defeating two weak adversaries, his arrogance leads him to make repeated promises he cannot keep, ultimately leading to his own undoing.

Puss in Boots A remarkably clever and loyal feline strategist. Armed only with footwear and a sack, he uses bravado, social manipulation, and cunning to eliminate a dangerous ogre and trick royalty into elevating his penniless master.

The Miller's Youngest Son An impoverished youth left with nothing but a cat upon his father's death. Passive and uncertain, he trusts entirely in his pet's bold scheme, dutifully following instructions until he becomes the wealthy Marquis de Carrabas.

The Ugly Duckling An outcast bird whose early life is defined by social rejection, physical awkwardness, and loneliness. Despised by ordinary farm animals, his patient endurance through hardship culminates in the discovery of his inherent majesty.

In Its Own Voice

"A for the Alphabet, A, B, C; B for the Book that was given to me."

This opening couplet sets the simple, rhythmic tone of the collection's educational primer, establishing a cozy context for young readers starting their literary journey.

"The king took such a fancy to the rich Marquis de Carrabas, that he gave him the princess for his wife."

Following a series of elaborate deceptions staged by a booted cat, the story reaches its resolution, rewarding the passive master with royal status and wealth.

"To be born in a duck's nest in a farm-yard, does not matter to a bird, if it is hatched from a swan's egg."

This reflective line encapsulates the emotional core of Andersen's fable, underscoring that one's humble origins do not dictate their ultimate value or identity.

What It's Really About

Beneath its bright surface and nursery rhymes, the collection grapples with survival, cleverness, and the search for belonging in an indifferent or hostile world. Across multiple stories, physical strength matters far less than intellect and resilience. The third little pig and Puss in Boots survive not through power, but by anticipating the weaknesses of arrogant opponents like wolves and ogres. Meanwhile, The Ugly Duckling addresses the pain of social alienation and the arbitrary nature of beauty standards, arguing that true character and identity eventually surface despite cruel environments. The stories present a clear moral economy where deceit driven by cruelty leads to destruction, while resourcefulness and patience bring security, high status, and peace.

Why Read It Today

This collection offers modern readers a clear window into late Victorian children's literature, preserving the raw, unedited flavor of traditional folklore. Unlike modern sanitized adaptations, these versions retain their sharp edges: frogs are eaten, naughty jackdaws lose their lives, and wolves are boiled for dinner without moral hesitation. The stark directness of the prose feels refreshing, moving briskly from setup to consequence without bloated descriptions.

Readers who appreciate historical illustration will love the structural legacy of Kronheim's color printing work, while fans of classic fables will enjoy seeing famous stories told in their concise, original formats. The collection does carry period attitudes—social mobility is tied to land ownership and deception in Puss in Boots, and physical appearance drives early social rejection in The Ugly Duckling. However, its swift pacing, memorable rhymes, and satisfying turns of justice ensure that these age-old narratives remain engaging, offering a charming look at how stories were told to children over a century ago.