Wee Willie Winkie and Other Child Stories
original publication
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| Author | Rudyard Kipling (English) |
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| Country | British India |
| Language | English |
| Series | Indian Railway Library |
| Publisher | A H Wheeler & Co |
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Publication date
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1888 |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
Wee Willie Winkie and Other Child Stories (published 1888) is a collection of short stories by Rudyard Kipling.
Percival William Williams, who is affectionately called 'Wee Willie Winkie' because of the nursery rhyme, is the only son of the Colonel of the 195th. He makes good friends with a subaltern, whom he nicknames 'Coppy'. One day Wee Willie Winkie confesses to Coppy that he saw him kissing Miss Allardyce, whose father was a Major. Coppy persuaded him to keep silent about the matter since they were engaged, but hadn't announced it, yet. Three weeks later, when Wee Willie Winkie is grounded, he sees Miss Allardyce ride her horse across the river in an attempt to prove her mettle. Wee Willie Winkie knows that the 'Bad Men' (who he equates with goblins) live on the other side of the river, so he rides out after her even though he's grounded. Miss Allardyce's horse blunders and falls, giving Miss Allardyce a twisted ankle. Wee Willie Winkie catches up to her and sends his pony, Jack, back to the cantonments. Some natives find them and consider whether to hold Miss Allardyce and Wee Willie Winkie for ransom or return them for a reward. When Wee Willie Winkie's riderless horse returns to the cantonments, E Company immediately marshals and sets out to find him. The Company frightens away the natives and Wee Willie Winkie is lauded as a hero for saving Miss Allardyce.
A young boy, called Punch, and a young girl, called Judy are sent to live with their Aunt Rosa, Uncle Harry, and cousin Harry, in England, while their parents remain in Bombay, India. Uncle Harry is kind to Punch, but Aunt Rosa, a domineering Christian, treats him only with scorn and contempt. Life gets steadily worse for Punch (who is eventually renamed 'Black Sheep') and his only escape from his insufferable life is in reading. Things take a turn for the worse when Uncle Harry, the only person besides Judy who shows Black Sheep any kindness, dies. Black Sheep is then sent to school and one day gets into a fight at school. This emboldens him and he begins threatening his cousin Harry and Aunt Rosa that he will murder them. He also attempts (and fails) to commit suicide. During this time it is discovered by a visitor to the house that Black Sheep has nearly gone blind. When their mother comes to retrieve them, life quickly improves again for Black Sheep and he goes back to being known as Punch.
A child, named Toby (the eponymous 'His Majesty the King') is generally ignored by his parents and is raised by a nurse, Miss Biddums. But more than anything he wants his parents to love him. Unbeknownst to him, their coolness is the result of an affair his father once had. One afternoon a package is left at the house and he covets the string used to wrap it. He removes the string and, to his dismay, the wrapping paper falls off the box. Then, curious, he opens the box and discovers a jewel inside. He takes it to play with it, intending to give it back to his mother and apologise when she asks for it. But she never asks for it. Toby is wracked with guilt, eventually the point of becoming ill. In a delirium he confesses his theft to Miss Biddums. A note is found with the jewel which eventually leads to a reconciliation between his parents. When he wakes up from his fever, his parents give him all the love he could wish for.
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