Five Little Peppers
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The Five Little Peppers series was created by Margaret Sidney covering the life of five children with the surname Pepper. The Pepper children were very poor, and their widowed mother was left to raise them by herself. In order of age (descending), the children's names were Ben (Ebenezer), Polly (Mary), Joel, David, and Phronsie (Sophronia).
[edit] The Peppers and Friends
The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew tells the story of how the Peppers live, learn, and play in the little brown house located in dear old Badgertown. They are poor, and Mamsie, Ben, and Polly must work constantly to keep the wolf from the door but they do it with gaiety and spirit that would not be expected. Their whole lives center around each other and in the center of that is their wonderful Mamsie who can’t seem to ever stop being the very best and "goodest" there is. She works doing odd jobs, tailoring things for people who need it done, sewing sacks for Mr. Atkins, the storekeeper, taking care of the village Grandmother old Grandma Bascom. Polly, who is ten years old, helps her sew while making sure the children behave and that their dinner (lunch) is cooked. Ben, who is a year older than Polly, stays away all day working at Farmer Blodgett's chopping wood; it is hard work and he wants most have an education but he does it to keep the family together. It kills him though that Polly "don't ever have anything nice" for herself. Polly and Ben are the best of friends and in the children's eyes, as they call the three littlest Peppers, there is nothing Polly and Bensie can't do. Joel is the mischievous merry-maker in the family who is determined that they aren't poor. He helps his two older siblings and his Mamsie by doing all the chores he can; if anyone is to be in trouble at the Pepper house its Joey. David is Joey's best friend and often the forced accomplice in his mischief making, Davie is considered the weakest of the children though he pulls his weight in chores, and does lots of work to help his Mamsie, and Polly and Ben. Phronsie is the pet of the family and the one at the center of everyone's heart; she is beautiful, too, as well as Polly, with her soft floating yellow hair and deep brown eyes. She is a cunning thing for four years old and she to tries to pull her weight in the family chores though she can't do much. But things are soon to change for the Peppers when Phronsie is kidnapped by an organ man; a boy a little older than Ben with a big black dog rescues her and comes back to the little brown house to visit her. His name is Jasper and all of the Peppers, including Mamsie, fall in love with him. However, he is only there on vacation with his rich widowed father and must soon say goodbye to the Peppers, his now good friends. Soon though the Peppers come to stay with Jasper and his sister and nephews in his big house; they end up staying there for good at the invitation of Mr. King, Jasper's father, who has a particular fondness for the Peppers, especially Phronsie.
[edit] The books
In order of publication, the Five Little Peppers books are as follows (publication dates follow in parentheses):
- Five Little Peppers and How They Grew (1881) Project Gutenberg
- Five Little Peppers Midway (1890) Project Gutenberg
- Five Little Peppers Grown Up (1892) Project Gutenberg
- Five Little Peppers Phronsie Pepper (1897)
- Five Little Peppers The Stories Polly Pepper Told (1899)
- Five Little Peppers The Adventures of Joel Pepper (1900) Project Gutenberg
- Five Little Peppers Abroad (1902) Project Gutenberg
- Five Little Peppers At School (1903)
- Five Little Peppers and Their Friends (1904) Project Gutenberg
- Five Little Peppers Ben Pepper (1905)
- Five Little Peppers in the Brown House (1907)
[edit] Other notes
The most popular of all of the above books was the first, being published and republished over the years. Many of the Five Little Peppers books can be read on Project Gutenberg. (See links above next to book titles.)
The Pepper books were even made into movies. The Five Little Peppers and How they Grew was released in 1939. (For more information, visit IMdb). Another movie, called The Five Little Peppers in Trouble was released in 1940. (For more information, visit IMdb).
