May I Tickle Your Fancy?
Thursday, March 10th, 2011
Lucky Mrs. Ticklefeather, Illustrated by J.P. Miller, 1951
I was at a photo shoot a couple of weeks ago that involved photographing middle-school kids. One girl, with freckles and pigtails, was wearing a Wonder Woman shirt. I was concerned about rights issues so I asked her who made her shirt. It must have seemed creepy to have a silver-haired man in his 40s asking a 14 year old where she bought her shirt. I was pulled aside and asked to let others ask the questions. Who knew?
If that seemed suggestive, then how can you explain Lucky Mrs. Ticklefeather? Ticklefeather? Is that code, or a marital aid? And she’s lucky. The sexual overtones (and I mean overtones) aside, I love Mrs. Ticklefeather. Her best friend is a Puffin (once again, suggestive) and she has lots of Victorian furniture and porcelain dogs. I’ve never quite grasped the entire story. It seems that her Puffin friend disappears and is almost beheaded. Eventually he returns and they play on a Greek urn together. It’s a simple story that has overtones and subtexts. There’s a movie in here somewhere.
Mrs. Ticklefeather at her skyscraper apartment
Mrs. Ticklefeather's objects
Paul the Puffin reading
Mrs. Ticklefeather and her feather tricks
Mrs. Ticklefeather enjoying tea
Sad Mrs. Ticklefeather and her vanity
The beheading of Paul
Paul returns
Mrs. Ticklefeather in bed with the Puffin
