It was New Year's Eve, and Mrs. Pepperpot was just putting the cat out when suddenly - she shrank! If you have met Mrs. Pepperpot before, you will know that she had the unfortunate habit of turning small, just the size of a pepperpot, at the most inconvenient moments. Good gracious! cried Mrs Pepperpot this time, as she rolled over in the snow. What a bit of luck! said the cat (for Mrs. Pepperpot could understand animal language when she went small). Now you can come along and see something no human has ever seen. The Mrs. Pepperpot, who wasn't a bit scared, jumped on the cat's back and went to see what she could see. Something interesting always happened when she shrank. This time she helped the animals turn over the big brown bear, so that his temper wouldn't be too unbearable (!) when he woke in the spring, but on another occasion she fell in a mother hen's nest and got bossed around with all the chicks, and once she went small when she was in a hospital, and a little girl called Rose had to put her to bed in a chocolate box with a hankie as a sheet. Yes, it was always very interesting but when it was all over, Mrs. Pepperpot was usually more than thankful to return safely home again to her right size and her husband, Mr. Pepperpot. Other Young Puffins Books about this dauntless and lively old lady are: Little Old Mrs. Pepperpot, Mrs. Pepperpot in the Magic Wood, Mrs. Pepperpot to the Rescue and Mrs. Pepperpot's Outing.