Madeline and the Bad Hat facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Ludwig Bemelmans |
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| Illustrator | Ludwig Bemelmans |
| Publisher | Viking Press |
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Publication date
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1956 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 64 |
| ISBN | 0-670-44614-9 |
| Preceded by | Madeline's Rescue |
| Followed by | Madeline and the Gypsies |
Madeline and the Bad Hat is a fun children's picture book. It was written and illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans. This book features the famous character Madeline. It was first released by Viking Press in 1956.
Contents
The Story of Madeline and the Bad Hat
The story begins in Paris, France. A new neighbor moves in next to Madeline's boarding school. This neighbor is the Spanish Ambassador. He is a very important person. He brings many old and interesting items from around the world. He also brings his family. The girls at the school watch the move with great interest. Ms. Clavel helps them see over the wall. She tells them the Ambassador has a young son. He is about the same age as the girls.
Pepito, the "Bad Hat"
Madeline quickly decides she does not trust the boy. His name is Pepito. She calls him a "Bad Hat." He wears a special black hat. He also makes funny, mocking faces at the school. Ms. Clavel does not take Madeline's worries seriously. But Madeline soon proves to be right. Pepito starts causing trouble for the girls.
In the spring, he hides in the trees. He uses a slingshot. He shoots small pellets at the girls during their morning exercises. This causes them pain and surprise. In the summer, Pepito dresses like a ghost. He jumps on the garden wall at night. He tries to scare the girls.
In the fall, he brags about his kites. He can fly them much higher than the girls. He flies them from his house roof. He even shows off his bike skills. He rides his bike on the bridge over the Seine River. This is better than Madeline's acrobatics. In winter, his ice skating is much better than theirs. He makes sure to knock them down on the ice. When Ms. Clavel is around, he acts very polite. This makes her admire him. The girls are very annoyed by this.
Pepito's Menagerie and Pranks
One day, after about a year, Pepito climbs the garden wall. He invites the girls to his house. He wants them to see his collection of animals. He has caught many neighborhood animals. He keeps them in his room. Madeline refuses his invitation. She tells him no one wants to see his animals. The other girls agree and say no.
Pepito feels sad. He changes his clothes. He dresses like a Spanish bullfighter. He thinks the girls will find this interesting. Madeline again tells him off. She says the girls do not think bullfighting is noble. Pepito leaves feeling lonely. He shuts himself in his room.
Later, Pepito plays a trick on a diplomat. The diplomat is leaving his house. Pepito uses a watering can to pour water on him. Madeline sees this from her window. She is watering plants. She tells Ms. Clavel, hoping she will finally side with the girls. Ms. Clavel thinks Pepito just has too much energy. She believes he needs a hobby. This would help him use his energy instead of playing pranks.
A Dangerous Hobby
On a daily walk, Ms. Clavel takes the girls to a toy store. She buys a tool chest for Pepito. She hopes he will learn a trade. Later at dinner, she hears Pepito using the tools. She thinks the problem is solved. However, she has greatly underestimated Pepito.
The girls look out the window. To their horror, they see Pepito has built a guillotine. They cry out in fear. Ms. Clavel looks very sick. Pepito's cook brings frightened chickens. Pepito plans to use the guillotine on them. Later, Pepito eats the chickens. The girls are convinced he is truly evil.
The Cat and the Dogs
Some time later, the girls are on a walk. They are in a wooded part of Paris. Madeline sees Pepito across the street. She is worried. But he is not there to bother the girls. He is carrying a sack. A growing group of dogs from the neighborhood follows him. He leads them to a nearby field with a windmill. The girls follow him, curious about what he will do. Ms. Clavel insists that Pepito is just misunderstood. She thinks he is bringing the dogs food.
However, Pepito has bad intentions. He loudly declares a game of tag to the dogs. Then he lets a CAT out of the bag. He knows this will make the dogs go wild. But he made a big mistake. The cat jumps onto Pepito's head to escape the dogs. The dogs immediately tackle Pepito. They are trying to get the cat. Pepito screams for help. Ms. Clavel and Madeline rush to help. Ms. Clavel gets Pepito away from the dogs. Madeline rescues the cat. The dogs calm down. The girls are much better with animals than Pepito. Ms. Clavel sends the dogs home. She then takes care of the injured Pepito.
Pepito Changes His Ways
Back at the Spanish Embassy, Dr. Cohn is called to see Pepito. Pepito's parents and the embassy staff are very worried. The Ambassadress thanks Ms. Clavel for saving Pepito. The Ambassador invites the girls to visit Pepito. He hopes they will cheer him up. Ms. Clavel gets them flowers as gifts. She takes them to the embassy. The girls do not want to go. They feel Pepito deserved what happened.
Madeline is the first to visit Pepito. She walks into his room quietly. Pepito is badly hurt from the dog attack. He has a sling and many bandages. Madeline does not feel sorry for him. She tells him off for hurting the cat and dogs. She also tells him he bullied the girls. Pepito says he is sorry. He promises to change his ways. Madeline accepts his apology. She says the girls will watch him to make sure he keeps his promise.
Sure enough, Pepito starts to change. He becomes a vegetarian. With the girls' help, he releases all the animals from his collection. Everywhere the girls go, they see Pepito caring for animals. It gets a little out of hand when they visit the zoo, though. Pepito starts to release the animals from their cages. This causes a lot of chaos. As Pepito goes to release the lions, the girls panic. But Madeline bravely goes up to Pepito.
Madeline tells Pepito he is no longer a "Bad Hat." She tells him he means well now. She says the girls are proud of him. Pepito accepts her praise. He stops releasing the animals. Later that night, the zoo mess is cleaned up. The girls return home, have dinner, and brush their teeth. They wave to Pepito through the window before going to bed. As Ms. Clavel turns out the light, she says she knew things would end well.
Adaptations
Pepito is also a main character in other stories. These include Madeline and the Gypsies and Madeline in London. In the TV series, Pepito has three cousins. Their names are Paquito, Pablito, and Panchito. These cousins are even worse than Pepito used to be!
