Short summary - Wee Willie Winkie - Sir Joseph Rudyard Kipling

British literature summaries - 2020

Short summary - Wee Willie Winkie
Sir Joseph Rudyard Kipling

Micro-retelling: The protagonist saves a woman from the Indian "Aborigines", which causes respect for the entire regiment.


Percival William Williams, whose name is tenderly “Little Willy Winky” because of the nursery rhyme, is the only son of the 1957 Colonel. He makes friends with a junior officer, nicknamed "Coppy."

One day, Little Willy Winky confesses to Coppy that he saw him kissing Miss Allardyce, the daughter of a major. Koppi persuades him to keep his mouth shut, as they are engaged, but did not officially report it.

Three weeks later, when Little Willy Winky is trained in military craft, he sees Miss Allardyce riding a horse across a river, in an attempt to test his character. Little Willy Winky knows that the Bad Boys (whom he associates with the goblins) live on the other side of the river, so he jumps after the girl, despite the fact that he has not finished classes.

Miss Allardyce's horse stumbles and falls, the girl's ankle is dislocated. Little Willy Winky puts her on Jack's pony and sends her to the location of the army. Several "natives" discover them and demand a ransom for Miss Allardyce and Little Willy Winky.

When Kroshki’s horse returns without a rider to the apartment, the squadron goes in search of. They put the “natives” to flight, and Little Willy Winky becomes the hero for saving Miss Allardyce.