The Sly Old Cat

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The Sly Old Cat is a children's book written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter in 1906, and first published by Frederick Warne & Co. in 1971, almost thirty years after her death. The story tells of a cat who invites a rat to a tea party with the intention of eating him, but the rat outwits her and leaves the party with a muffin in a paper bag.
The story was written in 1906 for her publisher's daughter, and was intended to be published in 1907 as a panorama book, a long strip of paper with text and illustrations that folded into a wallet. Booksellers objected to the format, because the item was too difficult to keep folded and in its place once customers opened it for examination. The tale was set aside. In 1916, it was again considered for publication but, again, set aside. Potter's eyesight was failing and she did not want to become involved in the labour of developing a book for publication. It was first published in 1971 with Potter's rough sketches. The book was critically well received.