In a similar manner to the Just-So Stories of Rudyard Kipling, The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin attempts to explain the origin of some animal behavior. The story's title character is a cheeky squirrel who irritates an owl named Old Brown by repeatedly asking him riddles which Old Brown has no interest in answering. Eventually, Old Brown becomes so angry with Squirrel Nutkin that the squirrel is lucky to escape with his life. A segment based on The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin is included in the 1971 Royal Ballet film Tales of Beatrix Potter.