Beatrix Potter had a nice washerwoman, Kitty MacDonald, who was the inspiration for Mrs. Tiggy-winkle. Since Kitty was not a hedgehog, Beatrix Potter used Mrs. Tiggy, her own pet hedgehog, as a model. Together they make the lovely Mrs. Tiggy-winkle. The book was first published in 1905. The other character of this story is a little girl called Lucy, who is always losing her pocket-handkerchiefs.