A little boy named Epaminondas makes a series of amusing mistakes which are caused when he does the right thing at the wrong time, or takes metaphorical language literally.
"[1] Bryant later published the first standalone version, entitled Epaminondas and His Auntie, in 1911 with illustrations done by Inez Hogan.
[2] As with Helen Bannerman's The Story of Little Black Sambo, which was originally written about a boy from Southern India but was later illustrated in many printings with stereotypes of African Americans, the illustrated version of Bryant's book has been criticized as having racist overtones and stereotypes.
[3] In 1941, Bryant's text was reprinted by Harrap with new illustrations by Honor C. Appleton and Patten Wilson.
Later versions of the tale were published by Constance Egan, Eve Merriam, Mary Claire Pinckney and Cathy East Dubowski.