Ludwig Bemelmans (1898-1962) was an painter, illustrator,
and the author of a series of books (which he also illustrated)
whose main character is a little French girl named Madeline.
All the stories are told in rhymes. Each story begins:
"In an old house in Paris, that was covered with
vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines...
the smallest one was Madeline." The girls are cared
for by a nun, Miss Clavel. Other characters include Pepito,
son of the Spanish Ambassador, who lives next door; Lord
Cucuface, owner of the house; and Genevieve, a dog who
rescues Madeline from drowning in the second book. Bemelmans
published six Madeline stories in his lifetime, and a
seventh was discovered and published posthumously
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