Slovenly Peter
This book has been passed down on my dad's side for several generations, which is pretty appalling (and awesome). A good case could be made that a family that reads it to their kids should have their kids put into foster care. It seems that the purpose of the book is to traumatize instill discipline in children by showing that bad things will happen to children who misbehave, usually death or dismemberment. When my dad inherited it from my Grammy and Granddad, he wanted to bring us up the way he was and read us to sleep with stories of boys who eat so much they split in half and of mean little kids who torment animals and get their eyes clawed out. My mom wouldn't have any of it.
Altho I think I could've learned some valuable lessons.
Like: don't play with matches
Now see! oh! see, what a dreadful thing
The fire has caught her apron-string;
Her apron burns, her arms, her hair;
She burns all over, everywhere.
Or else you'll get burnt to cinders and your cats will cry a lot.
Or: don't suck your thumb
Or some guy with really big scissors will chop your fingers off.
I think my mom made a good call.