第 1 节
作者:换裁判      更新:2024-09-08 23:53      字数:9322
  The Original Peter Rabbit Books
  The Original Peter
  Rabbit Books
  BEATRIX POTTER
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  The Original Peter Rabbit Books
  THE TALE OF PETER RABBIT
  BY BEATRIX POTTER
  ONCE   upon   a   time   there   were   four   little   Rabbits;   and   their   names
  were Flopsy; Mopsy; Cotton…tail; and Peter。
  They lived with their Mother in a sand…bank; underneath the root of a
  very big fir tree。
  〃NOW;   my   dears;〃   said   old   Mrs。   Rabbit   one   morning;   〃you   may   go
  into the fields or down the lane; but don't go into Mr。 McGregor's garden:
  your Father had an accident there; he was put in a pie by Mrs。 McGregor。〃
  〃NOW run along; and don't get into mischief。 I am going out。〃
  THEN old Mrs。 Rabbit took a basket and her umbrella; to the baker's。
  She bought a loaf of brown bread and five currant buns。
  FLOPSY; Mopsy; and Cottontail; who were good little bunnies; went
  down the lane to gather blackberries;
  BUT      Peter;   who    was    very   naughty;    ran  straight   away    to   Mr。
  McGregor's garden and squeezed under the gate!
  FIRST he ate some lettuces and some French beans; and then he ate
  some radishes;
  AND then; feeling rather sick; he went to look for some parsley。
  BUT round the end of a cucumber frame; whom should he meet but
  Mr。 McGregor!
  MR。   McGREGOR   was   on   his   hands   and   knees   planting   out   young
  cabbages; but he jumped up and ran after Peter; waving a rake and calling
  out; 〃Stop thief!〃
  PETER was most dreadfully frightened; he rushed all over the garden;
  for he had forgotten the way back to the gate。
  He   lost   one   of   his   shoes   among   the   cabbages;   and   the   other   shoe
  amongst the potatoes。
  AFTER losing them; he ran on four legs and went faster; so that I think
  he might have got away altogether if he had not unfortunately run into a
  gooseberry net; and got caught by the large buttons on his jacket。 It was a
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  The Original Peter Rabbit Books
  blue jacket with brass buttons; quite new。
  PETER gave himself up for lost; and shed big tears; but his sobs were
  overheard by some friendly sparrows; who flew to him in great excitement;
  and implored him to exert himself。
  MR。   McGREGOR   came   up   with   a   sieve;   which   he   intended   to   pop
  upon   the   top   of   Peter;   but   Peter   wriggled   out   just   in   time;   leaving   his
  jacket behind him。
  AND rushed into the toolshed; and jumped into a can。 It would have
  been a beautiful thing to hide in; if it had not had so much water in it。
  MR。   McGREGOR   was   quite   sure   that   Peter   was   somewhere   in   the
  toolshed; perhaps hidden underneath a flower…pot。 He began to turn them
  over carefully; looking under each。
  Presently Peter sneezed 〃Kertyschoo!〃 Mr。 McGregor was after him
  in no time;
  AND tried to put his foot upon Peter; who jumped out of a window;
  upsetting three plants。 The window was too small for Mr。 McGregor; and
  he was tired of running after Peter。 He went back to his work。
  PETER   sat   down   to   rest;   he   was   out   of   breath   and   trembling   with
  fright; and he had not the least idea which way to go。 Also he was very
  damp with sitting in that can。
  After   a   time   he   began   to   wander   about;   going   lippity   lippitynot
  very fast; and looking all around。
  HE found a door in a wall; but it was locked; and there was no room
  for a fat little rabbit to squeeze underneath。
  An old mouse was running in and out over the stone doorstep; carrying
  peas and beans to her family in the wood。 Peter asked her the way to the
  gate; but she had such a large pea in her mouth that she could not answer。
  She only shook her head at him。 Peter began to cry。
  THEN   he   tried   to   find   his   way   straight   across   the   garden;   but   he
  became more and more puzzled。 Presently; he came to a pond where Mr。
  McGregor filled his water…cans。 A white cat was staring at some gold…fish;
  she sat very; very still; but now and then the tip of her tail twitched as if it
  were alive。 Peter thought it best to go away without speaking to her; he
  had heard about cats from his cousin; little Benjamin Bunny。
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  The Original Peter Rabbit Books
  HE went back towards the tool…shed; but suddenly; quite close to him;
  he heard the noise of a hoescr…r…ritch; scratch; scratch; scritch。 Peter
  scuttered underneath the bushes。 But presently; as nothing happened;
  he came out; and climbed upon a wheelbarrow; and peeped over。 The first
  thing   he   saw   was   Mr。   McGregor   hoeing   onions。   His   back   was   turned
  towards Peter; and beyond him was the gate!
  PETER       got  down     very   quietly   off  the   wheelbarrow;      and   started
  running as fast as he could go; along a straight walk behind some black…
  currant bushes。
  Mr。 McGregor caught sight of him at the corner; but Peter did not care。
  He slipped underneath the gate; and was safe at last in the wood outside
  the garden。
  MR。 McGREGOR hung up the little jacket and the shoes for a scare…
  crow to frighten the blackbirds。
  PETER never stopped running or looked behind him till he got home
  to the big fir…tree。
  He was so tired that he flopped down upon the nice soft sand on the
  floor of the rabbit…hole; and shut his eyes。 His mother was busy cooking;
  she wondered what he had done with his clothes。 It was the second little
  jacket and pair of shoes that Peter had lost in a fortnight!
  I AM sorry to say that Peter was not very well during the evening。
  His   mother   put   him   to   bed;   and   made   some   camomile   tea;   and   she
  gave a dose of it to Peter!
  〃One table…spoonful to be taken at bed…time。〃
  BUT      Flopsy;    Mopsy;     and   Cotton…tail    had    bread    and   milk    and
  blackberries; for supper。
  THE END
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  The Original Peter Rabbit Books
  THE TALE OF BENJAMIN
  BUNNY
  FOR THE CHILDREN OF SAWREY FROM OLD MR。 BUNNY
  ONE morning a little rabbit sat on a bank。
  He pricked his ears and listened to the trit…trot; trit…trot of a pony。
  A gig was coming along the road; it was driven by Mr。 McGregor; and
  beside him sat Mrs。 McGregor in her best bonnet。
  AS soon as they had passed; little Benjamin Bunny slid down into the
  road; and set offwith a hop; skip and a jumpto call upon his relations;
  who lived in the wood at the back of Mr。 McGregor's garden。
  THAT wood was full of rabbit holes; and in the neatest sandiest hole
  of all; cousinsFlopsy; Mopsy; Cotton…tail and Peter。
  Old Mrs。 Rabbit was a widow; she earned her living by knitting rabbit…
  wool mittens   and muffetees   (I once bought   a pair   at   a bazaar)。   She   also
  sold herbs; and rosemary tea; and rabbit…tobacco (which is what WE call
  lavender)。
  LITTLE Benjamin did not very much want to see his Aunt。
  He came round the back of the fir…tree; and nearly tumbled upon the
  top of his Cousin Peter。
  PETER was sitting by himself。 He looked poorly; and was dressed in a
  red cotton pocket…handkerchief。
  〃Peter;〃said     little  Benjamin;   in   a  whisper〃who      has  got   your
  clothes?〃
  PETER       replied〃The    scarecrow    in  Mr。  McGregor's     garden;〃    and
  described how he had been chased about the garden; and had dropped his
  shoes and coat。
  Little Benjamin sat down beside his cousin; and assured him that Mr。
  McGregor had gone out in a gig; and Mrs。 McGregor also; and certainly
  for the day; because she was wearing her best bonnet。
  PETER said he hoped that it would rain。
  At this point; old Mrs。 Rabbit's voice was heard inside the rabbit hole
  calling 〃Cotton…tail! Cotton…tail! fetch some more camomile!〃
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  The Original Peter Rabbit Books
  Peter said he thought he might feel better if he went for a walk。
  THEY went away hand in hand; and got upon the flat top of the wall at
  the bottom of the wood。 From here they looked down into Mr。 McGregor's
  garden。 Peter's coat and shoes were plainly to be seen upon the scarecrow;
  topped with an old tam…o… shanter of Mr。 McGregor's。
  LITTLE Benjamin said; 〃It spoils people's clothes to squeeze under a
  gate