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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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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