A Favorite Story: The Tale of Peter Rabbit

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.
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They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a |
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‘Now my dears,’ said old Mrs. Rabbit one morning, ‘you may go into |
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‘Now run along, and don’t get into mischief. I am going out.’ |
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Then old Mrs. Rabbit took a basket and her umbrella, and went through |
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Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail, who were good little bunnies, went |
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But Peter, who was very naughty, ran straight away to Mr. McGregor’s |
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First he ate some lettuces and some French beans; and then he ate |
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And then, feeling rather sick, he went to look for some parsley. |
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But round the end of a cucumber frame, whom should he meet but Mr. McGregor! |
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Mr. McGregor was on his hands and knees planting out young cabbages, |
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Peter was most dreadfully frightened; he rushed all over the garden, He lost one of his shoes among the cabbages, and the other shoe |
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After losing them, he ran on four legs and went faster, so that I |
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Peter gave himself up for lost, and shed big tears; but his sobs were |
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Mr. McGregor came up with a sieve, which he intended to pop upon the |
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And rushed into the tool-shed, and jumped into a can. It would have |
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Mr. McGregor was quite sure that Peter was somewhere in the tool-shed, Presently Peter sneezed—’Kertyschoo!’ Mr. McGregor was after him in no time. |
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And tried to put his foot upon Peter, who jumped out of a window, |
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Peter sat down to rest; he was out of breath and trembling with After a time he began to wander about, going lippity—lippity—not |
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He found a door in a wall; but it was locked, and there was no room An old mouse was running in and out over the stone doorstep, carrying |
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Then he tried to find his way straight across the garden, but he |
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He went back towards the tool-shed, but suddenly, quite close to him, |
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Peter got down very quietly off the wheelbarrow; and started running Mr. McGregor caught sight of him at the corner, but Peter did not care. |
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Mr. McGregor hung up the little jacket and the shoes for a scare-crow Peter never stopped running or looked behind him till he got home to the big fir-tree. |
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He was so tired that he flopped down upon the nice soft sand on the |
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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 ‘One table-spoonful to be taken at bed-time.’ |
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But Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail had bread and milk and |
THE END
See my reading here: