| Once upon
a time there were four little rabbits and the names were Flopsy, Mopsy,
Cotton-tail, and Peter. One day they lived with their mother in a sand
bank underneath a 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 her basket her umbrella
and went from the wood to the baker's. She brought a loaf of brown bread
and five currant buns. Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail, who were good little
bunnys, went down the lane to gather black berries. 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 around the edge of a cucumber frame whom should he meet, but
Mr. McGregor! Mr. McGregor was on his hands and knees planting out and
jumped up and ran off to Peter waving a rake and calling out "Stop thief!''
Peter ran into a goosberry net with the large buttons on his jacket, it
was a blue jacket with brass buttons, quite new. Mr. McGregor came up with
a pie. But Peter wiggled out just in time. Peter rushed into the tool-shed
and jumped into a water can. It would be a wonderful thing to hide in,
if it didn't have so much water in it. Mr. McGregor was quite sure that
Peter was somewhere in the tool-shed, perhaps under a flower pot.
He began to turn them over carefully, looking under each. Peter sneezed
Kerchew! Mr. McGregor was after him in no time. Peter jumped out the window
upsetting three plants. Mr. McGregor tried to put his foot upon Peter.
The window was too small for Mr. McGregor and he was tired of running off
to Peter, so he went back to his work. Peter began to rest, he was out
of breath. And trimbbling with fight. And also very damp with sitting in
that can. He ran all around the garden, looking around. Then, Peter saw
a mouse carrying peas. Peter asked the mouse the way to the gate. But the
mouse had a large pea in her mouth that she cannot answer. So, she just
shoke her head. Peter began to cry. But quite close to him, he heard the
scrich, scrach, scrich, scrich. What Peter saw
was Mr. McGregor hoeing
onions. Then, Peter jumped on a wheel barrow and peeked over. And beyond
him was the gate! Peter quietly jumped off the wheel barrow He squeezed
under the gate and was safe at the big fir tree again.
THE END. |