The Tale of Benjamin Bunny

THE TALE OF JAMIN BUNNY BY iTRIX POTTER F.WARNE&C9UB t THE TALE OF BENJAMIN BUNNY s THE TALE OF BENJAMIN BUNNY BY BEATRIX POTTER The Tale LIBRARY LONDON FREDERICK WARNE & AND NEW YORK [All rights reserved} CO., LTD, Copyright in all countries signatory to the Berne Convention FREDERICK WARNE & Co. LTD. LONDON, ENGLAND ISBN o 7232 0595 7 PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN FOR THE PUBLISHERS BY WILLIAM CLOWES (BECCLES) LIMITED BECCLES AND LONDON 06397.1180 FOR THE CHILDREN OF SAWREY FROM OLD MR. BUNNY sat morning a on a bank. to little rabbit He pricked listened his ears trit-trot, and trit- the trot of a pony. was coming along the road it was driven by Mr. McGregor, and beside him sat Mrs. McGregor in her best gig ; A bonnet. AS slid soon as they had passed, little Benjamin Bunny into the road, down and set off with a hop, skip and jump to call upon his relations, who lived in the wood at the a back of Mr. McGregor's garden. wood rabbit neatest holes; was and hole full of in the all, sandiest of lived Benjamin's aunt and his cousins Flopsy, Mopsy, a Cotton-tail and Peter. Old Mrs. Rabbit was 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). JJTTLE his very Aunt. Benjamin did not much want to see the back of He came round the fir-tree, and nearly tumbled upon the top of his Cousin Peter. ~^ ' 15 16 pETER self. was sitting by himpoorly, He looked and was dressed in a red cotton pocket-handkerchief. said little "Peter," min, in a whisper " "who Benjahas got your clothes? " pETER crow replied in The scare- McGregor's and described how he garden," had been chased about the garden, and had dropped his shoes and coat. Little Mr. side his Benjamin sat down becousin, and assured him that Mr. McGregor had gone out in a gig, and Mrs. McGregor and certainly for the day, because she was wearing her also; best bonnet. 18 U' pETER it said he hoped that would rain. At this point, old Mrs. Rabbit's voice was heard in- side the rabbit hole, calling "Cotton-tail! Cotton-tail! fetch some more camomile!" Peter said feel might thought he better if he went he for a walk. 21 went away hand in hand, and got upon the flat top of the wall at the bottom of the wood. From here they looked HPHEY down into Mr. Mc- Gregor'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. 23 24 TITTLE Benjamin said, "It spoils people's clothes to squeeze under a gate; the proper way to get in, climb down a pear tree." Peter fell is to down head first; was of no consequence, as the bed below was newly raked and quite soft. but it TT had been sown with left let- tuces. They little a great all many odd over the foot-marks bed, especially little Benjamin, who was wearing clogs. TITTLE was in Benjamin said that the first thing to be done to get back Peter's clothes, order that they might be able to use the pocket-handkerchief. They took them crow. off the scare- There had been rain during the night; there was water in the shoes, and the coat was somewhat shrunk. Benjamin tried on the tamo-shanter, but it was too big for him. HTHEN that suggested they should fill the pockethandkerchief with onions, as he a little present for his Aunt. Peter did not seem to be himself; enjoying he kept hearing noises. v- IN, g EN JAMwas trary, on the conperfectly a lettuce at leaf. home, and ate He said that he was in the to the garden with his father to get lettuces for their habit of coming Sunday dinner. (The name of little Benjamin's papa was old Mr. Benja- min Bunny.) The very lettuces certainly were fine. 33 pETER thing; like to did not eat any- he said he should Presently he dropped half the onions. go home. 34 35 TITTLE it Benjamin said that was not possible to get back up the pear-tree, with a load of vegetables. He led the boldly towards the other end of the garden. They way went along a little walk on planks, under a sunny redbrick wall. The mice steps sat on their door- cracking they winked cherry-stones, at Peter Rabbit and little Benjamin Bunny. 37 PRESENTLY Peter let the pocket-handkerchief go again. 39 \ < 40 HPHEY got amongst flower- pots, and frames and tubs; Peter heard noises worse than ever, his eyes were as big as lolly-pops! He was a step or two in front of his cousin, when he suddenly stopped. T^HIS corner ! is what saw those little rabbits round took that Little Benjamin one look, less self and then, in half a minute than no time, he hid himand Peter and the onions . . . underneath a large basket. 44 HPHE cat got herself, up and stretched and came and sniffed at the basket. Perhaps she liked the smell of onions! Anyway, she sat down upon the top of the basket. 45 CHE I sat there for five hours. cannot draw you a picture of Peter and Benjamin underneath the basket, because it was quite dark, and because the smell of onions was fearful ; it made Peter Rabbit and little Benjamin cry. The sun got round behind the wood, and it was quite still late in the afternoon; but cat sat the upon the basket. uv4* *T r, f 47 AT some length there was a pitterpitter-patter, patter, and bits of mortar fell from the wall above. The cat looked up and saw old Mr. Benjamin Bunny prancing along the top of the wall of the upper terrace. a pipe of rabbit-tobacco, and had a little He was smoking switch in his hand. He was looking for his son. 49 Mr. Bunny had no cats. opinion whatever of He took a tremendous off the top jump on to of the wall the top of the cat, and cuffed it off the basket, and kicked it into the green-house, scratching off a handful of cat fur. The was too much sur- prised to scratch back. \yHEN door. old Mr. Bunny had into driven the cat the the green-house, he locked Then he came back basket to the his and took out son Benjamin switch. by the ears, and little whipped him with the Then he Peter. took out his nephew 53 THHEN he took out the handof onions, kerchief and marched out of the garden. 54 55 Mr. returned McGregor half about an hour later, he observed several things which perplexed him. It looked as though some person had been walking all over the garden in a pair of foot-marks only the were too ridiculously little! clogs Also stand he could not under- how the the cat could have managed inside to shut herself up green-house, locking the door upon the outside. I u s ', 57 got home, mother forgave him, because she was so glad to see his Peter that he had found his shoes coat. and Peter Cotton-tail and folded up the pocketand old handkerchief, Mrs. Rabbit strung up the onions hung them from the kitchen ceiling, with the and bunches of herbs and the rabbit- tobacco. THE END ft Potter, B. The tale of Benjamin Bunny DO NOT REMOVE CARDS OR SLIPS FROM THIS POCKET PLEASE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO