Beatrix Potter

“ Mr. Tod likes nobody's leavings but his own. He made his way up the hill; his temper was not improved by noticing unmistakable marks of badger. No one else grubs up the moss so wantonly as Tommy Brock. Mr. Tod slapped his stick upon the earth and fumed; he guessed where Tommy Brock had gone to. He was further annoyed by the jay bird which followed him persistently. It flew from tree to tree and scolded, warning every rabbit within hearing that either a cat or a fox was coming up the plantation. Once when it flew screaming over his head Mr. Tod snapped at it, and barked. ”

“ I'm afraid the rats have got him." She wiped her eyes with her apron. "He's a bad kitten, Cousin Tabitha; he made a cat's cradle of my best bonnet last time I came to tea. Where have you looked for him?" "All over the house! The rats are too many for me. What a thing it is to have an unruly family!" said Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit. "I'm not afraid of rats; I will help you to find him; and whip him, too! What is all that soot in the fender?" "The chimney wants sweeping— Oh, dear me, Cousin Ribby—now Moppet and Mittens are gone! "They have both got out of the cupboard!" ”

“ Tod's kitchen, amidst the wreckage, Benjamin Bunny picked his way to the oven nervously, through a thick cloud of dust. He opened the oven door, felt inside, and found something warm and wriggling. He lifted it out carefully, and rejoined Peter Rabbit. "I've got them! Can we get away? Shall we hide, Cousin Peter?" Peter pricked his ears; distant sounds of fighting still echoed in the wood. Five minutes afterwards two breathless rabbits came scuttering away down Bull Banks, half carrying, half dragging a sack between them, bumpetty bump over the grass. ”

“ One bitter cold day near Christmastime the tailor began to make a coat (a coat of cherry- coloured corded silk embroidered with pansies and roses) and a cream- coloured satin waistcoat for the Mayor of Gloucester. The tailor worked and worked, and he talked to himself: "No breadth at all, and cut on the cross; it is no breadth at all; tippets for mice and ribbons for mobs! for mice!" said the Tailor of Gloucester. When the snow-flakes came down against the small leaded window- panes and shut out the light, the tailor had done his day's work ”

“ Every minute the sun shone warmer on the top of the hill. In the valley there was a sea of white mist, with golden tops of trees showing through. Again from the fields down below in the mist there came the angry cry of a jay, followed by the sharp yelping bark of a fox! Then those two rabbits lost their heads completely. They did the most foolish thing that they could have done. They rushed into their short new tunnel, and hid themselves at the top end of it, under Mr. Tod's kitchen floor. Mr. Tod was coming up Bull Banks, and he was in the very worst of tempers. ”

“ Pigling helped himself to meal without scruple. "What for?" "Bacon, hams," replied Pig- wig cheerfully. "Why on earth don't you run away?" exclaimed the horrified Pigling. "I shall after supper," said Pig- wig decidedly. Pigling Bland made more porridge and watched her shyly. She finished a second plate, got up, and looked about her, as though she were going to start. "You can't go in the dark," said Pigling Bland. Pig-wig looked anxious. "Do you know your way by day- light?" "I know we can see this little white house from the hills across the river. Which way are you going, Mr. Pig?" ”

“ One autumn when the nuts were ripe, and the leaves on the hazel bushes were golden and green— Nutkin and Twinkleberry and all the other little squirrels came out of the wood, and down to the edge of the lake. They made little rafts out of twigs, and they paddled away over the water to Owl Island to gather nuts. Each squirrel had a little sack and a large oar, and spread out his tail for a sail. They also took with them an offering of three fat mice as a present for Old Brown, and put them down upon his door-step. ”

“ Once upon a time there was an old pig called Aunt Pettitoes. She had eight of a family: four little girl pigs, called Cross-patch, Suck-suck, Yock-yock and Spot; and four little boy pigs, called Alexander, Pigling Bland, Chin-Chin and Stumpy. Stumpy had had an accident to his tail. The eight little pigs had very fine appetites—"Yus, yus, yus! they eat and indeed they DO eat!" said Aunt Pettitoes, looking at her family with pride. Suddenly there were fearful squeals; Alexander had squeezed inside the hoops of the pig trough and stuck. ”

“ The mice sat on their doorsteps cracking cherry-stones; they winked at Peter Rabbit and little Benjamin Bunny. Presently Peter let the pocket- handkerchief go again. They 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. This is what those little rabbits saw round that corner! Little Benjamin took one look, and then, in half a minute less than no time, he hid himself and Peter and the onions underneath a large basket. . . . ”

“ The first thing they found was Mittens, hiding in an empty jar. They tipped over the jar, and she scrambled out. "Oh, Mother, Mother!" said Mittens— "Oh! Mother, Mother, there has been an old man rat in the dairy—a dreadful 'normous big rat, Mother; and he's stolen a pat of butter and the rolling pin." Ribby and Tabitha looked at one another. "A rolling pin and butter! Oh, my poor son Thomas!" exclaimed Tabitha, wringing her paws. "A rolling pin?" said Ribby. "Did we not hear a roly-poly noise in the attic when we were looking into that chest?" Ribby and Tabitha rushed upstairs again. ”

“ Tom Thumb went up the kitchen chimney and looked out at the top— there was no soot. While Tom Thumb was up the chimney, Hunca Munca had another disappointment. She found some tiny canisters upon the dresser, labelled— Rice—Coffee—Sago—but when she turned them upside down, there was nothing inside except red and blue beads. Then those mice set to work to do all the mischief they could—especially Tom Thumb! He took Jane's clothes out of the chest of drawers in her bedroom, and he threw them out of the top floor window. But Hunca Munca had a frugal mind. ”

“ The tailor came out of his shop at dark. No one lived there at nights but little brown mice, and THEY ran in and out without any keys! For behind the wooden wainscots of all the old houses in Gloucester, there are little mouse staircases and secret trap-doors; and the mice run from house to house through those long, narrow passages. But the tailor came out of his shop and shuffled home through the snow. And although it was not a big house, the tailor was so poor he only rented the kitchen. He lived alone with his cat; it was called Simpkin. ”

“ THE TALE OF PETER RABBIT Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were— Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter. ”

“ Rabbit's voice was heard inside the rabbit hole, calling: "Cotton-tail! Cotton-tail! fetch some more camomile!" 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; the proper way to get in is to climb down a pear-tree." ”

“ Old Mr. Bouncer was in charge of the family that afternoon, because Benjamin and Flopsy had gone out. The little rabbit babies were just old enough to open their blue eyes and kick. They lay in a fluffy bed of rabbit wool and hay, in a shallow burrow, separate from the main rabbit hole. To tell the truth—old Mr. Bouncer had forgotten them. He sat in the sun, and conversed cordially with Tommy Brock, who was passing through the wood with a sack and a little spud which he used for digging, and some mole traps. ”

“ The light showed a little door in a wall beside the kitchen fireplace —a little iron door belonging to a brick oven of that old-fashioned sort that used to be heated with faggots of wood. And presently at the same moment Peter and Benjamin noticed that whenever they shook the window the little door opposite shook in answer. The young family were alive; shut up in the oven! Benjamin was so excited that it was a mercy he did not awake Tommy Brock, whose snores continued solemnly in Mr. Tod's bed. ”

“ THE STORY OF A FIERCE BAD RABBIT This is a fierce bad Rabbit; look at his savage whiskers and his claws and his turned-up tail. This is a nice gentle Rabbit. His mother has given him a carrot. The bad Rabbit would like some carrot. He doesn't say "Please." He takes it! And he scratches the good Rabbit very badly. The good Rabbit creeps away and hides in a hole. It feels sad. This is a man with a gun. He sees something sitting on a bench. He thinks it is a very funny bird! He comes creeping up behind the trees. ”

“ I shall die! I have swallowed a patty-pan! Oh, my dear Ribby, I do feel so ill!" "It is impossible, my dear Duchess; there was not a patty-pan." "Yes there WAS, my dear Ribby, I am sure I have swallowed it!" "Let me prop you up with a pillow, my dear Duchess; where do you think you feel it?" "Oh I do feel so ill ALL OVER me, my dear Ribby." "Shall I run for the doctor?" "Oh yes, yes! fetch Dr. Maggotty, my dear Ribby: he is a Pie himself, he will certainly understand." Ribby settled Duchess in an armchair before the fire, and went out and hurried to the village to look for the doctor. ”

“ Timmy Tiptoes sat out, enjoying the breeze; he whisked his tail and chuckled—"Little wife Goody, the nuts are ripe; we must lay up a store for winter and spring." Goody Tiptoes was busy pushing moss under the thatch—"The nest is so snug, we shall be sound asleep all winter." "Then we shall wake up all the thinner, when there is nothing to eat in spring- time," replied prudent Timothy. When Timmy and Goody Tiptoes came to the nut thicket, they found other squirrels were there already. Timmy took off his jacket and hung it on a twig; they worked away quietly by themselves. ”

“ McGregor—"I shall sell them and buy myself baccy!" "Rabbit tobacco! I shall skin them and cut off their heads." Mrs. McGregor untied the sack and put her hand inside. When she felt the vegetables she became very very angry. She said that Mr. McGregor had "done it a purpose." And Mr. McGregor was very angry too. One of the rotten marrows came flying through the kitchen window, and hit the youngest Flopsy Bunny. It was rather hurt. Then Benjamin and Flopsy thought that it was time to go home. So Mr. McGregor did not get his tobacco, and Mrs. McGregor did not get her rabbit skins. ”

“ Cottontail had seen Tommy Brock passing in the distance. Asked whether her husband was at home she replied that Tommy Brock had rested twice while she watched him. He had nodded, and pointed to the sack, and seemed doubled up with laughing.—"Come away, Peter; he will be cooking them; come quicker!" said Benjamin Bunny. They climbed up and up;—"He was at home; I saw his black ears peeping out of the hole." "They live too near the rocks to quarrel with their neighbors. Come on, Cousin Benjamin!" When they came near the wood at the top of Bull Banks, they went cautiously. ”

“ Moppet and Mittens have grown up into very good rat-catchers. They go out rat-catching in the village, and they find plenty of employment. They charge so much a dozen and earn their living very comfortably. They hang up the rats' tails in a row on the barn door, to show how many they have caught—dozens and dozens of them. But Tom Kitten has always been afraid of a rat; he never durst face anything that is bigger than— A Mouse.
THE TALE OF THE FLOPSY BUNNIES [For All Little Friends of Mr. McGregor and Peter and Benjamin] It is said that the effect of eating too much lettuce is "soporific." ”