THÉ TÂLÈ OF^UV

BENJÁMÍN BUNNÝ

BŶ

BEATRIX POTTER

AUTHOR OF^UV "THÉ TÂLÈ OF^UV PÊTER RABBIT"

FOR THÉ CHILDRÉN OF^UV SÅWRÊY

FRÓM

ÔLD MR. BUNNÝ

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One^wőnè morning a littlè rabbit sat on a bañk.

Hê prickèd hiś ėàŕś and listénèd tó^tö thé trit-trot, trit-trot of^uv a pôný.

A gig wáś^woś cőming álong thé road; it wáś^woś drivén bŷ Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ, and bėsîdè him sat Mrs. Mc​Gregòŕ in her best bonnét.

Aś söön aś they had passèd, littlè Benjámín Bunný slid down intö thé road, and set off—with a hop, skip, and a jump—tó^tö cåll upon hiś rėlâtionś, whö livèd in thé wōōd at thé back of^uv Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ's gardén.

That wōōd wáś^woś fūll of^uv rabbit hôlèś; and in thé neatést, sandìêst hôlè of^uv åll livèd Benjámín's āùnt and hiś còuśínś—Flopsý, Mopsý, Cottón-tail, and Pêter.

Ôld Mrs. Rabbit wáś^woś a widôw; shê èàŕnèd her living bŷ knitting rabbit-wōōl mitténś and muffateeś (Î őnçè^wőnçè bøùght a pãir at a bázāàŕ). Shê ålsô sôld herbś, and rôśèmãrý tea, and rabbit-tóbaccô (which iś whåt wê cåll lavénder).

Littlè Benjámín did not verý much want^wont tó^tö see hiś Āùnt.

Hê câmè round thé back of^uv thé fir-tree, and nėàŕlý tumblèd upon thé top of^uv hiś Còuśín Pêter.

Pêter wáś^woś sitting bŷ himself. Hê lōōkèd pōōrlý, and wáś^woś dressèd in a red cottón pockét-hañdkerchièf.

"Pêter," sãìd littlè Benjámín, in a whisper, "whö haś got yøùr clôthèś?"

Pêter rėplîèd, "Thé scãŕècrôw in Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ's gardén," and dėscrîbèd how hê had bėèn-been châsèd ábout thé gardén, and had droppèd hiś shöèś and coat.

Littlè Benjámín sat down bėsîdè hiś còuśín and áŝŝūrèd him that Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ had gonè out in a gig, and Mrs. Mc​Gregòŕ ålsô; and çertáìnlý for thé day, bėcauśè shê wáś^woś weáring her best bonnét.

Pêter sãìd hê hôpèd that it wōūld rain.

At this point ôld Mrs. Rabbit's voiçè wáś^woś hèàŕd insîdè thé rabbit hôlè, cålling: "Cottón-tail! Cottón-tail! fetch sőmè morè camómîlè!"

Pêter sãìd hê thøùght hê might feel better if hê went for a wålk.

They went áway hand in hand, and got upon thé flat top of^uv thé wåll at thé bottóm of^uv thé wōōd. Fróm hėŕè they lōōkèd down intö Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ's gardén. Pêter's coat and shöèś werè plainlý tó^tö bê seen upon thé scãŕècrôw, toppèd with an ôld tam-ô'-shanter of^uv Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ's.

Littlè Benjámín sãìd: "It spoilś pêòplè's clôthèś tó^tö sqυeezè under a gâtè; thé proper way tó^tö get in iś tó^tö clîmb down a peàŕ-tree."

Pêter fell down heàd first; but it wáś^woś of^uv nô conséqυénçè, aś thé bed bėlôw wáś^woś newlý râkèd and qυîtè soft.

It had bėèn-been sôwn with lettùçėś.

They left a grèât mãný odd littlè fōōtmarks åll ôver thé bed, espećiállý littlè Benjámín, whö wáś^woś weáring clogś.

Littlè Benjámín sãìd that thé first thing tó^tö bê dőnè wáś^woś tó^tö get back Pêter's clôthèś, in order that they might bê âblè tó^tö use thé pockét-hañdkerchièf.

They tōōk them off thé scãŕècrôw. Theŕè had bėèn-been rain dûring thé night; theŕè wáś^woś wåter in thé shöèś, and thé coat wáś^woś sőmèwhåt shruñk.

Benjámín trîèd on thé tam-ô'-shanter, but it wáś^woś töö big for him.

Then hê suĝĝestėd that they shōūld fill thé pockét-hañdkerchièf with őnĩónś, aś a littlè preśént for hiś Āùnt.

Pêter did not seem tó^tö bê ėnjoying himself; hê kept hėáring noiśėś.

Benjámín, on thé contrãrý, wáś^woś perféctlý at hômè, and âtè a lettùçè leaf. Hê sãìd that hê wáś^woś in thé habít of^uv cőming tó^tö thé gardén with hiś fāther tó^tö get lettùçėś for their Sunday dinner.

(thé nâmè of^uv littlè Benjámín's pāpá wáś^woś ôld Mr. Benjámín Bunný.)

Thé lettùçėś çertáìnlý werè verý fînè.

Pêter did not eat ãnýthing; hê sãìd hê shōūld lîkè tó^tö gô hômè. Preśéntlý hê droppèd hālf thé őnĩónś.

Littlè Benjámín sãìd that it wáś^woś not possíblè tó^tö get back up thé peàŕ-tree with a load of^uv veĝètáblèś. Hê led thé way bôldlý tówårdś thé őther end of^uv thé gardén. They went álong a littlè wålk on plañks, under a sunný, red brick wåll.

Thé mîçè sat on their dòorsteps cracking cherrý-stônèś; they wiñkèd at Pêter Rabbit and littlè Benjámín Bunný.

Preśéntlý Pêter let thé pockét-hañdkerchièf gô ágãìn.

They got ámőngst flõwer-pots, and frâmèś, and tubś. Pêter hèàŕd noiśėś wòŕsè than ever; hiś èŷèś werè aś big aś lollý-pops!

Hê wáś^woś a step or twö in frőnt of^uv hiś còuśín when hê suddénlý stoppèd.

This iś whåt thôśè littlè rabbíts saw round that corner!

Littlè Benjámín tōōk one^wőnè lōōk, and then, in hālf a minute less than nô tîmè, hê hid himself and Pêter and thé őnĩónś underneath a larĝè baskét....

Thé cat got up and stretchèd herself, and câmè and sniffèd at thé baskét.

Perhaps shê lîkèd thé smell of^uv őnĩónś!

Ãnýway, shê sat down upon thé top of^uv thé baskét.

Shê sat theŕè for fîvè hõυŕś.

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Î cannot draw yöü a picťurè of^uv Pêter and Benjámín underneath thé baskét, bėcauśè it wáś^woś qυîtè dark, and bėcauśè thé smell of^uv őnĩónś wáś^woś fėàŕful; it mâdè Pêter Rabbit and littlè Benjámín crŷ.

Thé sun got round bėhînd thé wōōd, and it wáś^woś qυîtè lâtè in thé afternöön; but still thé cat sat upon thé baskét.

At length theŕè wáś^woś a pitter-patter, pitter-patter, and sőmè bits of^uv mortàŕ fell fróm thé wåll ábővè.

Thé cat lōōkèd up and saw ôld Mr. Benjámín Bunný prançing álong thé top of^uv thé wåll of^uv thé upper terráçè.

Hê wáś^woś smôking a pîpè of^uv rabbit-tóbaccô, and had a littlè switch in hiś hand.

Hê wáś^woś lōōking for hiś sőn.

Ôld Mr. Bunný had nô ópinĩón whåtever of^uv cats.

Hê tōōk a trėmendòús jump off thé top of^uv thé wåll on tó^tö thé top of^uv thé cat, and cuffèd it off thé baskét, and kickèd it intö thé greenhousè, scratching off a handfūl of^uv fur.

Thé cat wáś^woś töö much surprîśèd tó^tö scratch back.

When ôld Mr. Bunný had drivén thé cat intö thé greenhousè, hê lockèd thé dòor.

Then hê câmè back tó^tö thé baskét and tōōk out hiś sőn Benjámín bŷ thé ėàŕś, and whippèd him with thé littlè switch.

Then hê tōōk out hiś nephëw Pêter.

Then hê tōōk out thé hañdkerchièf of^uv őnĩónś, and marchèd out of^uv thé gardén.

When Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ rėturnèd ábout hālf an hõυŕ lâter hê óbśervèd sevèrál thingś which perplexèd him.

It lōōkèd aś thôùgh sőmè persón had bėèn-been wålking åll ôver thé gardén in a pãir of^uv clogś—ônlý thé fōōtmarks werè töö rídicûlòúslý littlè!

Ålsô hê cōūld not understand how thé cat cōūld havè manáĝèd tó^tö shut herself up insîdè thé greenhousè, locking thé dòor upon thé outsîdè.

When Pêter got hômè hiś mőther fòŕgâvè him, bėcauśè shê wáś^woś sô glad tó^tö see that hê had found hiś shöèś and coat. Cottón-tail and Pêter fôldėd up thé pockét-hañdkerchièf, and ôld Mrs. Rabbit strung up thé őnĩónś and hung them fróm thé kitchén çêìling, with thé bunchėś of^uv herbś and thé rabbit-tóbaccô.

THÉ END