THÉ TÂLÈ OF^UV THÉ FLOPSÝ BUNNÌÊŚ

BŶ

BEATRIX POTTER

Author of^uv
Thé Tâlè of^uv Pêter Rabbit,"

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FOR ÅLL LITTLÈ FRÌENDŚ
OF^UV
MR. MCGREGOR & PÊTER & BENJÁMÍN

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It iś sãìd that thé ėffect of^uv eating töö much lettùçè iś "soporific."

Î havè never felt sleepý after eating lettùçėś; but then Î am not a rabbit.

They çertáìnlý had a verý soporific ėffect upon thé Flopsý Bunnìêś!

When Benjámín Bunný grew up, hê marrìêd hiś Còuśín Flopsý. They had a larĝè famílý, and they werè verý improvidént and chėerful.

Î dö not rėmember thé sepàrátè nâmèś of^uv their childrén; they werè ĝenèrállý cållèd thé "Flopsý Bunnìêś."

Aś theŕè wáś^woś not ålwayś qυîtè enough^ėnòuf tó^tö eat,—Benjámín ûśèd tó^tö borrôw cabbáĝėś fróm Flopsý's brőther, Pêter Rabbit, whö kept a nursérý gardén.

Sőmètîmèś Pêter Rabbit had nô cabbáĝėś tó^tö spãŕè.

When this happénèd, thé Flopsý Bunnìêś went ácross thé fìêld tó^tö a rubbish heap, in thé ditch outsîdè Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ's gardén.

Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ's rubbish heap wáś^woś a mixťurè. Theŕè werè jam pots and pâper bagś, and mountáìnś of^uv choppèd grass fróm thé mõwing máćhïnè (which ålwayś tâstėd oilý), and sőmè rottén veĝètáblè marrôwś and an ôld bööt or twö. One^wőnè day—ôh joy!—theŕè werè a qυantitý of^uv ôvergrôwn lettùçėś, which had "shot" intö flõwer.

Thé Flopsý Bunnìêś simplý stuffèd lettùçėś. Bŷ dėgreeś, one^wőnè after ánőther, they werè ôvercőmè with slumber, and lay down in thé môwn grass.

Benjámín wáś^woś not sô much ôvercőmè aś hiś childrén. Bėforè gôing tó^tö sleep hê wáś^woś suffićìéntlý wîdè áwâkè tó^tö pūt a pâper bag ôver hiś heàd tó^tö keep off thé flîèś.

Thé littlè Flopsý Bunnìêś slept dėlightfullý in thé wårm sun. Fróm thé lawn bėyond thé gardén câmè thé distánt clackettý sound of^uv thé mõwing máćhïnè. Thé blüèbottlèś buzzèd ábout thé wåll, and a littlè ôld mousè pickèd ôver thé rubbish ámőng thé jam pots.

(Î can tell yöü her nâmè, shê wáś^woś cållèd thomáslïná Tittlèmousè, a wōōdmousè with a long tail.)

Shê rustlèd ácross thé pâper bag, and áwâkénèd Benjámín Bunný.

Thé mousè ápolóĝîzèd prófûsèlý, and sãìd that shê knew Pêter Rabbit.

Whîlè shê and Benjámín werè tålking, clôśè under thé wåll, they hèàŕd a heàvý treàd ábővè their heàdś; and suddénlý Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ emptìêd out a sackful of^uv lawn môwingś right upon thé top of^uv thé sleeping Flopsý Bunnìêś! Benjámín shrañk down under hiś pâper bag. Thé mousè hid in a jam pot.

Thé littlè rabbíts smîlèd sweetlý in their sleep under thé shõwer of^uv grass; they did not áwâkè bėcauśè thé lettùçėś had bėèn-been sô soporific.

They dreàmt that their mőther Flopsý wáś^woś tucking them up in a hay bed.

Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ lōōkèd down after emptýing hiś sack. Hê saw sőmè funný littlè brõwn tips of^uv ėàŕś sticking up thröügh thé lawn môwingś. Hê stãŕèd at them for sőmè tîmè.

Preśéntlý a flŷ settlèd on one^wőnè of^uv them and it mövèd.

Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ clîmbèd down on tó^tö thé rubbish heap—

"One^wőnè, twö, three, føùr! fîvè! six leetlè rabbíts!" sãìd hê aś hê droppèd them intö hiś sack. Thé Flopsý Bunnìêś dreàmt that their mőther wáś^woś turning them ôver in bed. They stirrèd a littlè in their sleep, but still they did not wâkè up.

Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ tîèd up thé sack and left it on thé wåll.

Hê went tó^tö pūt áway thé mõwing máćhïnè.

Whîlè hê wáś^woś gonè, Mrs. Flopsý Bunný (whö had rėmainèd at hômè) câmè ácross thé fìêld.

Shê lōōkèd suspićìòúslý at thé sack and wőnderèd wheŕè evèrýbodý wáś^woś?

Then thé mousè câmè out of^uv her jam pot, and Benjámín tōōk thé pâper bag off hiś heàd, and they tôld thé dôlèful tâlè.

Benjámín and Flopsý werè in dėspãir, they cōūld not undö thé string.

But Mrs. Tittlèmousè wáś^woś a rėsøùrçèful persón. Shê nibblèd a hôlè in thé bottóm corner of^uv thé sack.

Thé littlè rabbíts werè pūllèd out and pinchèd tó^tö wâkè them.

Their pãrénts stuffèd thé emptý sack with three rottén veĝètáblè marrôwś, an ôld blacking-brush and twö décayèd turníps.

Then they åll hid under a būsh and wātchèd^wotchèd for Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ.

Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ câmè back and pickèd up thé sack, and carrìêd it off.

Hê carrìêd it hanging down, aś if it werè rather heàvý.

Thé Flopsý Bunnìêś follôwèd at a sâfè distánçè.

Thé wātchèd^wotchèd him gô intö hiś housè.

And then they crept up tó^tö thé windôw tó^tö listén.

Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ threw down thé sack on thé stônè flòor in a way that wōūld havè bėèn-been ėxtrêmèlý painful tó^tö thé Flopsý Bunnìêś, if they had happénèd tó^tö havè bėèn-been insîdè it.

They cōūld hėàŕ him drag hiś chãir on thé flagś, and chucklè—

"One^wőnè, twö, three, føùr, fîvè, six leetlè rabbíts!" sãìd Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ.

"Eh? Whåt's that? Whåt havè they bėèn-been spoiling now?" enqũired Mrs. Mc​Gregòŕ.

"One^wőnè, twö, three, føùr, fîvè, six leetlè fat rabbíts!" rėpeatėd Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ, counting on hiś fiñgerś—"one^wőnè, twö, three—"

"Dôn't yöü bê sillý; whåt dö yöü mean, yöü sillý ôld man?"

"In thé sack! one^wőnè, twö, three, føùr, fîvè, six!" rėplîèd Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ.

(thé yòuñgést Flopsý Bunný got upon thé windôw-sill.)

Mrs. Mc​Gregòŕ tōōk hôld of^uv thé sack and felt it. Shê sãìd shê cōūld feel six, but they must bê ôld rabbíts, bėcauśè they werè sô hard and åll diffèrént shâpès.

"Not fit tó^tö eat; but thé skinś will dö fînè tó^tö lînè mŷ ôld cloak."

"Lînè yøùr ôld cloak?" shoutėd Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ—"Î shall sell them and bùŷ mŷself baccý!"

"Rabbit tóbaccô! Î shall skin them and cut off their heàdś."

Mrs. Mc​Gregòŕ untîèd thé sack and pūt her hand insîdè.

When shê felt thé veĝètáblèś shê bėcâmè verý verý añgrý. Shê sãìd that Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ had "dőnè it a purpósè."

And Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ wáś^woś verý añgrý töö. One^wőnè of^uv thé rottén marrôwś câmè flŷing thröügh thé kitchén windôw, and hit thé yòuñgést Flopsý Bunný.

It wáś^woś rather hurt.

Then Benjámín and Flopsý thøùght that it wáś^woś tîmè tó^tö gô hômè.

Sô Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ did not get hiś tóbaccô, and Mrs. Mc​Gregòŕ did not get her rabbit skinś.

But next Christmás thomáslïná Tittlèmousè got a preśént of^uv enough^ėnòuf rabbit-wōōl tó^tö mâkè herself a cloak and a hōōd, and a handsőmè muff and a pãir of^uv wårm mitténś.

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