THÉ TÂLÈ OF^UV PÊTER RABBIT

BŶ

BEATRIX POTTER

Őnçè^wőnçè upon a tîmè theŕè werè føùr littlè Rabbíts, and their nâmèś werè—

Flopsý,
Mopsý,
Cottón-tail,
and Pêter.

They livèd with their Mőther in a sand-bañk, underneath thé rööt of^uv a verý big fir-tree.

'Now mŷ dėàŕś,' sãìd ôld Mrs. Rabbit one^wőnè morning, 'yöü may gô intö thé fìêldś or down thé lânè, but dôn't gô intö Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ's gardén: yøùr Fāther had an acçídént theŕè; hê wáś^woś pūt in a pîè bŷ Mrs. Mc​Gregòŕ.'

'Now run álong, and dôn't get intö mischiéf. Î am gôing out.'

Then ôld Mrs. Rabbit tōōk a baskét and her umbrellá, and went thröügh thé wōōd tó^tö thé bâker's. Shê bøùght a loaf of^uv brõwn breàd and fîvè curránt bunś.

Flopsý, Mopsý, and Cottón-tail, whö werè gōōd littlè bunnìêś, went down thé lânè tó^tö gather blackberrìêś:

But Pêter, whö wáś^woś verý naughtý, ran straight áway tó^tö Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ's gardén, and sqυeezèd under thé gâtè!

First hê âtè sőmè lettùçėś and sőmè French beanś; and then hê âtè sőmè radishėś;

And then, feeling rather sick, hê went tó^tö lōōk for sőmè parslêy.

But round thé end of^uv a cûcumber frâmè, whöm shōūld hê meet but Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ!

Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ wáś^woś on hiś handś and kneeś planting out yòung cabbáĝėś, but hê jumpèd up and ran after Pêter, wâving a râkè and cålling out, 'Stop thìêf!'

Pêter wáś^woś môst dreàdfullý frighténèd; hê rushèd åll ôver thé gardén, for hê had fòŕgottén thé way back tó^tö thé gâtè.

Hê lost one^wőnè of^uv hiś shöèś ámőng thé cabbáĝėś, and thé őther shöè ámőngst thé pótâtôèś.

After löśing them, hê ran on føùr legś and went faster, sô that Î thiñk hê might havè got áway åltógether if hê had not unforťünátèlý run intö a göösèberrý net, and got caught bŷ thé larĝè buttónś on hiś jackét. It wáś^woś a blüè jackét with brass buttónś, qυîtè new.

Pêter gâvè himself up for lost, and shed big tėàŕś; but hiś sobś werè ôverhèàŕd bŷ sőmè frìendlý sparrôwś, whö flew tó^tö him in grèât ėxcîtèmént, and implorèd him tó^tö ėxert himself.

Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ câmè up with a sièvè, which hê intendėd tó^tö pop upon thé top of^uv Pêter; but Pêter wriggled out just in tîmè, leaving hiś jackét bėhînd him.

And rushèd intö thé tööl-shed, and jumpèd intö a can. It wōūld havè bėèn-been a bèàûtíful thing tó^tö hîdè in, if it had not had sô much wåter in it.

Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ wáś^woś qυîtè ŝūrè that Pêter wáś^woś sőmèwheŕè in thé tööl-shed, perhaps hiddén underneath a flõwer-pot. Hê bėgan tó^tö turn them ôver cãŕèfullý, lōōking under each.

Preśéntlý Pêter sneezèd—'Kertyŝchöö!' Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ wáś^woś after him in nô tîmè.

And trîèd tó^tö pūt hiś fōōt upon Pêter, whö jumpèd out of^uv a windôw, upsetting three plants. Thé windôw wáś^woś töö småll for Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ, and hê wáś^woś tîrèd of^uv running after Pêter. Hê went back tó^tö hiś wòŕk.

Pêter sat down tó^tö rest; hê wáś^woś out of^uv breàth and trembling with fright, and hê had not thé least îdêá which way tó^tö gô. Ålsô hê wáś^woś verý damp with sitting in that can.

After a tîmè hê bėgan tó^tö wānder^wonder ábout, gôing lippity—lippity—not verý fast, and lōōking åll round.

Hê found a dòor in a wåll; but it wáś^woś lockèd, and theŕè wáś^woś nô rööm for a fat littlè rabbit tó^tö sqυeezè underneath.

An ôld mousè wáś^woś running in and out ôver thé stônè dòorstep, carrýing peaś and beanś tó^tö her famílý in thé wōōd. Pêter askèd her thé way tó^tö thé gâtè, but shê had such a larĝè pea in her mouth that shê cōūld not answer. Shê ônlý shōōk her heàd at him. Pêter bėgan tó^tö crŷ.

Then hê trîèd tó^tö fînd hiś way straight ácross thé gardén, but hê bėcâmè morè and morè puzzlèd. Preśéntlý, hê câmè tó^tö a pond wheŕè Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ fillèd hiś wåter-canś. A whîtè cat wáś^woś stãring at sőmè gôld-fish, shê sat verý, verý still, but now and then thé tip of^uv her tail twitchèd aś if it werè álîvè. Pêter thøùght it best tó^tö gô áway without speaking tó^tö her; hê had hèàŕd ábout cats fróm hiś còuśín, littlè Benjámín Bunný.

Hê went back tówårdś thé tööl-shed, but suddénlý, qυîtè clôśè tó^tö him, hê hèàŕd thé noiśè of^uv a hôè—scr-r-ritch, scratch, scratch, scritch. Pêter scutterèd underneath thé būshéś. But preśéntlý, aś nőthing happénèd, hê câmè out, and clîmbèd upon a wheelbarrôw and peepèd ôver. Thé first thing hê saw wáś^woś Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ hôeing őnĩónś. Hiś back wáś^woś turnèd tówårdś Pêter, and bėyond him wáś^woś thé gâtè!

Pêter got down verý qυîétlý off thé wheelbarrôw; and startėd running aś fast aś hê cōūld gô, álong a straight wålk bėhînd sőmè black-curránt būshéś.

Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ caught sight of^uv him at thé corner, but Pêter did not cãŕè. Hê slippèd underneath thé gâtè, and wáś^woś sâfè at last in thé wōōd outsîdè thé gardén.

Mr. Mc​Gregòŕ hung up thé littlè jackét and thé shöèś for a scãŕè-crôw tó^tö frightén thé blackbirdś.

Pêter never stoppèd running or lōōkèd bėhînd him till hê got hômè tó^tö thé big fir-tree.

Hê wáś^woś sô tîrèd that hê floppèd down upon thé nîçè soft sand on thé flòor of^uv thé rabbit-hôlè and shut hiś èŷèś. Hiś mőther wáś^woś buśý^bizee cōōking; shê wőnderèd whåt hê had dőnè with hiś clôthèś. It wáś^woś thé secónd littlè jackét and pãir of^uv shöèś that Pêter had lost in a fortnight!

Î am sorrý tó^tö say that Pêter wáś^woś not verý well dûring thé êvèning.

Hiś mőther pūt him tó^tö bed, and mâdè sőmè camómîlè tea; and shê gâvè a dôsè of^uv it tó^tö Pêter!

'One^wőnè tâblè-spöönfūl tó^tö bê tâkén at bed-tîmè.'

But Flopsý, Mopsý, and Cottón-tail had breàd and milk and blackberrìêś for supper.

THÉ END