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The Tale of Benjamin Bunny by Potter, Beatrix, 1866-1943
The Tale of Benjamin Bunny by Potter, Beatrix, 1866-1943
The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter
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Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TALE OF BENJAMIN BUNNY ***
THE TALE OF
BENJAMIN BUNNY
BY
BEATRIX POTTER
THE TALE OF 1
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter.
NEW YORK
Copyright, 1904
BY
FROM
BEATRIX POTTER 2
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter.
A gig was coming along the road; it was driven by Mr. McGregor, and beside him sat Mrs. McGregor in her
best bonnet.
BEATRIX POTTER 3
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter.
As soon as they had passed, little Benjamin Bunny slid down into the road, and set off—with a hop, skip, and
a jump—to call upon his relations, who lived in the wood at the back of Mr. McGregor's garden.
BEATRIX POTTER 4
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter.
That wood was full of rabbit holes; and in the neatest, sandiest hole of all lived Benjamin's aunt and his
cousins—Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter.
Old Mrs. Rabbit was a widow; she earned her living by knitting rabbit-wool mittens and muffatees (I once
bought a pair at a bazaar). She also sold herbs, and rosemary tea, and rabbit-tobacco (which is what we call
lavender).
Little Benjamin did not very much want to see his Aunt.
He came round the back of the fir-tree, and nearly tumbled upon the top of his Cousin Peter.
BEATRIX POTTER 5
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter.
Peter was sitting by himself. He looked poorly, and was dressed in a red cotton pocket-handkerchief.
"Peter," said little Benjamin, in a whisper, "who has got your clothes?"
BEATRIX POTTER 6
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter.
Peter replied, "The scarecrow in Mr. McGregor's garden," and described how he had been chased about the
garden, and had dropped his shoes and coat.
Little Benjamin sat down beside his cousin and assured him that Mr. McGregor had gone out in a gig, and
Mrs. McGregor also; and certainly for the day, because she was wearing her best bonnet.
At this point old Mrs. Rabbit's voice was heard inside the rabbit hole, calling: "Cotton-tail! Cotton-tail! fetch
some more camomile!"
BEATRIX POTTER 7
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter.
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.
BEATRIX POTTER 8
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter.
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."
Peter fell down head first; but it was of no consequence, as the bed below was newly raked and quite soft.
They left a great many odd little footmarks all over the bed, especially little Benjamin, who was wearing
clogs.
BEATRIX POTTER 9
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter.
Little Benjamin said that the first thing to be done was to get back Peter's clothes, in order that they might be
able to use the pocket-handkerchief.
They took them off the scarecrow. There had been rain during the night; there was water in the shoes, and the
coat was somewhat shrunk.
Benjamin tried on the tam-o'-shanter, but it was too big for him.
BEATRIX POTTER 10
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter.
Then he suggested that they should fill the pocket-handkerchief with onions, as a little present for his Aunt.
BEATRIX POTTER 11
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter.
Benjamin, on the contrary, was perfectly at home, and ate a lettuce leaf. He said that he was in the habit of
coming to the garden with his father to get lettuces for their Sunday dinner.
(The name of little Benjamin's papa was old Mr. Benjamin Bunny.)
Peter did not eat anything; he said he should like to go home. Presently he dropped half the onions.
BEATRIX POTTER 12
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter.
Little Benjamin said that it was not possible to get back up the pear-tree with a load of vegetables. He led the
way boldly towards the other end of the garden. They went along a little walk on planks, under a sunny, red
brick wall.
The mice sat on their doorsteps cracking cherry-stones; they winked at Peter Rabbit and little Benjamin
Bunny.
BEATRIX POTTER 13
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter.
They got amongst flower-pots, and frames, and tubs. Peter heard noises worse than ever; his eyes were as big
BEATRIX POTTER 14
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter.
as lolly-pops!
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....
BEATRIX POTTER 15
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter.
The cat got up and stretched herself, and came and sniffed at the basket.
BEATRIX POTTER 16
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter.
I 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 late in the afternoon; but still the cat sat upon the basket.
BEATRIX POTTER 17
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter.
At length there was a pitter-patter, pitter-patter, and some 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.
He was smoking a pipe of rabbit-tobacco, and had a little switch in his hand.
BEATRIX POTTER 18
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter.
He took a tremendous jump off the top of the wall on to the top of the cat, and cuffed it off the basket, and
kicked it into the greenhouse, scratching off a handful of fur.
BEATRIX POTTER 19
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter.
When old Mr. Bunny had driven the cat into the greenhouse, he locked the door.
Then he came back to the basket and took out his son Benjamin by the ears, and whipped him with the little
switch.
BEATRIX POTTER 20
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter.
Then he took out the handkerchief of onions, and marched out of the garden.
When Mr. McGregor returned about half an hour later he observed several things which perplexed him.
BEATRIX POTTER 21
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter.
It looked as though some person had been walking all over the garden in a pair of clogs—only the footmarks
were too ridiculously little!
Also he could not understand how the cat could have managed to shut herself up inside the greenhouse,
locking the door upon the outside.
When Peter got home his mother forgave him, because she was so glad to see that he had found his shoes and
coat. Cotton-tail and Peter folded up the pocket-handkerchief, and old Mrs. Rabbit strung up the onions and
hung them from the kitchen ceiling, with the bunches of herbs and the rabbit-tobacco.
THE END
*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TALE OF BENJAMIN BUNNY ***
THE END 22
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