a collection of beatrix potter stories-第2章

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got　your　clothes？〃



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。



PETER　said　he　hoped　that

it　would　rain。



At　this　point；　old　Mrs。

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。〃



Peter　fell　down　head　first；

but　it　was　of　no　consequence；

as　the　bed　below　was　newly

raked　and　quite　soft。



IT　had　been　sown　with　lettuces。



They　left　a　great　many　odd

little　foot…marks　all　over　the

bed；　especially　little　Benjamin；

who　was　wearing　clogs。



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。



THEN　he　suggested　that

they　should　fill　the　pocket…

handkerchief　with　onions；　as

a　little　present　for　his　Aunt。



Peter　did　not　seem　to　be

enjoying　himself；　he　kept

hearing　noises。



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。）



The　lettuces　certainly　were

very　fine。



PETER　did　not　eat　anything；

he　said　he　should

like　to　go　home。　Presently　he

dropped　half　the　onions。



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　door…

steps　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　cat　got　up　and　stretched

herself；　and　came　and

sniffed　at　the　basket。



Perhaps　she　liked　the　smell

of　onions！



Anyway；　she　sat　down　upon

the　top　of　the　basket。



SHE　sat　there　for　FIVE　HOURS。



　*　　　*　　　*　　　*　　　*



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。



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。



He　was　looking　for　his　son。



OLD　Mr。　Bunny　had　no

opinion　whatever　of　cats。



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　garden…house；　scratching

off　a　handful　of　fur。



The　cat　was　too　much　surprised

to　scratch　back。



WHEN　old　Mr。　Bunny　had

driven　the　cat　into　the

green…house；　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。



Then　he　took　out　his　nephew

Peter。



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。



It　looked　as　though　some

person　had　been　walking　all

over　the　garden　in　a　pair　of

clogsonly　the　foot…marks

were　too　ridiculously　little！



Also　he　could　not　understand

how　the　cat　could　have

managed　to　shut　herself　up

INSIDE　the　green…house；　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

rabbit…tobacco。



THE　END













THE　TALE　OF

THE　FLOPSY　BUNNIES





FOR　ALL　LITTLE　FRIENDS

OF

MR。　McGREGOR　&　PETER　&　BENJAMIN





IT　is　said　that　the　effect　of

eating　too　much　lettuce

is　〃soporific。〃



　_I_　have　never　felt　sleepy　after

eating　lettuces；　but　then　_I_　am

not　a　rabbit。



They　certainly　had　a　very

soporific　effect　upon　the　Flopsy

Bunnies！



WHEN　Benjamin　Bunny

grew　up；　he　married

his　Cousin　Flopsy。　They　had

a　large　family；　and　they　were

very　improvident　and　cheerful。



I　do　not　remember　the　separate

names　of　their　children；

they　were　generally　called　the

〃Flopsy　Bunnies。〃



AS　there　was　not　always

quite　enough　to　eat；

Benjamin　used　to　borrow

cabbages　from　Flopsy's

brother；　Peter　Rabbit；　who

kept　a　nursery　garden。



SOMETIMES　Peter　Rabbit

had　no　cabbages　to　spare。



WHEN　this　happened；　the

Flopsy　Bunnies　went

across　the　field　to　a　rubbish

heap；　in　the　ditch　outside

Mr。　McGregor's　garden。



MR。　McGREGOR'S　rubbish

heap　was　a　mixture。

There　were　jam　pots　and　paper

bags；　and　mountains　of　chopped

grass　from　the　mowing　machine

（which　always　tasted　oily）；　and

some　rotten　vegetable　marrows

and　an　old　boot　or　two。　One

dayoh　joy！there　were　a

quantity　of　overgrown　lettuces；

which　had　〃shot〃　into　flower。



THE　Flopsy　Bunnies　simply

stuffed　lettuces。　By

degrees；　one　after　another；

they　were　overcome　with

slumber；　and　lay　down　in　the

mown　grass。



Benjamin　was　not　so　much

overcome　as　his　children。

Before　going　to　sleep　he　was

sufficiently　wide　awake　to　put

a　paper　bag　over　his　head　to

keep　off　the　flies。



THE　little　Flopsy　Bunnies

slept　delightfully　in　the

warm　sun。　From　the　lawn

beyond　the　garden　came　the

distant　clacketty　sound　of　the

mowing　machine。　The　blue…

bottles　buzzed　about　the　wall；

and　a　little　old　mouse　picked

over　the　rubbish　among　the

jam　pots。



（I　can　tell　you　her　name；　she

was　called　Thomasina　Tittlemouse；

a　woodmouse　with　a

long　tail。）



SHE　rustled　across　the　paper

bag；　and　awakened　Benjamin

Bunny。



The　mouse　apologized

profusely；　and　said　that　she　knew

Peter　Rabbit。



WHILE　she　and　Benjamin

were　talking；　close　under

the　wall；　they　heard　a　heavy

tread　above　their　heads；　and

suddenly　Mr。　McGregor

emptied　out　a　sack