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THE TALE OF THEFLOPSY BUNNIES

by Beatrix Potter

Styled by LimpidSoft

FOR ALL LITTLE FRIENDSOF

MR. McGREGOR & PETER & BENJAMIN

The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies: Firstpublished 1909, Frederick Warne & Co.,1909Printed and bound in Great Britain byWilliam Clowes Limited, Beccles and London.This document is an adaptation of the htmltext supplied by Project Gutenberg [EBook#14220], and is made freely available on theone condition: that it is FREE.

John RedmondSydney, Australia

[email protected]

The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies

IT is said that the effect of eating toomuch lettuce is “soporific.”

I have never felt sleepy after eatinglettuces; but then I am not a rabbit.

They certainly had a very soporificeffect upon the Flopsy Bunnies!

1


WHEN Benjamin Bunny grew up, hemarried his Cousin Flopsy. They had alarge family, and they were veryimprovident and cheerful.

I do not remember the separate namesof their children; they were generallycalled the “Flopsy Bunnies.”

2


AS there was not always quite enoughto eat,—Benjamin used to borrowcabbages from Flopsy’s brother, PeterRabbit, who kept a nursery garden.

3


SOMETIMES Peter Rabbit had nocabbages to spare.

4


WHEN this happened, the FlopsyBunnies went across the field to arubbish heap, in the ditch outside Mr.McGregor’s garden.

5


MR. McGregor’s rubbish heap was amixture. There were jam pots andpaper bags, and mountains of choppedgrass from the mowing machine (whichalways tasted oily), and some rottenvegetable marrows and an old boot ortwo. One day—oh joy!—there were aquantity of overgrown lettuces, whichhad “shot” into flower.

6


THE Flopsy Bunnies simply stuffedlettuces. By degrees, one after another,they were overcome with slumber, andlay down in the mown grass.

Benjamin was not so much overcomeas his children. Before going to sleephe was sufficiently wide awake to put apaper bag over his head to keep off theflies.

7


THE little Flopsy Bunnies sleptdelightfully in the warm sun. From thelawn beyond the garden came thedistant clacketty sound of the mowingmachine. The bluebottles buzzedabout the wall, and a little old mousepicked over the rubbish among the jampots.

(I can tell you her name, she wascalled Thomasina Tittlemouse, awoodmouse with a long tail.)

8


SHE rustled across the paper bag, andawakened Benjamin Bunny.

The mouse apologized profusely, andsaid that she knew Peter Rabbit.

9


WHILE she and Benjamin were talking,close under the wall, they heard aheavy tread above their heads; andsuddenly Mr. McGregor emptied out asackful of lawn mowings right uponthe top of the sleeping Flopsy Bunnies!Benjamin shrank down under hispaper bag. The mouse hid in a jam pot.

10


THE little rabbits smiled sweetly intheir sleep under the shower of grass;they did not awake because thelettuces had been so soporific.

They dreamt that their mother Flopsywas tucking them up in a hay bed.

Mr. McGregor looked down afteremptying his sack. He saw some funnylittle brown tips of ears sticking upthrough the lawn mowings. He staredat them for some time.

11


PRESENTLY a fly settled on one of themand it moved.

Mr. McGregor climbed down on to therubbish heap—

“One, two, three, four! five! six leetlerabbits!” said he as he dropped theminto his sack. The Flopsy Bunniesdreamt that their mother was turningthem over in bed. They stirred a littlein their sleep, but still they did notwake up.

12


MR. McGregor tied up the sack andleft it on the wall.

He went to put away the mowingmachine.

13


WHILE he was gone, Mrs. FlopsyBunny (who had remained at home)came across the field.

She looked suspiciously at the sackand wondered where everybody was?

14


THEN the mouse came out of her jampot, and Benjamin took the paper bagoff his head, and they told the dolefultale.

Benjamin and Flopsy were in despair,they could not undo the string.

But Mrs. Tittlemouse was aresourceful person. She nibbled a holein the bottom corner of the sack.

15


THE little rabbits were pulled out andpinched to wake them.

Their parents stuffed the empty sackwith three rotten vegetable marrows,an old blacking-brush and twodecayed turnips.

16


THEN they all hid under a bush andwatched for Mr. McGregor.

17


MR. McGregor came back and pickedup the sack, and carried it off.

He carried it hanging down, as if itwere rather heavy.

The Flopsy Bunnies followed at a safedistance.

18


THE watched him go into his house.

And then they crept up to the windowto listen.

19


MR. McGregor threw down the sack onthe stone floor in a way that wouldhave been extremely painful to theFlopsy Bunnies, if they had happenedto have been inside it.

They could hear him drag his chair onthe flags, and chuckle—

“One, two, three, four, five, six leetlerabbits!” said Mr. McGregor.

20


“EH? What’s that? What have theybeen spoiling now?” enquired Mrs.McGregor.

“One, two, three, four, five, six leetlefat rabbits!” repeated Mr. McGregor,counting on his fingers—“one, two,three—”

“Don’t you be silly; what do you mean,you silly old man?”

“In the sack! one, two, three, four, five,six!” replied Mr. McGregor.

(The youngest Flopsy Bunny got uponthe window-sill.)

21


MRS. McGregor took hold of the sackand felt it. She said she could feel six,but they must be old rabbits, becausethey were so hard and all differentshapes.

“Not fit to eat; but the skins will do fineto line my old cloak.”

“Line your old cloak?” shouted Mr.McGregor—“I shall sell them and buymyself baccy!”

“Rabbit tobacco! I shall skin them andcut off their heads.”

22


MRS. McGregor untied the sack andput her hand inside.

When she felt the vegetables shebecame very very angry. She said thatMr. McGregor had “done it a purpose.”

23


AND Mr. McGregor was very angry too.One of the rotten marrows came flyingthrough the kitchen window, and hitthe youngest Flopsy Bunny.

It was rather hurt.

24


THEN Benjamin and Flopsy thoughtthat it was time to go home.

25


SO Mr. McGregor did not get histobacco, and Mrs. McGregor did notget her rabbit skins.

But next Christmas ThomasinaTittlemouse got a present of enoughrabbit-wool to make herself a cloakand a hood, and a handsome muff anda pair of warm mittens.

26

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