Onemorningalittlerabbitsatonabank. Heprickedhisearsandlistenedtothetrit-trot,trit-trotofapony. Agigwascomingalongtheroad;itwasdrivenbyMr.McGregor,andbesidehimsatMrs.McGregorinherbestbonnet. Assoonastheyhadpassed,littleBenjaminBunnysliddownintotheroad,andsetoff—withahop,skip,andajump—tocalluponhisrelations,wholivedinthewoodatthebackofMr.McGregor’sgarden. Thatwoodwasfullofrabbitholes;andintheneatest,sandiestholeofalllivedBenjamin’sauntandhiscousins—Flopsy,Mopsy,Cotton-tail,andPeter. OldMrs.Rabbitwasawidow;sheearnedherlivingbyknittingrabbit-woolmittensandmuffatees(Ionceboughtapairatabazaar). Shealsosoldherbs,androsemarytea,andrabbit-tobacco(whichiswhatwecalllavender). LittleBenjamindidnotverymuchwanttoseehisAunt. Hecameroundthebackofthefir-tree,andnearlytumbleduponthetopofhisCousinPeter. Peterwassittingbyhimself.Helookedpoorly,andwasdressedinaredcottonpocket-handkerchief. “Peter,”saidlittleBenjamin,inawhisper,“whohasgotyourclothes?” Peterreplied,“ThescarecrowinMr.McGregor’sgarden,”anddescribedhowhehadbeenchasedaboutthegarden,andhaddroppedhisshoesandcoat. LittleBenjaminsatdownbesidehiscousinandassuredhimthatMr.McGregorhadgoneoutinagig,andMrs.McGregoralso;andcertainlyfortheday,becauseshewaswearingherbestbonnet. Petersaidhehopedthatitwouldrain. AtthispointoldMrs.Rabbit’svoicewasheardinsidetherabbithole,calling:“Cotton-tail!Cotton-tail!Fetchsomemorecamomile!” Petersaidhethoughthemightfeelbetterifhewentforawalk. Theywentawayhandinhand,andgotupontheflattopofthewallatthebottomofthewood. FromheretheylookeddownintoMr.McGregor’sgarden. Peter’scoatandshoeswereplainlytobeseenuponthescarecrow,toppedwithanoldtam-o’-shanterofMr.McGregor’s. LittleBenjaminsaid:“Itspoilspeople’sclothestosqueezeunderagate;theproperwaytogetinistoclimbdownapear-tree.” Peterfelldownheadfirst;butitwasofnoconsequence,asthebedbelowwasnewlyrakedandquitesoft. Ithadbeensownwithlettuces. Theyleftagreatmanyoddlittlefootmarksalloverthebed,especiallylittleBenjamin,whowaswearingclogs. LittleBenjaminsaidthatthefirstthingtobedonewastogetbackPeter’sclothes,inorderthattheymightbeabletousethepocket-handkerchief. Theytookthemoffthescarecrow.Therehadbeenrainduringthenight;therewaswaterintheshoes,andthecoatwassomewhatshrunk. Benjamintriedonthetam-o’-shanter,butitwastoobigforhim. Thenhesuggestedthattheyshouldfillthepocket-handkerchiefwithonions,asalittlepresentforhisAunt. Peterdidnotseemtobeenjoyinghimself;hekepthearingnoises. Benjamin,onthecontrary,wasperfectlyathome,andatealettuceleaf.HesaidthathewasinthehabitofcomingtothegardenwithhisfathertogetlettucesfortheirSundaydinner. (ThenameoflittleBenjamin’spapawasoldMr.BenjaminBunny.) Thelettucescertainlywereveryfine. Peterdidnoteatanything;hesaidheshouldliketogohome.Presentlyhedroppedhalftheonions. LittleBenjaminsaidthatitwasnotpossibletogetbackupthepear-treewithaloadofvegetables. Heledthewayboldlytowardstheotherendofthegarden. Theywentalongalittlewalkonplanks,underasunny,redbrickwall. Themicesatontheirdoorstepscrackingcherry-stones;theywinkedatPeterRabbitandlittleBenjaminBunny. PresentlyPeterletthepocket-handkerchiefgoagain. Theygotamongstflower-pots,andframes,andtubs.Peterheardnoisesworsethanever;hiseyeswereasbigaslolly-pops! Hewasasteportwoinfrontofhiscousinwhenhesuddenlystopped. Thisiswhatthoselittlerabbitssawroundthatcorner! LittleBenjamintookonelook,andthen,inhalfaminutelessthannotime,hehidhimselfandPeterandtheonionsunderneathalargebasket.... Thecatgotupandstretchedherself,andcameandsniffedatthebasket. Perhapsshelikedthesmellofonions! Anyway,shesatdownuponthetopofthebasket. IcannotdrawyouapictureofPeterandBenjaminunderneaththebasket,becauseitwasquitedark,andbecausethesmellofonionswasfearful;itmadePeterRabbitandlittleBenjamincry. Thesungotroundbehindthewood,anditwasquitelateintheafternoon;butstillthecatsatuponthebasket. Atlengththerewasapitter-patter,pitter-patter,andsomebitsofmortarfellfromthewallabove. ThecatlookedupandsawoldMr.BenjaminBunnyprancingalongthetopofthewalloftheupperterrace. Hewassmokingapipeofrabbit-tobacco,andhadalittleswitchinhishand. OldMr.Bunnyhadnoopinionwhateverofcats. Hetookatremendousjumpoffthetopofthewallontothetopofthecat,andcuffeditoffthebasket,andkickeditintothegreenhouse,scratchingoffahandfuloffur. Thecatwastoomuchsurprisedtoscratchback. WhenoldMr.Bunnyhaddriventhecatintothegreenhouse,helockedthedoor. ThenhecamebacktothebasketandtookouthissonBenjaminbytheears,andwhippedhimwiththelittleswitch. ThenhetookouthisnephewPeter. Thenhetookoutthehandkerchiefofonions,andmarchedoutofthegarden. WhenMr.McGregorreturnedabouthalfanhourlaterheobservedseveralthingswhichperplexedhim. Itlookedasthoughsomepersonhadbeenwalkingalloverthegardeninapairofclogs—onlythefootmarksweretooridiculouslylittle! AlsohecouldnotunderstandhowthecatcouldhavemanagedtoshutherselfupINSIDEthegreenhouse,lockingthedoorupontheOUTSIDE. WhenPetergothomehismotherforgavehim,becauseshewassogladtoseethathehadfoundhisshoesandcoat. Cotton-tailandPeterfoldedupthepocket-handkerchief,andoldMrs.Rabbitstrunguptheonionsandhungthemfromthekitchenceiling,withthebunchesofherbsandtherabbit-tobacco. 
