Itissaidthattheeffectofeatingtoomuchlettuceis“soporific.” Ihaveneverfeltsleepyaftereatinglettuces;butthenIamnotarabbit. TheycertainlyhadaverysoporificeffectupontheFlopsyBunnies! WhenBenjaminBunnygrewup,hemarriedhisCousinFlopsy.Theyhadalargefamily,andtheywereveryimprovidentandcheerful. Idonotremembertheseparatenamesoftheirchildren;theyweregenerallycalledthe“FlopsyBunnies.” Astherewasnotalwaysquiteenoughtoeat,—BenjaminusedtoborrowcabbagesfromFlopsy’sbrother,PeterRabbit,whokeptanurserygarden. SometimesPeterRabbithadnocabbagestospare. Whenthishappened,theFlopsyBunnieswentacrossthefieldtoarubbishheap,intheditchoutsideMr.McGregor’sgarden. Mr.McGregor’srubbishheapwasamixture. Therewerejampotsandpaperbags,andmountainsofchoppedgrassfromthemowingmachine(whichalwaystastedoily),andsomerottenvegetablemarrowsandanoldbootortwo.Oneday—ohjoy! —Therewereaquantityofovergrownlettuces,whichhad“shot”intoflower. TheFlopsyBunniessimplystuffedthemselveswithlettuces.Bydegrees,oneafteranother,theywereovercomewithslumber,andlaydowninthemowngrass. Benjaminwasnotsomuchovercomeashischildren.Beforegoingtosleephewassufficientlywideawaketoputapaperbagoverhisheadtokeepofftheflies. ThelittleFlopsyBunniessleptdelightfullyinthewarmsun. Fromthelawnbeyondthegardencamethedistantclackettysoundofthemowingmachine. Theblue-bottlesbuzzedaboutthewall,andalittleoldmousepickedovertherubbishamongthejampots. (Icantellyouhername,shewascalledThomasinaTittle-mouse,awoodmousewithalongtail.) Sherustledacrossthepaperbag,andawakenedBenjaminBunny. Themouseapologizedprofusely,andsaidthatsheknewPeterRabbit. WhilesheandBenjaminweretalking,closeunderthewall,theyheardaheavytreadabovetheirheads;andsuddenlyMr.McGregoremptiedoutasackfuloflawnmowingsrightuponthetopofthesleepingFlopsyBunnies! Benjaminshrankdownunderhispaperbag.Themousehidinajampot. Thelittlerabbitssmiledsweetlyintheirsleepundertheshowerofgrass;theydidnotawakebecausethelettuceshadbeensosoporific. TheydreamtthattheirmotherFlopsywastuckingthemupinahaybed. Mr.McGregorlookeddownafteremptyinghissack.Hesawsomefunnylittlebrowntipsofearsstickingupthroughthelawnmowings.Hestaredatthemforsometime. Presentlyaflysettledononeofthemanditmoved. Mr.McGregorclimbeddownontotherubbishheap— “One,two,three,four!Five!Sixleetlerabbits!” saidheashedroppedthemintohissack. TheFlopsyBunniesdreamtthattheirmotherwasturningthemoverinbed. Theystirredalittleintheirsleep,butstilltheydidnotwakeup. Mr.McGregortiedupthesackandleftitonthewall. Hewenttoputawaythemowingmachine. Whilehewasgone,Mrs.FlopsyBunny(whohadremainedathome)cameacrossthefield. Shelookedsuspiciouslyatthesackandwonderedwhereeverybodywas. Thenthemousecameoutofherjampot,andBenjamintookthepaperbagoffhishead,andtheytoldthedolefultale. BenjaminandFlopsywereindespair,theycouldnotundothestring. ButMrs.Tittlemousewasaresourcefulperson.Shenibbledaholeinthebottomcornerofthesack. Thelittlerabbitswerepulledoutandpinchedtowakethem. Theirparentsstuffedtheemptysackwiththreerottenvegetablemarrows,anoldblackingbrushandtwodecayedturnips. ThentheyallhidunderabushandwatchedforMr.McGregor. Mr.McGregorcamebackandpickedupthesack,andcarrieditoff. Hecarriedithangingdown,asifitwereratherheavy. TheFlopsyBunniesfollowedatasafedistance. Theywatchedhimgointohishouse. Andthentheycreptuptothewindowtolisten. Mr.McGregorthrewdownthesackonthestonefloorinawaythatwouldhavebeenextremelypainfultotheFlopsyBunnies,iftheyhadhappenedtohavebeeninsideit. Theycouldhearhimdraghischairontheflags,andchuckle— “One,two,three,four,five,sixleetlerabbits!”saidMr.McGregor. “Eh?What’sthat?Whathavetheybeenspoilingnow?”enquiredMrs.McGregor. “One,two,three,four,five,sixleetlefatrabbits!”repeatedMr.McGregor,countingonhisfingers—“one,two,three—” “Don’tyoubesilly:whatdoyoumean,yousillyoldman?” “Inthesack!one,two,three,four,five,six!”repliedMr.McGregor. (TheyoungestFlopsyBunnygotuponthewindowsill.) Mrs.McGregortookholdofthesackandfeltit.Shesaidshecouldfeelsix,buttheymustbeOLDrabbits,becausetheyweresohardandalldifferentshapes. “Notfittoeat;buttheskinswilldofinetolinemyoldcloak.” “Lineyouroldcloak?”shoutedMr.McGregor—”Ishallsellthemandbuymyselfbaccy!” “Rabbittobacco!Ishallskinthemandcutofftheirheads.” Mrs.McGregoruntiedthesackandputherhandinside. Whenshefeltthevegetablesshebecameveryveryangry.ShesaidthatMr.McGregorhad“doneitapurpose.” AndMr.McGregorwasveryangrytoo.Oneoftherottenmarrowscameflyingthroughthekitchenwindow,andhittheyoungestFlopsyBunny. ThenBenjaminandFlopsythoughtthatitwastimetogohome. SoMr.McGregordidnotgethistobacco,andMrs.McGregordidnotgetherrabbitskins. ButnextChristmasThomasinaTittlemousegotapresentofenoughrabbitwooltomakeherselfacloakandahood,andahandsomemuffandapairofwarmmittens. 
