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Peter Rabbit at the Farm
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NOW Peter Rabbit, as you will remember, lived with his Mother and his three little sisters,
                                          Flopsy,
                                               and Mopsy,
                                                          and Cotton-tail,
in a cozy little home, deep down in a sand-bank, under the roots of a big fir-tree.

LIKE all little boy rabbits, Peter was always getting into mischief. And one day, when his Mother had gone to call on little Mrs. Hare, he made a little boat out of an old soap-box, and sailed away down the little noisy brook, until he came to the great, wide, greenish-blue sea. There he met Grandaddy Whale and Sammy Sea Gull, and had many wonderful adventures all of which you have read in another story.

IT wasn’t long after that when Peter was ready for more mischief, so, one morning, when Old Mother Rabbit wasn’t looking, he slipped out of the back door, as quietly as a little mouse, and scampered down the lane, as fast as his short little legs could carry him.

HE was so busy with his running that he forgot all about his looking, and, the first thing he knew, he ran “smack” into Little Pollie Possum, who was trudging down the road on her way home from Mr. McGregor’s farm, with a basket of persimmons on her arm. The basket went one way, and the persimmons went another way, and Pollie and Peter were all mixed up together in the middle of the road.

“YOU pesky little rabbit!” cried Pollie Possum, “now see what you’ve done! You’ve spilled all my nice persimmons, and my poor old auntie won’t have any fruit for breakfast.”

Of course Peter was sorry, and of course he picked up all the persimmons and put them back in the basket. He was so nice about it, and so sorry that he had been rude, that Pollie Possum forgave him and handed him a big, fat, juicy persimmon all for himself.

POLLIE POSSUM’S polite manners made Peter a very happy little rabbit, and off he skipped, nibbling the big yellow persimmon as fast as his little white teeth could work.

HE skipped and he ran, and he ran and he skipped, until he came to the old oak tree on Mr. McGregor’s farm that had been blown down in the big storm. He looked all about, until at last he found the nicest little hollow place in the trunk of the tree it wasn’t too deep, and it wasn’t too wide, but was just right. So down sat Peter to finish his persimmon. He nibbled, and he chewed, and he chewed and he nibbled, and was having a lovely time, when suddenly he heard a little voice crying “Boo-hoo! Oh! Boo-hoo!” He looked this way, and he looked that way, until at last he saw Little Goosie Poosie, all huddled up in the grass, crying as if her heart would break.

MY goodness gracious!” said Peter, “what terrible thing has happened now? Tell me all about it, quick, and maybe I can help.”

“Oh! Peter.” replied Little Goosie Poosie, “if you only could. All the water has run out of our swimming-pond and nobody knows how to fix it.”

“SUPPOSE we go and have a look at it,” said Peter, and off they started.

SURE enough, when they got to the little pond, there was only enough water left in it to wet the tip end of Daddy Gander’s toes not near enough water for Little Goosie Poosie or Ducky Daddies to have any fun in.

NOW Peter, with all his mischief, was a wise little rabbit, and he saw at once where the trouble was. The muskrat family, that lived in the bank of Mr. McGregor’s pond, had been digging in the mud for the sweet little water roots, and had made such a big hole in the dam that the water had all run out.

Peter took off his little blue jacket and set to work at once. He made everybody help — the chickens brought the moss, and the ducks and geese brought the clay. Peter carried the sticks and rolled the stones. He pulled and he pushed, and he tramped and he stamped, and it wasn’t very long before the big hole was filled up and the little pond was full of water again.

“HIP! Hip! Hurrah!” cried Peter, and “Hurrah!” cried Mother Goosie Poosie and Daddy Gander, as they swam around and stood on their heads to show how glad they were.

PETER was so pleased that he danced around on the bank of the pond. But in his excitement he forgot how very “slickery” wet clay really is. First he slipped on one foot, then he slipped on the other foot, and then all of a sudden he went SPLASH! head over heels into the deepest part of the water.

MOTHER GOOSIE POOSIE and Daddy Gander spread out their wings and came skimming over the water as fast as they could fly.

DADDY GANDER grabbed Peter by his long hairy ears, and Mother Goosie Poosie grabbed Peter by his short furry tail, and soon he was safe and sound on dry land.

IT was a very wet and muddy Peter Rabbit that stood on the bank of the pond, while the water dripped off of him.

OF course Peter had to take off his clothes and hang them up to dry. And, all the time his clothes were drying, Peter had to hide in the bushes, because he didn’t have any other clothes to put on.

THE sun was hot, however, and soon Peter was dressed again and ready to go with Little Goosie Poosie all around Mr. McGregor’s farm. Off they started, Little Goosie Poosie waddling along in front, and Peter skipping along behind.

PETER found a big bone and made friends with Old Growler, Mr. McGregor’s watchdog, who had a big leather collar around his neck.

DOWN in Mr. McGregor’s orchard they found some nice, juicy, red apples and when they reached Mr. McGregor’s barn-yard, Peter had lots of fun with Silver Tail, the big brown mare.

“She can catch apples in her mouth,” said Little Goosie Poosie. “I’ve seen her do it lots of times.”

“Don’t believe it,” said Peter.

But Silver Tail really could, and when Peter tossed her a big, red apple, she opened her mouth wide, and the apple disappeared. She chewed, and she chewed, and she chewed, and then all of a sudden, she winked one eye at Peter, as much to say “You didn’t think I could do it, did you?”

BUT best of all, Peter liked the little woolly lambs. They were all playing “Follow the Leader” on a little hill. First one would run up and jump off, and then another would run up and jump off, and then another would run up and jump off. Peter laughed at them until his little sides ached.

THEN over they went to Mr. McGregor’s cow-stable, to see the big red cow, called “Sukey.” It was growing late, and there was Mr. McGregor’s hired man milking away, with both hands, as fast as he could. Peter was so anxious to see where the milk came from, that he crept right in between Mr. McGregor’s hired man’s legs.

“Drat that little rabbit!” said he, as he gave a kick at Peter.

PETER jumped away as fast as he could, but jumped so quickly that he hadn’t time to look where he was going, and into the big milk bucket he tumbled head over heels.

HE didn’t stay there long, you may be sure. Out he popped and off he scampered into the barn and hid in a big heap of hay.

THOMAS, the big maltese stable cat saw him, and thought he was a great big rat, and was just going to pounce upon Peter, and bite him with his sharp white teeth, when in flapped Little Goosie Poosie.

“Oh! — please don’t bite him,” she cried, “it’s only Peter.”

SO Thomas made friends with Peter, and licked all the milk off his little blue jacket.

“Dear me,” said Peter, “I’ve had a lovely time, but there is no telling what will happen next. I believe I’d better go home.”

So he said “Good-bye” to Little Goosie Poosie, and all the ducks and all the chickens, and all the geese, and all the cows, and all the horses, and all the rest of his friends at Mr. McGregor’s farm, through a hole in the fence.

PETER thought the shortest way home would be through Mr. McGregor’s corn field, but the corn stalks were so tall, and the leaves were so thick, that he soon lost his way. He turned and he twisted, and he walked and he ran, but he couldn’t find his way out. So down he sat on a big yellow pumpkin, to think what he could do next.

Old Jim Crow was so busy stealing corn that he never noticed Peter.

WHEN Peter saw Old Jim Crow, he thought how nice it would be if Old Jim Crow would carry him out of the corn field, so he could get home in time for supper. He crept up closer and closer to Old Jim Crow, and then, all of a sudden, he made a big jump and caught Old Jim Crow by both his feet.

Soon they were sailing just over the tops of the corn stalks Old Jim Crow couldn’t fly very high, and he couldn’t fly very fast, because Peter was rather heavy.

WHEN they came to the big road Peter cried out, “Now I know where I am.” And just then he let go of Old Jim Crow’s legs, and down he dropped. Peter wasn’t hurt a bit. So off he scampered for home — lippety-lippety-lippety, just as fast as his short little legs could carry him.

OLD MOTHER RABBIT, and Flopsy, and Mopsy, and Cotton-tail were all very much frightened, when Peter told them about all the wonderful things that he had seen, but Peter only laughed. When he had eaten his supper, and had crawled into his little bed, Old Mother Rabbit came in to kiss him good-night, and turn out the light. “Now Peter,” she said, just before she turned away, “please promise me that you will be my good little boy rabbit, and never run away again.” But Peter was fast asleep.