In a quiet grove there stands a tall, big fir tree. Under the tree is a warm and cozy den where Mama Rabbit and her four children live: the oldest, Mello; the second, Philo; the third daughter, Pin Cushion; and the youngest boy, naughty Little Peter.
Mama Rabbit’s Advice Before Going Out
One morning, Mama Rabbit was getting ready to go into town to buy some food. Before she left, she said earnestly to the children, “You may play in the grass nearby or walk along the path, but you must not go near Mr. McGrew’s vegetable garden.”
“Why?” Little Peter asked curiously.
“Because your father used to sneak in there, and he was caught by Mrs. McGrew, and ……”, the mother rabbit said after a pause, a little sadly, “she made a pie out of him.
Hearing this, several of the children cowered in fear. When Mother Rabbit had finished, she picked up her basket, put up her little umbrella, and walked into the woods toward the bakery.
The Obedient Child and the Disobedient Little Peter
Mello, Philo, and Pin Cushion were three very good boys, and they decided to go together to pick blackberries to eat. But Little Peter was different; he did not want to go picking fruit at all, and all he could think of was the McGrews’ vegetable garden.
“The carrots there must be especially sweet, and the green lettuce!” The more he thought about it, the more he craved it.
When his mother was out of sight, Peter walked quietly by himself toward the vegetable garden. He remembered that his mother had said he couldn’t go, but he couldn’t resist.
Peter snuck into the vegetable garden.
Peter came to the edge of the vegetable garden and found a small hole under the fence. He cautiously went in and was amazed at what he saw – wow, lots of fresh vegetables!
He ate a few slices of tender lettuce, then pulled some string beans, and finally nibbled at a carrot. When he was almost finished eating, he felt his stomach was still a little empty and wanted to find some celery to fill it up.
As he was walking along looking for some, he suddenly saw a man standing in front of him – it was Mr. McGrew!
Spotted!
McGrew was squatting on the ground planting cabbages and was startled to see Peter. He jumped to his feet, shovel still in hand, and yelled, “Man, what brings you to my place? Get out!”
When Peter heard this, he immediately spread his legs and ran. But he was so nervous and ran so fast that he dropped one shoe in the cabbage field and the other in the potato field.
Without his shoes, Peter ran even slower. In his panic, he ran into a bush and got his clothes caught on a branch, which he couldn’t pull out.
The Little Sparrow Came to Help
Peter was so frightened that tears fell from his eyes. Just then a couple of little birds flew over, landed on the branch, looked at him and said, “Don’t be afraid, come on! You can escape!”
Just as Peter was struggling hard, McGrew rushed over with a large sieve and tried to cover Peter. With a desperate struggle, Peter finally tore off his clothes and ran out naked.
He ran to a nearby tool shed and ducked into a large spray can filled with water. The result was predictable – he was drenched and shivering with cold.
Almost Got Caught
McGrew went into the tool shed and looked around, moving the flower pots one by one to find Peter. Suddenly, Peter couldn’t help but sneeze, “Ah-choo!”
The sound was so loud that it immediately revealed his location. McGrew immediately rushed over and tried to trample him, but Peter reacted quickly and jumped up, leaping out of the window and accidentally knocking over three flower pots.
Can’t find his way home
Peter finally escaped from the tool shed, but he was exhausted, wet and cold. He walked slowly forward, trying to find an exit to get home.
He saw a small door, but it was locked and he couldn’t open it. So he cried and sat on the ground, not knowing what to do.
Just then, a mouse came along with a pea in its mouth. Peter hastily asked, “Please, do you know how to get out?”
The mouse looked at him, shook its head, said nothing, and went on its way.
Be careful if you see a cat.
Peter walked on and came to a small pond. He saw a white cat staring at a goldfish in the water, its tail wagging and its eyes intent.
Peter didn’t dare go near it because he had heard his cousin Benjamin say, “Cats are very dangerous animals, don’t mess with them.
He could only go around the cat and keep looking for a way out.
Finally, the exit was found.
Peter circled and circled and finally found the exit to the vegetable garden – it was a small gate in the fence. But the bad news was that McGrew was hoeing next to it, not far from the gate.
Peter hid behind a bush, not daring to move. He waited a while for McGrew to turn his back on his work, then sneaked up on a wheelbarrow and watched for anyone around.
Opportunity struck! He gathered his courage and made a quick dash for the door. McGrew heard the commotion and came after him, but Peter was so fast that he jumped over the fence with a whoosh like a gust of wind.
Back home
When Peter finally escaped, he didn’t dare look back and ran all the way home.
By the time he got home, he was so tired he couldn’t breathe. The rabbit’s mother was cooking in the kitchen, and when she saw him like this, she was surprised and asked, “Where are your clothes? Where are your shoes?”
Peter put his head down and could not say a word. He was too tired and afraid that his mother would scold him. He just quietly climbed into bed, tucked himself in, and soon fell asleep.
That night, Peter had a fever. Mother Rabbit made a cup of hot chamomile tea and gently handed it to him, saying, “Drink some of this and get some sleep, you’ll be fine tomorrow.
Meanwhile, his brothers and sisters were happily eating their dinner. They ate fragrant bread, drank hot milk, and dipped it in sweet blackberry jam.
What does this story tell us?
Peter didn’t listen to his mother and sneaked off to play in the vegetable garden. As a result, he not only lost his clothes and shoes, but he almost got caught and finally got so sick that he didn’t even eat his dinner.
This story tells us that what elders say is reasonable, and we should learn to listen to them. Although we sometimes feel that adults are too controlling, they are doing it for our own good.
So kids, when your mom tells you what you can’t do, remember, don’t be like Peter, you have to try it once to understand how serious the consequences are!
