Once upon a time there were four little rabbits, and their names were——Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter. They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a very big tree.
"Now my dears," said old Mrs. Rabbit one morning, "You may go into the fields or down the lane, but don't go into Mr. McGregor's garden: your Father had an accident there; he was put in a pie by Mr. McGregor! Now, run along, and don't get into mischief. I am going out."
Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail, who were good little bunnies, went down the lane to gather blackberries, but Peter, who was very naughty, ran straight away to Mr. McGregor's garden, and squeezed under the gate!
First he ate some lettuces and some beans and then he ate some radishes. And then, feeling rather sick, he went to look for some parsley. But round the end of a cucumber frame, whom should he meet but Mr. McGregor!
Mr. McGregor was on his hands and knees planting young cabbages, but he jumped up and ran after Peter, waving a rake and calling out, "Stop thief!"
Peter was most dreadfully frightened, he rushed all over the garden, for he had forgotten the way back to the gate. I think he might have got away altogether if he had not unfortunately run into a gooseberry net and got caught. Peter gave himself up for lost, and shed big tears. Mr. McGregor came up with a sieve, which he intended to pop upon the top of Peter, but Peter wriggled out just in time!
He rushed into the tool shed, and jumped into a can. It would have been a beautiful thing to hide in, if it had not so much water in it. Mr. McGregor was quite sure that Peter was somewhere in the tool shed, perhaps underneath a flower pot. He began to turn them over carefully, looking under each.
Presently, Peter sneezd——"Achoo!" Mr. McGregor was after him in no time! He tried to step on Peter, who jumped out of a window, upsetting three plants. The window was too small for Mr. McGregor, and he was tired of running after Peter. He went back to his work.
Peter sat down to rest, he was out of breath and trembling with fright, and he had not the least idea which way to go. He found a door in a wall, but it was locked, and there was no room for a fat little rabbit to squeeze underneath. He went back toward the tool shed, but suddenly, quite close to him, he heard the noise of a hoe—scr-r-ritch, scratch, scratch, scratch. The first thing he saw was Mr. McGregor hoeing onions and right behind him was the gate!
Peter started running as fast as he could go, toward the gate. Mr. McGregor caught sight of him at the corner, but Peter did not care. He slipped underneath the gate, and was safe at last in the wood outside the garden. Peter never stopped running or looked behind him till he got home to the big tree.
He was so tired that he flopped down upon the nice soft sand on the floor of the rabbit-hole and shut his eyes. I am sorry to say that Peter was not very well during the evening. His mother put him to bed and made Peter take a dose of nasty medicine. But Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail had delicious dessert for supper.
很久很久以前，有四只可爱的小兔子，他们的名字分别叫弗洛普茜，默普茜，棉球尾和彼得。他们和妈妈一起，住在一棵大枞树树根下面的一个沙洞里。“哦，我亲爱的宝贝们”，一天早晨，兔子妈妈说，“你们可以到麦田里或者沿着这条小路去玩，但是千万不能去麦戈雷格先生的菜园。要知道，你们的爸爸就是在那儿出事的，他被麦戈雷格先生做成了馅饼。好了，你们可以走了，但是不许调皮捣蛋啊，我现在要出去。”弗洛普茜，默普茜和棉球尾都是懂事又听话的好孩子，他们四个一起到小路下面去捡黑莓。但是，彼得却没听妈妈的话。他太淘气了，他径直朝麦戈雷格先生的菜园跑去，一缩身就从大门底下挤了进去!他先在一块地里吃了些生菜，又跑到另一边去吃法国豆，还找到了些小萝卜来吃。之后，他忽然觉得有些不舒服，就去找了一些西芹。但是，在走到一个黄瓜架下面的时候，他突然碰到了麦戈雷格先生!麦格雷格先生本来正趴在那儿专注地挖卷心菜，但是看到彼得后他马上跳了起来，拼命地追赶彼得，还一边挥舞着耙子一边大声喊道：“站住，小偷！”彼得简直被吓坏了，他满园子的跑着，可他不记得出去的路了。要不是这时前面有一张像大网似的醋栗丛拦住了他，他早就逃走了。彼得难受极了，大滴大滴的眼泪直往下掉；麦戈雷格先生此时却正在彼得的身后，他手里拿着一张大网，正悄悄地向他靠了过来。幸亏彼得发现的早及时逃开了。他狂奔进了一个工具棚，跳进了一个铁罐里躲了起来。可没想到这里面竟然有那么多的水，否则这一定是个非常好的藏身场所。戈雷格先生认定彼得一定就藏在工具棚里，只是不知道在哪个地方而已。也许他会躲到花盆里面，于是他开始小心翼翼地把花盆一个个翻开，凑近他的脑袋往花盆里上上下下地仔细查看。可就在这时，彼得打了个喷嚏，“阿嚏！”不巧得很，麦戈雷格先生就在他的身后。他伸出脚，想朝彼得身上踩去，而彼得迅速地蹿上窗台，还踩断了戈雷格先生的三株花，从窗户跳了出去。麦戈雷格先生想继续追，可窗户对他来说实在是太小了，况且他已经累得气喘吁吁了，于是他返身回去继续干他的活。彼得终于能坐下来休息一会儿了，他跑得上气不接下气。由于害怕，浑身还一直在发抖，可现在的他根本不知道怎样才能找到出去的路。他在墙上发现了一扇门，但门是锁着的，而且门缝很窄，对于胖胖的彼得来说，根本就不可能从门底下钻过去。他又回到了工具棚，但是突然，他听见了什么声音，近得就好像在他身边。对！是锄地的嘈杂声——哗，哗，哗，哗。他一眼看见麦戈雷格先生正在那里刨洋葱，幸好他背对着彼得，而他的不远处就是大门！彼得使出了全身的力气开始拼命地跑，能跑多快就跑多快，朝大门的方向径直跑了出去。麦戈雷格先生在角落里一眼就看见了他，但是彼得根本顾不了这些了，他从大门下一缩身滑了出去，最后终于安全地离开了菜园，回到了他的大森林。彼得既不敢停下来休息也不敢回头往后看。就这样，他一口气跑到了他那在大枞树下的家。 他实在太累了，一进门他就猛的躺倒在家里那松软的沙地上，闭上了眼睛。我不得不很遗憾的告诉你们：那个晚上彼得的身体有些不舒服。他的妈妈让他躺在床上，给他吃了一些药。但是，弗洛普茜，默普茜和棉球尾却享受了一顿很美味的晚餐。