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131-626: In 1903, Potter and her publisher decided her next book should be less complicated than her previous productions, and in Benjamin Bunny she created a simple, didactic tale for young children. The book's masterful illustrations were based upon the several gardens at the Lake District estate of Fawe Park, where Potter spent the summer of 1903. She was sensitive to the openings and endings of her books, and insisted Benjamin Bunny finish with

262-535: A Flopsy Bunnies music box, a flat ceramic Flopsy Christmas ornament, and in 1985 a Flopsy music box. Stuffed toy manufacturers had sought licensing rights as early as 1906 for Potter's characters, but it was not until the 1970s that an English firm was granted worldwide rights. Their labour-intensive products were unprofitable however, and in 1972, The Eden Toy Company of New York became the exclusive manufacturer of Potter characters. Although Peter Rabbit and Mr. McGregor were released as plush toys, they were associated with

393-759: A box of trunk routes and major A roads. It is flanked to the east by the A6 road , which runs from Kendal to Penrith (though the National Park extension approved in 2015 is east of the A6); across its southern fringes by the A590 , which connects the M6 to Barrow-in-Furness, and the A5092 , and across its northern edge by the A66 trunk road between Penrith and Workington . The A595 (linking

524-647: A father) are the parents of six young rabbits generally called The Flopsy Bunnies. Benjamin and Flopsy are "very improvident and cheerful" and have some difficulty feeding their brood. At times, they turn to Peter Rabbit (who has gone into business as a florist and keeps a nursery garden), but there are days when Peter cannot spare cabbages . It is then that the Flopsy Bunnies cross the field to Mr. McGregor's rubbish heap of rotten vegetables. One day they find and feast on lettuces that have shot into flower, and, under their "soporific" influence, fall asleep in

655-489: A fence and chicken wire to keep predatory bunnies out. In effect, he has become McGregor. He is Potter's alter ego and, though he is a mature rabbit in The Flopsy Bunnies , he is still living at home with his mother and tending a garden with her – like Potter, who had achieved a degree of independence by 1909 but was not entirely free of her parents. MacDonald indicates Potter was particularly sensitive to

786-538: A few years, Potter had established her own career, income, and home. Early in the autumn of 1908, Potter wrote her publisher Harold Warne that she had several ideas for new books. She sent him the text of The Faithful Dove , a tale set in Rye she had composed years earlier and for which she had produced a group of sketches. With it, she included a sequel to The Tale of Benjamin Bunny starring Benjamin's offspring, The Flopsy Bunnies. Though she had complained at times that

917-436: A further 200 days with some rain, and 145 completely dry days. Hill fog is common at any time of year, and the fells average only around 2.5 hours of sunshine per day, increasing to around 4.1 hours per day on the coastal plains. The Lake District is home to a great variety of wildlife, because of its varied topography, lakes, and forests. It provides a home for the red squirrel and colonies of sundew and butterwort , two of

1048-468: A general " right to roam " in open country, which includes approximately 50% of the national park. Many of these tracks arose centuries ago and were used either as ridge highways (such as along High Street ) or as passes for travelling across the ridges between settlements in the valleys. Historically these paths were not planned for reaching summits, but more recently they are used by fell walkers for that purpose. The Coast to Coast Walk , which crosses

1179-519: A length of 11 miles (18 km) and an area of 5.69 square miles (14.73 km ) is the longest and largest lake in England, and Wast Water , which at 79 metres (259 ft) is the deepest lake in England. The Lake District National Park was established in 1951, and covers an area of 2,362 km (912 square miles), the bulk of the region. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017. The Lake District National Park includes all of

1310-592: A month, reprints were ordered, and another ten thousand copies were printed at year's end. Much to her embarrassment, Potter realized "muffettees" (a muff worn at the wrist) was misspelled, but the error was not corrected until the third printing. Potter borrowed a cat, and took a pet rabbit to Fawe Park as models. Her meticulous preparation before finalizing an illustration was noted in a letter to Warne: "I think I have done every imaginable rabbit background and miscellaneous sketches as well – about seventy! I hope you will like them, though rather scribbled." Scribbled or not,

1441-598: A nursery wallpaper tapping Benjamin's image, and Benjamin returned as an adult rabbit in the Flopsy Bunnies and Mr. Tod . In 1992, Benjamin Bunny was adapted as an episode of the BBC animated television series, The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends . Benjamin Bunny, a strong-willed rabbit sits on a bank by a road. Benjamin hears a gig (carriage) coming down the road. In the gig are Mr. McGregor driving, and Mrs. McGregor sat beside him in her best bonnet, meaning

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1572-411: A purpose" demonstrate Potter's attention to using dialect and dialogue as a means of defining character – in this instance, of contrasting their manner of speaking with her own in narrating the story. Scholars and critics detect in the narrative voice a certain lack of interest and lack of emotional involvement in The Flopsy Bunnies that they ascribe to various factors. MacDonald points out that

1703-400: A sense of the story being told aloud by a narrator. Because she immediately brings the audience's attention back to the rabbits, there is no danger she will become a character in the tale, and she is invisible through the remainder of the tale. Potter uses elevated language again when the rabbit family is described as "improvident and cheerful". Though "improvident" is not immediately defined,

1834-401: A series of governesses and tutors. She displayed artistic talent early, drawing and sketching mammals, insects, reptiles and amphibians, flowers and plants. In the early 1890s, she enjoyed her first professional artistic success when she sold six designs to a greeting card publisher. On 16 December 1901, she privately issued The Tale of Peter Rabbit , and, on 2 October 1902, a trade edition of

1965-401: A simple, didactic tale for very young children that was less complicated than The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin and The Tailor of Gloucester . Benjamin Bunny however lacked the vitality of her previous efforts because it was made to order rather than allowed to flower from a picture letter to real children in the manner of Peter Rabbit and Squirrel Nutkin . The weak story line of Benjamin Bunny

2096-430: A system of permits operates on Gatescarth Pass . Most of the land within the national park is in private ownership, with about 55% registered as agricultural land. Landowners include: The Lake District is a roughly circular upland massif , deeply dissected by a broadly radial pattern of major valleys which are largely the result of repeated glaciations over the last 2 million years. The apparent radial pattern

2227-473: A variety of characterizations consistent with the nature of the animal. All the rabbit tales were inspired in part by Joel Chandler Harris 's Uncle Remus stories, which Potter began illustrating as early as 1893 in an attempt to find career direction and probably because they featured a rabbit as principal player. Although she incorporated Harris's "rabbit-tobacco" and his "lippity-clippity, clippity-lippity" (as "lippity-lippity") into her literary vocabulary, she

2358-433: Is England's deepest lake. The Central Fells are lower in elevation than surrounding areas of fell, peaking at 762 m (2,500 ft) at High Raise . They take the form of a ridge running between Derwent Water in the west and Thirlmere in the east, from Keswick in the north to Langdale Pikes in the south. A spur extends southeast to Loughrigg Fell above Ambleside. The central ridge running north over High Seat

2489-710: Is a mountainous region and national park in Cumbria , North West England . It is famous for its landscape, including its lakes, coast, and the Cumbrian mountains , and for its literary associations with Beatrix Potter , John Ruskin , and the Lake Poets . The Cumbrian mountains, or fells , include England's highest : Scafell Pike (978 m; 3,209 ft), Helvellyn (950 m; 3,120 ft) and Skiddaw (931 m; 3,054 ft). The region also contains sixteen major lakes. They include Windermere , which with

2620-409: Is aware of her audience's limitations and not only defines the word immediately but places it in context: " I have never felt sleepy after eating lettuces; but then I am not a rabbit." She not only defines the word, but introduces rabbits as her subject. The line does not draw attention to itself (though Potter is intruding herself into the narrative), but rather gives the tale a conversational tone or

2751-519: Is called by that name, Bassenthwaite Lake . All the others such as Windermere , Coniston Water , Ullswater and Buttermere are meres, tarns and waters, with mere being the least common and water being the most common. The major lakes and reservoirs in the National Park are given below. Below the tree line are wooded areas, including British and European native oak woodlands and introduced softwood plantations. The woodlands provide habitats for native English wildlife. The native red squirrel

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2882-465: Is evidence of her dwindling interest in continuing the Peter Rabbit saga, but the book displays a delight in place, a deep understanding of rabbit anatomy and behaviour, and beautifully miniaturized illustrations of vegetable gardens. Benjamin Bunny presented demands upon Potter she had not encountered in her previous three tales. She had depleted all her sketchbook backgrounds in the production of

3013-528: Is exceptionally boggy. The Eastern Fells consist of a long north-to-south ridge , the Helvellyn range , running from Clough Head to Seat Sandal with the 950 m (3,118 ft) Helvellyn at its highest point. The western slopes of these summits tend to be grassy, with rocky corries and crags on the eastern side. The Fairfield group lies to the south of the range and forms a similar pattern with towering rock faces and hidden valleys spilling into

3144-531: Is found in the Lake District and a few other parts of England. In parts of the Lake District, the rainfall is higher than in any other part of England. This gives Atlantic mosses , ferns , lichen , and liverworts the chance to grow. There is some ancient woodland in the National Park. Management of the woodlands varies: some are coppiced , some pollarded , some left to grow naturally, and some provide grazing and shelter. The Lake District extends to

3275-472: Is likely Potter (a farm owner at the date of the book's composition) had come to view rabbits as undifferentiated pests rather than individual personalities. Several drawings for the illustrations for The Flopsy Bunnies were given to the British Museum in 1946. Like Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny , the story of The Flopsy Bunnies is about rabbits intruding upon the human domain and bringing

3406-453: Is no diminution in the charm and drollery of the drawings, Miss Potter's fancy is not what it was. The story is inconclusive. Next year we think she must call in a literary assistant. We have no hesitation in calling her pencil perfect. Potter biographer Linda Lear notes that none of the rabbit books subsequent to Peter Rabbit appealed to Potter with the passion she experienced for the original, but, in Benjamin Bunny , she successfully wrote

3537-577: Is not from a central dome, but from an axial watershed extending from St Bees Head in the west to Shap in the east. Most of these valleys display the U-shaped cross-section characteristic of glacial origin and often contain long narrow lakes in bedrock hollows, with tracts of relatively flat ground at their infilled heads, or where they are divided by lateral tributaries (Buttermere-Crummock Water; Derwent Water-Bassenthwaite Lake). Smaller lakes known as tarns occupy glacial cirques at higher elevations. It

3668-546: Is now the Scottish border during the Caledonian orogeny . The northern central peaks, such as Great Rigg, were produced by considerable lava flows. These lava eruptions were followed by a series of pyroclastic eruptions which produced a series of calderas, one of which includes present-day Scafell Pike. These pyroclastic rocks give rise to the craggy landscapes typical of the central fells. The southeastern band comprises

3799-427: Is reflected in the book's pictures. Of the twenty-six illustrations, eight depict Mr. McGregor and seventeen the garden and its structures. There are almost no close-ups of the rabbits and none with the detail found in Benjamin Bunny . When the rabbits are depicted, they are viewed in the middle distance in order to include all six as well as the garden background. They are depicted with little or no facial expression. It

3930-510: Is the abundance of both which has led to the area becoming known as the Lake District. Many of the higher fells are rocky, while moorland predominates lower down. Vegetation cover in better-drained areas includes bracken and heather , although much of the land is boggy , due to the high rainfall. Deciduous native woodland occurs on many of the steeper slopes below the tree line , but with native oak supplemented by extensive conifer plantations in many areas, particularly Grizedale Forest in

4061-486: Is they who save the baby bunnies – and thus the story is often of less interest to children. Ruth K. MacDonald of New Mexico State University and author of Beatrix Potter points out that, as in Benjamin Bunny , domesticity is implicitly approved in the tale but reflects a sea-change in Potter's life and work. Peter no longer raids McGregor's garden for vegetables but grows his own and has his plot surrounded with

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4192-677: The B5343 . Other valleys such as Little Langdale , Eskdale and Dunnerdale are served by minor roads. The last of these is connected with the first two by the Wrynose and Hardknott passes respectively; both of these passes are known for their steep gradients and are together one of the most popular climbs in the United Kingdom for cycling enthusiasts. A minor road through the Newlands Valley connects via Newlands Hause with

4323-569: The Furness Fells or Coniston Fells, have as their northern boundary the steep and narrow Hardknott and Wrynose passes. The highest are Old Man of Coniston and Swirl How which slightly exceed 800 m (2,600 ft). The third group to the west of the Duddon includes Harter Fell and the long ridge leading over Whitfell to Black Combe and the sea. The south of this region consists of lower forests and knolls, with Kirkby Moor on

4454-641: The Kirkstone Pass . Some valleys which are not penetrated by A roads are served by B roads . The B5289 serves Lorton Vale and Buttermere and links via the Honister Pass with Borrowdale . The B5292 ascends the Whinlatter Pass from Lorton Vale before dropping down to Braithwaite near Keswick. The B5322 serves the valley of St John's in the Vale whilst Great Langdale is served by

4585-582: The Leven Estuary , and the western banks and tidal flats of the Kent Estuary . These areas are each characterised by sand and mudflats of scenic and wildlife interest. The coast is backed by extensive flats of raised marine deposits left when the relative sea level was higher. The Lake District's geology is very complex but well-studied. A granite batholith beneath the area is responsible for this upland massif, its relatively low density causing

4716-675: The Lune Valley . The national park received 18.14 million tourist visitors in 2022. This equates to 29.15 million tourist days, counting visits of greater than three hours. It is the largest of the thirteen national parks in England and Wales and the second largest in the UK after the Cairngorms National Park . Its aim is to protect the landscape by restricting unwelcome change by industry or commerce. The area of

4847-598: The Patterdale valley. It culminates in the height of Red Screes overlooking the Kirkstone Pass . The Far Eastern Fells refers to all of the Lakeland fells to the east of Ullswater and the A592 road running south to Windermere. At 828 m (2,717 ft), the peak known as High Street is the highest point on a complex ridge that runs broadly north-south and overlooks the hidden valley of Haweswater to its east. In

4978-630: The Peter Rabbit tale and not with that of The Flopsy Bunnies . None of The Flopsy Bunnies characters were released as Eden plush toys. In 2010, all of Potter's 23 small format books were still in print, and some, including The Flopsy Bunnies , were available in formats such as audiobook and Kindle . All 23 tales were available in a 400-page single volume, as individual volumes, and in complete collections of individual volumes offered in presentation boxes. First editions were available through antiquarian booksellers. The English language editions of

5109-490: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs . The precise extent of the Lake District is undefined, but it is sometimes considered to be slightly larger than that of the National Park, whose total area is about 2,362 square kilometres (912 sq mi). The park extends just over 51 kilometres (32 mi) from east to west and nearly 64 kilometres (40 mi) from north to south, with areas such as

5240-623: The Skiddaw Group and include the rocks traditionally known as the Skiddaw Slates . Their friability generally leads to mountains with relatively smooth slopes such as Skiddaw itself. The central band is a mix of volcanic and sedimentary rocks of mid-to-late Ordovician age comprising the lavas and tuffs of the Borrowdale Volcanic Group , erupted as the former Iapetus Ocean was subducted beneath what

5371-526: The "Cumbrian Mountains", "Cumbrian Fells" or "Lakeland Fells". The four highest fells exceed 3,000 feet (914 m). These are: The Northern Fells are a clearly defined range of hills contained within a 13 km (8 mi) diameter circle between Keswick in the southwest and Caldbeck in the northeast. They culminate in the 931 m (3,054 ft) peak of Skiddaw . Other notable peaks are Blencathra (also known as Saddleback) (868 m (2,848 ft)) and Carrock Fell . Bassenthwaite Lake occupies

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5502-683: The A66 with the A5092) forms the park boundary from Calder Bridge to Holmrook, then crosses the coastal plain of the park until turning inland at the Whicham Valley, forming much of the park boundary again until joining the A5092 at Grizebeck. Besides these, a few A roads penetrate the area itself, notably the A591 which runs north-westwards from Kendal to Windermere and then on to Keswick. It continues up

5633-589: The B5289 at Buttermere. Wasdale is served by a cul-de-sac minor road, as is Longsleddale and the valleys at Haweswater and Kentmere . There are networks of minor roads in the lower-lying southern part of the area, connecting numerous communities between Kendal, Windermere, and Coniston. The West Coast Main Line skirts the eastern edge of the Lake District and the Cumbrian Coast Line passes through

5764-548: The Flopsy bunnies who was hit by the thrown marrow—thrown by Mr. McGregor—and carried off in his parents's arms.) When it hits the youngest Flopsy bunny, it breaks his arm. Their parents decide it is time to go home. Then the McGregors are defeated once again. After the Flopsy bunnies return home, the McGregors (now defeated) play the blame game on each other. (In the video, the McGregors play the blame game.) At Christmas, they send

5895-405: The Flopsy bunnies) fill the sack with rotten vegetables (two decayed turnips and three rotten vegetable marrows) to trick Mr. McGregor into thinking the Flopsy Bunnies are still in the sack. Then the animals mend the hole which Thomasina Tittlemouse made. Afterwards, they hide under a bush to observe Mr. McGregor's reaction. Mr. McGregor does not notice the replacement (as the bunnies have replaced

6026-500: The Garden every Sunday, to get lettuces for lunch. After gathering the onions, Benjamin agrees that they can go. Around a corner however, they see a cat and hide under a basket, but the cat is drawn to the smell of onions and sits on top of the basket, trapping the pair for five hours. Old Mr. Bunny (Benjamin's father) enters the garden, searching for them. He whips the cat and surprises it so much that she doesn’t fight back. After locking

6157-466: The Garden, however not under the gate like Peter did last time, but by climbing down a pear tree. They find the blue jacket and brown shoes on the scarecrow, which Peter puts on. Unfortunately for Peter, the jacket has shrunk in the rain last night and the shoes have water in them when they are taken off the Scarecrow. Benjamin finds a tam o' shanter hat on the Scarecrow as well, and does try it on, but

6288-699: The Lake District Peninsulas to the south lying outside the National Park. There are only a few major settlements within this mountainous area: the towns of Keswick ; Windermere and Bowness-on-Windermere (which are contiguous); and Ambleside, are the three largest. The economies of all these are heavily dependent on tourism. Significant settlements close to the boundary of the national park include Carlisle , Barrow-in-Furness , Kendal , Ulverston , Dalton-in-Furness , Whitehaven , Workington , Cockermouth , Penrith , Millom and Grange-over-Sands ; each of these has important economic links with

6419-520: The Lake District is generally very windy: the coastal areas have 20 days of gales, and the fell tops around 100 days of gales per year. The maritime climate means that the Lake District has relatively moderate temperature variations throughout the year. The mean temperature in the valleys ranges from about 3 °C (37 °F) in January to around 15 °C (59 °F) in July. (By comparison, Moscow , at

6550-440: The Lake District. They can be regarded as comprising a northern grouping between Wasdale, Eskdale, and the two Langdale valleys, a southeastern group east of Dunnerdale and south of Little Langdale, and a southwestern group bounded by Eskdale to the north and Dunnerdale to the east. The first group includes England's highest mountains: Scafell Pike in the centre, at 978 m (3,209 ft) and Scafell one mile (1.6 km) to

6681-505: The U.K. version. Benjamin appears in the 2018 animated/live-action film adaptation of Peter Rabbit , voiced by Colin Moody, as a sidekick character. Moody also reprised his role for the 2021 sequel . Royal Doulton sold a porcelain figurine of Benjamin's father punishing Peter from 1975 to 1988. Lake District The Lake District , also known as the Lakes or Lakeland ,

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6812-545: The area to be "buoyed up". The granite can be seen at the surface as the Ennerdale, Skiddaw, Carrock Fell, Eskdale, and Shap granites. Broadly speaking the area can be divided into three bands, divisions which run southwest to the northeast. Generally speaking, the rocks become younger from the northwest to the southeast. The northwestern band is composed of early to mid- Ordovician sedimentary rocks , largely mudstones and siltstones of marine origin. Together they comprise

6943-576: The area, which consists of the High Stile ridge north of Ennerdale, the Loweswater Fells in the far northwest, the Pillar group in the southwest, and Great Gable (899 m (2,949 ft)) near Sty Head. Other tops include Seatallan , Haystacks and Kirk Fell . This area is craggy and steep, with the impressive pinnacle of Pillar Rock its showpiece. Wastwater , located in this part,

7074-410: The area. Other villages are Coniston , Threlkeld , Glenridding , Pooley Bridge , Broughton-in-Furness , Grasmere , Newby Bridge , Staveley , Lindale , Gosforth and Hawkshead . Beyond these are a scattering of hamlets and many isolated farmsteads, some of which are still tied to agriculture; others now function as part of the tourist economy. The Lake District is very nearly contained within

7205-949: The backgrounds for Peter Rabbit (Camfield Place, Lakefield, Lingholm , Tenby in South Wales, Bedwell Lodge, and Gwaeynynog), and Fawe Park in Keswick became the background for Benjamin Bunny , but the background for The Flopsy Bunnies was a semi-formal garden of archways, walks, and flowerbeds in Wales at Denbigh at the estate called Gwaenynog . Gwaeynynog was the home of the Burtons, Potter's uncle and aunt, and, while on holiday in 1909, Potter sketched their walled garden, and, once at home, decided to move Peter and Benjamin and their families to Wales for another Peter Rabbit sequel. A number of her preliminary sketches still survive. Since her first visit to Gwaeynynog fourteen years before

7336-410: The book with the comment, "I would like the book to end with the word 'rabbit-tobacco', it is a rather fine word." She rewrote several other passages including twice rewriting the passage depicting Mr. McGregor's discovery of the cat locked in the greenhouse. Summering at Fawe Park in Keswick, Cumbria with her parents, Potter filled her sketchbook with pictures of the estate's several gardens including

7467-401: The book's final scenes. Nonetheless, for young readers, he is still a frightening figure because he has captured not only vulnerable sleeping bunnies but bunnies whose parents have failed to adequately protect them. In February 1909, Potter went to Hill Top, where, kept indoors by the inclement weather, she worked diligently on the illustrations for The Flopsy Bunnies . Various gardens became

7598-512: The book, and, upon completion of the work, Potter declared she was relieved to be finished with the rabbits. The book was dedicated to "the children of Sawrey from old Mr. Bunny". Beginnings and endings of tales were important to Potter and she specified Benjamin Bunny was to end with the words, "rabbit tobacco" – a term from Uncle Remus she had made her own. Twenty thousand copies were published and released in September 1904. Within

7729-548: The boundaries of the national park (and additionally Drigg , about a third of a mile from the park boundary). The line gives railway enthusiasts and others a flavour of a pre- Beeching railway line, with features like manually operated level crossing gates, as well as giving a good connection to the steam railway into Eskdale and providing access for cyclists and serious walkers to the Western Fells. The narrow gauge Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway runs from Ravenglass on

7860-417: The bunnies' point of view. In the few full-length illustrations of Mr. McGregor, the need to depict his face was eliminated by presenting him in the middle or far distance and from the rear. In contrast to her limitations with the human form, MacDonald points out that Potter's mastery in the depiction of rabbits attains full flower in The Flopsy Bunnies . Potter conveys the rabbits' thoughts and emotions with

7991-428: The cat in the greenhouse, he finds his son Benjamin and nephew Peter and is glad they are safe and unharmed, however is furious they left him worried and whips both Rabbits very hard, making them cry. Once he gets home, Peter gives the onions to his mother, who forgives his adventure because he has managed to recover his lost jacket and shoes. Then he and Cottontail fold up the pocket handkerchief and their mother strings

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8122-669: The central Lake District, though the town of Kendal , some coastal areas and the Cartmel and Furness peninsulas are outside the park boundary. The area was designated a national park on 9 May 1951, a month after the Peak District , the first UK national park. It retained its original boundaries until 2016, when it was extended by 3% to the east, in the direction of the Yorkshire Dales National Park , to incorporate areas land of high landscape value around

8253-512: The cheerfulness of the family is made evident in the accompanying illustration of the bunnies romping in their burrow while their parents look upon their offspring with placid contentment. Their improvidence is suggested however in the next two pages of text which describe Benjamin's borrowing of cabbages from his cousin Peter, and the family's occasional resort to Mr. McGregor's rubbish heap in times when Peter cannot spare any cabbages. Mr. McGregor and

8384-615: The coast of the Irish Sea from Drigg in the north to Silecroft in the south, encompassing the estuaries of the Esk and its tributaries, the Irt and the Mite . The intertidal zone of the combined estuaries includes sand, shingle and mudflats, and saltmarsh . The dune systems on either side of the estuary are protected as nature reserves; Drigg Dunes and Gullery to the north and Eskmeals Dunes to

8515-501: The composition of The Flopsy Bunnies , Potter had sketched the garden many times. She described it following a visit in 1895: "The garden is very large, two-thirds surrounded by a red brick wall with many apricots, and an inner circle of old grey apple trees on espaliers. It is very productive but not tidy, the prettiest kind of garden, where bright old-fashioned flowers grow amongst the currant bushes." Early in 1909 she wrote to her publisher, "I have done lots of sketches – not all to

8646-433: The couple are surely going out for the whole day. Benjamin goes to visit his cousin Peter Rabbit , who lives with his family in a burrow under a large tree at the end of the woods near Mr. McGregor’s garden. However, when he gets to his family's home, he decides not to ask his Aunt Josephine or other cousins Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton-Tail where Peter is due to not being overly fond of them. Benjamin finds Peter sulking outside

8777-646: The east side of Bassenthwaite Lake . "The A591, Grasmere, Lake District" was short-listed in the 2011 Google Street View awards in the Most Romantic Street category. The A593 and A5084 link the Ambleside and Coniston areas with the A590 to the south whilst the A592 and A5074 similarly link Windermere with the A590. The A592 also continues northwards from Windermere to Ullswater and Penrith by way of

8908-534: The edges of these Ordovician and Silurian rocks on the northern, eastern, and southern fringes of the area is a semi-continuous outcrop of Carboniferous Limestone seen most spectacularly at places like Whitbarrow Scar and Scout Scar . The Lake District's location on the northwest coast of England, coupled with its mountainous geography, makes it the wettest part of England. The UK Met Office reports average annual precipitation of more than 2,000 mm (80 in), but with considerable local variation. Although

9039-452: The entire region receives above-average rainfall, there is a wide disparity between the amounts of rainfall in the western and eastern lakes, as the Lake District experiences relief rainfall . Seathwaite, Borrowdale is the wettest inhabited place in England with an average of 3,300 mm (130 in) of rain a year, while nearby Sprinkling Tarn is even wetter, recording over 5,000 mm (200 in) per year; by contrast, Keswick, at

9170-591: The episodes, The Tale of Mr. Tod and The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies and Mrs. Tittlemouse , along with Peter. Also in the BBC adaptation, Peter Rabbit's mother's first name is revealed to be Josephine, while in the actual books, her first name is not given. In the CBeebies British and Nick Jr. American CGI animated children's television series, Benjamin is voiced by Peter Steve Harris in the US version and Danny Price in

9301-681: The family. The letters from the youngest fifth and sixth bunnies are miniature epistles of nothing but scribbles and kisses. Thomasina Tittlemouse, the tale's "resourceful" heroine, became the main character of her own book in 1910 titled The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse . In The Flopsy Bunnies , Benjamin Bunny (son of Old Mr. Bunny) and Peter Rabbit are adults, and Benjamin has married his cousin Flopsy (one of Peter's sisters). As for Peter, Mopsy, and Cotton-Tail, they haven't been married yet and still live with their mother (Mrs. Josephine Rabbit). (However, Peter becomes an uncle and his sisters—Mopsy and Cotton-Tail—are aunts.) The couple (as Benjamin had become

9432-630: The few carnivorous plants native to Britain. The Lake District is a major sanctuary for the red squirrel and has the largest population in England (out of the estimated 140,000 red squirrels in the United Kingdom, compared with about 2.5 million grey squirrels ). The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies The Tale of The Flopsy Bunnies is a children's book written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter , and first published by Frederick Warne & Co . in July 1909. After two full-length tales about rabbits, Potter had grown weary of

9563-664: The generally lower southern part of the area. The Lake District extends to the sea to the west and south. The highest mountain in England, Scafell Pike (978 m or 3209 feet), has a far-reaching view on a clear day, ranging from the Galloway Hills of Scotland, the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, and Snowdonia in Wales. The mountains (or ' fells ') of the Lake District are known as

9694-417: The hat is too big for him. Benjamin decides they should use the handkerchief Peter had wrapped around him, to carry some onions, because they could give the onions to Peter’s mother as a present to get on her good side. Peter is terrified of lingering in the garden, fearing that Mr. and Mrs. McGregor might return, but Benjamin is right at home, telling Peter that he and his father (known as Old Mr. Bunny) come to

9825-537: The head of Windermere - Grasmere, Great Langdale and Little Langdale, and the Coniston Water valley. The valleys break the mountains up into blocks, which have been described by various authors in different ways. The most frequently encountered approach is that made popular by Alfred Wainwright who published seven separate area guides to the Lakeland Fells. Only one of the lakes in the Lake District

9956-413: The heroic little wood mouse a quantity of rabbit-wool. She makes herself a cloak and a hood, and a muff and mittens. Scholar M. Daphne Kutzer points out that Mr. McGregor's role is larger in The Flopsy Bunnies than in the two previous rabbit books, but he inspires less fear in The Flopsy Bunnies than in Peter Rabbit because his role as fearsome antagonist is diminished when he becomes a comic foil in

10087-415: The illustrations. In The Flopsy Bunnies , Benjamin Bunny and his cousin Flopsy are the parents of six young rabbits called simply the Flopsy Bunnies. The story concerns how the Flopsy Bunnies, while raiding a rubbish heap of rotting vegetables, fall asleep and are captured by Mr. McGregor who places them in a sack. While McGregor is distracted, the six are freed by Thomasina Tittlemouse , a woodmouse , and

10218-420: The kitchen garden and its greenhouses, cold frames, potting shed, and espaliered fruit trees. Her father photographed Fawe Park and Potter probably used his photographs (or her own) as an aid in her work. The picture of Old Mr. Bunny attacking the cat did not satisfy her publisher, and she redrew it as she did the picture of Benjamin and Peter standing on the garden wall. In Peter Rabbit , Mr. McGregor's garden

10349-551: The little books still bear the Frederick Warne imprint though the company was bought by Penguin Books in 1983. The printing plates for the Potter books were remade from new photographs of the original drawings in 1985, and all 23 volumes released in 1987 as The Original and Authorized Edition. Potter's small format books have been translated into nearly thirty languages including Greek and Russian. The Tale of Peter Rabbit

10480-465: The lower end of Borrowdale , receives 1,470 mm (58 in) every year, and Penrith (just outside the Lake District) only 870 mm (34 in). March to June tend to be the driest months, with October to January the wettest, but at low levels, there is relatively little difference between months. Although there are gales in the sheltered valleys on only five days a year on average,

10611-564: The mudstones and wackes of the Windermere Supergroup and which includes (successively) the rocks of the Dent, Stockdale, Tranearth, Coniston, and Kendal groups. These are generally a little less resistant to erosion than the sequence of the rock to the north and underlie much of the lower landscapes around Coniston and Windermere. Later intrusions have formed individual outcrops of igneous rock in each of these groups. Around

10742-433: The narrative forward and the reader's curiosity about its meaning is satisfied. Though Mr. McGregor is a distant, awkward, menacing presence in the pictures, for the first time he is given language that serves to define him. He counts the bunnies in what is presumably a Scottish accent: "six leetle fat rabbits", and argues with his wife about buying "baccy". These and Mrs. McGregor's claim that he has tricked her and "done it

10873-756: The national park, with the exception of the 2016 extension, was designated a World Heritage Site in 2017 as a cultural landscape . This was the fourth attempt to list the park, after two attempts in the 1980s and one in 2012 failed. The park is governed by the Lake District National Park Authority, which is based at offices in Kendal . It runs a visitor centre on Windermere at a former country house called Brockhole , Coniston Boating Centre, and information centres. The park authority has 20 members: six appointed by Westmorland and Furness Council, four by Cumberland Council, and ten by

11004-503: The north of England from the Irish Sea to the North Sea, traverses the national park from west to east. Bridleways are intended for horse riding and walkers, with cyclists also permitted to use them. Cyclists must give way to all other bridleway users. Motor vehicles are only allowed on "byways open to all traffic" ( green lanes ) but in practice Traffic Regulation Orders have been brought in on several prohibiting motor traffic, although

11135-457: The north of this region are the lower fells of Martindale Common and Bampton Common whilst in the south are the fells overlooking the Kentmere valley. Further to the east, beyond Mardale and Longsleddale is Shap Fell, an extensive area consisting of high moorland , more rolling and Pennine in nature than the mountains to the west. The Southern Fells occupy the southwestern quarter of

11266-491: The onions and rabbit tobacco from the ceiling. Following his return to the garden, Mr. McGregor is puzzled by the ridiculously small footprints, the scarecrow's missing clothes and the cat locked in the greenhouse. In 1901, Potter privately published The Tale of Peter Rabbit , and, in 1902, Frederick Warne & Co. published a trade edition of the book, which was hugely successful. In 1904, she followed Peter Rabbit with its sequel, The Tale of Benjamin Bunny , and continued

11397-475: The openings and closings of her books (she insisted Benjamin Bunny end with the term "rabbit-tobacco", for example), and, in the Flopsy Bunnies , the opening reflects her flair for the elevated diction sometimes encountered in her other books: "It is said the effect of eating too much lettuce is 'soporific'." Though the word 'soporific' is not generally encountered in literature for young children, Potter

11528-417: The other tales and was forced to create new ones, but the greatest challenge to Potter's artistry was consciously working to satisfy both her publisher's demand for another commercial success and her public's expectation of a tale as delightful as her others while labouring under the pressure to produce a sequel to a work of genius. Benjamin became a motif in a nursery wallpaper designed by Potter shortly after

11659-553: The plot is simple and designed to capture the attention of young children, but suspects that Potter was more involved in the locale rather than the characters. Potter had at one time declared the rabbit characters "wearisome", and the brevity with which she treats them in The Flopsy Bunnies suggests that this was her attitude to the book as a whole. Potter biographer Linda Lear , author of Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature observes that Potter had great affection for Peter Rabbit , but

11790-471: The position of the tail or the ear. Benjamin, Peter, his mother, and Flopsy all wear clothes, but Flopsy wears only an apron that exposes her tail and is thus incompletely clothed in comparison to her family and by human standards. But this incompleteness in dress permits her tail to be exposed and to precisely convey her apprehension as she approaches the house across the vast expanse of the lawn in search of her babies. Potter's weariness with depicting rabbits

11921-434: The private edition although he has no part in the story. Potter was sensitive to the beginnings and endings of her books and usually avoided the conventional at those key places. The publisher did not like the Benjamin Bunny ending, but she refused to alter it to their suggested "happily ever after" because such an ending in her estimation was "rather trite" and "inexact". She suggested the last paragraph as it now appears in

12052-573: The process in making them so was marketing strategy. She was the first to exploit the commercial possibilities of her characters and tales with spinoffs such as a Peter Rabbit doll, an unpublished Peter Rabbit board game , and Peter Rabbit nursery wallpaper between 1903 and 1905. Similar "side-shows" (as she termed the ancillary merchandise) were produced with her approval over the following two decades. After Potter's death in December 1943, Frederick Warne & Co. granted licences to various firms for

12183-453: The production of merchandise based on the Potter characters. Beswick Pottery of Longton, Staffordshire released six porcelain figurines beginning in 1965 depicting characters or scenes from the tale: Flopsy, Mrs. Tittlemouse, Benjamin Bunny, Peter Rabbit Digging, a Flopsy and Benjamin Bunny tableau, and a tableau depicting the sleeping bunnies under the lettuce. and, in 1984, Schmid & Co. of Toronto and Randolph, Massachusetts released

12314-399: The public has a right of way , all of which are signposted at their origin on public roads and at some other points. Within the area of the National Park in 2012 there were 2,159 km (1,342 mi) of public footpaths , 875 km (544 mi) of public bridleways , 15 km (9 mi) of restricted byways and 30 km (19 mi) of byways open to all traffic . There is also

12445-449: The purpose – and will now endeavour to finish up the F. Bunnies without further delay." Judy Taylor, author of several books about Potter and her works, observes that Potter had difficulty drawing the human form, and, as a result of her limitations, restricted depictions of Mr. McGregor in The Flopsy Bunnies to his hands and feet. Any awkwardness in their depictions was minimized by presenting his hands and feet in isolation and from

12576-473: The rabbit characters had become "wearisome", she had written a young fan, William Warner, that children liked her rabbits best and that she ought to write another rabbit book. The third tale she sent Warne was about the village shop in Sawrey . "I should like to get rid of one of them," she wrote Warne about her story ideas, "When a thing is once printed I dismiss it from my dreams! & don't care what becomes of

12707-867: The rabbit saga in 1909 with The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies and in 1912 with The Tale of Mr. Tod . All the tales were in part inspired by Joel Chandler Harris 's Uncle Remus stories, which Potter illustrated as early as 1893 in an attempt to find a career direction. Potter was unable to successfully translate Harris's characters to the English country garden, but she transformed the American author's "lippity-clippity, clippity-lippity" to "lippity-lippity" in Peter Rabbit , and used his "rabbit tobacco" (lavender) in Benjamin Bunny and Mr. Tod . None of her rabbit characters were based on Br'er Rabbit ; Harris's rabbit wins by cunning, but Potter's Benjamin and Peter win by pure luck. Potter scholar Ruth K. MacDonald has assessed

12838-484: The rabbit stories. Neither of the tales spoke to Potter emotionally in the manner of Peter Rabbit , she points out, and speculates that Potter associated rabbits with the less than happy life she passed in her parents' London home. Kutzer believes that once Potter gained a life of her own and freed herself from domineering parents, she was reluctant to return to material that evoked unpleasant memories. Potter asserted her tales would one day be nursery classics, and part of

12969-457: The rabbit universe in Potter as a more pleasant place than that found in Harris's stories. In July 1903, Potter suggested to her publisher, Frederick Warne & Co. that the book to follow The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin and The Tailor of Gloucester ought to be something less complex than the two previous productions. She had several possible stories in mind and outlined them for the firm, but

13100-403: The range at 852 m (2,795 ft), Grisedale Pike and the hills around the valley of Coledale , and in the far northwest is Thornthwaite Forest and Lord's Seat . The fells in this area are rounded Skiddaw slate , with few tarns and relatively few rock faces. The Western Fells lie between Buttermere and Wasdale , with Sty Head forming the apex of a large triangle. Ennerdale bisects

13231-551: The reviewers. But an accumulation of half finished ideas is bothersome." The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies and the story about the shop (eventually The Tale of Ginger and Pickles ) were chosen for publication in 1909. The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies was finished in March 1909 and published in July of the same year. In conjunction with the tale, Potter created a series of letters from The Flopsy Bunnies decreasing in size and competence of execution according to each bunny's position in

13362-430: The rubbish heap are enduring constants in the rabbit universe of the tale, and because they are, the threat of starvation in the line "... there was not always enough to eat" is mitigated. Benjamin and Flopsy may not always be able to provide for their family, but food is available, even if it is not theirs by right. "Improvident" then is defined by course of action, and the lack of an immediate definition nonetheless carries

13493-447: The rubbish heap, though Benjamin puts a sack over his head. Mr. McGregor discovers them by accident when tipping grass-clippings down and places them in a sack and ties it shut then sets the sack aside while attending to another matter. Benjamin and Flopsy are unable to help their children, but a "resourceful" wood mouse called Thomasina Tittlemouse, gnaws a hole in the sack and the bunnies escape. The rabbit family (Benjamin, Flopsy, and

13624-428: The sack and feels the vegetables (which she had thrown out the day before) and discovers them. When she feels the rotten vegetables, she becomes very, very, angry and accuses her husband of playing a trick on her (saying to him, "You silly man! You've made a fool out of me! And you have done it on purpose!"). Mr. McGregor also becomes very angry. He discovers one of the rotten marrows. After one look at it, he throws it out

13755-423: The sack is filled with rotten vegetables by Benjamin and Flopsy. At home, Mr. McGregor proudly presents the sack to his wife, but receives a sharp scolding when she discovers its actual content. Modern critical commentary varies. One critic points out that the faces of the rabbits are expressionless while another argues that the cock of an ear or the position of a tail conveys what the faces lack. One critic believes

13886-414: The same latitude, ranges from −10 to 19 °C (14 to 66 °F).) The relatively low height of most of the fells means that, while snow is expected during the winter, they can be free of snow at any time of the year. Normally, significant snowfall only occurs between November and April. On average, snow falls on Helvellyn 67 days per year. Snow typically falls on 20 days of the year in the valleys, with

14017-437: The sequels never held quite the same appeal for her because neither sprang to life from story and picture letters to children in the manner of Peter Rabbit . She believes the sequels lack the sort of vitality that distinguishes Peter . Kutzer thinks the two sequels not up to Potter's usual narrative standards because both sprang from a public demand for more "bunny books" rather than from any desire on Potter's part to continue

14148-489: The six baby rabbits with the rotten vegetables), and carries the sack home (still thinking he has the six baby rabbits), continually counting the six rabbits (he says, "One, two, three, four, five, six leetle fat rabbits!"). The McGregors do not know that the youngest Flopsy Bunny is out there and eavesdropping. His wife Mrs. McGregor (thinking the rotten vegetables are the six rabbits) claims the skins for herself, intending to line her old cloak with them. However, she reaches into

14279-529: The south. South of the estuary, the coast is formed in low cliffs of glacial till , sands, and gravels. The district also extends to the tidal waters of Morecambe Bay and several of its estuaries alongside the Furness and Cartmel Peninsulas , designated on M6 motorway signposts as the "Lake District Peninsulas", and the southern portions of which lie outside the park. These are the Duddon Estuary ,

14410-548: The southern and western fringes of the area. A single railway line, the Windermere Branch Line , penetrates from Kendal to Windermere via Staveley. Railways once served Broughton-in-Furness and Coniston (closed to passengers in 1958) and another ran from Penrith to Cockermouth via Keswick (closed west of Keswick in 1966 and completely in 1972). Part of the track of the latter is used by the improved A66 trunk road. The Cumbrian Coast line has three stations within

14541-567: The southern boundary. The southwestern Lake District ends near the Furness peninsula and Barrow-in-Furness, a town which many Lake District residents rely on for basic amenities. The southeastern area is the territory between Coniston Water and Windermere and east of Windermere towards Kendal and south to Lindale. There are no high summits in this area which are mainly low hills, knolls and limestone cuestas such as Gummer's How and Whitbarrow . Indeed, it rises only as high as 333 m (1,093 ft) at Top o' Selside east of Coniston Water;

14672-598: The southwest. Though it is slightly lower, Scafell has a 700 ft (210 m) rockface, Scafell Crag, on its northern side. This group also includes the Wastwater Screes overlooking Wasdale, the Glaramara ridge overlooking Borrowdale, the three tops of Crinkle Crags , Bowfell and Esk Pike . The core of the area is drained by the infant River Esk . Collectively these are some of the Lake District's most rugged hillsides. The second group, otherwise known as

14803-412: The subject and was reluctant to write another. She realized however that children most enjoyed her rabbit stories and pictures, and so reached back to characters and plot elements from The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902) and The Tale of Benjamin Bunny (1904) to create The Flopsy Bunnies . A semi-formal garden of archways and flowerbeds in Wales at the home of her uncle and aunt became the background for

14934-609: The tale lacks the vitality of The Tale of Peter Rabbit which sprang from a picture and story letter to a child. Most agree though that the depictions of the garden are exquisite and some of the finest illustrations Potter created. The Tale of Peter Rabbit and its three sequels are the best known and most successful of Potter's books. The author had an affinity for rabbits ; she lived with them as pets and observed them closely for years. Though she once wrote that rabbits were creatures of "warm volatile temperaments" and were "shallow and extremely transparent", she invested her rabbits with

15065-458: The tale was released by Frederick Warne & Co. to great success. She published tales similar in content, style, and format for Warnes in the years to follow, and, in 1904, The Tale of Benjamin Bunny , a sequel to Peter Rabbit . In July 1905, Potter bought Hill Top , a working farm in the Lake District with the profits from her books and a small legacy left her by an aunt; the farm became her home away from London and her artistic retreat. In

15196-511: The tale's publication. Benjamin and Peter made a cameo appearance in the artwork of Potter's The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle (1905), and returned as adult rabbits in The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies (1909) and The Tale of Mr. Tod (1912). In 1992, an animated adaptation of the story was integrated with The Tale of Peter Rabbit and telecast on the BBC anthology series , The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends . Benjamin also appeared in

15327-421: The tale, she believes, lies in following the joke played upon McGregor rather than in the dull personalities of the rabbits. Although the trickster qualities of the rabbits are evident but muted in the earlier Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny , in Flopsy Bunnies these qualities are brought to center stage. Kutzer notes that The Flopsy Bunnies belongs not to the title characters but to their parents – it

15458-609: The threat of death and destruction upon themselves by their own imprudence. M. Daphne Kutzer, Professor of English at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh indicates in Beatrix Potter: Writing in Code that the tale's principal theme is the trickster animal, though she is careful to point out that, even then, the animals are subordinate to the exquisite garden backgrounds. The reader's interest in

15589-515: The tree, wearing only a red handkerchief. Peter tells Benjamin that his jacket and shoes are being used as a scarecrow in Mr. McGregor’s garden. Peter explains how he nearly got killed while in the garden. Benjamin informs Peter that both the McGregors will be out, possibly for the whole day, so they could venture into Mr. McGregor's garden to retrieve the clothes Peter lost there in The Tale of Peter Rabbit . Peter reluctantly agrees. The cousins go into

15720-507: The type of story she was writing was set primarily in colours of fawn, brown, and soft green, Potter wrote that, "the (red) handkerchief will make a good bit of colour all through the book." The tale was well received by The Scotsman , but The Times Literary Supplement was not entirely enthusiastic: Among the little books that have become as much a manifestation of autumn as falling leaves, one looks first for whatever Miss Beatrix Potter gives ... In her new book ... although there

15851-546: The valley between this massif and the North Western Fells. The North Western Fells lie between Borrowdale and Bassenthwaite Lake to the east and Buttermere and Lorton Vale to the west. Their southernmost point is at Honister Pass . This area includes the Derwent Fells above the Newlands Valley and hills to the north amongst which are Dale Head , Robinson . To the north stand Grasmoor , highest in

15982-641: The west coast up Eskdale as far as Dalegarth Station near the hamlet of Boot, catering for tourists. Another heritage railway , the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway , runs between Lake Windermere and Haverthwaite , and tourists can connect at Lakeside with the boats up the lake to Bowness. A vehicle-carrying cable ferry , the Windermere Ferry , runs frequent services across Windermere. There are also seasonal passenger boats on Coniston Water, Derwent Water, and Ullswater. There are many paths over which

16113-558: The wide expanse of Grizedale Forest stands between the two lakes. Kendal and Morecambe Bay stand at the eastern and southern edges of the area. The main radial valleys are (clockwise from the south) Dunnerdale , Eskdale , Wasdale , Ennerdale , the Vale of Lorton, and Buttermere valley, the Derwent Valley and Borrowdale , the Ullswater valley, Haweswater valley, Longsleddale , the Kentmere valley, those converging on

16244-405: The window. When he does, he hits one of the Flopsy bunnies after saying the Flopsy bunnies have "gotten the better of him". (He says, "THEY'VE GOTTEN THE BETTER OF ME...! ...AGAIN!".) The marrow hits the youngest of the eavesdropping bunnies who has been sitting on the window-sill. (Mrs. McGregor blamed Mr. McGregor, followed by Mr. McGregor who blamed one of the Flopsy bunnies, and followed by one of

16375-493: The words "rabbit-tobacco", a term she appropriated from the Uncle Remus stories by Joel Chandler Harris , one of her literary heroes. Benjamin Bunny was an instant commercial and popular success, and thousands of copies were in print by the end of 1904. The Times Literary Supplement thought Potter's illustrations "pencil perfect", but suggested that she engage a literary assistant for future productions. Potter created

16506-451: The work is of the highest quality with the sketches of onions and red carnations (which were dropped as the frontispiece) being chief examples. The illustrations communicate her obvious appreciation and love for the humble pots, onions, and flowers of the garden. Many of the objects in the illustrations – the gate, the potting shed, the wall – have changed little over the years and are recognizable today from her illustrations. Aware

16637-399: Was anxious to settle on a choice as quickly as possible to guide her sketching while on holiday. It was decided between Potter and her publisher that one of the two books for 1904 would be Benjamin Bunny . Benjamin Bunny had been mentioned in the manuscript of the privately printed edition of Peter Rabbit but had been dropped as irrelevant to the tale. A picture of his father was included in

16768-481: Was in Perthshire , but in Benjamin Bunny , the rabbit clan and the garden setting were moved to the Lake District, where they remained for The Tale of Mr. Tod , the final book of the Peter Rabbit saga. During her London winter, Potter developed her work, and, by the middle of June 1904, Benjamin Bunny was almost finished. Many of the sketches from her Fawe Park holiday were little altered in their migration to

16899-818: Was published in French as La Famille Flopsaut in 1931, in Afrikaans as Die Varhall van Die Flopsie-Familie in 1935, in Dutch as Die Kleine Langoortjes in 1946 and again in Dutch as Het Verhaal van De Woolepluis-Konijntjes in 1969, in German as Die Geschichte Der Hasenfamilie Plumps in 1947, and in Japanese in 1971 under licence to Fukuinkan-Shoten, Tokyo. The tale was published in the Initial Teaching Alphabet in 1965. In 1986, MacDonald observed that

17030-574: Was the first of the small format books to be translated into a non-English language when Het Verhaal van Pieter Langoor was published in 1912 by Nijgh & Ditmar's Uitgevers Maatschappij, Rotterdam. Peter Rabbit has since been published in braille (1921), in the International Phonetic Alphabet (1968), and in the hieroglyphic script of the Middle Kingdom of Egypt (2005). The Tale of The Flopsy Bunnies

17161-621: Was unable to bring his characters to the English country garden as Victorian gentlemen – they remained inexorably fixed in the Antebellum American South as slaves and slave owners. Harris's wily Br'er Rabbit is motivated by vengeance and wins by cunning, but Potter's rabbits have no such motivation and succeed due to their adventurous spirit and pure luck. Helen Beatrix Potter was born in Kensington, London on 28 July 1866 to wealthy parents, and educated at home by

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