The story in one page
Four bunnies live under a fir-tree with their mother. While his siblings gather berries, Peter heads straight for the forbidden garden to snack on vegetables. He encounters the gardener, Mr. McGregor, and spends a chaotic afternoon losing his shoes and new blue jacket. After narrowly escaping a tool-shed and a cat, he finds the gate and rushes home. Exhausted and feeling ill from his spree, he is promptly tucked into bed with a dose of camomile tea while his well-behaved siblings eat a delicious supper.
Who's who
- Peter
A disobedient rabbit who prefers trespassing to blackberry picking.
- Mr. McGregor
A gardener whose primary hobby involves turning rabbits into pies.
- Mrs. Rabbit
A practical mother managing a burrow and a supply of camomile.
- Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail
The well-behaved siblings who prefer blackberries to garden theft.
What it's really about
- Parental Authority
- Advice ignored leads to very soggy, stressful afternoons.
- The Cost of Theft
- Vegetables acquired via crime result in stomach aches.
Why it's memorable
- A blue jacket and tiny shoes serving as a rustic garden scarecrow.
- A frantic bunny squeezing under a gate with a full stomach.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
Peter is put to bed with tea, while his obedient siblings eat blackberries and milk.
For your book club
- Is Peter a victim of bad luck or poor choices?
- Does the camomile tea count as a punishment?