| Mrs. Rabbit | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Josephine Rabbit |
|
First Appearance |
The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902) |
|
Original Publisher |
Frederick Warne & Co. |
|
Created by |
Beatrix Potter |
Origin[]
Mrs. Josephine Rabbit, better known as Mrs. Rabbit, is a prominent character in the original book series. She is the widow of Mr. Rabbit and lives with her children, Peter, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail in a sandbank underneath the root of a Big Fir Tree. She typically wears long, light blue dresses with a white apron. She is a loving, dedicated mother and homemaker. She earns her living by knitting and selling rabbit wool mittens and muffatees as well as selling herbs, rosemary tea, and rabbit-tobacco (lavender).
In the Tale of Peter Rabbit, Mrs. Rabbit gets ready to go to the Bakery to buy a loaf of brown bread and five currant buns. Before leaving, she warns her four children to stay away from Mr. McGregor's Garden because their father, Mr. Rabbit, had an "accident" there. She grabs a basket and her umbrella and walk through the woods to the Bakery. Later that afternoon, when she returns home, she begins cooking supper and notices that Peter falls fast asleep as soon as he gets home. She also notices that he is missing both his jacket and his shoes--for the second time in two weeks. Later on in the evening, as Mrs. Rabbit serves bread, milk, and blackberries for supper, she notices that Peter feels unwell, so she gives him a dose of chamomile tea and puts him to bed.
In the Tale of Benjamin Bunny, Mrs. Rabbit appears in when it is mentioned that Benjamin Bunny is hoping not to run into her and again when she calls out to Cottontail. At the end of the tail, Mrs. Rabbit strings up the onions and hangs them from the kitchen ceiling, with the bunches of herbs and the rabbit-tobacco.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of Mrs. Rabbit from before January 1, 1930 are public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- The Tale of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter (1902)
- The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter (1904)