| Peter Rabbit | |
|---|---|
 | |
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Real Name |
Peter Rabbit |
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First Appearance |
The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902) |
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Original Publisher |
Frederick Warne & Co. |
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Created by |
Beatrix Potter |
Origin[]
Peter Rabbit is a fictional animal character in various children's stories by English author Beatrix Potter. A mischievous, adventurous young rabbit who wears a blue jacket, he first appeared in The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1902, and subsequently in five more books between 1904 and 1912.
The rabbits in Potter's stories are anthropomorphic and wear human clothes: Peter wears a blue jacket with brass buttons and shoes. Peter, his widowed mother, Mrs. Rabbit, as well as his younger sisters, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail (with Peter the eldest of the four little rabbits) live in a rabbit hole that has a human kitchen, human furniture, as well as a shop where Mrs. Rabbit sells various items. Peter's relatives are his cousin Benjamin Bunny and Benjamin's father, Mr. Benjamin Bouncer.
Peter disobeys his mother's orders and sneaks into Mr. McGregor's garden (where his father had once had "an accident" involving his being put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor). He eats as many vegetables as he can before Mr. McGregor spots and chases him. Peter manages to escape, but not before losing his jacket and shoes, which Mr. McGregor uses to dress a scarecrow. Peter returns home weary, ill, and naked and is put to bed with a dose of chamomile tea.
In The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, first published in 1904, Peter's cousin Benjamin Bunny brings him back to Mr. McGregor's garden and they retrieve the clothes Peter lost in The Tale of Peter Rabbit. However, after they gather onions to give to Peter's mother, they are captured by Mr. McGregor's cat. Bouncer arrives and rescues them, but also punishes Peter and Benjamin for going into the garden by whipping them with a switch. In this tale, Peter displays some trepidation about returning to the garden.
In The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies, first published in 1909, Peter has a small role and appears only briefly. He is grown up and his sister Flopsy is now married to their cousin Benjamin. The two are the parents of six little Flopsy Bunnies. Peter and his mother keep a nursery garden, and the bunnies come by asking him for spare cabbage.
In The Tale of Mr. Tod, first published in 1912, Benjamin and Flopsy's children are kidnapped by notorious badger Tommy Brock. Peter helps Benjamin chase after Brock, who hides out in the house of the fox, Mr. Tod. Mr. Tod finds Brock sleeping in his bed, and as the two get into a scuffle, Peter and Benjamin rescue the children.
Peter makes cameo appearances in two other tales. In The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, first published in 1905, Peter and Benjamin are customers of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, a hedgehog washerwoman. The two rabbits are depicted in one illustration peeping from the forest foliage. In The Tale of Ginger and Pickles, first published in 1909, Peter and other characters from Potter's previous stories make cameo appearances in the artwork, patronising the shop of Ginger and Pickles.
Public Domain Appearances[]
Literary appearances[]
- The Tale of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter (1902)
- The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter (1904)
- The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy‐Winkle, by Beatrix Potter (1905)
- Brier‐Patch Philosophy, by William J. Long (1906)
- The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies, by Beatrix Potter (1909)
- The Tale of Ginger and Pickles, by Beatrix Potter (1909)
- The Story of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter (1911) – abridged version of The Tale of Peter Rabbit
- The Tale of Mr. Tod, by Beatrix Potter (1912)
- All About Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter (1916)
- Peter Rabbit and His Pa, by Louise A. Field (1916)
- Peter Rabbit and His Ma, by Louise A. Field (1917)
- Peter Rabbit Goes to School, by Louise A. Field (1917)
- How Peter Rabbit Went to Sea, by Duff Graham (1917)
- Peter Rabbit at the Farm, by Duff Graham (1917)
- Peter Rabbit’s Christmas, by Duff Graham (1917)
- Peter Rabbit and Jimmy Chipmunk, by Louise A. Field (1918)
- Peter Rabbit and Sammy Squirrel, by Louise A. Field (1918)
- The Peter Rabbit Story Book (1920)
- Piffle’s Peter Rabbit Dot Drawing Book, by H. L. Cassard (1920)
- Peter Rabbit and the Fairies, by Alma Hudson (1921)
- Peter Rabbit at the Circus, by Alma Hudson (1921)
- Peter Rabbit in Mother Goose Land, by Alma Hudson (1921)
- Peter Rabbit’s Easter, by Linda Stevens Almond (1921)
- When Peter Rabbit Went to School, by Linda Stevens Almond (1921)
- Peter Rabbit’s Birthday, by Linda Stevens Almond (1921)
- Peter Rabbit Goes A‐visiting, by Linda Stevens Almond (1921)
- Peter Rabbit and Jack‐the‐Jumper, by Linda Stevens Almond (1922)
- Peter Rabbit, Jack‐the‐Jumper and the Little Boy, by Linda Stevens Almond (1922)
- Peter Rabbit, Jack‐the‐Jumper and the Little White Rabbit, by Linda Stevens Almond (1923)
- Peter Rabbit, Jack‐the‐Jumper and the Old Witch Woman, by Linda Stevens Almond (1923)
- Peter Rabbit and the Big Brown Bear, by Charles Stuart MacLeod (1923)
- Peter Rabbit, Jack‐the‐Jumper and the Tinybits, by Linda Stevens Almond (1924)
- When Peter Rabbit Went A‐fishing, by Linda Stevens Almond (1924)
- Peter Rabbit and the Two Terrible Foxes, by Linda Stevens Almond (1925)
- Peter Rabbit’s Holiday, by Linda Stevens Almond (1927)
- Peter Rabbit’s Wedding Day, by May Wynne (1927)
Theatrical and musical appearances[]
- The Empty Stocking Elf (play), by May Harbin Flint (1916)
- Peter Rabbit Helps the Children (playlet), by Eva Williams (1922)
(For appearances of the 1910 character Peter Rabbit, created by Thornton Burgess, see Peter Cottontail.)
Notes[]
- In 1903, Peter Rabbit was the first fictional character to be made into a patented stuffed toy, making him the oldest licensed character.