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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 fir 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 1 pie by Mrs. McGregor."
Then old Mrs. Rabbit took a basket and her umbrella, and went through the wood to the baker's. She bought a loaf of brown bread and five currant buns.
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 Peter ate some lettuces and some French 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 out 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.
He lost one of his shoes among the cabbages, and the other shoe amongst the potatoes. After losing them, he ran on four legs and went faster, so that I think he might have got away — if he had not unfortunately run into a gooseberry net, and got caught by the large buttons on his jacket. It was a blue jacket with brass buttons, quite new.
Peter gave himself up for lost, and shed big tears; but his sobs were overheard by some friendly sparrows, who flew to him in great excitement, and implored him to exert himself.
Mr. McGregor came up with a sieve, which he meant to pop on top of Peter; but Peter wriggled out just in time, leaving his jacket behind him.
Peter rushed into the tool-shed and jumped into a watering can. It would have been a lovely thing to hide in, if only it had not been full of water!
Soon Peter sneezed — "Kertyschoo!" Mr. McGregor heard him at once. He tried to put his foot upon Peter, but Peter 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. Also he was very damp from sitting in that can.
After a time he began to wander about, going lippity — lippity — not very fast, and looking all around. He came to an old mouse running over the stone doorstep with peas and beans for her family. Peter asked her the way to the gate, but she had such a large pea in her mouth that she could not answer. She only shook her head at him. Peter began to cry.
Then he tried to find his way straight across the garden, but he became more and more puzzled. Soon he came to a pond where Mr. McGregor filled his water-cans. A white cat was staring at some gold-fish; she sat very, very still, but now and then the tip of her tail twitched as if it were alive. Peter thought it best to go away without speaking to her; he had heard about cats from his cousin, little Benjamin Bunny.
He went back towards the tool-shed, but suddenly, quite close to him, he heard the noise of a hoe — scr-r-ritch, scratch, scratch, scritch. Peter scuttered underneath the bushes. But soon, as nothing happened, he came out, climbed upon a wheelbarrow, and peeped over. The first thing he saw was Mr. McGregor hoeing onions. His back was turned towards Peter, and beyond him was the gate!
Peter got down very quietly off the wheelbarrow and started running as fast as he could go. 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. Mr. McGregor hung up the little jacket and the shoes for a scarecrow to frighten the blackbirds.
Peter never stopped running or looked behind him till he got home to the big fir-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.
His mother was busy cooking; she wondered what he had done with his clothes. It was the second little jacket and pair of shoes that Peter had lost in a fortnight!
I am sorry to say that Peter was not very well during the evening. His mother put him to bed, and made some camomile tea; and she gave a dose of it to Peter! "One table-spoonful to be taken at bed-time."
But Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail had bread and milk and blackberries for supper.
Pick an answer to see if it's right. Fred will explain.
Now look at the WORDS, the CHARACTERS, and the EVIDENCE in the text.
Now look at HOW the author tells the story and the BIG lesson it teaches.
A complete sentence needs two things: a SUBJECT (who or what) and a VERB (an action). A fragment is missing one of those.
✏️ PRACTICE — Sentence or fragment?
📝 USE — Now you try
Fred will give you ⭐ stars (out of 3) and tell you how to make your answer even better.
Three tiers of words from the story, then a 4-round quiz to test what you know.
| Word | What it means (Grade 1 friendly) | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| warning | something a person tells you about a danger ahead | The sign was a warning that the floor was wet. |
| disobey | to NOT do what you were told to do | Peter chose to disobey his mother and went into the garden. |
| consequence | what happens because of a choice you made | Being sick in bed was the consequence of Peter eating too much. |
| frightened | scared, full of fear | Peter was frightened when McGregor yelled "Stop thief!" |
| implore | to beg someone to do something, very seriously | The sparrows implored Peter to keep trying. |
| trembling | shaking from fear or cold | Peter was trembling with fright after he escaped. |
| dreadful | very bad or very scary | Peter had a dreadful day in the garden. |
| exert | to put in a lot of effort or strength | The sparrows told Peter to exert himself and pull free. |
| Word | Quick definition |
|---|---|
| rabbit | a small furry animal with long ears that hops |
| mother | a female parent |
| fir-tree | a kind of evergreen tree with needles instead of leaves |
| blackberries | small dark berries that grow on prickly bushes |
| lettuces | leafy green vegetables used in salads |
| beans | long green vegetable pods with seeds inside |
| radishes | small red round vegetables that grow underground |
| parsley | a leafy green herb sometimes used to soothe a sick tummy |
| garden | a piece of land where people grow plants and vegetables |
| jacket | a short coat for your arms and shoulders |
| shoes | things you wear on your feet |
| gate | a door in a fence or wall |
| sparrow | a small brown bird that often lives near people |
| mouse | a tiny animal with a long tail that nibbles food |
| chamomile | a plant whose flowers are made into a calming tea |
| Word | Quick definition |
|---|---|
| little | small in size |
| story | a tale that someone tells or writes |
| end | the last part of something |
| old | has lived or existed a long time |
| four | the number after 3 and before 5 |
| time | the minutes, hours, and days that pass |
| after | at a later time than something else |
| never | not at any time |
Play all four rounds. Each round tests the words in a new way!
Where Rabbits Live. Real rabbits live in 2 burrows. A burrow is a long tunnel that a rabbit digs underground. The burrow keeps the rabbit warm, dry, and safe from animals that might try to hurt it. Peter and his sisters lived in a burrow too — under the root of a big fir tree!
What Rabbits Eat. Real rabbits eat plants. They love grasses, clover, and the leafy tops of vegetables like lettuce and carrots. They also chew on the bark of small trees. Rabbits do NOT eat bread or buns — that is just a fun part of the Peter Rabbit story!
How Rabbits Move. Rabbits HOP! Their back legs are long and strong, so they can hop very far. When a rabbit is scared, it can RUN very fast — up to 30 miles per hour. That is faster than most people can ride a bicycle!
Rabbit Enemies. Foxes, hawks, owls, and dogs all hunt rabbits. That is why rabbits have such BIG eyes and BIG ears — to see and hear danger from far away. It is also why Peter was so scared of Mr. McGregor. In the wild, a rabbit must always watch out!
Pick an answer to see if it's right. Fred will explain.
Why Grown-Ups Make Rules. Grown-ups make 3 rules because they know things that kids do not know yet. They have seen what can go wrong. A rule is not made to be mean — it is made to keep YOU safe and well.
Rules You Know. Hold a grown-up's hand when you cross the street. Do not touch a hot stove. Do not go into places where you do not know who is there. Buckle your seat belt in the car. These rules sound simple — but they save people from getting hurt every day.
What Happens When You Break a Rule. Sometimes you get hurt. Sometimes you get scared, like Peter Rabbit in Mr. McGregor's garden. Sometimes you lose something important — Peter lost his shoes AND his jacket! Breaking a rule does not mean you are a bad kid. But it usually means a hard time follows.
If You Make a Mistake. Everyone makes mistakes. If you ever break a rule, the smart and brave thing is to tell a grown-up you trust right away. Saying "I'm sorry" helps. So does putting things back the way you found them. Then you and the grown-up can fix it together.
Who Was Beatrix Potter? Beatrix Potter (1866–1943) was an English writer and artist. She is the 4 author of The Tale of Peter Rabbit. She lived more than 100 years ago, but kids all over the world still read her books today!
She Loved Animals. Beatrix loved animals when she was a little girl. She kept rabbits, mice, frogs, and even a hedgehog as pets. She drew them again and again in watercolors. By the time she grew up, she could draw an animal so well that it looked alive on the page.
How Peter Rabbit Was Born. One day Beatrix wrote a letter to a sick little boy named Noel to cheer him up. In the letter, she made up a story about four little rabbits named Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter. Noel loved the story so much that Beatrix turned the letter into a book in 1902.
Many More Books. Beatrix went on to write 23 little books, all with her own watercolor drawings. They are still printed in many languages today. So when you read about Peter Rabbit, you are reading the very same story kids have loved for more than one hundred years!
Pick ONE writing prompt. Fred will give you stars and feedback.
Videos that build context for the fiction story OR teach more about the non-fiction topic (real rabbits and Beatrix Potter).
If the primary video isn't a good fit, here are vetted alternates:
These are for talking, not writing. Use them as a class share, a turn-and-talk with a partner, or a family chat at home.