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The Tale of Peter Rabbit

By Beatrix Potter


Introduction

The Tale of Peter Rabbit is Beatrix Potter’s first and most famous book. Initially
written for the young son of Potter’s former governess, Annie Carter, in 1893,
the work was rejected by a series of publishers, before being privately printed in
1901, followed by Frederick Warne & Co publishing the tale in October 1902. It
centres on the disobedient young rabbit Peter, who is told by his mother not to
enter Mr McGregor’s garden because he might be captured and killed. Mr
McGregor’s wife is also considered very cruel and frightening because she killed
and ate her first husband in a pie. Peter’s three sisters sensibly obey their
mother’s warning and only pick berries from the lane, but Peter decides to enter
the garden in search of vegetables. The story then involves Peter’s possible
capture and attempts to make it home to his mother and sisters. Peter is an
unusual hero for the time because he is scared and irrational rather than brave,
courageous and logical which were typical characteristics of the era.
The work has been translated into over thirty-six languages and sold more
than forty-five million copies worldwide, making it one of the most
commercially successful books of all time. In 1938 Potter denied the rights of
the work to Walt Disney, who wished to make an animated feature film of The
Tale of Peter Rabbit . The author was immediately very aware of the commercial
possibilities of merchandise stemming from the success of her work. Within the
first three years of its publication there were Peter Rabbit soft toys, nursery
wallpaper and a board game. Source: Complete works of Beatrix Potter.