Peter Rabbit, Based on the Movie

by Frederick Warne

  FREDERICK WARNE

  Penguin Young Readers Group

  An Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

  If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

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  The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

  Screen story and screenplay by Rob Lieber and Will Gluck © 2018 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

  This chapter book, written by Nicolette Kaponis © Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd, 2018.

  With thanks to Fiona Phillipson

  PETER RABBIT and all associated characters ™ & © Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd, 2018.

  PETER RABBIT™, the Movie © 2018 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Images from the film PETER RABBIT™, the Movie © 2017 CTMG. All Rights Reserved.

  Published in 2018 by Frederick Warne, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

  Ebook ISBN 9781524789879

  Version_1

  Contents

  Copyright

  Title Page

  Chapter One: Rabbits Rule

  Chapter Two: Danger in the Garden

  Chapter Three: Party Time!

  Chapter Four: Young Mr. McGregor’s Very Bad Day

  Chapter Five: Trouble in Paradise

  Chapter Six: Making New Friends

  Chapter Seven: Trapped in a Truck

  Chapter Eight: Trouble in Town

  Chapter Nine: New Best Friends?

  Chapter Ten: A Rabbit’s Revenge

  Chapter Eleven: No More Mr. Nice Guy

  Chapter Twelve: Bea to the Rescue

  Chapter Thirteen: Peter’s Grand Plan

  Chapter Fourteen: Two Rabbits Hit the Town

  Chapter Fifteen: The Great Escape

  Chapter Sixteen: Telling Bea the Truth

  Chapter Seventeen: A Garden Is for Sharing

  Chapter One

  Rabbits Rule

  It’s a beautiful day in the most perfect corner of the English countryside. The sun is shining over the rolling hills, emerald-green fields, and rivers of the Lake District. The sweet birdsong of a flock of sparrows can be heard as they fly in formation over this special part of England.

  All is peaceful until a furry ball of fluff tears through the field. That furry ball of fluff is our hero, Peter Rabbit. He is a young rabbit in a blue coat and no pants. A rabbit who is clearly on a mission as he races through the green countryside of his home. He’s determined and clever as he outfoxes Mr. Tod, a fox who is hungry for rabbit, bounds up a tree past Squirrel Nutkin and scampers toward a stream, thinking nothing of stepping on Jemima Puddle-duck to reach the other side.

  A frog sits calmly on a lily pad, fishing in the stream.

  “Garden, ay?” says Jeremy Fisher to Peter. “He’s gonna get you one of these days.”

  “Nothing scares me,” laughs Peter, before jumping in fright as a fish leaps clear of the water. Well, nothing on dry land scares our hero.

  Peter bounds on to a stone wall only to find his mission briefy halted by Mrs. Tiggy-winkle, a hedgehog in a white apron. But you will soon learn that our hero is never stopped for long.

  Peter races through the lush green fields and speeds up to a tree where he finds his cousin, Benjamin. This is a special tree because it has the best view of Peter’s target. Peter looks down and sees an old man hunched over a lawnmower. The old man has skin that has been wrinkled by the sun and wears a giant frown. His name is Old Mr. McGregor, and his vegetable garden is the target of Peter’s mission.

  “I don’t think you’re going to have enough time,” says Benjamin, a worried look on his face. “I really think you should call this one off. Wait till next time.”

  “You worry too much,” says Peter.

  “One of us has to,” says Benjamin, but Peter has already run off. Benjamin jumps after him, but ends up falling out of the tree. Benjamin is a wise and supportive bunny, with ears that look like they have been put on backward!

  Benjamin is not the only member of Peter’s family out today. Just near Old Mr. McGregor’s garden there are three bunnies trying to reach one very pathetic-looking blackberry at the top of a tall bush. Each bunny is standing on another bunny. This means it will probably end with someone falling over.

  “Higher,” says the first bunny, Cotton-tail.

  “Why am I always at the bottom?” lisps the third bunny, Flopsy.

  “Because you’re the youngest,” says the second bunny, Mopsy.

  “By sixteen seconds!” argues Flopsy.

  Peter runs up to his three sisters just as Flopsy falls to the ground. She brings Mopsy and Cotton-tail down with her. The three bunnies shake off the fall and look at their big brother. They all love Peter Rabbit.

  “I’m going in,” says Peter.

  “We found some blackberries,” says Flopsy, holding up two dried-up, wrinkled berries that do not look very tasty at all.

  “Those aren’t blackberries. Those are the ghosts of blackberries,” says Peter. He knows he can find better food for his sisters. “That,” he says, looking down at Mr. McGregor’s vegetable garden. “That is what we deserve. And that is what we shall have.”

  “Can I come in with you this time?” asks Cotton-tail.

  “No. I need you as lookouts, like always. I don’t want to put you in danger when I look death in the face for the good of the family. Now get into positions. It’s gonna be a fun one!” says Peter, winking at them all.

  He is excited about his mission, but he knows he must keep his family safe. He has to go into Mr. McGregor’s garden by himself.

  Later, the three sisters take up their positions as Peter’s lookouts. They have done it many times before and know exactly where to stand. They watch as their brother approaches the gate to Mr. McGregor’s garden.

  Peter looks toward the mower and sees that Mr. McGregor still has more grass to cut. He crawls under the gate and makes it into the garden. With all the energy he has, Peter starts tossing vegetables over the fence and into Benjamin’s waiting arms. Benjamin catches them like an expert and tosses them to the triplets in the trees.

  “OK, that’s enough now,” Benjamin says as more and more vegetables fly over from the garden. “Why don’t you come on back?” But Peter just keeps throwing them. “We’re not even that hungry! This is entirely too much food!”

  Meanwhile, Mr. McGregor continues to mow the grass. He has no idea that our hero is stealing all his vegetables! Peter spots the rabbit traps that Mr. McGregor has scattered around his garden. He happily dances over them. There isn’t a trap in the world that can stop Peter!

  But then the mower stops. The garden becomes silent. Peter and the other rabbits look at Mr. McGregor. They watch as the mean old farmer checks beneath his mower and curses to himself. Mr. McGregor leaves the mower and walks into the vegetable garden through the gate. He is walking right toward Peter Rabbit.
Peter is a sitting duck. Or, rather, rabbit.

  The triplets let out a gasp. They need to help their brother! Flopsy and Mopsy use their arms—and ears—to send helpful signals to Peter. As the old man moves right, the sisters signal left. Peter follows, until . . . SNAP! He accidentally sets off a trap. Old Mr. McGregor turns around. He knows something is wrong. He knows something, or someone, is in his garden.

  “Rah-bbit!” yells Old Mr. McGregor. Peter searches for his lookouts and sees his sisters and Benjamin all have their ears pinned back. This is the sign of danger. Peter’s in trouble now.

  SNAP! Another trap is set off. But this time it is not by Peter. Instead, Cotton-tail has set the trap off by throwing a radish into it from the fence. The noise is a distraction, and it works! Mr. McGregor turns toward the sound. A few more diversions from Cotton-tail and Peter is almost at the gate. But then his mischievousness gets the better of him, just like it always does.

  Peter spots a ripe, juicy tomato. He just has to have it. Peter lunges for the tomato. The other rabbits signal for him to NOT DO THAT! But he is Peter Rabbit. And he does exactly that.

  Benjamin tries to cover his eyes with his floppy ears.

  “I can’t look!” he says.

  Old Mr. McGregor is now blocking Peter’s path to the gate. His sisters signal to him as he tries to avoid the farmer. Mr. McGregor is almost upon him. Peter is going to be caught!

  SNAP! Cotton-tail has tossed one more radish, triggering a trap in the other direction. Peter’s path is clear once again. Mr. McGregor’s beard is touching the ground as he peers at the trap. Peter can’t help himself. He carefully places one of the traps underneath Mr. McGregor’s beard and taps it with a nearby carrot. SNAP!

  Mr. McGregor yelps out in pain and spins around. His beard is clamped tightly in the trap.

  “Rah-bbit! I’m going to put you in a pie!” he yells, struggling to free his beard. Peter scampers off as fast as he can toward the gate. But he still can’t help himself and glances back to enjoy seeing Mr. McGregor with his beard in the trap . . . and gets himself tangled in a gooseberry net.

  Old Mr. McGregor is furious. He uses all his strength to swing his rake right at Peter Rabbit. Cotton-tail tries more diversions but they don’t help at all. The rake pins Peter by his jacket to the ground.

  Is this the end for Peter Rabbit? Of course not.

  Peter manages to slide out of his jacket and, leaving it behind, races under the gate. He’s free! Just as the rabbits are thinking the worst is over, the gate bursts open. Old Mr. McGregor, holding his rake, hurls it down again toward Peter Rabbit. Only this time, Peter swoops up from the ground, narrowly avoiding death. It’s like he’s flying! Like he has super powers! But rabbits do not have super powers.

  What they do have is guardian angels. And this particular guardian angel is human and has swept Peter Rabbit up into the air. This is Bea.

  “Oh, it’s you,” says Mr. McGregor.

  “Morning, Mr. McGregor! Beautiful day!” says the lovely but tough Bea.

  Bea is Mr. McGregor’s next-door neighbor and they couldn’t be more different.

  “Give me that rabbit,” snarls Mr. McGregor.

  Bea is holding Peter tightly. She looks at him with love and concern.

  “Are you OK?” Bea asks Peter. She isn’t scared of Old Mr. McGregor. Peter’s eyes tell her that he is “totally fine.” They also say “thank you.”

  “This is my garden,” shouts Mr. McGregor.

  “Let me pass that along,” says Bea. She turns to look at Peter. “This is his garden.” She turns her attention once more to Old Mr. McGregor. “There. I think we’re all on the same page and these rabbits will now surrender their natural instinct to feed themselves,” she says, sarcastically.

  “Next time will be the last time,” warns Old Mr. McGregor. He bends down to pick up all the vegetables Peter had thrown over to Benjamin.

  “Nice melons,” says Bea.

  Mr. McGregor turns back and hits at a huge melon with his rake in frustration. It explodes everywhere. Shards of melon cover the rabbits. They recoil until they have a taste. The melon is delicious! They start licking everything they can off their faces. Mr. McGregor returns to his garden with a huff and slams the gate shut.

  “Always great talking to you!” Bea calls after him. Her last words are drowned out by a loud clap of thunder. Rain clouds fill the sky and a downpour begins.

  “Come on, sweeties. I’ll get you something to drink,” says Bea, hurrying everyone toward her cottage and out of the rain.

  Chapter Two

  DANGER IN THE GARDEN

  Inside her cottage, Bea uses her fluffiest towels to dry off the rabbits.

  “You can’t keep going in there. That was almost it for you this time,” says a concerned Bea to the rabbits. She pours blackberry spa water into a bowl that is used especially for these occasions. Four glorious blackberries plop out. They look delicious. Each bunny lunges for their berry. Mopsy and Flopsy fight over one of the biggest ones.

  Bea looks at the bunnies, her eyes filled with love. She may live alone, but she isn’t lonely. Not with her favorite furry animals always around.

  The cottage is filled with Bea’s half-finished portraits. Bea is an artist. She moved to the country to work on her paintings, but her talent does not seem to lie in portraits. There are many other finished paintings in her cottage. They are mostly of animals in clothes. And then, mostly of rabbits. Some even look familiar.

  Peter looks at one painting in particular. It is a portrait of a rabbit family. Peter’s family, from long ago. A time that Peter can remember as if it was yesterday. The whole family together, his mom and dad, with his little sisters, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail . . . and himself, Peter. They would all frolic next to Mr. McGregor’s manor. The rabbits were happy, laughing and playing. Peter’s father would teach them to walk on two legs, and Peter’s mother would mark how tall they grew with their paw prints on the wall of their burrow.

  Peter and his father would gather juicy plums from the tree behind Mr. McGregor’s manor, filling a basket to take home to the family. But one day, the tree shook and shook and a tractor began to plow over the field where the rabbits had once frolicked. Not only that, the mean old man then built a fence around the plum tree!

  Peter recalls the night he had watched through the window of the burrow as his dad had sneaked under the fence and into Mr. McGregor’s garden. Then, Mr. McGregor had appeared, looming over Peter’s father with a rake in his hand. Peter now remembers seeing that rake come down with a terrible clang.

  Peter had run to the McGregor manor and looked through the window only to see Mrs. McGregor serving Mr. McGregor rabbit pie.

  Peter’s eyes had filled with tears as he had noticed his dad’s blue jacket lying on the ground of the garden. Peter had picked it up and put it on. It was too big, but Peter wore it anyway.

  Peter shakes his head, trying to get the terrible memories out of his mind. He is soon back in Bea’s cottage. Safe. He looks down at where his jacket should have been. His dad’s jacket lost in Old Mr. McGregor’s garden forever.

  Peter looks up again at a different painting. This time a portrait of his mother and father. Bea comes over and kneels down beside Peter.

  “I promise I’ll always be there for you,” she says softly as she strokes Peter’s head.

  Bea is gentle and very protective of her rabbits. Almost like a mother. In fact, Bea has been a mom to them ever since their own mother died. Bea looks out of her cottage window. The rain has finally stopped and the sun is shining through the clouds.

  “Ooh, the sun’s out,” says Bea. The rabbits cheer up. The gloom is lifted from the day.

  Later that day, Bea and her beloved rabbits go for a bike ride through the countryside. They frolic next to the bike’s wheels, hop onto walls as she rides past, and even race Bea before Peter ju
mps into her basket.

  “Isn’t it beautiful today?” she says. Peter nods. “I swear sometimes you can understand me.”

  The rabbits can understand her, but they don’t let on. It’s the only way animals and humans can get along. If we all knew what we were saying about each other, it would be chaos. Peter has to talk to her with his eyes because of course, rabbits can’t talk to humans in the usual way. Just ask the dinosaurs!

  Back in the burrow, each bunny hangs their jacket on a hook on the wall. All except Peter. They look at him with sad eyes.

  “Sorry, Peter. I’ll make you a new one,” says Mopsy.

  “If you’d let me go into the garden with you, it never would have happened. Why don’t you ever let me go in with you?” demands Cotton-tail, just like she always does.

  “You remember what happened to Dad, right?” says Peter.

  “But you go in all the time,” says Cotton-tail, crossing her paws.

  But Peter won’t change his mind, just like the big, overprotective brother he is.

  “Anyway, it’s just a jacket. Dad’s still here.” Peter puts his hand on his heart.

  The burrow becomes very quiet for a moment.

  “Now, who wants to play ball in the house?” says Peter, tossing a ball toward his sisters. It’s nice to have fun after their terrible, and frightening, encounter with Mr. McGregor. The lack of parental supervision that comes from your parents being put in a pie has certain advantages.

  They play happily for a while, but, as is always the way with these things, someone ends up getting hurt. And this time it’s Flopsy who gets a bump on the head, thanks to Mopsy.

  Mopsy leans her forehead against Flopsy’s and they stay like that for a moment. It’s the rabbit way of apologizing. Peter nods to Cotton-tail, who races from the burrow to find something for Flopsy’s sore head.

  Outside, Cotton-tail runs up to Jeremy Fisher, who is sitting on his cold lily pad. It’s exactly what she needs. With one quick tug she yanks it out from under him, just like a magician’s tablecloth.