It will come as no surprise to learn that Beatrix Potter was fond of rabbits. In 1885 she got her first pet rabbit and named him Benjamin Bouncer. She used to take him for walks on a lead and he later inspired Benjamin Bunny. Her next rabbit was called Peter Piper. She spent many hours training him and he was able to jump through hoops and ring bells. She also loved to sketch him and the rabbit provided inspiration for many of her early drawings. Peter, she recorded, was “bought at a very tender age, in the Uxbridge Road, Shepherd’s Bush, for the exorbitant sum of 4/6.” He was fond of lying by the fire “like a cat” and Beatrix observed him closely, noting his habits. She described him as her “affectionate companion and quiet friend”.
Famously he appeared as Peter Rabbit in her 1902 story The Tale of Peter Rabbit (a book which has now sold over 150 million copies, has never been out of print, and has created a massive amount of spin-off merchandise. In 1903 Peter Rabbit became the first fictional character to be made into a stuffed toy, making him the oldest licensed character ever.)
Beatrix Potter loved various creatures and throughout her life had a succession of pets – mice, hedgehogs, frogs, a tortoise, a snake, lizards, rabbits, dogs and even bats.
In 1893, she wrote a letter to the son of a friend, a boy called Noel Moore. He was unwell, and Beatrix wanted to cheer him up. She did this by filling her letter with the story of four bunnies, Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and Peter, and adding illustrations to the tale. Then Noel’s mother suggested that the tale, and the others that followed in more letters, would make good picture books, and Beatrix thought this might be a way of making herself financially independent from her parents. Many publishers refused her story until it was finally accepted by Frederick Warne & Co. That firm has lived comfortably off Beatrix’s little tales ever since.
What do you think of this literary pet? Tell me your thoughts in a comment.
Selected links for relevant websites, books, movies, videos, and more. Some of these links lead to protected content on this website, learn more about that here.
Beatrix Potter The Complete Tales by Beatrix Potter
Susannah Fullerton: Beatrix Potter is born
Susannah Fullerton: The Tale of Peter Rabbit is first published
Susannah Fullerton: Once upon a time there were four little rabbits
Susannah Fullerton: An Unpublished Manuscript Surfaces
The Beatrix Potter Society
The World of Peter Rabbit
Patricia Farrar
When I visited Beatrix Potter’s farm on a tour with you, I have a fond memory of looking out from her house and what did I see? A little brown rabbit, his white tail bobbing, running across the field – minus his blue coat, of course! My companion and I wondered if rabbits always behaved like this, on cue at Hill Top, for Peter Rabbit followers, or was there a supply of rabbits released just for visitors.
janet cantor
As a child I loved the story of Peter Rabbit.
As an adult I adored the movie made of Potter’s characters called Tales of Beatrix Potter, made with dancers from the Royal Ballet of England.
The dancer chosen to play Johnny Townmouse, also chosen to originate the role of Puck in a Midsummernight’s Dream, was Keith Martin.
Later this magnificent dancer came to the then named Pennsylvania Ballet Company and my friend and I became close friends of Mr. Martin. I have a picture of him as Johnny Townmouse autographed by Mr. Martin on my wall.
If you get the chance to see this movie, do. It is priceless and another way of getting into Beatrix Potter’s imagination.
Susannah Fullerton
That sounds delightful. I will look out for it. Potter’s tales are so enchanting – in books, films, musicals and ballets.
Christine Stevenson
The book ‘Beatrix Potter: Artist, Storyteller and Countrywoman’ by Judy Taylor, is an absorbing biography of that wonderful woman; particularly the audio version read by Patricia Routledge who sounds just as you would imagine the older Beatrix may have sounded.
Helen
What a lovely and uplifting story of a story…amazing how little seeds of ideas translate into ‘history’
thanks Susannah