I had almost forgotten about Benjamin Bunny, Beatrix Potter's sequel to Peter Rabbit, but various images are coming back to me from childhood readings. 

It could just as easily have been titled "Peter Rabbit II: Return to Mr. McGregor's Garden," because that is exactly what takes place. Benjamin in joyful naivete and optimism, and Peter in wide-eyed reticence marked with occasional evidence of rabbit PTSD. Peter's fear of a repeat of his previous "adventure" is obvious to the adult reader, but may go over the heads of children (it did for me).

They have a close but boring encounter with a cat, but all end up okay since Benjamin's father, as the book states, "had no opinion whatever of cats," and manages to save the rabbit boys by channeling General Woundwort from Watership Down. 

As a child I remember being terribly disappointed when Beatrix Potter says that she can't draw us a picture of Peter and Benjamin hiding under the basket because it was too dark under there. For me it became a matter of great curiosity every time this was read, trying to picture exactly how things must have looked under that dark basket.

In addition to this little adventure, the story also introduces children to many words likely not found in children's books today, such as "gig" (nothing to do with a band), "muffetees," "tam-o-shanter," "cuffed," etc.

Peter's mother makes another appreance in this story -- we are told at the end that she forgave him when he returned from a second brush with death, because she was so glad he had found his clothes. I'm telling you -- it's all about the clothes with these century-old British bunnies.

Scrounged From: Our local flea market

Format: Paperback
Author/Illustrator: Beatrix Potter
Pages: 62
Content Advisory: Peril, and also, the bunnies get hit with a switch by Benjamin's father at the end.

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