The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Beatrix Potter (1866–1943)
story · 1902 · 6 min read
How we estimate the level
We compare average sentence length and book vocabulary with the course words through this level. This is an estimate, not a test of your level.
Synopsis
Mrs. Rabbit tells her four children to stay out of Mr. McGregor's garden. Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton-tail obey, but Peter squeezes under the gate and eats lettuces, beans and radishes until Mr. McGregor sees him. Peter loses his shoes and his new blue jacket, hides in a watering can and gets lost before he finally finds the gate again and runs home.
About this book
Peter Rabbit is a short story with a clear chain of events: a warning, a mistake, a chase and a safe return. That makes it easy to follow even when a word is new. The estimated level is B1 rather than A2 because the sentences are long for a children's book (about 13 words on average) and the garden is full of specific words such as radishes, gooseberry net and sieve. You do not need every one of them: the action carries the meaning. The text was first published in 1902 and keeps its original British spelling and punctuation, including single quotation marks for speech.
Opening excerpt
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.Key vocabulary
behaving badly, not doing what you are told
bad behavior that causes small problems
a door in a fence or wall
a green leaf vegetable used in salads
a small red vegetable with a hot taste
afraid
a small building for keeping garden tools
to blow air out of your nose suddenly, as in 'Atchoo!'
Lines from the book
“Now run along, and don't get into mischief. I am going out.”“He slipped underneath the gate, and was safe at last in the wood outside the garden.”“I am sorry to say that Peter was not very well during the evening.”About the author
Beatrix Potter (1866–1943) was an English writer, illustrator and naturalist. She studied plants and animals closely, and her small books about the animals of the English countryside became some of the best-known children's stories in the world. Later she farmed in the Lake District and left most of her land to the National Trust.
Frequently asked questions
What level of English do I need for Peter Rabbit?
We estimate B1. The story is short and the action is simple, but the sentences are long for a children's book and there are many garden words. A strong A2 reader can enjoy it with the key vocabulary on this page.
How long does it take to read?
The story has about 1,000 words. Most learners read it in six to ten minutes, or twice that if they stop to check new words.
Is this the original text or a simplified version?
It is Beatrix Potter's original text from 1902. Nothing is simplified; the level is an estimate of how hard the original is.
Why are there no pictures?
This edition contains only the text. The pictures are part of the original book, but a text-only file is lighter and easy to read on a phone or an e-reader.
