and ran after Peter, waving a rake and calling out
"Stop thief!"

[Illustration]

Peter was most dreadfully frightened; he rushed all over the garden,
for he had forgotten the way back to the gate.

[Illustration]

He lost one shoe among the cabbages, and the other amongst the
potatoes.

[Illustration]

After losing them, he ran on four legs and went faster

[Illustration]

So that I think he might have got away altogether if he had not
unfortunately run into a gooseberry net

[Illustration]

And got caught by the large buttons on his jacket.

[Illustration]

It was a blue jacket with brass buttons, quite new.

[Illustration]

Peter gave himself up for lost and shed big tears;

[Illustration]

But his sobs were overheard by some friendly sparrows

[Illustration]

Who flew to him in great excitement and implored him to exert himself.

Mr. McGregor came up with a sieve which he intended to pop on the top
of Peter, but Peter wriggled out just in time.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

Leaving his jacket behind him.

[Illustration]

He rushed into the tool-shed and--

[Illustration]

Jumped into a can.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

It would have been a beautiful thing to hide in, if it had not had so
much water in it. Mr. McGregor was quite sure that Peter was somewhere
in the tool-shed, perhaps hidden underneath a flower-pot.

[Illustration]

He began to turn them over carefully, looking under each.

Presently Peter sneezed "Kertyschoo!"

Mr. McGregor was after him in no time, and tried to put his foot upon
Peter, who

Jumped out of a window, upsetting three plants.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

Peter sat down to rest; he was out of breath and trembling with
fright, and he had not the least idea which way to go.

Also he was very damp with sitting in that can.

After a time he began to wander about, going
lippity--
lippity--
not very fast and looking all around.

He found a door in a wall; but it was locked and there was no room
for a fat little rabbit to squeeze underneath.

An old mouse was running in and out over the stone doorstep, carrying
peas and beans to her family in the wood. Peter asked her the way to
the gate but she had such a large pea in her mouth she could not
answer. She only shook her head at him.

[Illustration]

Peter began to cry.

Then he tried to find his way straight across the garden, but he
became more and more puzzled. Pres