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or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts at IntoHistory.com. It's September 4, 1893, in a large house in the Scottish countryside.

As she does often while on vacation, Beatrix Potter sits down to write a letter to the children of her close

friend and former tutor, Anne's oldest son, Noel, is recovering from scarlet fever.

The problem is. Noll is often sing, and 27-year-old Beatrix has already sent him many letters.

She fears she's running out of things to say that a child might find amusing, so she sighs

and looks out the window at the forests and mountains for inspiration.

Mind begins to wander.

Across the room, Beatrix's pet rabbit rustles in its cage, and then inspiration strikes.

Excited to follow the thought right away, she puts pen to paper.

My dear, no, I do not know what to write to you, so I shall tell you a story about four little rabbits

whose name were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton Tail, and Peter.

They lived with their mother in a sandbank under the root of a big fir tree.

Now, my dears, said old Mrs. Bunny, you may go into the field or down the lane, but don't go into

Mr. McGregor's garden.

Flopsy-mopsy and Cotton Tail, who were good little rabbits, went down the lane to gather

blackberries.

But Peter, who was very naughty, ran straight away to Mr. McGregor's garden and squeezed underneath the gate.

Beatrix looks over at her own rabbit, imagining what mischief he might do if she were to let him

loose in a farmer's garden, smiling at the thought, she keeps writing.

...