Once upon a time there were six little rabbits, four children rabbits and a mother and a father rabbit and they all lived together in a sandbank under an apple tree. One day the mother and father rabbit prepared a picnic lunch and got most of the children outside while they talked about where they might go.
"We could go to the orchard," said the mother rabbit.
"The one by Mr. McGregor's garden? I'm not feeling up to that. How about the river?" said the father rabbit.
"Look, Ma! I tied my ribbon myself!" said Flopsy.
"Maaaa! Peter's eating the lunch already!" said Cottontail.
"I'm not either. I'm just looking at it," said Peter.
"Shoo! Shoo! We're talking!" said the Mother Rabbit and the noisy children rabbits went back outside.
The father rabbit looked at the mother rabbit and sighed. "I know you don't want them to worry," said the father rabbit, "but we have to tell them eventually. They are going to figure out that we 'go shopping' and return with nothing an awful lot...and..."
"You think I don't know that?"said the mother rabbit. "I've already fielded questions about why you are shedding out of season. I know.. I know that we have to tell them. But still, give me my illusion for a little while longer. Just one more day!"
"All right, honey. One more day...We should get going-Aw don't cry! C'mon, let's go take the kits to the river." And the father rabbit took his wife by the hand and led her outside. Three noisy children rabbits danced and jumped up and down, thrilled to be going somewhere at last.
"Hey, where's Mopsy?"said the father rabbit.
"Wasn't she in the sewing basket back in the house?" said Flopsy.
"Oh, no!" said the mother rabbit.
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