The Tale of Mr. Tod

🦊 The story in brief

📖 The story, part by part

Tap “Read it to me” to listen, or read each part with a grown-up. The green boxes show Beatrix Potter's own words.

1. Part 1

   Two grumpy neighbours

   Mr. Tod is a fox. Tommy Brock is a badger. The rabbits did not like either of them!

   Beatrix Potter wrote: “He had half a dozen houses, but he was seldom at home.”

   Beatrix Potter wrote: “Tommy Brock was a short bristly fat waddling person with a grin; he grinned all over his face.”

   Beatrix Potter wrote: “His clothes were very dirty; and as he slept in the day-time, he always went to bed in his boots. And the bed which he went to bed in, was generally Mr. Tod’s.”

2. Part 2

   Grandpa Bouncer forgets

   Old Mr. Bouncer, Benjamin Bunny’s father, was looking after the rabbit-babies.

   Beatrix Potter wrote: “The little rabbit-babies were just old enough to open their blue eyes and kick.”

   But Mr. Bouncer forgot all about them! Tommy Brock came by with his sack, and Mr. Bouncer asked him in.

   Beatrix Potter wrote: “Tommy Brock squeezed himself into the rabbit hole with alacrity.”

   Then old Mr. Bouncer shut his eyes and dozed.

3. Part 3

   Gone!

   Beatrix Potter wrote: “When Flopsy and Benjamin came back—old Mr. Bouncer woke up. Tommy Brock and all the young rabbit-babies had disappeared!”

   There were round, heavy badger footprints in the sand.

   Beatrix Potter wrote: “Benjamin Bunny set off at once after Tommy Brock.”

4. Part 4

   Mr. Tod’s stick house

   Benjamin followed the tracks through the wood, past a sea of blue hyacinths.

   Beatrix Potter wrote: “Mr. Tod’s stick house was before him and, for once, Mr. Tod was at home.”

   Smoke was coming out of a broken pail that was the chimney!

   Beatrix Potter wrote: “Benjamin stamped his foot, and bolted.”

5. Part 5

   Cousin Peter

   In a meadow, Benjamin saw a rabbit in a blue coat, looking for dandelions.

   Beatrix Potter wrote: ““Cousin Peter! Peter Rabbit, Peter Rabbit!” shouted Benjamin Bunny.”

   Benjamin told Peter that Tommy Brock had taken the babies away in a sack.

   Beatrix Potter wrote: ““Seven, Cousin Peter, and all of them twins! Did he come this way? Please tell me quick!””

   Beatrix Potter wrote: ““Yes, yes; not ten minutes since ... he said they were caterpillars; I did think they were kicking rather hard, for caterpillars.””

6. Part 6

   Up Bull Banks

   Beatrix Potter wrote: “Peter hid his dandelions, and accompanied the afflicted parent, who was all of a twitter.”

   They followed the badger’s tracks up a big hill called Bull Banks. At the top, among the rocks, was another of Mr. Tod’s houses.

   Beatrix Potter wrote: “The rabbits crept up carefully, listening and peeping.”

7. Part 7

   Snoring in boots

   The door was locked. Peter and Benjamin crept round to the bedroom window and peeped in.

   Beatrix Potter wrote: ““He has gone to bed in his boots,” whispered Peter.”

   Beatrix Potter wrote: “Tommy Brock’s snores continued, grunty and regular from Mr. Tod’s bed. Nothing could be seen of the young family.”

8. Part 8

   The oven door

   The moon came up and shone in at the kitchen window. Beside the fireplace was a little iron door to a brick oven.

   Beatrix Potter wrote: “And presently at the same moment Peter and Benjamin noticed that whenever they shook the window—the little door opposite shook in answer. The young family were alive; shut up in the oven!”

   But the window was bolted shut, and the babies were too little to crawl out.

   Beatrix Potter wrote: “After much whispering, Peter and Benjamin decided to dig a tunnel.”

   Beatrix Potter wrote: “They dug and dug for hours.”

9. Part 9

   Mr. Tod comes home

   In the morning, the rabbits heard a jay bird calling, and then a fox barking!

   Beatrix Potter wrote: “They did the most foolish thing that they could have done. They rushed into their short new tunnel, and hid themselves at the top end of it, under Mr. Tod’s kitchen floor.”

   Beatrix Potter wrote: “Mr. Tod was coming up Bull Banks, and he was in the very worst of tempers.”

   Mr. Tod opened his door with a big rusty key. He found Tommy Brock asleep in his bed!

   Beatrix Potter wrote: “He snored peacefully and regularly; but one eye was not perfectly shut.”

10. Part 10

    The pail of water

    Mr. Tod wanted Tommy Brock out of his bed. He made a plan to tip a pail of cold water on him, like a big surprise shower.

    Beatrix Potter wrote: “Mr. Tod fetched a large heavy pailful of water from the spring, and staggered with it through the kitchen into his bedroom.”

    The pail was too heavy to lift, so he filled it up one jug at a time.

    Beatrix Potter wrote: “Surely there never was such a sleeper!”

    But Tommy Brock was only pretending to sleep! Mr. Tod went outside to pull the rope.

    Beatrix Potter wrote: “The moment he had gone, Tommy Brock got up in a hurry; he rolled Mr. Tod’s dressing-gown into a bundle, put it into the bed beneath the pail of water instead of himself, and left the room also—grinning immensely.”

    Beatrix Potter wrote: “Inside the house there was a great crash and splash, and the noise of a pail rolling over and over.”

11. Part 11

    A great big quarrel

    Splash! Only the dressing-gown got wet. When Mr. Tod found Tommy Brock dry and grinning in his kitchen, the two grumpy neighbours had a great, noisy quarrel, tumbling about the kitchen.

    Beatrix Potter wrote: “Everything was upset except the kitchen table.”

    Beatrix Potter wrote: “Tommy Brock put his foot in a jar of raspberry jam.”

    At last they rolled right out of the door and away down the hill, still quarrelling.

    Beatrix Potter wrote: “There will never be any love lost between Tommy Brock and Mr. Tod.”

12. Part 12

    Home at last

    Beatrix Potter wrote: ““Now for it! Run in, Cousin Benjamin! Run in and get them! while I watch at the door.””

    Beatrix Potter wrote: “He opened the oven door, felt inside, and found something warm and wriggling.”

    Peter and Benjamin carried the babies all the way home.

    Beatrix Potter wrote: “Great was old Mr. Bouncer’s relief and Flopsy’s joy when Peter and Benjamin arrived in triumph with the young family.”

    Beatrix Potter wrote: “Old Mr. Bouncer was forgiven, and they all had dinner.”

💛 Big idea

Friends and family help each other, and say sorry. Peter stayed with Benjamin all night until the babies were safe, and at the end old Mr. Bouncer was forgiven.

🦡 Meet the characters

• Tommy Brock

  A fat, grinning badger who sleeps in the day-time, in his boots! He carries off the rabbit-babies in his sack.

• Mr. Tod

  A grumpy fox with sandy whiskers. He has lots of houses, and he does not like Tommy Brock one bit.

• Benjamin Bunny

  The rabbit-babies' father. He sets off at once to find them.

• Peter Rabbit

  Benjamin's cousin, in his blue coat. He is brave and helps Benjamin all night long.

• Old Mr. Bouncer

  Benjamin's old father, in a red muffler. He was meant to mind the babies, but he forgot.

✏️ About Beatrix Potter and her book

• When did it come out?

  In 1912. Frederick Warne & Co. printed it, just like The Tale of Peter Rabbit.

• Old friends

  Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny are back! Benjamin and Flopsy's children were in The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies.

• Not nice people

  Beatrix Potter said she had made many books about well-behaved people, so for a change she wrote about two disagreeable ones!

• Who drew the pictures?

  Beatrix Potter wrote the words and painted the pictures herself. The pictures on this page are new ones, drawn for Jugami.