Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were
Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and Peter.
They lived with their Mother in a sandbank, underneath the root of a very big firtree.
'Now my dears,' said old Mrs. Rabbit one morning, 'you may go into the fields or down the lane, but don't go into Mr. McGregor's garden: your Father had an accident there; he was put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor.'