Loveable Peter Rabbit

Press, 2 October 1979, Page 16

Loveable Peter Rabbit

Peter Rabbit was one of the story-book characters chosen by the Post Office of Britain for its pictorial issue of stamps to mark the International Year of the Child. He is the best-known of all the lovable animal characters in the stories of Beatrix Potter. This famous writer of children's stories had a lonely childhood. The little animals which later became the characters in her stories were her friends, and one of her hobbies was drawing. It is said that she had a pet rabbit named Peter. When Beatrix Potter was 17. a young woman. Miss Annie Carter, came to live with her as a companion, and to teach her the German language. They became close friends and kept in touch with each other after Miss Carter's marriage a few years later. The story of Peter Rabbit began as a picture letter written to a sick child on September 4 1893. The child, Noel, was the firstborn of the writer’s dear friend and former companion. Some time later Beatrix

Potter had the idea <>f using the letter and the illustrations for a children's book. She wrote to Noel asking him to lend her the picture letter. Fortunately he had kept it. The story was rewritten and illustrated with painstaking care three times before the authoress sent it to a publisher in 1900. Like Peter Rabbit of the story, the book had many ups and downs. During 1900 it was sent to six different publishers, and it was returned by all of them. They were not interested. Beatrix Potter insisted that the book be small so that a child could hold it confortably; and she wanted it to be sold cheaply. The price she had in mind was about 10 cents. The publishers did not agree about the size of the book, or the. price, and they were not enthusiastic about the story. The following year Beatrix Potter decided to have her Peter Rabbit . story published privately. Her first edition came out in December. 1901,. It was an immediate success, and within a week she was planning a second edition which was printed about two months later. Meantime, the publish-

ers F. Warne and Company. Limited. had thought again about the little book and the\ wen? showing a cautious interest in it. With some minor alterations. ‘The Tale of Peter Rabbit" was published by Warnes in October 1902 The whole first edition of 8000 copies had been ordered beforehand. Within two years 86.000 copies had been printed. I he price of the earlv editions was 10 cents for ordinary binding and 15 # cents for cloth binding. The little book had reached the little hands and hearts of the children it was written for and it continues to do so today, only the price ha? changed. Since it was published in 1902, "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" has been translated into mane lans guages. In 1907 Beatrix Potter herself began the French translation with the same meticulous care she had devoted to her first work, hut it was 1921 before the story was pubs ’ lished in France and th* children were able to enjoy "Pierre Lapin." In more recent years it has been translated into 12 different languages, iueluding braille. J