Beatrix Potter

Hello. My name is Beatrix Potter, and I am the person who created the story of Peter Rabbit. When I was a little girl, I lived in a big, busy city called London. I didn't go to school like you do. Instead, I learned everything right in my own home with my brother, Bertram. Our schoolroom was also our playroom, and it was filled with my favorite friends—my pets. I had so many of them. There were mice, lizards, and even a bat. But my very favorite pets were my rabbits. I had one named Benjamin Bouncer who was very clever, and another one named Peter Piper who was quite mischievous. I loved them so much. I didn't just play with my animal friends. I watched them very carefully and drew pictures of them all day long. I would imagine them wearing tiny blue jackets and little shoes. In my mind, they weren't just pets. They were characters in exciting stories. I imagined them squeezing under garden gates, nibbling on radishes, and having wonderful adventures. These little drawings and stories were my biggest secret and my greatest joy.

As I grew up, my love for drawing animals and nature grew with me. My family and I would spend our summers away from the city in a beautiful place called the Lake District. Oh, how I loved the green hills, sparkling lakes, and all the little creatures who lived there. It was my favorite place in the whole world. One day, on September 4th, 1893, I heard that the son of a dear friend, a little boy named Noel Moore, was very sick. I wanted to cheer him up, so I sat down and wrote him a letter. But it wasn't just any letter. It was a story with pictures all about a naughty rabbit named Peter. I wrote, 'My dear Noel, I don't know what to write to you, so I shall tell you a story about four little rabbits whose names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and Peter.' That letter became my very first book. I tried to find someone to print my story, but many publishers said, 'No, thank you.' I felt a little sad, but I believed in my little rabbit. So, I said, 'I'll do it myself.' I used my own money to print the book. Finally, a publisher named Frederick Warne & Co. saw it and loved it. On October 2nd, 1902, they helped me share The Tale of Peter Rabbit with children everywhere.

My little books became very popular, and soon, children all over the world were reading about Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck, and Squirrel Nutkin. With the money I earned, I was able to do something I had always dreamed of. In 1905, I bought a real farm in the countryside I loved so much. It was called Hill Top Farm, and it was my own special place. I wasn't just a writer and artist anymore. I became a farmer. I learned how to raise a special kind of fluffy sheep called Herdwicks. I loved wearing my sturdy boots and walking through the fields, caring for my animals. It was hard work, but it made my heart so happy. I also met and married a kind man named William Heelis, who loved the countryside just as much as I did. When my life's story came to an end, I wanted to make sure the beautiful land that inspired all my stories would be safe forever. So, I gave my farms and all my land to be protected, so that children and families just like you could always visit and see the real home of Peter Rabbit.