The Tales of Benjamin Bunny & Mr Jeremy Fisher - A Beatrix Potter Bedtime Story

(00:00:00) Welcome to Rest
(00:00:49) Introducing tonight's story
(00:02:27) The Tale of Benjamin Bunny by Beatrix Potter
(00:14:31) The Tale of Mr Jeremy Fisher by Beatrix Potter

Fall asleep to two Beatrix Potter stories: The Tale of Benjamin Bunny and The Tale of Mr Jeremy Fisher.

Read softly and slowly, these tales will calm your mind and help you find rest. Curl up, close your eyes, and let these familiar, nostalgic stories carry you toward sleep.

If you enjoy the show, please follow, rate and leave a comment, it really goes a long way to help the podcast🌞

NEW episodes are released weekly! Every Tuesday at 6PM (GMT).

Watch, listen and comment on this episode on the Rest YouTube channel!

Support us:

• Rate the show on Spotify and leave comments on your favourite episodes
• Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe to our YouTube channel

Connect with Us:

• Stay up to date with all our latest news on our Website and Instagram.
• Got a question or thoughts to share? contact us here. 

Music from Uppbeat
https://uppbeat.io/t/tranquilium/gentle-resonance
License code: WJ296SI7EPUCFJJV
https://uppbeat.io/t/tranquilium/nestled
License code: SOQY3GMUWD3UM9TB

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Good evening, and welcome to Rest, your sanctuary for peaceful
sleep and relaxation. Whether you're escaping daily stresses or seeking
a nightly companion, you're in the right place. My name
is Jessica, and I'll be your host this evening. Before

(00:27):
we begin, why don't you turn off your screens and
turn down your volume. Now that's done, let's unwind and
help you ease into a blessed rest. The sky is

(00:51):
dimming now and the hush of evening has settled in.
It's time to slow down, to let go of the day,
and allow yourself to drift in to rest. Tonight, we
return to the world of Beatrix Potter, a familiar little

(01:14):
corner of the countryside where rabbits wear waistcoats and frogs
go fishing in lily dappled ponds. These gentle tails are
full of hedge row paths and garden walls, soft paws,
and whispered adventures. We'll begin with the Tail of Benjamin Bunny,

(01:40):
a story of courage, curiosity, and one very determined little
rabbit on a mission. Then we'll step into the Tail
of mister Jeremy Fisher, a charming tale of a frog
who sets out on a fishing trip, but the pond

(02:03):
has other plans. There's no need to stay alert or
follow every word. Just let the sound of tonight's stories
wash over you. Let them lull you, soothe you, and
carry you gently towards sleep. The Tale of Benjamin Bunny.

(02:34):
One morning, a little rabbit sat on a bank. He
pricked his ears and listened to the trit trot trit
trot of a pony. A gig was coming along the road.
It was driven by mister McGregor, and beside him sat

(02:58):
Missus McGregor in her best bonnet. As soon as they
had passed, little Benjamin Bunny slid down into the road
and set off with a hop, skip and a jump
to call upon his relations, who lived in the wood

(03:21):
at the back of mister McGregor's garden. The wood was
full of rabbit holes, and in the neatest, sandiest hole
of all lived Benjamin's aunt and his cousins Flopsy, Mopsie, Cottontail,

(03:43):
and Peter. Old. Missus Rabbit was a widow. She earned
her living by knitting rabbit wool mittens and muffeties. I
once bought a pair at a bazaar. She also sold
herbs and rosemary tea and rabbit tobacco, which is what

(04:07):
we call lavender. Little Benjamin did not very much want
to see his aunt. He came round the back of
the fir tree and nearly tumbled upon the top of
his cousin, Peter. Peter was sitting by himself. He looked

(04:32):
poorly and was dressed in a red cotton pocket handkerchief.
Peter said, Little Benjamin in a whisper, who has got
your clothes? Peter replied the scarecrow in mister McGregor's garden

(04:54):
and described how he had been chased about the garden
and had dropped his shoes and coat. Little Benjamin sat
down beside his cousin and assured him that mister McGregor
had gone out in a gig, and Missus McGregor also

(05:16):
and certainly for the day, because she was wearing her
best bonnet. Peter said he hoped that it would rain.
At this point, old Missus Rabbit's voice was heard inside
the rabbit hole, calling cottontail, cotton tail, fetch some more

(05:41):
camo mile. Peter said he thought he might feel better
if he went for a walk. They went away, hand
in hand and got upon the flat top of the
wall at the bottom of the wood. From here they

(06:04):
looked down into mister McGregor's garden. Peter's coat and shoes
were plainly to be seen upon the scarecrow, topped with
an old tamer shanter of mister McGregor's. Little Benjamin said,

(06:25):
it spoils people's clothes to squeeze under a gate. The
proper way to get in is to climb down a
pear tree. Peter fell down head first, but it was
of no consequence, as the bed below was newly raked

(06:48):
and quite soft. It had been sown with lettuces. They
left a great many odd little footmarks all over the bed,
especially little Benjamin, who was wearing cloths. Little Benjamin said

(07:10):
that the first thing to be done was to get
back Peter's clothes in order that they might be able
to use the pocket handkerchief. They took them off the scarecrow.
There had been rain during the night, there was water

(07:32):
in the shoes, and the coat was somewhat shrunk. Benjamin
tried on the tam O shanter, but it was too
big for him. Then he suggested that they should fill
the pocket handkerchief with onions. As a little present for

(07:54):
his aunt. Peter did not seem to be enjoying himself.
He kept hearing noises. Benjamin, on the contrary, was perfectly
at home and ate a lettuce leaf. He said that

(08:16):
he was in the habit of coming to the garden
with his father to get lettuces for their Sunday dinner.
The name of little Benjamin's papa was old mister Benjamin Bunny.
The lettuces certainly were very fine. Peter did not eat anything.

(08:42):
He said he should like to go home. Presently, he
dropped half the onions. Little Benjamin said that it was
not possible to get back up the pear tree with
a load of vegetables. He led the way boldly towards

(09:05):
the other end of the garden. They went along a
little walk on planks under a sunny red brick wall.
The mice sat on their doorsteps, cracking cherry stones. They
winked at Peter Rabbit and Little Benjamin Bunny. Presently Peter

(09:32):
let the pocket handkerchief go again. They got amongst flower
pots and frames and tubs. Peter heard noises worse than ever.
His eyes were as big as lollipops. He was a

(09:54):
step or two in front of his cousin, when he
suddenly stopped. This is what those little rabbits saw round
that corner. Little Benjamin took one look, and then in

(10:14):
half a minute less than no time, he hid himself
and Peter and the onions underneath a large basket. The
cat got up and stretched herself and came and sniffed

(10:36):
at the basket. Perhaps she liked the smell of onions. Anyway,
she sat down upon the top of the basket. She
sat there for five hours. I cannot draw you a

(10:56):
picture of Peter and Benjamin underneath the basket, because it
was quite dark, and the smell of onions was fearful.
It made Peter Rabbit and little Benjamin cry. The sun
got round behind the wood, and it was quite late

(11:21):
in the afternoon, but still the cat sat upon the basket.
At length. There was a pitter patter, pitter patter, and
some bits of mortar fell from the wall above. The

(11:42):
cat looked up and saw old mister Benjamin Bunny prancing
along the top of the wall of the upper terrace.
He was smoking a pipe of rabbit tobacco and had
a little switch in his hand. He was looking for

(12:06):
his son, Old mister Bunny had no opinion whatever of cats.
He took a tremendous jump off the top of the
wall onto the top of the cat, and cuffed it

(12:26):
off the basket and kicked it into the greenhouse, scratching
off a handful of fur. The cat was too much
surprised to scratch back. When old mister Bunny had driven
the cat into the greenhouse, he locked the door. Then

(12:52):
he came back to the basket and took out his
son Benjamin by the ear and whipped him with the
little switch. Then he took out his nephew Peter. Then
he took out their handkerchief of onions and marched out

(13:15):
of the garden. When mister McGregor returned about half an
hour later, he observed several things which perplexed him. It
looked as though some person had been walking all over
the garden in a pair of clocks, only the footmarks

(13:39):
were too ridiculously little. Also, he could not understand how
the cat could have managed to shut herself up inside
the greenhouse, locking the door upon the outside. When Peter
got hime, his mother forgave him because she was so

(14:05):
glad to see that he had found his shoes and coat, cottontail,
and Peter folded up the pocket handkerchief, and old Missus
Rabbit strung up the onions and hung them from the
kitchen ceiling with the bunches of herbs, and the rabbit

(14:29):
tobacco the tail of mister Jeremy Fisher. Once upon a
time there was a frog called mister Jeremy Fisher. He
lived in a little damp house among the buttercups at

(14:53):
the edge of a pond. The water was all slippy,
sloppy in the larder and in the back passage. But
mister Jeremy liked getting his feet wet. Nobody ever scolded him,

(15:13):
and he never caught a cold. He was quite pleased
when he looked out and saw large drops of rain
splashing in the pond. I will get some worms and
go fishing and catch a dish of minnows for my dinner,

(15:37):
said mister Jeremy Fisher. If I catch more than five fish,
I will invite my friends, mister Alderman, Ptolemy Tortoise, and
Sir Isaac Newton. The Olderman, however, eats salad. Mister Jeremy

(16:01):
put on a macintosh and a pair of shiny goloshes.
He took his rod and basket and set off with
enormous hops to the place where he kept his boat.
The boat was round and green and very like the

(16:25):
other lily leaves. It was tied to a water plant
in the middle of the pond. Mister Jeremy took a
reed pole and pushed the boat out into open water.
I know a good place for minnows, said mister Jeremy Fisher.

(16:52):
Mister Jeremy stuck his pole into the mud and fastened
the boat to it. Then he settled himself cross legged
and arranged his fishing tackle. He had the dearest little
red float. His rod was a tough stalk of grass,

(17:18):
His line was a fine, long white horsehair, and he
tied a little wriggling worm at the end. The rain
trickled down his back, and for nearly an hour he
stared at the float. This is getting tiresome. I think

(17:45):
I should like some lunch, said mister Jeremy Fisher. He
punted back again amongst the water plants and took some
lunch out of his basket. I will eat a butterfly
sandwich and wait till the shower is over, said mister

(18:10):
Jeremy Fisher. A great big water beetle came up underneath
the lily leaf and tweet the toe of one of
his goloshes. Mister Jeremy crossed his legs up shorter out
of reach, and went on eating his sandwich. Once or twice,

(18:37):
something moved about with a rustle and a splash amongst
the rushes at the side of the pond. I trust
that is not a rat, said mister Jeremy Fisher. I
think I had better get away from here. Mister Jeremy

(19:03):
shoved the boat out again a little way and dropped
in the bait. There was a bite almost directly the
float gave a tremendous bobbit A minnow. A minnow. I

(19:24):
have him by the nose, cried mister Jeremy Fisher, jerking
up his rod. But what a horrible surprise. Instead of
a smooth, fat minnow, mister Jeremy landed little jack sharp

(19:46):
the stickleback covered with spines. The stickleback floundered about the boat,
pricking and snapping until he was quite out of breath.
Then he jumped back into the water, and a shoal

(20:10):
of other little fishes put their heads out and laughed
at mister Jeremy Fisher. And while mister Jeremy sat disconsolately
on the edge of his boat, sucking his sore fingers
and peering down into the water, a much worse thing happened,

(20:37):
A really frightful thing it would have been if mister
Jeremy had not been wearing a macintosh. A great, big,
enormous trout came up curve flop with a splash, and

(20:59):
it sees mister Jeremy with a snap ow ow ow,
and then it turned and dived down to the bottom
of the pond. But the trout was so displeased with

(21:20):
the taste of the macintosh that in less than half
a minute it spat him out again, and the only
thing it swallowed was mister Jeremy's galoshes. Mister Jeremy bounced
up to the surface of the water like a cork

(21:45):
and the bubbles out of a soda water bottle, and
he swam with all his might to the edge of
the pond. He scrambled out on the first bank he
came to, and he hopped home across the meadow with

(22:07):
his macintosh all in tatters. What a mercy that was
not a pike, said mister Jeremy Fisher. I have lost
my rod and basket, but it does not much matter,

(22:29):
for I am sure I should never have dared to
go fishing again. He put some sticking plaster on his fingers,
and his friends both came to dinner. He could not
offer them fish, but he had something else in his ladder.

(22:55):
Sir Isaac Newton wore his black and gold waistcoat, and
mister Alderman Ptolemy Tortoise brought a salad with him in
a string bag. And instead of a nice dish of minnows,

(23:15):
they had a roasted grasshopper with ladybird sauce, which frogs
consider a beautiful treat. But I think it must have
been nasty.